MODIFIED FRAME OR FORK

If a bicycle frame set has been modified, in any way, its value is diminished.  Removed or added braze-ons are common modifications.  Cut off integral derailleur hangers are not unusual on bicycles that have been converted to Fixed Gear or Single Speed mounts.  Holes drilled in the frame tubes will also present themselves from time to time.  These kinds of modifications are not all that common but do present themselves now and again.

Though I have run across several modified frame set, I have few pictures to show.  The top of this seat stay has obviously been modified but for what purpose I have no idea.  The chrome has been filed or ground off and not with any degree of care.  Though I do not know why the frame was modified, the result is obvious.  When you see situations such as this, be wary and look elsewhere for other clues that might shed a bit of light on the issue.

It was my good fortune to find a large framed Sekine SHT-270 that was virtually identical to my own SHT.  The components were all Shimano 600 Arabesque and the wheels were as original as the day the bicycle was sold new.  But the fellow had drilled two holes in the down tube with intention of mounting a water bottle holder.  The result was a destroyed frame set that would be miserably weak at the points of modification.  Too bad about the frame set, but the components I got with the bicycle were just great.  My own Sekine proudly wears these original and near mint wheels today, little rubber skewer booties and all.

Is the fork set on this seventies something Mercier an issue?  There is some controversy that the forks are not original issue and I am not sure which way to swing.  The person who brought the concern to my attention was adamant that the forks were not original.  If the forks were not original, then why were they change out?  Collision can be other only answer.  The originals must have been damage badly enough to warrant replacement.  If that were the case, what about the rest of the frame set?  Perhaps it too had experienced collision damage.  To this day I do not know the answer to this mystery.

There are component clues that will suggest crash damage, even if the damaged components have been replaced.  Wheels that don't match is a good clue.  Rear wheels carry the most load and are often replaced rather than repaired.  Front wheels, however, are rarely replaced unless they have experienced crash damage.  A front wheel that was damaged enough to warrant replacement could suggest that the frame and forks experienced damage also.

The same holds true for a replace rear derailleur.  Rear derailleurs stick out and are constantly in danger of experiencing crash damage.  If the rear derailleur has been replaced, the question of why? must come into play.  A badly banged up rear derailleur might also mean bent rear drop-outs and/or bent stays.  Just another clue to help identify potential problem areas.

And this leads the way to repaired frame damage and this kind of damage might well be invisible.

NEXT - REPAIRED FRAME OR FORK