(1) creaky easton seatpost, (2) grinding of grit in the 0.2mm
clearance between the spider bolts and the chainstay, and/or (3) a
chain which is cleaned and lubed once or twice per year. Today it
sounded worse, so at the water stop I flipped it over and discovered a
crack through the down tube and seat tube, about 3/4 of the way around
the two (with a new hairline fracture visible on the remaining metal).
Trinh, in graciousness, offered his bike to me. Being of basically
the same stature and shoe size (though I am 10 or 15 pounds more
corpulent than he) made the swap easy, and he limped along to work on
the crippled Landbaron, trying not to snap the bottom bracket shell
off the bike while getting used to speedplays and his first time on a
fixie.
In the Landbaron's defence, it was a $120 titanium frame found from a
sketchy bike shop in Texas that claimed it was a factory second. I
got 2 1/2 years of pretty brutal abuse out of it (who bunnyhops curbs
and carries 50lbs of Costco loot on an aero TT frame?); I shouldn't
expect too much more.
An autopsy will be performed. Photos will be posted. The results
will be analyzed, and I will pursue one of three options: (1) sweet
talk a new frame out of Sibex, despite the fact that this one was
clearly defective and not intended for sale, (2) purchase of a new
city fixie frame of appropriate obscurity and uniqueness, or (3) the
glomming of a half pound of carbon fiber and epoxy on the bottom
bracket cluster in an attempt to render it roadworthy again.
--eric
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