New seat tube - which frame builder to do it

photoleary

I have a late 1970s, early 1980s Peugeot track frame that I have been using for about five years. The frame is in great nick but it came with a seat tube size of somewhere between 23-25mm. Luckily when I salvaged the frame I kept the seat post but the seat post is now getting very 'tired'. I was thinking of having a new seat tube putting on and was thinking of sending it to Mercian. They are saying it will be 6-8 weeks though. Any other suggestions of frame makers that would be good to use?

Also, any reasons to why I would not be able to get the seat tube replaced?

Thanks.

ugo.santalucia

I don't understand why you want the seat tube replaced... it's a hell of a lot of work and includes respray... a lot of money... how much tehy quoted?
You should be able to find the seatpost of the appropriate size (23-25 is a bit vague, I warn you there are 5 different sizes just between 26.2-27.2 mm) and if you get one which is a couple of tenth of mm too wide, just sand it down to the appropriate size and polish it... most period seatposts were overengineered and can stand a couple of tenth of mm removed

photoleary

I wanted it replaced because the size of seat post was a weird sizing that was only used by Peugeot at the time. There are quite a few threads on the Internet with people having the same problem and I have looked high and lo for the size and I just can't get anything. It was something like a 24.2 (I have had it measured before and have it written down somewhere.)
I'm able to respray the frame myself (I have the facillities and have done dozens before) so it just the replacement of the seat tube.

pete.whelan

25mm is reasonably easy to get hold of from some of the UK seatpost manufacturers such as USE.
First measure it accurately ( a few points around the diameter and along the length), use a micrometer or vernier caliper. You want to be 0.1mm accurate
Try a few bike jumbles or eBay

photoleary

I think I should have been more precise when I was typing the info.
The sizing of seat post is not available anymore. It is 24.something and it was a size that only Peugeot used at the time. It is very near to 25mm but not close enough that I would be able to get a 25mm post in. It is also two far away from the smaller sizes that I don't think shimming is an option.
Now I could go around car-boot sales and tips and find another old Peugeot to nab the seat post but then I get the same problem of having an old post that probably won't be great nick and also no head angle adjustment (my seat post was the old type that is just a post and then the seat slots onto it rather than a clamp onto the seat rails.)

The original question really was about who do people recommend for doing frame repairs as, even if I also get them to do the respray, then it's only about £200 which is a lot cheaper than a new frame. Also the geometry of this frame suits me.

Thanks

The Northern Monkey

Save the frame and get something like:

http://magicbikemike.co.uk/products/24m ... ustom-made

All I searched for was: 'peugeot road bike seatpost shim'

photoleary

Cheers for that. Looks perfect.

AyrshireBacon

Had a similar problem with my old Peugeot. Eventually found an old chap lives locally (<10 min walk) with a full machine shop in the back of his garage. Lathed down a seatpost to the exact size and I had to force some money into his hand once he was done. Might be worth asking around, or maybe trying the local high school to see if the metalwork teacher could help. Good luck.

ugo.santalucia

How about this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Shimano-Dura- ... 3f10a25414

Bit of polishing of it, bit of grinding inside the tube, half a mm of material will come off...