Roypercy

This is close to me, and at the price I'm considering buying it and replacing the fork:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...8240149557236/

This is clearly an '82 or '83 model with Vitus 172 frame. Anybody have an opinion on whether or not the frame itself would be compromised after a collision bad enough to bung the fork up like that? If I do this thing, what size fork would be a reasonable replacement? Would this have a 1" steerer tube?

Or do I just grit my teeth and walk away?

bikemig 

The good news is that you don't need to run a fork with a French steering column; you can run one with BSC threading and use an English threaded HS.

The bad news is that fork looks bad. Offer them $25 and see if they bite. Maybe you have a frame you can work with, maybe you have $25 worth of parts.

BFisher

That frame could very well be compromised. Only way to know is in person inspection. With a non-French replacement fork, your headset and stem options increase. But again, be wary of any ripples or kinks in the top and down tubes. There are lots of vintage bikes out there without this kind of damage. How much of a project are you looking for?

francophile 

that looks like it took a hell of a front-ender, and I doubt it was just the fork impacted. I'd carefully look at the top tube and down tube at the head tube to check for cracks in the paint, creases or otherwise.

Looks like a 1983 year. I have an 1980 GR also built w/Vitus 172 same as the one linked above. It's light as hell with a couple of minor hardware tweaks, I think that one could be quite similar.

Edit: Two other things to note, the cockpit is rubber-encased simulating leather, you'd need to cut it off to - for example - remove the stem. It's got a decent array of parts, you could easily break-even selling the parts for the ask price if the frame is trashed.

SurferRosa

I always cut it and trash it. I find it gross. But many folks like it and can remove/reinstall that tape without damage (so they say).

T-Mar

If looks like the paint has cracked and chipped off in the area immediately behind the head lugs.. Almost invariably, this is indicative of bent tubes.

davester

That's what it looks like to me. "It's dead, Jim".

Vintage_Cyclist

Offer $25. If accepted, strip all the parts, throw parts in box of crap for future use, throw frame in recycling bin.

noobinsf 

Sorry to pile on, but I agree that what I see is a parts bike. (Nothing wrong with that, btw!)

SurferRosa

In Seattle, at least, it looks like you can do just that ... if the metal bike part is over 3" and you can still close the lid. This is new and recent news to me, as I have always tossed steel bars and the like in the garbage.
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Where Does It Go? - Utilities | seattle.gov

Roypercy

Thanks for the responses, all. That's what I was afraid of. Since I moved a couple of years ago and no longer have a garage to store projects and spare parts I think I'll pass.

I had a full Vitus 172 Grand Jubilee from 1981 that suffered a stress fracture of the seat tube at the bottom bracket after several thousand happy miles. I have since heard from several people that post-1980 Vitus 172 frames were overheated in production and prone to breakage. SOunds like it's not worth my time. The search continues!

T-Mar

I don't know about Seattle but in a lot of communities you can bypass the recycling program and take metals straight to the scrap dealer where they will pay you a set fee per unit weight based on the type of metal and its grade.

BFisher

We have a couple of scrap yards in my area. I once bought two bikes from a guy, one an Atala Grand Prix frame for $20. It had severe front end damage, but easily that much in parts hanging from it. Sold a Campy cable guide off of it for $20, among other things. I actually came out ahead on that one after I took it to the scrap yard.

Vintage_Cyclist

The bike and OP are both in Brooklyn. In NYC, you just put the recycling at the curb on the weekly recycling pick-up day and they pick it up. If it's too big to go in a can or bag (like a bike frame or an engine block, or a stove, etc.), just leave it at the curb and they'll pick it up . . . unless the metal scrappers get to it first.

sean.hwy

I have a root canal from running my brand new road bike into the back of pinto when I was kid. I was looking down adjusting the gears trying to make the noise go away. When looked up I ran into the back of pinto. Flew of my bars right on the hatch. Just my luck.
It would have been a car with a trunk I would not have broken my tooth half off.


Anyways, my frame doubled over. My forks and everything else where fine. My step dad at the time had a welding shop. He straighten the frame and then put a BMX like gusset between the top and bottom tube.

I would think that frame is bent if it bent the fork.

JaccoW

For $25-$50 it might be worth it for the parts but I wouldn't bother.
If you do end up buying it at the very least make sure the frame gets cut up so someone else doesn't build it up again.