drewfio

So I picked this Jan Janssen Vitus bike up off Craigslist for $100 on a whim. Doesn’t even fit me, but I’ve always thought these bikes were cool, and I figured the campy/shimano mishmash of components/wheels were probably worth at least that.

Now that I look at it, I realized there is a slight curve to the top tube which seems.. wrong. Most photos of similar bikes I could find did not have this, or it was less pronounced. Though in some photos it looks like this might be a product of the tube bond. Also the kinesis fork might not be original. So I suspect it may have been in some kind of collision. Besides the curve, I don’t see any evidence of cracks or damage to to the bonded joints. Though this could explain the price.

so my questions are:
- Does my assessment sound correct?
- Is this frame safe to ride?
- is it toast?

see photos

blamester

Put a straight edge on it and confirm its bent.
You might as well check the down tube when you're at it.
If it is bent i would be very wary of it considering the construction. I personally wouldn't ride it.
It will be your call because you will be riding it.

drewfio

I put a straight edge to it, and there is a gap, but it's a little tough to say from that specifically that it is bent, because there is bulge there where the tube gets larger at the bond which seems consistent with other examples of the bike, which would produce a gap. But I do feel like I can visually see a slight curve. Maybe worth comparing to other (hopefully not bent) examples of this bike? I am willing to accept that it is simply bent though if that's the case.

Here is another shot of the bike I got:



And some other examples of the same/nearly the same bike:

gearbasher

The down tube looks bent in the last photo of your bike. I'd put a straight edge on that, also.

smd4

Looks bent to me.

Mr. 66

Yes bent, I'm going guess that is not the stock fork either.

billytwosheds 

IIRC there was a forum member with a very similar 979 frame who built it, rode it, and then tried to sell it here.

There was a lot of concern around the "bend" where the top tube meets the head tube, and he ended up scouring the web and finding half a dozen pictures of 979's that had the same characteristic.

Are there any other signs of a front-end collision? Any of the tubes loose?

Dave Mayer

My first reaction was that the top and down tubes were bent, and the replacement fork was an obvious clue as to why.

However, I ran to the garage with a caliper, and measured my 979 for the gap between the closest point between the tire and the downtube. This is usually a good indicator of a frame bent in a front-on. Sometimes we have bikes come into the shop in which the downtube and front tire contact! These frames are obviously done.

Anyway: my measurement: I came up with almost exactly 1", which was closer than I would have expected.

I know, this measurement depends on the tire size, which in my case is a 22mm Conti Sprinter, which was not too different than the OP's tire.

nomadmax 

I remember that too.

drewfio

Just measured and the gap from the frame to the closest point on the tire is about 0.9 inches, with 23mm tires.

drewfio

No loose tubes. As far as I can tell all the joints where the tubes are bonded are all intact and solid. No cracks in anything I can find. The bike feels solid. A fair bit of cosmetic stuff, scratches to the finish and whatnot. And of course the curve I'm asking about, which was my main cause for concern.

Did this person finding examples of the same characteristic in other 979s change people's opinions? Or did people still think it was a real problem?

blamester

It's beginning to look like it's not bent.
Have good carefull close look around all the joints. Any signs of damage? Does the anodised finish show anything.
Put the straight edge on bottom, top and sides of the tubes.
Sit on it and bounce up and down.
Stand on the pedals do the same.
I think to ride it you will have to build up a bit confidence in it. Which is normal if you think it may be damaged even if it's not.
I hope it works out for you.

billytwosheds 

He had the frame checked out by a few shops and all agreed there was no front-end collision.

Here's the thread: https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...rame-sale.html

FWIW of the 979/992's I've seen have trouble with bonding, they have largely been the seat tube coming unglued from the bottom bracket.

Like was mentioned above, do some bouncing/flexing on the pedals and look and listen for creaks or movement. I'd guess it's probably fine.

Campagnerdo 

Definitely bent. The tubes on the 979 flare a bit at the ends, which can add a challenge to visually discern a bent from a straight frame. I think it would be a more likely frame for a bent one to be deemed straight, or to second guess a straight one as bent.

drewfio

Yeah, I'm convinced it is a little bent now. Which is not to say it is going to explode, but certainly not the a great thing for a frame, and reasonable to question the integrity of it. It doesn't fit me either way, and I've invested very little time or money in it, so I'm not too heartbroken. Anyone looking for a slightly bent 979 frame 😬?