Sniffie Posted June 25, 2013 Posted June 25, 2013 (edited) I have this old aluminium bike (1990'ish I think). It is a Sakae Litage made in Japan. The craftsmanship on this frame is something to behold. There are no welds, lugs (correct term?) used at the joints. It has the old 9 speed shimano 105 groupset. Although it has STI's I am not sure it is original. It looks as if it was originally equipped with the downtube shifter levers? I am thinking of converting to singlespeed. 1. Does any of you know anything about this frame? 2. Worth anything as a collectable? 3. Are the lug joints only press fitted, or are there some kind of glue used? 4. It has a clear lacquer finish, will Removall from Plascon be the sripper of choice? 5.Will the paint stripper affect the integrity of the joints? Edited June 25, 2013 by Sniffie
DJR Posted June 25, 2013 Posted June 25, 2013 No, it looks like a piece of rubbish, I'll come and collect it to take it to the dump for you. Sorry, don't know the brand. Post in the retro bikes thread also. There are some seriously clued up Hubbers that hang out there.
jcmeyerSS Posted June 25, 2013 Posted June 25, 2013 Damn overacheiver Japs. Reminds me of that story"Back in the 70's the americans sent what they believed to be the thinest piece of wire ever made. A week later they recieved it back with the hole drilled through it"
HaydenWilson Posted June 25, 2013 Posted June 25, 2013 1. Does any of you know anything about this frame? 2. Worth anything as a collectable? 3. Are the lug joints only press fitted, or are there some kind of glue used? 4. It has a clear lacquer finish, will Removall from Plascon be the sripper of choice? 5.Will the paint stripper affect the integrity of the joints? beautiful frame! are you sure its aluminium? Generally lugs are used instead of welding a frame for cromo tubing and the polished look would also suggest cromo to me which means it might not even have a clear coat as cromo is a 'stainless' steel... the lug is essentially a sleeve that the tube fits into and it is held in place by either a brass or silver braze which 'glues' the whole lot together. i am not sure if aluminium can be braized..... if it has been brazed and clear coated it is unlikely that the removeall will affect the joints at all.
Tuxstir Posted June 27, 2013 Posted June 27, 2013 beautiful frame! are you sure its aluminium? Generally lugs are used instead of welding a frame for cromo tubing and the polished look would also suggest cromo to me which means it might not even have a clear coat as cromo is a 'stainless' steel... the lug is essentially a sleeve that the tube fits into and it is held in place by either a brass or silver braze which 'glues' the whole lot together. i am not sure if aluminium can be braized..... if it has been brazed and clear coated it is unlikely that the removeall will affect the joints at all. Looks to me very similarly built as that of the old vitus frames, bonded aluminuim, you can see the split where the tubes end and the lug starts. Nice frame, would make a nice single or a nice retro build.. Sti are about right for that frame, if its late 90's
Hackster Posted June 28, 2013 Posted June 28, 2013 Looks very similar to my aluminium Vitus which I've recently had converted to single speed. Apparently, the tubes are 'glued' in and have been known to come unglued. Always fun to think about when you're doing a fast descent. That said, this frame gives a very comfortable ride as it's very flexible. Don't know what it's worth but there might be someone out there who's willing to pay you more than you paid for it... I would be very wary of using stripper on this frame. Visually it's not going to change much because the frame is naked anyway. And that stripper might just interfer with that 'glue'. IMHO it'll look great as a single speed as is. You might be able to sell the rd for a few bob if it's a vintage item. Mine came with dura ace gruppo - beautifull...
kosmonooit Posted June 28, 2013 Posted June 28, 2013 Are you sure its Al? looks like the dull sheen of Ti ...
Sniffie Posted June 28, 2013 Author Posted June 28, 2013 Litage.rtfd.zipThanks for all the replies guys.@ Hayden Not sure, but is Cro-molly not a ferrous substance? A magnet wont stick to the frame. It does have a clear coat, you can see it where the frame has been scratched.@ tedibear I saw pictures of similar frames on the internet with downtube shifters, plus the boss on the downtube just above the front wheel looks like it has been designed for DT shifters.@ Hackster Also heard somewhere that those lugs are glued into the tubes, hence my question about the paintstripper. If it has lasted 20 years without coming apart, should last another 20?@ Kosmonooit Early 90's not to early for Ti? There is a spot on the seat post clamp (integrated part of the lug) where it has been welded by a previous owner. Not sure if it could be done to Ti.
Sniffie Posted June 28, 2013 Author Posted June 28, 2013 (edited) Double post Litage.rtfd.zip Edited June 28, 2013 by Sniffie
human909 Posted July 30, 2013 Posted July 30, 2013 Turning that beautiful machine into a fixie is a sin! :-p I own a Sakae Litage and I love it. In fact that is how I stumbled across this forum! The frame is top end aluminium, epoxied together rather than welded. You have a real Gem there! Keep it as it was mean to be as a roadie! If you don't like it I'll buy it off you for $US500 plus shipping! (Though if I was you I'd keep it!) 3Rensho 1
human909 Posted July 30, 2013 Posted July 30, 2013 Don't know what it's worth but there might be someone out there who's willing to pay you more than you paid for it... Lol! That's me! I bought my current Sake Litage for ~US$300. They're antique but they ride well!
3Rensho Posted September 11, 2013 Posted September 11, 2013 (edited) Please do not molest this bike. Leave it as a road bike. It is a beautiful bicycle, and worth keeping as original as possible (already a bit late seeing as the DT shifters are gone). PM as soon as you grow tired of it, I would love to have it. Edited September 14, 2013 by 3Rensho
Flowta Posted September 11, 2013 Posted September 11, 2013 Please do not molest this bike. Leave it as a road bike. It is a beautiful bicycle, and worth keeping as original as possible (already a bit late seeing as the DT shifters are gone). PM as soon as you grow tired of it, I would love to have it. 3Rensho One can still get downtube shifters (even dura ace 10 speed) and non sti brakes from CRC so all is not lost. If you look in the right places you can find stuff locally.
Flowta Posted September 11, 2013 Posted September 11, 2013 (edited) Double post Edited September 11, 2013 by Flowta
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