Bob Jackson (Vigorelli, etc)

Yeah, mine will have mudguards, Noodle bars and drop levers. Not exactly a trad track setup... awaits lynch mob

My 1948 Holdsworth La Quelda was "repaired" by Bob Jackson and has recently showed signs of 'distress'.
First they used the wrong, later, decals during the refinish, and second a split has appeared at the back of the seat-tube, where it was 'repaired'. Along with a new top-tube.

Donald, the Managing Director said: "Lump it" and refused to do anything about it...

Seek legal advice.

^ does look like that clamp is awfully tight though...

The clamp is as tight as it needs to be and the seat-post is correct diameter.
It's their attitude that bugs me.

Check the bulge on the junction of the top and seat-tube: The little scratch is mine. I'm not going to lawyers, Dave Marsh is miles better.

Yeah, looks like the seat post is too small for the frame and the clamp has been tightened right up onto it causing the fault.

Seat-post is 27.2 and its a 531 frame.

i had a 531 that took a 26.8 iirc

edit: perhaps even 25.8, can't remember but it was smaller and a really odd size. Apparently something they used on larger frames (58cm+ or so)

+1
they did them in 26.8 and 27.2 and some other sizes, but those were the popular ones.

Is it possible they reamed the seat tube or replaced it during the work, so you have then re-inserted an undersize post?
to my untrained eye that tear/crack is the result of a seatpost that was too small, but could be wrong!

The clamp looks much tighter at the top than the bottom, isn't that another indicator of the frame being squeezed onto an undersized seatpost?

yup.

when tightened properly it should be equal top and bottom.

Thanks for all your opinions guys.
But, the seat-post is correct and the same one was inserted after BJs 'repairs'. It was not reamed.

Some 531s are different diameters, French for example, but the problems are not just with the seat-post/tube. Check the bulge in the second pic. It went for a repair and refinish. Not cheap! When I got it back it looked reasonably well, and I excused the incorrect decals, but a few miles more and you see what it's like now.

This is the full bike. 1948 and one of three LQs in my possession. It's not like I'm an amateur in this respect. Running an FM hub here.

There have been lots of stories about poor Bob Jackson customer service. I myself ended up going with Mercian after BJ were pretty rude/unhelpful when I was getting a spec together for a frame by them.

Here's another of my La Queldas from 1948, in original paint.
With correct decals.

@ Superprecise.
Well thanks for that. So I am not alone then....
Recently I've tuned into Dave Marsh and got nothing but praise for them. I know Mercian are excellent, but quite expensive. But you get what you pay for these days, BJ excepted.

that's some lovely bikes you got there

Hi,

I was thinking about purchasing a vigorelli frame but I have a few questions regarding how I should get it. I was wondering if anyone here got an upgraded tubeset for any part of their bike?

I was thinking either an 853 fork or else 725 rear stays. Which would people suggest?

I could also get both of these or else a full 725 frame for the same price.

I am unsure which part would make the greatest difference to the ride/handling/stiffness of the bike.

I would also be interested in a flat crown fork, maybe I could get this with the 853 fork for no extra cost, I don't know...

I am thinking of either the Champagne metallic or the ice blue metallic colours, don't know which one yet.

Thanks for your help.

How heavy/tall and what are you using it for? I have a 22' vigorelli http://graphicoutput.blogspot.com/ which is an otp ridden hard every day as my main bike and its been more than enough, btw im 11 1/2 stone and 6'2 but the standard tubing has been fine as far as stiffness goes, hope that helps :)

I am 175cm and about 63kg or so. Thats 5'9 and nearly 10 stone. I would be getting a 21" frame I think so it would be standard tubing as opposed to oversize.

Thanks for the help

You haven't told us what you are using the bike for, do we assume it's for riding on a velodrome only? Or is this for roads?

I had a road-fixed bike built custom (not by BJ), asked for '853' and got: Front triangle 853, rear 725 (which I think is what '853 frame' really means - it's a combo), forks reynolds R. Fillet brazed, semi-sloping crown, stainless ends and sealed-cup stainless bottle bosses, with some engravings and direct-fit mudguard threads on the rear, and some rack-bosses.

If I was doing it all again I would change nothing, except that I would obsess more about getting geometry just right (It's certainly very very close to perfect) more than tubesets and fancy stuff like stainless bits. Thing is, I didn't tell the builder what to do, I asked his advice according to what I wanted to use it for, and just stipulated 853 and various non-structural details. I don't know what 853 blades will do for the ride. My 'R' forks take the road buzz out nicely. The frame feels really lively and seems not to noodle between the rear and BB, but is really comfy over distances. I think 725 stays may be something to do with this.

Listen to Skully.

You're paying for an experiance framebuilder, so use him/her. You would'nt hire a plumber then apon their arrival hand them a list of pipe specs to use. Just give them as much info as possible, and demand an 1 1/8" headtube, and unthreaded 1 1/8" fork. My BJ rides lovely when cruising, and would take a beasting too. If it was'nt for that prehistoric steerer-stem set-up.

^Oh yes. My appreciation of the classic looks of my quill stem and skinny bars soon turned to resentment when it compares so badly to even a cheapo ahead setup on the road bike I bought.

The BJ vigorelli, was probably not designed for rugby forwards to ride up montains, to be fair.

(ED: I think I've killed my front hub. which has notable bearing wobble. So the front end is bad all round TBH)

+1 on unthreaded. I have a 1" on mine, which is a bit of a fiddle to get stems for, so 1& 1/8" is sound advice.

go for 1 1/4" and use an inverse shim, will be stiff and super strong