20120312

Sadness

A few months prior, I acquired a legendary track bike of Soviet fame.  I've mentioned Takhions on here before, and I've also gone off on tangents about how I love weird things, so naturally I discovered these crazy bikes existed and sought to find one.  And after months of searching, I did.

Behold.
You're probably looking at this thinking "Wow, that looks uncomfortable/dangerous/awkward/painful," but when I got to do a test ride on it back in November, I have to say it was equally as much fun to ride as my Trek District, which I rate somewhere around sushi from Sugarfish on my scale of awesomeness. 

As these particular bikes were ridden in the Olympics, they were made to be good for a season.  This bike in particular is a Takhion Temp, and the only one I've ever seen - most are Aeros or Super Sports.  When it came to me, it was clear it had been loved, and ridden quite a bit during its 21 years in existence.  After getting a crankset and bottom bracket and throwing an old Campy seatpost I had lying around on it, a friend of mine threw an amazingly hipster wheelset on it and we took it for a test ride...after which we discovered that the areas where the handlebar attachments are brazed on had cracked.  

These things.


I wasn't too worried, as any welder can do some magic when it comes to Columbus tubing, so I took it back to the shop to have a welder friend of theirs take a look at it.  And guess what?

It's cast iron.  

So it can be fixed, but it will break again.  At this point, I'm pretty bummed because I was hoping to ride this beast around a velodrome, but it seems like that will probably never happen.  Looks like my next step will either be commissioning a very talented frame builder to replicate the incredibly complex fork or seeing if I can find someone to recreate the bike entirely, which has been done.  Sadly, I am anything but made of money, so in the meantime I will have to repair the sad little cast iron fork and bide my time until I can get a legitimately rideable Takhion. 

Bummer. 

12 comments:

  1. > It's cast iron.

    are you sure about this?


    vvr

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As far as I understand, the handlebar attachment was brazed on to the fork crown with cast iron, or at least that is what I have been told. It's possible that I was told wrong, or misunderstood. This fork is currently in a shop being repaired, but I would love to find someone who could build me a new one.

      Delete
    2. As far as I understand, the handlebar attachment was brazed on to the fork crown with cast iron, or at least that is what I have been told. It's possible that I was told wrong, or misunderstood. This fork is currently in a shop being repaired, but I would love to find someone who could build me a new one.

      Delete
  2. hey man, sorry to hear about your fork cracked. i just got in touch with mr. Vorontsov (the builder of Takhion) he thinks it should be repairable. let me know if you need more info on this

    cheers,

    hrrundel@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh my gosh, you have just made my day! I will send you an e-mail tomorrow to find out more!

      Thank you!!!

      Delete
  3. Please let me know the number of the frame (it is on the left rear Drop)


    vvr

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is 459-91.

      Thank you, so much, for all of your help!

      Delete
  4. frame # 459-91: Columbus SL/C, size 58.

    vvr

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Would you like the serials of my other Takhions as well?

      Delete
  5. Replies
    1. The first is 206-85 - it is this frame: http://velopsy.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-almost-newest-addition-to-family.html. Received as-is, with components pictured.

      The second has no dropout serial, but has the Takhion symbol on the bottom bracket, and the cutout. The bottom bracket is stamped 6025. http://i.imgur.com/ny1Bkwh.jpg. Received without handlebars or rear wheel.

      I no longer own this one, but 422-91 http://i.imgur.com/V8hrPKp.jpg. It was traded so I could restore this one: http://velopsy.blogspot.com/2013/08/before.html. It went to a collector who is working to build it up (a good home, I promise).

      http://velopsy.blogspot.com/2013/08/before.html - Currently still being painted. Columbus dropouts, so no serial. The bottom bracket is stamped 5840.

      I have a document that I started keeping track of Takhions worldwide, but I know very few other serial numbers. It's mostly just photographs.

      Please let me know if you would like anymore information about these frames!

      Delete
  6. # 206-85: Columbus SL, frame is made of the Kharkiv regional sports committee.

    # 422-91: Columbus SL, frame is made of the Brest Regional Sports Committee (Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byelorussian_Soviet_Socialist_Republic

    vvr

    ReplyDelete

Tell me your bike related thoughts!

Template developed by Confluent Forms LLC; more resources at BlogXpertise