Cracked head tube

[LittleWheelsandBig]

A while ago, I cracked a rear axle tube on my upright trike while checking out a local bridleway. I got the tube replaced and the rear end properly aligned and nicely powder-coated the frame and forks. It looked pretty good and worked quite well. The trike got me round plenty of brevets over several years and even the Mersey Roads 24 last year.

Fast-forward three years and I have cracked the head tube halfway round the circumference. A replacement Trykit is already on its way so I will be able to keep three-wheeling without much disruption. My original plan had been to sell the old trike to another newbie so that they could see if triking suited them without much cost. Replacing the cracked tube and re-powder-coating is likely to approximate the trike’s value.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0c8xhLOI3fPeYfV_W036cgu-w

Do I spend the money for somebody else’s benefit or junk the frame and strip the bits? Most SH trikes are sized for shorter riders.

[ElyDave]

Or sell it to a newbie at a reasonable price with suitable advice on what is needed to be done?

[tatanab]

I scrapped a Rogers frame a couple of years ago.  I cut the axle out and offered it through the club to anybody who wanted to braze it into a frame.  It was snapped up very quickly.

The problem with selling as it stands is that the value of a complete Rogers trike is only £300 or so.  How much would anybody pay for one that needs that much spending to repair?  Possibly better off keeping all the parts for future projects and scrapping the frame (except axle and hubs of course).  Only a few years ago I sold a complete and reasonably equipped trike for only £250 through the club.

Your comment about second hand trikes being for short riders made me chuckle.  I currently have a 22" Longstaff/Trykit for sale at club type prices.  The only sniff I've had so far was from a chap who may find 22" a bit big and we said that all second hand machine seem to be for giants.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Mr Trykit tells me that the down tube is also on its way out, so the trike is toast. The standard bike parts will be stripped and retained. The frame/ rear end/ axles/ fittings/ rear wheels will be passed on to whoever can make use of them.

Any level top tube frame smaller than 23" is for little people...