Hi Dave (@Bicycle Repair Man),
Hope you are well.
I just wanted to reach out as I have been gifted a bike that you have built.
Peter Hopkins is a family friend of mine and after being left bikeless due to giving my touring bike away at the end of a tour from Leeds to Dakar. He very kindly offered me his Dave Yates bike. It was extremely exciting for me as I have never had such a fantastic bike before.
In the summer of 2022, I took the bike on a tour from Vancouver, Canada to Anchorage, Alaska over 3 months. There are some photos on my Instagram @The_Earth_Isnt_Flat.
I did however, have a slight issue which I was wondering if I could get advice for. Around 500km from the nearest bike shop, the pedals started to wobble, within the bottom bracket. I realise now that I should have just got a lift to get it fixed.
When I got to the town the bike shop said the thread of the bottom bracket had been ripped out and they could not screw a new one in. They said I would need a new bike. I spent the day in a coffee shop googling options and talking it through with friends. Fortunately, someone overheard and recommended I go speak to an artist with a workshop on the edge of town who is known to fix everything. I described the issue to the artist on the phone and he said he would weld a new bracket in so I could get to my finish line.
Once I arrived at their house, he said he could not possibly weld such a beautifully built bike and would only do it as a last resort. After a few hours of tinkering, he found a spacer which meant that the bracket would still bite on the tread and sent me on my way. The bike worked fine ever since.
I am starting to think about going on another tour and am wondering how long this fix might last. I thought I would reach out to see if there is anything you would recommend I do to ensure longevity of the frame? Is it possible to fix this part with the right tools?
Any help would be great!
Thanks very much,
Freddie