WTF a 26.0 Albastache for my questionable Canti Rom?

[jinxed]

I may have made a hasty purchase and ended up with a bum frame. But I'm going to try to make the best of it.

So...I parted ways with my 26" Atlantis a while back in hopes to find a 55-56ish 700c Hillborne (short stay) to replace it. I watched Riv, and the used market for literally years, and just kept missing them. I fell short of a wanted ad, as I didnt really NEED one and figured it would pop up one day. Well, I sort of gave up and stopped checking. However, as age, and circumstances will do, I am now creeping closer to the need of a more upright and comfortable bike. I check in here and BOOM...a new run of short stay Hillbornes!! AAAAAND they're sold out in my size. Ugh. 

Deflated, I go back to trolling the used market, and my first search brings up a 55 Canti Rom...20 minutes from me. THIS would do nicely and was a previous target of obsessive searching. The seller informs me there's a brake lever ding on the TT and dent on the seat stay. Not deterred, we plan to meet. 75yo gentleman who clearly has ridden some bikes, and seems to be a DIY mechanic. Bike looks good, albeit with an odd build. Not Rivvy, but more hodgepodge of commuter/2000 road bike. Rode fine, set up was not comfortable for me but the frame fit, the dents were unfortunate but not apparently damaging. We strike a deal, and I bring it home.

The lay of the land: 

Threadless adaptor with super upright stem and Noodle bars which I do not like

Thorn proof tubes and 28c rock hard commuter tires

BIG gel saddle on a layback post

Canti rear, side pull front

All of this meant, I needed some time to strip it all down, acquire some parts, and rebuild to my preference. No worries...until I got to it a few weeks later.

After stripping it mostly down, I started to clean the frame and noticed a bizarre, what I thought was a scratch, in the paint on the top tube just at the end of the head tube lug point. Looking closer, its more like the paint is crackled or scrunched. My gut sank. I immediately checked under the DT for a bulge or other signs of front impact. Nothing. Seems totally fine. But the TT really looks odd. I've worked in shops for 30 years and have seen many cracks, dents etc...generally there's apparent trauma you can trace to other areas, but this is a new one to me being isolated. The other oddity that may be normal on these...is that the TT feels like it's externally butted to fit the HT lug. Nothing massive, but just a slightly perceptible increase in OD right about the point of the lug. Imagination? By design? Bulged from impact? No idea.

All that said, I am bummed, but absolutely hold no ill will towards the seller. I truly believe he had no idea and was completely up front with the damage he knew about. AND it could just be a scratch or other paint anomaly. Yes, I could have the paint stripped back and find someone knowledgeable to inspect it, but I feel like the options in the end are the same...spend more than the frame is worth to repair it, or just ride it and "keep an eye on it". I'm thinking the latter is the better way.

I have tried to get a photo of the offending area but it's elusive. I will try some different lighting to see if I can capture it and follow up.

Which brings me to my inquiry. I would like to try an AlbaStache and I have two great stems I could use that are both 26.0....do I remember correctly there were some original batches with that clamp size or no? I'd prefer not to shim, and would ultimately just get a 25.4 stem if need be. Trying to limit the losses on this one now.

So IF they exist, does anyone have a set they'd be willing to sell? Or on the longer shot, a bar/stem?

[jinxed]

OK, used a better camera and found some lighting that illustrates the area:

[NYCbikeguy]

I have a 26.0 moustache bar, original to the old school atlantis, would you be interested?

Let me know!

Best,

IY from New Haven, CT/NYC

[Doug Van Cleve]

Huh, weird.

In my limited experince, a front end hit is usually pretty obvious if you're looking for it.  I would also expect the damage to be right at the lug tip, and it doesn't look to me like it is.  Irregardless, I really doubt whatever that is will ever be a (non-emotional) issue and it's easy to keep an eye on.  I would ride i with extreme prejudice...

Doug

[Mackenzy Albright]

I had substantial crack in the paint of my Clementine. My curiosity got to me eventually and I sanded down the paint to the tubing and luckily the frame was totally fine - I did realize how terrible the factory paint was though. It was a substantial piece of mind knowing my frame wasn't toast vs my terrible touch up. 

[Ray Varella]

Jinxed,

I sent you a pm

Ray

[jinxed]

Albastache acquired, thank you for the replies.

Also thank you for the responses regarding the frame. As luck (good/bad?) would have it, a few days after this post I received an email from Rivendell that there was a 54 Hillborne in stock, and I immediately jumped on it. Not the smartest of financial moves, but it's the frame I wanted in the first place. I'm sure there's some some N+1 equation to account for too many frames but not enough parts to build either? Anyone want to trade a beater Canti Rom frame for some wheels? Joking, not joking.

Regardless, I am really excited to get acquainted with the Hillborne when it evolves to completion.