Calfee/Carbonframes upgrades and modernizations: Bikefanclub.com

Twenty years ago, Craig Calfee started building some of the world's first carbon fiber bicycles. In all that time, only a few minor things have changed, and with good reason.

Water Bottle bosses, dropouts, cable stops and BB threading are the only things that have changed. The frames that were made in 1990 are still under warranty today, and their owners are entitled to several benefits that they may not be aware of.

Calfee owners have the chance to:
Free upgrade to new-style water bottle bosses. Instead of the metal bands that came stock on Carbonframes, you'll get the circular carbon tabs that all Calfees are made with today. They have a much greater lifespan, as there is no metal contact to propagate galvanic corrosion. Bear in mind that they elevate the position of the cage away from the down and seat tubes. This mounts them closer together, which can make some larger cage/bottle combinations look cramped, especially on small frames.

In the case of downtube shifter bosses on older frames, it is common to hand-wrap them in carbon rather than removing the metal band fixture. The reason mainly being that the alternative method of fixture would be drilling into the tube, which is a bad idea (despite the fact that the vast majority of carbon bikes are fitted with riv-nut style female WB bosses on both tubes) it allows too little surface area for adhesion and weakens the tube as well.

If you're totally over that whole scene, and want to get rid of the shifter bosses in favor of the headtube cable stops, it's not a warranty deal, but a pretty cheap upgrade at $90.They will be pressure-molded directly to the frame.

If your tetra has the threaded HT stops, we recommend using inline adjusters as well as the barrels that are specd. Leave the barrels fixed, since inline housing adjusters are more easily managed while riding anyway.

We will also perform any necessary welding on the older, two-bolt dropout assemblies free of charge. Welding limits the torque applied directly to the bolt threads and prevents it from loosening, or ultimately, from breaking its round spud free of it's bond with the frame. If that's happening already, we'll re-bond them for free too.
If you would rather have us install a set of new-style dropouts with square spuds, which are refined to one bolt, add $200/pair.

If you are NOT the original owner:

First you have to prove to us that your Calfee didn't "fall off a truck" or you "found" it. Tell us office folks the date, shop, or buyer in the original sale so we can check it against the archives. If it's legit, we'll transfer the balance of the warranty to you, a $250 flat fee. On Tuesday, a gentleman bought a Tetra on eBay and we learned that it still has 18 years left on the policy.

Other popular upgrades and their prices, for anyone who might be interested (and no, I don't get paid on commission:-)

*Increase chainring clearance ($150) Sometimes necessary for Campy UltraTorque Cranksets.
*replace shifter bosses with head tube cable stops ($90)
*replace top tube guides with handwrapped stops ($75)
*check and fix alignment ($free/warranty)
*full scuff and repaint, same color, your choice of new decals: ($325)
*new fork, Easton EC-90 SL, 1" or 1.125", 700 or 650c, 43mm Rake ($295) Passed symmetry&inspection.
*Water bottle boss upgrade if necessary: free under warranty

The total would be $935.00 for everything.

Not enough??
You're crazy...
Add...

+$125 for stripping(not just scuffing) all paint, plus $100 if you want a different color, a fade or a nude frame.
+$75 for Alpha Q GS-10), $135 for GS-30, $105 for EC-90 SLX
+$200 for new English BB shell.

AND REMEMBER: Warranty upgrades carry a $75 credit towards paint, as that is the cost of a "touch-up 1". You can apply that towards whatever combination of upgrades you're getting, and even towards getting a whole new clear coat or color coat- which, as I'm sure I don't have to tell you, makes the bike look brand new and is therefore worth every penny!

Any Questions?

Best,
James and the Calfee Repairs Team.

Are you the original owner of your Calfee?
Users may choose only one (12 total votes)

YES, I've had it since before drugs and bike racing were frequently used in the same sentence.

8 66%

No, I got it when I escaped from prison. It was the fastest break ever.

4 33%

Edited by CalfeeJames (07/03/08 05:59 AM)