Classic & Vintage - Vanco Cyclocross Frame ID Help Please

I just bought a cyclocross frame which is branded "Vanco", although I'm not sure if that is the maker of the frame or the sponsor of a team. I'm curious to who might have made it and out of what.

The notable features are:

A D on the lugs and fork crown.

An oval shaped top tube which is flat on the top and bottom. (to aid in carrying, I assume.)

A 26.8 seatpost diameter.

A chrome chainstay protector.

126mm rear spacing.

A decal that reads "G. Vanconingsloo Wavre" with an address and phone number. (Most likely a bike shop in either the Netherlands or Flemish Belgium.)

Thanks.

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/912/vanco1mk4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/5505/vanco2ah5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/7406/vanco3jd0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/7656/vanco4fl3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/5775/vanco5ro2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/8642/vanco6vt1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/1637/vanco7gx2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Interesting bike, wish I could tell you more...but Wavre is a French-speaking town in Belgium, and that shop probably gives the name "Vanco" to the bike and perhaps also sponsored a CX team...this looks to be a genuine CX frame intended for competition. The 26.8 seat post might tell us it's built with a straight-guage seat tube...the BB threading might determine if it was made in Italy or not. Obviously a builder with the initial "D", but who might that be: D'Allessandro, DeBernardi, DaVinci?

Interesting bike, wish I could tell you more...but Wavre is a French-speaking town in Belgium, and that shop probably gives the name "Vanco" to the bike and perhaps also sponsored a CX team...this looks to be a genuine CX frame intended for competition. The 26.8 seat post might tell us it's built with a straight-guage seat tube...the BB threading might determine if it was made in Italy or not. Obviously a builder with the initial "D", but who might that be: D'Allessandro, DeBernardi, DaVinci?
Thanks for the info on Wavre. I found out that G. Vanconingsloo is the name of a former racer who now owns a shop in Wavre. It's definitely a competition frame as the place I bought it from mostly sells used pro team bikes.

The thing that I think might help to nail down the tubing is the top tube which is flat on the top and bottom. I've never seen or heard of tubing like that before, surely it must be rather unique.

Georges Vanconingsloo indeed, a good rider in his day (and one of Eddy Merckx's teammates in the late-60's Peugeot and early-70's Molteni-teams); like so many ex-pro's he started a bikeshop after his career. He died a few years ago, suffering a heartattack during a bikeride with friends ...

http://www.velo-club.net/article.php?sid=21430

Looks like a nice bike, btw Ziemas!

The thing that I think might help to nail down the tubing is the top tube which is flat on the top and bottom. I've never seen or heard of tubing like that before, surely it must be rather unique.[/QUOTE]

Yeah I've never seen a top tube do that, but it might be as-manipulated by the builder, not necessarily made that way by the tubing co. I can't tell from the pics, but are the lugs that join the top tube regular "round" cross section, or are they ovalized too? Is the top tube just flattened (dead flat) on top/bottom surfaces, or is there still a (large) radius to those surfaces, such as what we'd call an ovalized section: curved, but not round? I agree, it looks like a really nice CX bike! Hmmm, Georges raced for Molteni with Merckx...makes you wonder if the "D" has anything to do with DeRosa :)

Yeah I've never seen a top tube do that, but it might be as-manipulated by the builder, not necessarily made that way by the tubing co. I can't tell from the pics, but are the lugs that join the top tube regular "round" cross section, or are they ovalized too? Is the top tube just flattened (dead flat) on top/bottom surfaces, or is there still a (large) radius to those surfaces, such as what we'd call an ovalized section: curved, but not round? I agree, it looks like a really nice CX bike! Hmmm, Georges raced for Molteni with Merckx...makes you wonder if the "D" has anything to do with DeRosa :)


The tube is ovalized, curved but not round. They are almost flat on the top and bottom. The lugs are round.

Well I've built it up and have several hundred miles on it and like it a lot. I still have no idea of what it is, but I know how it rides!

One odd thing, though, the canti studs are spaced 65mm apart, not 80mm as on most frames.

Lets resurrect this old thread , I just got a frame that I won on Ebay that is similar to your frame.
Its an 80´s belgian Diamant cx frame and its in great condition.

It got ovalized toptube and D cut-outs on the fork crown and the lugs.

Here it is.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3235/3147198310_e804dc44fb_o.jpg

The Diamant looks like Columbus AIR tubing, which BTW, would be a very weird choice for a cx build. Maybe they were going for that old ti feeling?

The lugs on that Austro-Daimler Vanco bike look ovoid to follow the tube shape. Possibly some sort of EL variant?

Here is some close-ups on the lugs etc..
The seattube and downtube is not ovalized.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3420/3184964372_2f8120f1e3_o.jpg

that frame is a stunner. i was watching that when it was on ebay.

Yeah it sure is in good condition , Im pretty stoked about winning the auction.
Its something special with oldschool unused frames. :D

I'd say it's pretty close to an exact match...so "D" is for Diamant (the Belgian Diamant, obviously). What's the BB threading and seatpost diameter on yours?

I havent had the time to check the bb threading yet , got no tools.
But its 70mm wide so I suppose its italian threaded.
The seatpost diameter is 26mm, i tried with a 26.8mm seatpost
but I could not get it in.

26 is very curious: makes me wonder what the tubing is, or at least what the seat tube is. Do you see "rifling" in the bottom of the steering column, or any faint dove-in-an-oval stamped on the outside of the steerer?

I'm REALLY interested in what brakes people are using on these vintage cyclocross bikes with the canti posts being so close together. I'm searching for something that will work so please chime in if you know of a make/ model of brakes that will work!!! It looks like the original poster has a set-up but at the time of photo, doesn't look like they were used. I dunno, I just really need some nice cantilever brakes for my old Holdsworth. Thanks gents!