Classic & Vintage - British Made Lugged Falcon (??

Hi all.

Here's what I bought off craig's list for $40:

English 10 speed road bike.
the name plate that sits on the front of the frame has been removed.
Falcon, made in linconshire decal on the seat tube
gb "british made" handle bars and headset (seem to me aluminum)
simplex deraliers
weinmann brakes and levers
nervar cotter pin crank - m.i. france
shimano freewheel
rigida wheels-
atom hubs - m.i. france

You probably mean the handlebar and stem, but not the headset, were made by GB. Yup, they'd be aluminum.

I probably do. This is my, "let's see if I can get back into riding after a thousand years, and learn to fix up bikes in the process," - project-bike.

looking around the web, it seems that it stands some chance of being worth more than the $40 I spent on it, plus $60 in tools and stuff I bought for it already.

possible?

the guy at the bike store made a face at it, but I wasn't really impressed by his knowledge, so I'm holding my breath. Lugs look beautiful to me... I think I like it already.

Very possible. They are nice frames made of 531 - I have one, and I "refurbished" it with powdercoat and new stickers and built it up with modern STI. It gets a ton of compliments and is my favorite - but I don't have any super high end bikes either.
Thread here (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?610432-Falcon-rehab-photos-included.&highlight=Falcon)

If you google it, there is a page on the web about them.

I rode with a buddy in the Navy, 1973, who had a Falcon that color, but maybe a little higher on the food chain. It had the low-end Campy stuff. It was 531 I recall, and a very nice ride.

Even though my buddy was very slow, he could keep up, and sometimes pass me, I attributed it to the bike.

I'm no Falcon expert, but the stamped dropouts, lack of derailleur hanger, bolt-on steel rimmed wheels and inexpensive components all point to a fairly low-end frame. I'm sure it will be rideable; just don't expect too much. Fix it up, ride it for a while, sell it for $100 and buy something a bit nicer. Isn't that easy?

Very possible. They are nice frames made of 531 - I have one, and I "refurbished" it with powdercoat and new stickers and built it up with modern STI. It gets a ton of compliments and is my favorite - but I don't have any super high end bikes either.
Thread here (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?610432-Falcon-rehab-photos-included.&highlight=Falcon)

If you google it, there is a page on the web about them.

cool. do you think mine's a san remo, too?

any idea of the year?

Asher, the components on your bike suggest something at the quality level of a Raleigh Record, what we politely call an "entry level" bike, from the early 70's. I rather doubt you have 531 tubing. If you have a caliper, you might measure the seat post: I'm thinking you will find it's 25.4 mm which would indicate ordinary mild steel.

I don't know about a precise date; almost certainly early 70's, though.

oh well.

I was under the impression that the ornamental luggs would indicate a slightly higher standard of quality...

Yours has fancier lugs than mine, but mine was a mix of Campy and Shimano stuff - more specifically the rear der. was Shimano, and the rest was campy, including the tubular wheels. Even with the nicer components mine didn't have a hanger, and it is 531.

Does yours have the wrap around seatstay? Mine had the "San Remo" decals on the chainstay.

how could I determine the steel?

+1 That is not a 531 bike. It is an entry level bike. Good starting project, clean it up, enjoy it and if you get into riding, move up.

Its high ten steel/ordinary mild steel. Stamped drop outs, and the other features are indicative of that.

+1 Just check the seat post size as pointed out above.