Rhothgar

Hi

I am looking to buy a bike tomorrow but I cannot be sure it is 753 as advertised.

It has 753 renovated stickers in and whoever refinished it needs stringing up by their private parts.

A lot of the lugs look like my Team 753 but the dropouts do not appear to be Campagnolo and the seat stay detail does not look Raleigh.

I am learning a lot of late and believe the brake bridge to be Capella.

The only thing that makes me think it is not Raleigh is that I cannot see an SB number.

The bottom bracket is special and suggests it may be 763 tubing because it is high quality and 3 slots for extra lightness.

What is a 753 frame worth these days? Ballpark.

Photos to follow in next hour or so.

rhenning

Value of the bike depends on who made not necessarily the material it is made from. Just because it is 753 doesn't mean it is good or bad. Pictures would get you better answers. Roger

Rhothgar

Sorry. I should have been more specific. What is a non-description 753 frame worth? Obviously Team Raleighs fetch upwards of £1000-£1500.

Photos now uploaded.

cs1

Looks like there are 9 pictures attached. Reynolds didn't sell 753 to the general public. You had to be certified to get it. That is why there are so few frames made with it. Waterford and Raleigh come to mind. I have a 95 Waterford 1200 that's a 753 bike. There didn't appear to be many independent builders who had access to it.

Rhothgar

I should have said serial number is 14582.

Could be frame 145 of 1982?

i spoke with Mercian today and they confirmed that their serial numbers work like that but they said the seat stay looked like a Brian Rourke.

On reading up about Brian Rourke, they all apparently had wrap-around seat stays.

Does this his serial number follow the nomenclature of your Waterford?

USAZorro

That's no Raleigh. The serial would have started with SB if it were a team Pro, or a "W" if it was one of the slightly less desirable "Team" version.

Rhothgar

Correct. I did assert that I did not believe it to be a Raleigh because of the fact I cannot see an SB number. However, I think I may have mentioned that the poor respray is quite thick so who knows what else lies under the paint. Unlikely but there may be an outside chance.

Also, I am based in Nottingham.

So.... what other British bike builders were authorised to use Reynolds 753. This is the key question because it was just handed out willy-nilly to any plumber?

cb400bill

Moved from C&V to C&V Appraisals.

exxongraftek

The rear dropout is a Campagnolo portacatena which dates the frame to 1977-78 - they weren't available long.
While 753 was first available in 1976, builders (as has been said before) had to pass certification by Reynolds to prove they could braze/solder it without weakening it.
Being an extremely thin-wall tube set, thick paint could be hiding rust damage. The seat cluster gives me doubts that this frame is a Raleigh, I much more doubt that it is 753.
Anyone who'd put a parts-bin build including a seat post of that "quality" on a 753 frame would not have my confidence as a mechanic.

Rhothgar

Some me great information there but please let's not start hypothesising about the person's reasons for putting the poor quality components on. The guy's clearly a numpty because it deserves better. The lugs belie the fact that this is a high quality frame.

The problem is who built it? I do not realistically believe it's a Raleigh because it has no SB number that I can see as yet but the chances are extremely slim because it wouldn't/shouldn't have two serial numbers and I am sure there would be the slightest ident if there was an SB number irrespective of how thick the paint is.

Valid point possibly about rust though as the area around the brake cable guides is very suspicious!!!

Bike tinker man

I've never seen that type of seat post clamp where one half is threaded ? agreed I've a lot to learn.

Also if its a Raleigh would it be using a headset bearing 105 ?

Rhothgar

Must say well spotted on the seat tube clamp.

I'm ignoring all parts because I know the frame has been built from a mish-mash of parts.

I really don't want to buy it and strip it to find it's not 753.

It's definitely light enough for 753.

Dolanarc1

I could be out in left field here. But from the lug work an the cut out's in the BB,
It could be a Harry Quinn, a L'pool builder who was totally qualified to work with 753.
I have a 753 track bike that Harry built with the same cut out BB.

Rhothgar

It would appear to be a Bob Jackson!

Would have been a nice find but the. I saw this....

if if you look carefully at the photo attached, there is a bulge in the 753 tube where it joins the seat lug in the seat tube.

How is this has occurred? I'd be grateful for your opinions or to hear experiences of same.

howsteepisit

I would hypothesize thst bulge is from brazing the stay attachment. It can happen. Probably insignificant.

Why a Jackson?

Rhothgar

we took the seat post out and there is a dent inside the tube so itMe not braze build-up on the outside.

The serial number is for a 1980 Bob Jackson. I spoke with them and they seemed to confirm it could one of theirs.

What's a 1980 753 Bob Jackson worth? Probably not a lot.

howsteepisit

I din not mean braze, but a tube deformation because of brazing. Still don't think I worry about it, but that's me.