mnmkpedals 

Hi, inspired by all the recent "what is my bike" threads with all the great info, I'm hoping you all can help with my own mystery frame.

I have been looking for a new touring frame for a while and jumped on this curiosity when I saw it on seattle/area craigslist in my size. No idea what it was at the time or is now, even after a good bit of internet sleuthing. I am guessing a super small unique builder, but given the wealth of info out there with you all, maybe someone has some info?

It was built (a guess by seller) pre-2000 for a cross country tour for his brother. Has triple bottle cages, extra spoke storage on chain stay, and a crazy long wheelbase (an inch + over my vintage Schwinn Voyageur and Raleigh Alyeska). Only other id marks on it besides the branding you see in the pics is a serial number 00049 on the underside of the BB.

Here's the pics "as found," complete with dirt, slammed seat, crazy cable routing and so on:




I am not interested in value since I'm keeping it no matter what, but rather in any leads you might have with knowing the maker, the age, tubing possibilities, etc... Overall its in great shape, except (bummer) this small ding in the top tube that I only noticed once I got it home. I plan/hope to rebuild this and use it for full touring, so I am also wondering if that ding would impact integrity with that? If so, I'll build it a different way.



Any thoughts or wisdom is hugely appreciated! Hoping to get to "know" the bike's history as I am getting to know its ride.

dailycommute

Sorry, I know nothing about the brand, but the bike looks nicely built and is certainly worth keeping. Wonder what the tubest is, that fork looks similar to investment cast cinelli but who knows so maybe columbus?. With triple water, front fork bosses, long wheelbase, xt build? 40 spoke rear?, that thing looks ready to eat up some states.

edit if the ding is in that last shot, no worries on that.

mnmkpedals 

Thanks for the note. Yes, that last pic is the ding. Doesn't seem of worry, but since I was posting, figured I'd ask it anyway. And yeah, it had/has everything I was looking for in new tourer, so even if I can solve the puzzle of maker, I'm psyched to get it clean and tweaked for me and back out on the road.

Plus, I've always wanted a bike to put in this thread:
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...-else-has.html

dailycommute

Well I tried (as surely you have) to find out who the builder was and nada. You can probably date the components easier and try to cross reference the year. Thinking maybe mid to late 90s era. Nice score, make sure to let us know how it rides.

mnmkpedals 

Thanks, yeah, I have spent a ton of time on google. Only Lucas frame builder is in czech republic, so that's out. I reached out to some local frame builders for any clues, nada... and tried to track down anyone with the last name Lucas who is vague connected to frame building, still nada.

Only other ID clue that I just though to add to help decode the bike construction, is that both the lugs for the top tube (at seat cluster and into head tube) both have a raised ridge profile down the top center. My other bikes with relatively similar long point lugs are smooth, no profile to them. I don't think that ridge on the lugs showed up in the pics, so figured I'd mention that since seems distinctive.

again, thanks!

RobE30

Very cool. That'll make for a great all around bike and should last for a long time. Enjoy!

mnmkpedals 

Horribly cold here, but pumped the tires and gave it spin for kicks-- bad saddle, cables and all. Have to adjust the stem for length, but first ride test was great. Felt long and smooth. Curious how it will feel loaded. Just ordered a discounted black brooks flyer on sale for it. I'll report back more once I've given it a proper clean and redo for riding and try it loaded.

I'm guessing this is a stumper bike since no solid leads yet. Crossing my fingers I can solve some of the mystery, or else just enjoy the added allure of a mystery frame.

juvela

given your location you might wish to ask local luminaries such as Kingston Classic Cycles, Bob Freeman and private collector Nelson Miller.

afaik none of these three are regular participants at this forum.

Classic Cycle Bainbridge Island Bike Shop

Lascauxcaveman 

Call the guy you bought it from and find out if his brother was named Lucas.

juvela

keeping in mind it could always be a first name...

mnmkpedals 

I tried that when I bought it. But nope, not his name. Plus the difficulty is that he's out of the country now, apparently hard to get in touch with, but I am still trying.

I admit now the mystery is growing on me. Weird thing I keep thinking about is that its clearly well made, and whoever made it had enough of a connection to the name "lucas" to put it all over the bike and seemingly enough ambition to apparently make it a "brand," so I'd assume there'd be something traceable somewhere out there. My natural inclination is also to guess that a serial number like 00049 might mean 49th bike? Then again, who knows knowing serial number craziness. Maybe the 4th bike in 99 or the 9th bike in 94...

jimmuller 

A Lucas bike?

"A gentleman never rides at night."

Bikedued

With the frame angles it looks more like a cross bike than a touring, but anyway. Nice looking bike! I did find this, but that would nix the Made In USA sticker, unless that was added after the fact?,,,,BD

They even put their name on the seat tube and downtube, like the OP's bike. Maybe contact them and see if it's one of theirs?

Lucas Frames | Frames

oddjob2

As you pointed out in your other thread, your bike's paint fade/fog is remarkably similar to Serotta. I bought this in Schnectady.

mnmkpedals 

that's gorgeous!
I have an email inquiry into an long-time shop in Schnectady, so maybe someone there will have a lead. Maybe I'll call mine a Faux-rotta

dosco

Greetings:
I have a Lucas Custom frame - a road bike - which is my daily ride (have been averaging 1h/day for the majority of this season). I grew up just north of Schenectady, and one of my best friends, was friendly with Don Lucas. We used to visit his bike shop regularly (mentioned in this thread or the other one), and my recollection is that he took up frame building as a side business - I don't think he came out of Serotta (same buddy worked at Serotta for a couple years in ~1994-ish and I never heard anything about Don being affiliated with them).

I vaguely recall buying it for $800.

I had it built in spring 1993 in preparation for leaving home to start Active Duty in the Air Force ... it doesn't have a serial number. It's made from Columbus Multishape tubing (steel) that Don told me he purchased on closeout. It's brazed. I've ridden it in upstate NY (Capital District, Plattsburgh, Long Island), Texas, California, Arizona, Maryland (where I live), and North Carolina.

I am a Luddite so it still sports downtube shifters, a 7-speed cassette setup, rim brakes, an aluminum Sakae front fork, and 3TTT bars. This summer I had to buy a new rear wheel to replace the 1993-vintage rear that failed (the rim had numerous circumferential fatigue cracks) - am currently considering upgrading it, my buddy who got me into bicycling in high school suggested Campi 10-speed and a Stronglight crankset.

I'll dig around for a picture (I may have one laying about). It's painted green and has black "Lucas" decals. Right now it's apart - the headset lower bearing crapped out and I'm in the process of getting a Tange Falcon replacement.

It's done well for me, and is a pleasure to ride.

Surprised to read some of the comments here. Don was a cottage industry guy, who made these in (as near as I can tell) onesies and twosies. After leaving NY for adult life, I never returned to his shop. I kind of wonder what became of him.

Best-
Dave

dosco

Good Q about the frame material. Mine is Columbus MS steel tubing ... the lugs in the picture look exactly like mine ... wouldn't surprise me if the OP's bike is made from Columbus steel tubes.

Don was, as I recall, not super stoked about crit geometry, thus the relaxed head and longer wheelbase.

I tend to have the rear wheel in the forward-most position in the dropout, and there's still 3/4" gap to the seat tube.

He installed a Sakae aluminum front fork on mine ... which will be replaced in 2 years when my younger kid graduates college. I'm a bit concerned it will randomly fail one day (I've heard bad things).

-Dave

dosco

I forgot to ask, did you clean her up and ride?

-Dave

Trakhak

I think Don knew what he was doing.

Yes, there are vaguely worded "bad things" said about aluminum forks, but never a documented report of a non-crash-related failure; I've never seen any, anyway.

Koga-Miyata, one of the most respected European bike brands, offers only aluminum or carbon forks for their loaded touring bike models.

And after decades of selling its 520 touring model with a steel fork, Trek switched to an aluminum fork a year or two ago. Given the conservative views of the average American purchaser of touring bikes regarding innovation, that was a bold move. Trek's literature says that the aluminum fork is both stronger and stiffer (against torsional forces) than the steel fork it replaced.

IOW, I wouldn't worry about the aluminum fork on the bike. I don't worry about the aluminum forks on the three bikes I own with those forks, including a Schwinn Peloton racing bike I bought new in 1995 and rode hard for years.