old99

Greetings all
Well, it's my turn to ask for help identifying a bike that I picked up last fall. First, there's no decals or identifying marks anywhere except the 294 stamped into the bottom bracket. It appears to be a touring frame, dual water bottle braze-ons and eyes below the seat and on the drop outs (Campagnolo). It 62 cm center to center and weighs about 24 pounds. Slope crown fork (that appears to be bent in the photos but isn't); Campy brakes; Shimano SLR aero levers; Shimano shifters; Deore rear derailler, Suntour Cyclone front; Technomic stem; Sakae Signature bars. Cranks are Stronglite triples; pedals Campy. Wheels are Araya 27x1,; Phil Wood front hub, Suntour rear. Overall the bike is in good condition but the chrome is flaking and is pitting.

Now I realize that no mainstream manufacturer ever used such an eclectic group of parts, but it's the frame that I'm really interested in identifying. Based on the lugs and all, any guesses?

Thanks
John in Oregon

luker

Wraparound seat stays and semi-sloping fork crown...sounds English, but not a Carlton or a Raleigh because they would have much more complicated serial numbers, I think. And, I've never seen these lugs on a Raleigh, either. Woodrup, maybe? Holdsworth? One of about 50 small builders from Great Britain in the 70's? You need to getcha some tubular welded steel, chrome racks, and some nice canvas and leather bags, and go for a picnic ride with your sweetie. This is the bike for that!

No_Minkah

it's probably not the same, but yours looks sort of like mine...Schwinn Traveller from 1982. Different format serial number, and I've got a headbadge, but interesting...

dbakl

Looks like a nice bike. I don't have a clue, certainly British, slight possibilty French, depends on threading. But a nice piece!

lotek 

Dutch builders also used wraparound seatstays and semisloping top tubes.
Wonder if this was originally a painted frame, which was fully chromed
underneath and then had paint stripped off. Bocama lugs?
what's the threading on the BB and Fork?
Seatpost diamter? somehow I have this feeling that it's french,
I don't know just a gut feel.
Marty

unworthy1

I'm guessing Holdsworth, maybe the Super Mistral or a notch above that...

luker

snazzy, anyway...if it is a french bike then the picnic should include french wine and crusty french bread, with one of those gooey soft cheeses...if it turns out to be English then I guess bangers and mash are in order.

are those bocama lugs? How do you know?

mswantak

Sorta like bad clams, isn't it?

alancw3

i agree, english. my best guess would be woodrup late 60's early 70's. woodrup made a lot of touring frames back then. also cut out head lug. the chrome frame is unusally and puzzling. bates and falcon were out if business by then. i think that woodrup is still in business in some capacity. i would contact them with the serial number and pictures to see if they cna identify. keep us posted as it is always interesting to see how things turn out.

old99

British? Wot? Bangers and mash--jolly good show old boys. pip pip.

I appreciate all the input. I'll look for more information on Holdsworth and Woodrup.

Lotek asked for seatpost diameter: 27mm; and stem dia: 22mm. I don't have a puller for the Stronglites so I can't pull the bb to check the threads. I guess I'll check with the LBS's to see if anyone has one. If not, I'm sure that someone in Eugene will--there's still a couple of older shops in business up there .

Again. thanks for the input.

John in Oregon

sss

Cranks appear to be TA Cyclotourist.

unworthy1

Yeah the chainrings are TA, but the crank itself looks like the Stronglight 49 which had the same bolt pattern as the TA and could use the same rings. One sidebar: I had the same (or very similar) SL crank and my SL crank puller (23.35mm) did NOT fit the threads, but the TA side of my old Park remover DID and there was no thread damage upon removal. Leads me to believe that there is at least one model/model year of old SL-49 that used the TA standard threading (was that 23mm? can't remember). Wish Park still made the model one remover with both 22mm and TA sides, but only the model 2 is in their catalog, plus the black handle model for big-pipe splined cranks...

number6

If the wheel was adjusted forward in the dropouts, I bet the top tube would level out. Looks Empire, but modified prior to chrome plating. Don't forget MKM as a possible builder.

Rabid Koala

Could it possibly be this Raleigh Gran Sport, as shown on page 6 of the 1970 Raleigh catalog? Different crankset, but in the cruddy picture the frame looks similar:

Raleigh Catalog PDF 1970. Check page 3