Paultso

Picked this bad boy up for cheap on craigslist and thought it'd make for a nice project. It seems very old, and the frame is about a size 52-53. What surprised me is that the bicycle is EXTREMELY light for a steel bicycle....it almost feels as if the frame was made from aluminum. There really aren;t any identifiable markings on it, but somebody suggested it was an eastern european frame....

So does anybody recognize anything? lugs? Oh yeah, the fork is obviously aftermarket

Thanks for the help in advance guys!!

love2pedal.com

Sorry, but I don't know the answer, but that seat collar/seat cluster is pretty unique and someone should be along with an answer

jet sanchEz

what size seat post does it take?

Paultso

seatpost size is 26.8

toytech

seat stays look a little like my Gitane

jmichaeldesign

The track ends look strange. I almost wonder if those are just stamped horizontal dropouts that were cut out, cut down and re-brazed.

jet sanchEz

I noticed that they looked odd too but I couldn't think why...you may have nailed it.

OP, what is the spacing between the rear drops?

Is the rear brake bridge drilled for a brake?

Ragooch

Looks like a mid level Italian frame. Olmo, Frejus, Lygie, Mondial, etc. used that collar on the seat-tube but not with those stay-tops. "Extremely light" does not mean much without an actual weight. Put it on a scale. If the frame alone is under 4lbs, it's extremely light, but I doubt it will be that.

A 60's bike would most likely have a headbage, so if the holes have not been filled it may date it to the 70's.

Is the BB shell Italian thread?

Hopefully you can find a more appropriate fork for it.

Paultso

The rear spacing is 120, and the rear brake bridge is not drilled for a brake.

Ragooch - I am almost positive the frame alone is under 4lbs but I cannot be sure without a scale. I will try to weigh it asap and report back.

The bottom bracket shell is english and has not been converted or re-tapped. Oh yeah, no filling for head tube badge.

Upon closer inspection of the bottom bracket, i saw some engravings. I sanded off some of the primer left by the original owner and it looks like "RGF". Did some searching and its a french bottom bracket manufacturer and used a "buldge formed" manufacturing process. this was replaced by cast bottom brackets in the late 70s?

David Newton

On the rear drop outs, at the very rear, it is not cut straight across, it has the two raised tabs, like it was formed for a "wheel positioner" but would you see that on a pure track bike?

unworthy1

some odd details, but after you get past the "Olmo/Atala/etc." seat post collar, there really isn't anything else that points to Italian. With a BSC BB and the lugs (which look vaguely "Carlton", but probably not that marque) I think you have to say "British". The RGF (Gargette brothers) BB shells were used by many builders (including many Brits) well into the late 70's, but this frame seems earlier: note the thin seat stays. Probably a 26.8 seatpost indicates a plain-gauge seat tube. I think the track ends once used "chain tugs". It sure deserves a vintage fork, maybe once you find out the make you can determine the style crown it should have.
edit: I looked for some Carlton lug pics, and tho I didn't find any exact matches, noted that many Carltons from the '50s used a headtube decal, not a badge...check out the '55 "RoadTrack" lugs, sort of in the ballpark...perhaps this is a Carlton imitator.
https://www.carltoncycles.me.uk/details/lugwork.htm