SokhaMao

Picked up this very nice classic lugged road/touring frame. It has been repainted and with no decals or markings I don't know what it is. What I do know is that it has front and rear Campagnolo dropouts and a Cinelli bottom bracket shell. It also takes English bottom brackets. I'm pretty sure it's Columbus tubing. Please, any help on identifying this frame would be very much appreciated.

unworthy1

It's huge! That size coupled with the very finessed work and custom touches says it's a custom builder, and probably US. But which one I could not say, somebody who didn't sign his work in steel.

puchfinnland

any marks in the steering tube?

I cant understand the bottleboses under the down tube with exception of a splash fender,

the 2 small bosses between her legs also says fenders,

it looks post 1995.
wish i could help more

Sixty Fiver

The workmanship on that frame appears to be exceptional in it's quality...

SokhaMao

There are no markings or serial numbers anywhere. It's a 63cm center to center. I bought it for a friend that's looking for a tall frame. I couldn't pass up on this. I wanted to see if I can identify it before I give it to him. At first I thought it was a touring frame but then there is no front and rear rack mounts.

devinfan

Can't help with the ID but wow, what a frame! That's beautiful.

Gravity Aided

Very nice work. No matter who built it, you definitely scored .

unworthy1

Not quite as huge as I thought judging from the pics, but it's still big. The bottom-mounted set of WB bosses was something found on quite a number of touring frames, especially useful if you always carry a frame-fit pump in front of the seat tube, which blocks the WB bosses there. It's probably made for somebody who wanted to mount fenders (but which fender would take those twin bosses on the chainstay bridge?) and not mount racks...so it's more of a "sports-touring" concept. An interesting mix of some modern bits: the fork crown, the Cinelli (earlier model) IC shell, but '70s era long 1010 Campy dropouts. It's either satisfying the builder's or the customer's preferences, or probably both.

753proguy

That seat cluster looks like how Francisco Cuevas did them, but I'm not sure if much else looks Cuevas. Domed ends on the stays scream "Brit." but others used them sometimes as well.
If the seatpost is 27.2, and the steerer is rifled, that's almos certainly Columbus SL/SP tubed. Even if no rifling, and 27.2, Highly likely to be butted 531 tubed.

I'd guess circa 1980, plus or minus a few years, special build.

ultraman6970

What you got there is not english, neither italian or european nor japanese what so ever. That frame was made in the USA. Everything has been carefully carved and detailed. Thats is not the characteristic on any other place than the US and a few latin american builders.

Everything was carven to a very fine details like the BB, just look at the edges, the seatpost lug reminds me somebody but cant remember who, but it is an american builder.

Brits?? no brit made had so much details as this ones, love english racing bikes but under the paint sincerely are really bad. I'm sure this one w/o paint looks awesome. My money goes to an american builder, thats not english, european or asian at all.

gomango

What a nice find for you.

Lug work is familiar, but no guesses yet.

Let me know if you see another in a 58 cm top tube.



edit: If someone said it was a Chris Bishop frameset I wouldn't be totally surprised.

SokhaMao

Yes it takes a 27.2 seatpost.

SokhaMao

Thanks for trying to help guys. I really appreciate it.

Picchio Special

Exactly my thought - those are a bit of a downer compared to the rest of the frame details.

unworthy1

I'd bet on it being Columbus tubing, based on the fact that nearly every frame component is Italian, and I bet the fork has Columbus blades and a rifled steerer. The one exception might be the lugset: I can't tell if that's a "massaged" Columbus TBD or Prugnat lug, so you might have something from France thrown in there.
It's odd that the stay ends are just left domed, considering how much sculpting went into the seat cluster, but that's a US hand-built for you: completely individual.

bikingshearer 

What are the wheelbase and chainstay measurements? It very well could be a touring frame, given the third bottle cage braze-ons, and longer measurements could help confirm that. As for no rack mounts, one can easily mont racks withouot them. SOP in 1980 was the rear rack attached to the rear brake bolt and low riders were not yet in common usage. When low riders first came out, they used "U" bolts to secure them to the fork blades. (But I don't think under=BB cable routing wasa common in 1980 - not sure about that, so someone else will have to confirm or deny).

Also, are there any serial numbers on the frame or the fork steerer tube? That could help ID it.

As others have said, beautiful frame. I especially love the long, slow, continuous curve to the fork blade. That was not done in a factory or by just anyone.