Originally Posted by
busdriver1959
I'm going to say it's a time trial rig. Gaucho's right on with the gear restriction but the ultra cool time trial bike back then was a purpose built single ring to save a bunch of weight. Aero wasn't addressed except to get low. No disc wheels or shaped tubes until later.
That crossed my mind as well, but the mid-80s was the heyday of TT "funny bikes" with sloping tubes and an under-sized front wheel. If it was a true TT bike, I wouldn't expect it to have fairly standard road geometry & tubes. Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought these funny bikes were around in '83, no? Also thought perhaps it could have been a dedicated hilly TT bike, but that would have been quite an indulgence for a junior rider.
New paint with a filed-off front shifter tab is a possibility, too.