MCFinch

Hi my name is Mark I have read a lot of articles and chat forums but..............No Joy in ID'ing my frame and forks,

I recently striped the parts from a tatty-ish old bike intending to put the frame and forks and components to one side for some future project.

However I now suspect that it may be a very early bike possibly a Falcon and I may decide to try and restore it.

I was wondering If you might have any advice on how to id the model/date etc.

Distinguishing features : -

Frame number G 20612

Full Wrap around seat stays
Plain-ish but quality lug work
long 40mm dropouts
tourer rear rack mounts
1 braze only (rear mech cable guide located top of tube)
Poss original Red and white paint

The Forks

Are half chromed with a white pin-stripe and have chromed camag stamped drop outs, however they also have signs of metallic blue under the red/ white and I suspect they may not be original to the frame because I can find no trace of blue paint on the frame at all.

Also the lugs on the forks have a fancy heart shape and there is no fanciness or chrome to be seen on the frame itself?

The bike was fitted with Normandy large flange hubs and rigida rims, Sugino Chainset, and BB with Weinnman centre pull brakes and SR champion Bar and stem when i acquired it. but I suspect these components to be later than the frame perhaps added with the forks since I translate most of the component code stamps as dated mid-late 70's.

I really would be so grateful for any advice you can give


Thanks for reading

Cheers Mark

Bianchigirll 

Hi Mark Welcome to the forums. Looks like n intresting frame/fork. It might be helpful if you can post a close up of the BB shell, headluggs and the seat lugg.

MCFinch

Close up pics

MCFinch

BTW That is a really nice collection you have, (and I don't say that to all the girls)

lee kenney

The seat stay is maybe british , depending on b.b. threading . Dropouts -are they forged with micro adjusters , fork dropouts?Raleigh, Falcon possibly Reynolds plain guage

MCFinch

I agree its British the thread is british do french have their own threads (just wondering about the normandy hubs) Maybe Peugeot??. there are no micro adjusters on the dropouts, Fork drop outs are campy but I am not convinced the forks are original to the frame coz of the blue metalic paint and the style just feels different. I'm hoping someone will tell me that....The frame is early or even pre 70's then I won't be too dissapointed if the forks are mid 70's or even early 80's. Raleigh, Carlton, Falcon Reynolds???? I would love to pin it down a bit especially the year if not the manufacturer. Surely the frame number can give a clue??? I've googled my brains out.

MCFinch

I read somewhere on sheldon that sometimes you have to be satisfied 10 YEARS either way LOL.
I can't pin it down! and I have really really tried.

I was almost convinced it was Raleigh or Carlton but the frame number (small capitol G then 20612) doesn't quite match anything Raleigh used between 65-85. Im certain its 70's just not sure early or late. Maybe made by one of the lesser know english handbuilders of that time.

I think I will have to settle for that pffffff.

Thanks everyone

Stanley

Yeah, as others have said, looks like a Raleigh-made frame, but as Raleigh pretty much monopolised the British bicycle production in the second half of the 20th Century, it could be a lower-end name, lower quality than a Raleigh, but just made to Raleigh dimensions. Which, by the way, is another obstacle unless you have plenty of OLD Raleigh spares, as they were made to unique Raleigh dimensions, ARE NO LONGER MADE, and are not interchangeable with anything else. For example, you will need 26tpi bottom bracket cup and headset, rather than the standard 24.

zukahn1 

Most of the early 70's Ralieghs came with Normady hubs which this frame looks like. Also the location of the frame number may be helpfull in getting a btter fix on what this is.

sauze

(disclaimer I don't know much) I'm guessing for an older Raleigh as well, there's a model with that seat stay wrap around action that's also a light blue (as seen inside the BB shell) I can't for the life of me recall what it is.

EDIT: I was thinking of Grand Sport

juls

I'm not convinced the paint is original. Nishiki had wrap around stays as well. Did I miss something? Did you check the bb threading for propriety raleigh threading? I have some 26tpi cups from a compe somewhere. May have missed the info in the posts.

randyjawa 

For some reason, I kept coming back to this thread.

First of all, as already mentioned, the paint is not original, but the original color could well be Falcons blue...



Some important features have not been shared in this thread. If you could present pictures of the rear drops and a clear side view of the head tube, that would be a big help. Also, a picture, of the front of the head tube, would allow us to see if there was ever a head badge fitted. Falcon had a head badge, fitted with two holes, top and bottom...



Of course, so did the mid seventies Nishiki Competition, which also sported the long lug points and identically mounted head badge (nice frame set actually - just went to The Old Shed to look and compare it to the OP's photos).

Anyway, have a look at this article on Falcon bicycles. These are the Falcons that I have found and/or worked on over the years, perhaps you will see some corroborating evidence there to support your research findings .

juls

what is rhe pattern of the headbadge holes? Raleigh would have 3 vs falcon's two-? Is the bb 26 or 24tpi

MCFinch

I cannot find any trace of headbadge holes and have pretty much given up hope of accurate id. I am very grateful for everyones replies