VolvoJP

This showed up on Craigslist advertised as a "vintage norco frame". I'm going to go tomorrow and trade him a few guitar related items that have hardly any value to me, so basically I'm ahead no matter what it is. Just curious if anyone can ID what this might possibly be??

T-Mar

Assuming it's Norco, it's very late 1970s to very early 1980s. Stamped dropouts with dual eyelets and a tubular, necked, steel post typically indicate an entry level model. It's probably hi-tensile steel. Some of the components are not original to the frame. The brakeset is more modern, as indicated by the aero levers. They appear to be fairly decent, possibly Exage. The pedals also appaear to be relatively modern replacements. The shift levers look cheap. I can't identify the crankset or real derailleur based on the non-drive side picture. It's a good thing those guitar parts have little value to you. The cost of building this up with used parts will probably just about equal it's end worth, assuming you're capable of doing the work yourself.

VolvoJP

So I ended up changing my mind in the guitar stuff before I went there, and told him I'd make him a cash offer only. I ended up getting it for $40. The brakes are actually tri-color 600, and the shifters and rear derailleur are similar era 105. The cranks are junk, but the frame is actually kind of cool. I'll post pics of it tomorrow, but it looks like it turned out to be not a bad deal after all.

T-Mar

Wow, that was fortunate! I knew the brake levers were very late 1980s and the colored anodizing matched the period, but I just didn't envision somebody putting 600 Ultegra on that level of frame! When you post pics, I'd appreciate the serial number. We might be able to determine the year from it.

RaleighSport

Feed him serials!

zukahn1

Sounda like you got a OK deal considering the parts. Norco was a Canadain company the delt mostly in low to mid level bikes this one looks like a pretty basic late 70's Hi-ten frame. I to I'm surprised you found the 600 and 105 stuff on this frame they are about ten years newer than the frame and a lot higher quality wise.

VolvoJP

Can't find the serial number on it! Looked in all the usual places (dropouts, headtube, bottom bracket, seat tube.....) and can't see anything. Looks like it was either re-painted, or painted not that great the first time. Has a couple runs in it, but that might just be a friday afternoon original rushed job. Not sure what I'm going to do with it yet.........









Also, what is the little nub at the top of the last picture on the inside of the tube? (Sorry, not a good picture of it here!)

T-Mar

The nub is a cable stop for the routing of the rear derailleur cable housing. I did not notice it in the original set of pictures and I'm really suprised to see it has derailleur cables that are routed under the bottom bracket sheell. Most manufacturers routed the cables over the bottom bracket until about the mid-1980s, so this may make it a bit more modern than my original estimate. I have some Norco catalogues from this era. I'll have a look at them to-night, after the little devils come around, to see if I can match something up.

VolvoJP

I actually meant what I have now found out to be a chain hanger apparently.
I have nothing to say it is a norco other than that's what the previous-previous owner said it was. Kind of makes sense to me though.

T-Mar

Ha, I didn't even notice the chain hanger in the photo! Regardless, I went back and looked at my 1980's Norco literature. 1986 was the year that most Norco models went to the routing cables under the BB shell. However, they went to top tube cable tunnels, shifter bosses and forged dropouts at the same time. There was also no chrome on any of the frames. In fact there was no chrome as far back as 1982 and the cable stops in use then were more refined than this one.

Assuming it is a Norco, the cable routing would appear to be an anomaly. As the for the age, it appears to pre-date 1982 and to the best of my knowledge Norco expanded their brand into bicycles in 1978, so you're looking at 1978-1981.

VolvoJP

Very interesting. I'll look a little closer at it tonight and check some more details. T-mar, are you located north of the border?