Kent T

Beautiful UK Classic bike, I love it. Yellow Jersey's paintwork is beautiful and nicely done. Tasteful, begs to be ridden. NIce choice of components. Thanks for sharing the photos.

Doug Fattic 

I wondered that too. I learned how to build frames at Ellis Briggs in 1975. I have several examples in my frame building shop. Last night I went out to check serial numbers and mine all had 4 digits and not 5 like your mystery frame. Also EB's brake bridge style doesn't match. I also got a lot of frame building equipment from Johnny Berry’s shop in Manchester after he died. He sometimes did the stay treatment to dropouts similar to the mystery frame. However his numbering system was 6 numbers long.

C.F. Hill on Kent Road in London made similar looking frames. I sold the one from the 60’s I bought as NOS when that shop was closing in 1973. Their frames are an illustration of the difficulty of finding the builder. Even though they were located in London none of the Classic Rendezvous crowd had even heard of them.

You should contact Hillary Stone for help about identifying your frame. He is an English frame historian and has a regular business selling classic era frames and parts.

The identity of English frames can be challenging. The builder could often be a guy working out of his home shop that sells his products through various retail shops. The shop themselves could use several independent frame builders to supply their needs. An example is Pat Hanlon whose shop was near Hetchins when it was on 7 Sisters Road. She used Tom Board and some other builder to supply the frames she sold under her name in her shop.

There were a ton of small builders too selling under their own name. I remember visiting Jim Harrison in Manchester. His shop got burned during race riots and he wasn’t able to recover completely again. His name never comes up for discussion on any bicycle forum.

76SLT 

I just sent Hilary Stone an email asking how to proceed.
I looked at Ellis Briggs but as with every other brand, there are similarities but not enough for an I'd.

ascherer 

Doug Fattic 

The caution I suggest about looking at specific frame details like the way the stay ends are finished off as they blend into the dropouts is that a variety of builders with their own style may work for one brand. For example when I was learning how to make frames at Ellis Briggs there were a several of people making E-B frames. Jack Briggs had taught Andrew but still kept working in the frame shop when he felt like it (E-B was a full service bicycle shop with 10 employees selling Raleighs, had normal bicycle repair, 2 painters that painted a variety of brands and a pro shop). A few nights a week there was a guy that came in to build one specific E-B frame just to help keep up with demand. He had worked there many years ago and left for a higher paying job but was still involved a bit when he could. In addition there was another independent framebuilder with his own shop and name on the down tube that also contributed to the volume of E-B frames when there was a rush order. He came in on Wednesdays to use the Campy tool kit when the store was closed and the Briggs weren’t in the shop . So that is 5 of us making Ellis-Briggs frames each with their own personal style. My point is that looking too close for specific details could lead one to a false conclusion.

Of course what kind of seat stay top treatment (perhaps using a certain type of premade top eyes) or what kind of brake bridges were used all contribute to the style of a particular make. And that style could easily change over time based on what materials were available.

76SLT 

I'm sure there were probably many shops in England operating the same way as you described, but someone used that serial number type, but who? It's hard to believe that after several threads about this bike, over several years, nobody recognizes that serial number, yet. I'm not giving up but for now I added a few decals.



​​​​​​
​​​​​​

63rickert

The best photos for identifying this are the bare metal photos. From 2011? in some old thread. Paint obscures a lot and lining obscures more. Even when well done. Hope you get a response from Hilary. He's posted nothing new since August.

By now if BF doesn't know, we just don't know. Maybe V-CC. Cambridge Lightweight News. Classic Rendezvous.

MauriceMoss

I do believe this table requested a side of primary sauce?


Here is an excerpt from the Tube Investments Limited Memorandum of Association, dated Jul 2, 1919:




@76SLT - you've done a great job; it's a beautiful bike.

76SLT 

2011 thread

I think this is the one.

63rickert

Nope. I had not seen that thread previous. This bike has been around the forum. Thread I'm thinking of had many closeup bare metal photos. Really outstanding metalwork.

Could be possible the frame was made by some gifted amateur. More likely it's by a master. Someone somewhere can ID this. It's just too good.

hobbs1951

There are one or two features on this frame that might help identify it, I'm surprised (or not) that no-one thus far has mentioned them - perhaps they're too subtle ? I'm suffering sticker shock though...Union Jack overload !

John.

repechage

Nuovo Record rear mechanisms can be.... fussy to claim a 28t cog.

Things to review:

derailleur hangar alignment - (with a tool)

year of mfg. The early ones have a slightly smaller dimension from the mount pivot to the upper parallelogram link pivot centers. '74 or later better.

as you are using a "regina" style constructed freewheel, be sure to check the last cog or two for cupping- they do spring from time to time and increase the distance between the cogs.

(can also lead to spoke plucking and or collision- disaster)

chain length. Neither too long or too short, goldilocks length.

With a claw mount - you need the Campagnolo one that offsets the mount plane to be equal as if it was on a forged dropout.

Chainline, can be tricky, you may need to get the small cog closer to the seat stay than you want.

Note that as a NR mech swings in it swings up... not what you want. Having the freewheel as close to the outside of the bike as possible helps.

santa fe 2926 

76SLT 

Great information, thanks. I had already ordered a Campagnolo hanger to replace the one I was using, and your post prompted me to go ahead and switch them. That was it. The angle was different by almost an inch. It's now installed and functioning fine. The last two cogs on the Atom freewheel look good.

I'm dying to take this bike out and ride it, but It's -12 here now and that will be the high for tomorrow, with wind chills of -50. I think I'll wait. Tomorrow is supposed to break the record for Chicago's all time lowest wind chills.

crank_addict

Quite a handsome machine! Royal color with chrome always delivers the pop.

santa fe 2926