Help identifying this bike please.
03-20-20 | 03:28 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2020
Posts: 14
Likes: 12
Help identifying this bike please.
Hi, I bought this bike recently but need help finding its make . The bike appears completely original and never used , the paint was covered with some type of preserver , there is no wear on the rims, Jockey wheels or chain, wheels etc.
No serial numbers anywhere on the frame but i believe it to be French as it has French Reynolds 531 stickers , the stem is 22 mm and seat post 26.6 mm, BB is 35mm x 1mm with two right hand threads . It has Campagnolo front and rear drop outs ( i believe these to be 1978 Record type ) . At first i thought it was a Bertin C37 but after i sent photos to Jim at Bertin classics he said no, Bertin never used those seat stays, these appear very unusual . Here is the rest of the spec.
Shimano Dura ace rear derailleur, brakes, levers, BB, Crank, shifters, hubs. ( these are all dated 1976 or 77)
Cinelli 3TTT stem (22mm) and handlebars,
JP Routens Legere Seatpost 26.6mm
Super champion competition rims.
I have had it on two french classic web sites and had two opposing ideas on the seat stays.One answer was the stays were unfinished and required a cap, the other that it was someones very distinctive trade mark. Unfortunately no suggestions about the make though.
10 posts now so should be able to add photos .
No serial numbers anywhere on the frame but i believe it to be French as it has French Reynolds 531 stickers , the stem is 22 mm and seat post 26.6 mm, BB is 35mm x 1mm with two right hand threads . It has Campagnolo front and rear drop outs ( i believe these to be 1978 Record type ) . At first i thought it was a Bertin C37 but after i sent photos to Jim at Bertin classics he said no, Bertin never used those seat stays, these appear very unusual . Here is the rest of the spec.
Shimano Dura ace rear derailleur, brakes, levers, BB, Crank, shifters, hubs. ( these are all dated 1976 or 77)
Cinelli 3TTT stem (22mm) and handlebars,
JP Routens Legere Seatpost 26.6mm
Super champion competition rims.
I have had it on two french classic web sites and had two opposing ideas on the seat stays.One answer was the stays were unfinished and required a cap, the other that it was someones very distinctive trade mark. Unfortunately no suggestions about the make though.
10 posts now so should be able to add photos .
03-20-20 | 03:58 PM
#3
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 15,369
Likes: 4,393
From: Alta California
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frame bits appear BOCAMA: lugs, crown and shell
seat stay plugs should really narrow it down for some savvy reader!
keep in mind that it could also be CH or BE. BE used a lot of DuraAce and was the earliest adopter upon the continent. Walloon built machines from BE are sometimes done to metric dimension.---
klinker: the white/blue/black colours in the SPECIAL transfer are the national colours of Estonia.
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as ever in these matters we would all benefit greatly from a visit by the omniscient eye of [MENTION=212162]Mauri[/MENTION]ceMoss
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frame bits appear BOCAMA: lugs, crown and shell
seat stay plugs should really narrow it down for some savvy reader!
keep in mind that it could also be CH or BE. BE used a lot of DuraAce and was the earliest adopter upon the continent. Walloon built machines from BE are sometimes done to metric dimension.---
klinker: the white/blue/black colours in the SPECIAL transfer are the national colours of Estonia.
---
as ever in these matters we would all benefit greatly from a visit by the omniscient eye of [MENTION=212162]Mauri[/MENTION]ceMoss
-----
Last edited by juvela; 03-21-20 at 04:58 AM. Reason: addition
03-20-20 | 09:20 PM
#4
I think I read the stamp on the BB cup to be Shimano for "French" and not "Swiss".
Very intriguing frame and agree with Juvela that those stay caps are very unusual (and I do not recognize them as anybody's signature) which should prove a strong clue for somebody who DOES register them!
Has many nice details, will subscribe for the conclusion!
Very intriguing frame and agree with Juvela that those stay caps are very unusual (and I do not recognize them as anybody's signature) which should prove a strong clue for somebody who DOES register them!
Has many nice details, will subscribe for the conclusion!
04-12-20 | 10:40 PM
#5
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 540
Likes: 761
From: Los Angeles, CA
Bikes: None in ridable condition
Very interesting and unique seat stay caps. Unfortunately I have not come across an exact match, so I can't say (yet) what this frame might be.
At first they reminded me a bit of the concave stay caps you'll find on Robert Ducheron and some Liberia frames, although obviously quite different:
Ducheron:
Liberia:
A marque that did something similar to this mystery frame is Luders (out of Berlin):
Again, different, plus I have never seen a Luders with French Reynolds decals let alone French threading.
There was also a very old French frame that was posted on tontonvelo.com years ago, but was unfortunately never identified. It's kind of a cool looking twin tube frame:
Finally, there's a similar treatment on a contemporary frame by a Belgian builder Nicolas Noblet (too young to be linked to the mystery frame):
The rest of the set of the bike above can be found here.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help. I'll keep an eye out and hopefully we'll have a resolution one day.
At first they reminded me a bit of the concave stay caps you'll find on Robert Ducheron and some Liberia frames, although obviously quite different:
Ducheron:
Liberia:
A marque that did something similar to this mystery frame is Luders (out of Berlin):
Again, different, plus I have never seen a Luders with French Reynolds decals let alone French threading.
There was also a very old French frame that was posted on tontonvelo.com years ago, but was unfortunately never identified. It's kind of a cool looking twin tube frame:
Finally, there's a similar treatment on a contemporary frame by a Belgian builder Nicolas Noblet (too young to be linked to the mystery frame):
The rest of the set of the bike above can be found here.
Sorry I couldn't be of more help. I'll keep an eye out and hopefully we'll have a resolution one day.
