Hello!

Trying to identify this bike - see pictures attached for information. Can't find any serial markings/stamps/etc. Also, wheel hubs are shimano. Clearly seems to have been resprayed at some point.

Cheers.

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looks a production midliner from the later '70's

if it contains any Reynolds its certainly less than eleven tube 531c

possible french or belgian origin

since it has had a respray we have to ignore the braze-ons for identification purposes; some or all could be post manufacture additions...

pillar size will be a clue as to tubing

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Thanks. Current seatpost is 26.0 but with a shim, I'm guessing it may be 27.2, but will have to try and force shim out first.

Measured seat tube which comes to 28.0 so it is French/metric after all.

There is writing on the RD DO, but I can't make it out.

RD DO? The writing on the top tube is SCANIA I believe.

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only way pillar size could be 27.2mm would be if it had been reamed out post manufacture

a 27.2mm pillar in a 28.0mm tube means a wall thickness of only .4mm

normally on a metric dimension frame of DB tubing the pillar size is 26.6mm

if seat tube opening not enlarged post production would expect a size closer to 26.2mm

frameset's mitred-in seat stays should be a good clue for the right pair of visual receptors...

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It says Simplex (no I can't read it either).

Rear Derailleur Dropout.

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dropout set looks to be Juy's model 3755-3756

catalogue page of nineteen and seventy-five:


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Let me see if I can get the shim out, need to fashion some sort of tool, aha.

And the current ITM stem is 26.0, with the shim [my estimate] being 0.4mm but looks bigger, so I suppose with deformation/etc could be anywhere between 26.4+.

Will update if I find out.

Nope, I was just wrong. What I assumed to be a shim without looking is actually the seat tube and the mitred part is coming apart a bit.

I expanded it a little with a screwdriver, but a 26.2 seat post enters the enlarged section, but won't go deeper than 2-3cm. So, indeed, it seems it's a 26.0mm seatpost... No idea how that works tubing wise.

You said it was a 28.0 OD, so you have 1mm (or maybe 0.9mm) thick walls - not butted probably, but still possibly good tubing. Strip it and weigh it.

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because frame appears to me to be a midliner was expecting a pillar size of 26.2mm

sometimes a cycle manufacturer will supply a surprising short pillar with their creation

in such cases the seat tube may get cleared to only a rather shallow depth...


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The rear dropouts appear to be shorter than the 3755/56 model. I'm aware of two shorter Simplex dropouts with eyelets and the hole at the back of the axle flat. In 1977 they introduced the 4130/31. Then, sometimes during 1978-1981, they introduced the 4264/65 which was even shorter and had a stop and threading for non-Simplex derailleurs. The subject bicycle looks like it has the 4130/31 but I'm not seeing any adapter on New 105 rear derailleur. Regardless, the dropouts would appear to push the date forward to at least no older than 1977. However, given the recessed brake fittings, I doubt it's very late 1970s. I'd place it into the early 1980s and be leaning closer to mid-1980s based on what appears to be a plastic cable guide under the BB shell and the fade paint. That makes me wonder if the 1st generation 105 crankset is OEM and the New 105 was an upgrade for the SIS derailleurs and SLR brakes.

Given the metric tubing and mid-range frame features, my prime candidate for tubing would be plain gauge Durifort/Vitus 888. Typically, in a metric tubeset, this tubeset would use a 26.2mm seat post. This is only one size off the current post and could have been used is the tubes were slightly distorted during frame manufacture. Another less likely possibility would be the metric version of plain gauge Columbus Zeta, which would use a 26.0mm post.

I am a bit surprised that there is no serial number, as the workmanship is typical of a production frame. Maybe there is something under the cable guide?