Aardwolf

Hiya Folks,
just window shopping on Ebay and I spotted this just down the road from me:






https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284635042...oAAOSw06dh-apD

So I was wondering what age it is - guessing around 1980, guessing it's a 10 speed too.

It's got a real mish mash of parts: Campagnolo hubs and FD, SunTour Cyclone RD, SunTour power shifters, Weinmann brakes, Stronglight cranks
And I've got no idea if that's the original colour scheme.

Anybody got a link to the history of this brand ?

unworthy1

older than 1980s.
Not familiar with this make but certainly British and has the "red rose" on head decal of Lancaster...maybe.

unfortunately not one listed with either Classic Rendezvous or Classic Lightweights.co.uk...but perhaps someone here has knowledge.
With those Neverx Pro headlugs it can't be bad!

T-Mar

The Reynolds decal is circa 1975-1977, while the Stronglight TS crankset was introduced circa 1976 but it may not be OEM. It's pretty common to have old decals hanging around for a year or so. Cosequently, I won't rule out 1978, though most builders had gone to the short dropouts by then.

Doug Fattic 

R.E.W. Reynolds was a cycle shop located in the city of Northampton, UK. That shop was/is famous for its leather cycling shoes. I got a pair from him in the 70's. They are still in my closet. He had frames made for his shop by Woodrop in Leeds. Woodrup had frames they made painted by Ellis Briggs in Shipley West Yorkshire (in the same metropolitan area as Woodrup in Leeds). I learned to build frames at Ellis Briggs in 1975. The frame shop and painting facilities were both on the 2nd floor. I can remember Woodrup made frames branded with R.E.W. Reynolds decals being painted when Andrew the journeyman builder and I would eat lunch with Bill and Rod the painters.

There was a subject thread on R.E.W. Reynolds frames on this forum starting in 2018. Not every frame they sold was made by Woodrup and not every Woodrup was painted at Ellis Briggs but most likely that is the case with this frame. It is a top flight frame. When I was a high school teacher before I became a full time builder/painter, I led several of my graduated students on a bike trip to England. One of them got a R.E.W. Reynolds which he still has.

Edit: In the 70's it was common for people in the UK and often in the US to buy an individual frame and equip it whatever parts they pleased. So it is not surprising that the owner or owners built this frame up with a variety of components. When I visited that shop in 1974, what I remember is individual frames for sale but not complete bicycles. At Ellis Briggs I remember a number of frames hanging in the pro shop area but none of "our" frames were built up to be complete bicycles. You needed to buy a Raleigh or similar if you didn't want to equip a frame yourself.

nlerner

Some previous BF threads:

R.E.W Reynolds of Northampton
r.e.w. reynolds frame
R. E. W. Reynolds light touring rig

BFisher

Looks like the Tudor rose. Five white petals for York, five red for Lancaster.


Looks like a neat bike.

Aardwolf

Thanks for the info everybody, it looks like it's probably a quality ride.
It's just about my size too.

Given it's only 20 mins away, It would be rude not to go and have a look

BFisher

Absolutely! In the name of civility and common decency it is your duty to pay a visit.

bikemig 

fify

Aardwolf

Well, went to see it and It does look good although somebody has had a (bad) go at spot fixing the red paint.

Unfortunately the vendor is "getting phone calls from all over the world" and "could sell the saddle for £40".
He's a bike vendor with several storage units of old bikes who "doesn't normally use Ebay" but could end the auction early for cash.

I've got no confidence I would get the bike if I won the auction and the price "wasn't enough" so I'm probably going to give it a miss.
Shame

On the upside I now know 58cm would be ok.

unworthy1

that's too bad. but keep watching: sometimes the "golden parachute" does not open and a seller comes back to Earth with more realistic pricing. You might get another shot at this one.

Aardwolf

Rats, outbid with 2 secs to go.
Sold for £158.

But 6 months back I got a 1982 Holdsworth Avanti for £160, so on average I'm winning