68 cm Eisentraut ID?
 

I've got to stop perusing the eBay/Craigslist finds thread... Saw this a few weeks ago and today I picked up it up -- it is a 68 cm ctc (excuse the dust and dirt -- it was hanging untouched in the seller's basement for 20+ years, and all I've done in these photos is remove the seat post). FWIW it came with an incorrectly sized (25.4, I think it needs a 25.6 or maybe a 25.8) and shimmed Avocet post and an Ideale 80 saddle. I also have the 1st gen Dura-ace crankset and bottom bracket, along with a set of 42/56 tooth chainrings! I'll be looking for a smaller large chainring (and will be replacing the corn cob freewheel!. The original owner said he did several Ironman Hawaii races on this bike.

The seller called it "the lugless model" and says he had it built for him by Eisentraut in 1977 -- the serial number is 77L899 (with the L looking like a large upside down 7).

It was repainted in the 1980s or early 1990s by a painter local to the seller.

I'm wondering if anyone has seen an Eisentraut with similar construction. Thanks.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...fe402ef92c.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...efcd38f05.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...64d0e9e1a.jpeg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9dcc4e83d.jpeg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e4fde35b2.jpeg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f3804d32a.jpeg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...44d3a73e9.jpeg

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small pillar size likely due to heavy gauge plain gauge seat tube employed for large/heavy rider

fade paint scheme colours suggest German national flag

handsome


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That is a nice find.

Does that remind anyone else of Bruce Gordon? Maybe this was a model the shop offered while Bruce was still working there? Just a guess.

that is a pretty interesting frame, and I'm a big fan of the Stronglight A9 headset. I have no idea whether Albert (or his shop) built many fillet brazed frames, but it's a fun bit of variety.

How is your stable of bikes/frames from American builders nowadays? Care to list them, or is that on a "need to know" basis? ;)

Steve in Peoria

That's a great find. Fwiw my 1979 Michael Johnson uses the same seat binder bolt. He was a student of Eisentraut at some point.

Pic for reference

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...52522a7742.jpg

Well, there's got to be some suspense about what I might bring to your annual central IL Tanner's Orchard ride... ;)

To answer the original question, no, I have not seen another Eisentraut like yours.

Otherwise, color me confused. That is a Limited serial number, but it is most definitely not a Limited. Serial numbers for custom Eisentraut "A" frames of that era were in the format "xxyyzz" indicating the xxth frame finished or started or scheduled (not sure which) in the yyth month of 19zz. (Bruce Gordon used the same system; he confirmed it right here on this forum some years back.) Sometimes there was an "E" in front of the six digits, but certainly not always - my 1978 "A" has just the six digits. (Bruce Gordon put a "G" in front of the numbers, at least sometimes.)

So I'm not sure what the heck you've got there, other than a very nice frame that is a little to tall for me - not a lot, but a little. It's something of a mystery, which kind of adds to the allure.

The stay ends, fork ends, and fork crown do bear a resemblance to Gordon's work but Bruce left Eisentraut in 1976.
Brent

I started cleaning it up. A nice surprise was that what I thought were scratches in the paint turned out to almost entirely be dirt, so it's looking good. I do not think Joe (the PO) rode it too much after the repaint. Front wheel in the photo is a placeholder for now.

Had a head-smack moment while cleaning, too. The down tube is OS -- along with the stout seat tube (as indicated by the small seat post diameter) this makes sense for a larger, heavier, stronger rider. I'm guessing that lug choice/lack of availability for OS in 1977 might have prompted the fillet brazing construction choice.

Regardless, it's a beauty. I'm looking forward to building it back up and seeing how it rides.


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7d2a45d27.jpeg

It does look much better now! That's always a good sign! :)

I was wondering about OS tubing... but the size of the frame made it hard to judge.
It reminds me of my Borthwick, which is a tiny 61cm frame, but has a 1 1/4" down tube. It really stiffens up the frame, which was something I had been looking for at the time. Gordon Borthwick built a lot of tandems, so it was natural for him to use fillet brazing. This was in 1989, so there weren't(?) any OS lugs available, so he used fillet brazing on my single too. To be honest, I don't think I've ever seen lugs on one of his frames.

pics of the Borthwick...

https://live.staticflickr.com/7203/2...8dc34c_c_d.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/7282/2...7ceeb6_c_d.jpg

Steve in Peoria

i love seeing big boy frames. Can't wait to see the progress on this one. :thumb: :popcorn