Despite my efforts to thin the herd this one called out to me, it was my size and the price with shipping wasn't outrageous so in a moment of weakness......






An obvious repaint and short on the paint prep work at that but the lugs and wrapped seat stays are consistent with a Falcon, I suspect the fork is a replacement however. Any idea what vintage, model or level it might be? I'm hoping the stamped Campy dropouts might be a clue.

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...AFAIK, the majority of the Falcon frames with that seat stay treatment were straight gauge Reynolds. ( I hesitate to say all any more.) It showed up on a lot of different models over the years, and they typically had stamped dropouts. Black Diamond was one, but there were a lot of different names. They even had some deal with Merckx for a while, where the same frames were used on models painted orange. I like the way mine rides, which is why I powder coated it.

It's worth building up to see if you like the road feel of it. Then, I guess you could repaint it if you wanted to.

The top end Falcon bikes from those years used forged dropouts and a different seat stay attachment. They also had more chrome (lugs, stay ends, etc.)

I have a straight gauge falcon with same dropouts and seat stay treatment. It's an excellent frameset really. I like it better than my straight gauge super course.

Thanks, great info. I had no delusions it was a higher end model just based on the stamped dropouts but it was an interesting looking frame. I don't see them around here often, OK never, and I like the "obscure" LOL. I'll throw it together and see how it feels. If I like the ride then I'll refinish it and put a suitable drivetrain on it.

Mine was my main commuter for quite a while. My seat tube was pretty mangled so once I got it round I opened it to 27.2. I'm not really sure what it was to start with, my best guess is 26.4-26.6

You may want to pull the fork and check the inside of the head tube for two holes which could have been filled before the repaint?
Falcon riveted on a fine headbadge.


source


Your example probably predates 1969 as the rear dropout has holes for the Gran Sport spring.

If no holes for a headbadge, probably not a Falcon.

I have a pair of Super Routes, a few years apart, both have claw-less stamped hangers and a 531 triangle (at least).
One came with what I strongly suspect is a replacement fork, the other is original, but they both have the same stamped dropout including the mudguard stay mounting hole - the (suspected) replacement is a very good match.
They both look very much like your fork; and the original one is half chromed as is yours.

I can barely see the remnant of the top rivet hole in this shot. Hopefully the head badge doesn't get lost, it's in decent shape. It's off center in the pic and looks like he just set it on for the picture which is OK, it saves me having to remove it to do a proper paint job on it.

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looks like 1973-74

3-tube 531 plain gauge

lug pattern BOCAMA Competition 76

NERVEX fork crown pattern Nr. 4

original kitting included Stronglight model 52 chainset, Weinmann centrepull brakes, Campag NT large flange hubs, Weinmann 27" alloy wired-on rims, GB stem/bar set, Campag Valentino gear ensemble, plain steel saddle pillar

agree with earlier posters that these are nice

a friend purchased one new from our local raptor stockist in 1973 and I did a bit of work on it for her
she was pleased with the cycle

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Thanks! I pulled up the '73 and '74 catalogs, didn't find a match in '73 but '74 had a good match from what little detail I could make out in the pictures, the Olympic Model 78. The lugs, wrap over stays and fork are the best match to my frame, it may not be it but it's a good starting point.....

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have been through those catalogues/brochures in the past and was struck by how they tended to illustrate them with earlier editions of the individual models

also for this era we need to keep in mind the conditions of the boom where parts shortages caused frequent substitutions

i'll wager you shall have plenty of bits in your parts bins to make a very fine build here

would expect a pillar size of either 26.2 or 26.4

brake centres will be 56 and 67

original rear spacing 120

forgot to mention above that bottom bracket shell is Agrati "AM" pattern and is item Nr. 000.8507

Earnest employed a fair amount of Agrati bits on his frames around this era


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Yes catalogs and brochures are only good for an approximation at best but the '75 and newer Model 78's I have found pics and brochures for don't have chrome socks on the forks so I'm sticking with '74 for now. Subject to revision, as always LOL and you are correct, I do have an "option or two" in the stash for components but the frame vs. component shuffle starts all over again. No problem though as that's part of the fun for me.

I would not dispute that. I do have two Falcons here form the same year, one is straight-gauge and one butted, both with wraparound seat stays.

There's some very knowledgeable UK Falcon folks over on cyclechat.net. Username Mandobob is the VCC "Marque Enthusiast" for Falcon and was very helpful when I was pulling out what mine could be.

I have an older Falcon frame that came out of a dump in California -- well, I'm fairly sure it's a Falcon, based on the headbadge hole spacing, and the frame characteristics. It would be quite a bit older than the frame in question, having "Stallard" dropouts, an oil port in the bottom bracket, and an older flat-top fork crown. I enjoyed riding it for quite a few years, but decommissioned it more recently because I found that the (Stronglight P3) headset's bottom race was loose, and I haven't had the time to address that. My best guess that it was the same Olympic model pictured above, or at least similar in how it was built and equipped; but from the 60s, probably early 60s. Tubing appears to be seamed plain-gauge, and it takes a 26.6 mm seatpost. Workmanship is exceptional, in my opinion, for a down-market model. It's always been a very pleasant ride.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/131757...7618753670330/

I like that.

I used that same friction downtube lever as Sturmey Archer 3-speed gear selector -- worked like a champ. Since mine was a coaster brake hub, having a functional neutral between 2nd and 3rd gear was very useful for pedal repositioning at a stoplight.

I'm thinking the Falcon may be a good home for my Shimano Arabesque or maybe my 1st Gen Dura Ace for which I finally found reasonably priced 1st gen Dura Ace center pull brakes. Hmmmm......

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the DA marked CP brake calipers are on odd item

folk think they must be valuable because of the DA marking and refuse to grasp that they are just Tourneys differently marked

shall look forward to following along as the build progresses


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I've seen a Mercian frame that was very beautiful and had, I believe, those same dropouts but chromed along with the lower stays. I doubt they are stamped, maybe more like machined. The Mercian was like a 1970 or so. That frame may be older than you'd guess and not really as cheap as first impressions indicate.

Yeah when I first started looking the only ones I found were INSANELY priced. Finally found some decent ones at Tourney prices. Now I need to wrap up the shop overhaul and get busy on my "project collection".

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at its 1973 launch the DA road ensemble was partial

components membership included chainset, front mech, shift levers, hubs & and if one wishes to count them the rebadged Tourney brakes

AWOL were pedals, headset, saddle pillar and rear mech

absentees other than the self-supplied Crane gear mech were filled out with bits from Yoshi's JBM keiretsu partners

this advert from a trade publication of 1974 illustrates the membership of the time -



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so if a young person looks at the completed bicycle and asks "So why didn't you build with the whole gruppo?" you can patiently explain that "This is the whole thing...at launch."

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OK I seriously need to catalog my parts. I was looking for something last night and pulled down an old box, open it up and what's right on top? A pair of NOS 1st Gen Dura Ace center pull calipers.

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it may not be your organization what be lacking but more like what Monsieur Poirot referred to as those "leetle grey cells"

me own began volitizing up ye olde chimney round 'bout fifteen or twenty year in the rearview mirror

who knows what treasure ye may discover as ye continue to excavate...


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Looks like fun, and a good way to use your re-organized space. I really like the Falcon headbadges.