Windsor Competition Find
 

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I traded an early 90s generic MTB (with some XT parts) for this frame set yesterday. It’s in nice condition and my size, so it was a no-brainer. I have spent a bit of time on BF reading about Windsor and it seems to be an interesting story. I am planning on building it up with mostly period and model correct Suntour Cyclone, but I am electing to use barcons and toying with the idea of setting it up with cyclocross tubulars since there is adequate room. If anyone has any idea of how to figure out the date of manufacture, I am always interested in that info. I got it as a frameset so cannot rely on date codes on parts.

They are really nice riding bikes . I have a 1973 Pro in silver with drilled chrome lugs and seat cluster, and Campagnolo dropouts . It has the drilled bottom bracket shell. My SN is in the same spot , 1837. It’s funny , mine came with SunTour bar end shifters which I removed and replaced with Campy down tube shifters. I think yours is from the eighties maybe? Looking forward to your build and ride report.
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I rode Eroica California right after I bought it . It did super well , right after this pic I figured out how good the early Phil hubs are! Down hill so fast and stable , very nice geometry. Hard climbing with no flex , oversized chain stays.

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congratulations on finding a relatively seldom encountered model...at least here at the forum

can only recall two or three threads on examples

get the impression from the threads on the forum that during the boom people either selected the Carrera Sport or the Profesional

will look forward to following along with your build thread ;)

enjoy the idea you plan to keep it period correct :thumb:


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​​​​​​I'm gonna guess 8 is 1978.

Congrats on a nice-looking bike. I have a 1978 Windsor Super Carrera that has the same frame details as yours, so I think yours was also built around that time.

I may have asked you this before -- but where did you find that jersey? My wife is starting to resume cycling and, just yesterday, I told her I might not find a Windsor jersey to go with her bike.

tiger1964 It came up on eBay right after I bought my Windsor , I think I paid $35 for it. The jersey is made in Mexico by Lambertini. I think it is as old as the bike! That year , at Eroica , I had a few folks asking the same thing . I usually only wear it when I ride the Windsor.

Thanks anyway. Wow, had not heard the Lambertini name in a long time. I'll do more searches. I wonder if the guy in Ukraine that was advertising on the forum he did custom jerseys is still around, and if this could be "duplicated".

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Here is a pic of the tag.

I f you need better pics I can provide

At last check, he was in Poland. Situation in his hometown in Ukraine had forced his exit. I have his contact info if you want it.

just sold a Lambertini "hairnet" helmet (I had kicking around for way too long) at the Fairfax Museum swap. It went for cheap.
I wonder if other Windsor frames from this era ('78 seems a good guess IMO) would have that much earlier Columbus foil decal? Seems like a late '60s to very early '70s leftover...

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should your investigations regarding the frame turn up the identity of this headset would be interested to learn it

IIRC have seen it employed on some non-ACER-MEX products as well

have no guesses at to whether from Italy or Japan

ACER-MEX was unusual in sourcing bits for their products from both lands...


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juvela - No markings on the headset as far as I have noticed. I finished the build. I started with the Middlemore saddle, but then I was given the Turbo. The Selle Italia Turbo is a saddle I know I can tolerate on longer spins. If I can tighten the top bolts on the seat post with the Turbo saddle, then I will keep it on the build. FYI, the Challenge Grifos fit easily in the back. The front fork accommodates the cross tire but there is less than a cm between the tire and the bottom of the fork crown. Looking forward to a test ride ASAP.

Thanks for the advice, finger tightening front first did the trick.

Turns out the seat post is slightly too small a diameter. I have made it work so far with a beer can shim. I will have to suss out the actual post size needed.
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I had a Windsor International. That was their lowest cost bike. It wasn't a lightweight flyer, but a good bike with decent build quality and workable components. SunTour Honor and DiaComp. It had a steel crank that I later upgraded to a square tapered aluminum crank by SR and steel rims. I built my first wheels for that bike.
I always wondered what happed to Windsor's. There must have been supply problems because the importer (Alpha Cycles) started importing Lotus bikes from Japan.

I've have had two Windsor's. I have a soft spot for them and Acer-Mex bikes. We don't get to see many bikes from Mexico anymore.

Nice build @Dannyboy21. I like the creme cyclecross tires with the dark rims. This is not looking like a typical road bike. I always like the chrome lugs, and dropouts and fastback seat stays on the higher end Windsors.

juvela - It seems you are connected with Harpo in The Cabe site. I am looking for suggestions for seat post diameter on the Windsor Comp. I expect his find from 2019 is long gone but I am hoping he might have some insight into seat post size. Hope you two can solve this one for me.

Furthermore, I read a 1979 Windsor catalog pdf which suggests the headset is simply called the Windsor Sport.

re: seatpost size, most of the Pros were said to use 26.8 or 27.2 but with this "Competition" I don't know what to expect.
The foil decal usually indicates "SL" and so 27.2, but that decal is a bit suspect to me.

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HARPO's example -

yes, would expect it to have been sold in either 2019 or 2020

frame size far too small for him, he rides irons in the vicinity of twenty-five inches so intakes which are not his size do not hang around long after he has completed his resto work

you may have noticed that it exhibits some differences from your example

GIPIEMME ends instead of MAEDA, for one

HARPO a commercial artist by trade and not particularly technical savvy so pillar size is a piece of information he would be unlikely to have retained

thank you for the information on the headset


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What is the serial number on your bike? I am wondering if the starting digit 8 points to 78.

I don't have the bike with me and don't know the serial number. The seller told me it was a '78, but I don't know for sure. Also, looking at your frame again, it doesn't have top tube cable guides (as does mine) so it could be a little earlier. But not much earlier--the early 70's bikes did not have brazed-on derailleur cable guides, so I would put it tentatively in the mid-70's.
Here's a photo of mine, refinished with Profesional decals. The fork crown on the Super Carrera is a bit more rounded, but it has the same lugs, dropouts, fastback seat stays, brake bridge treatment, and overall lines as the Competition. The SC was built with Tange n. 2 tubing, so the SP diameter is a bit narrower at 26.8mm. There were at least three models with very similar looking frames: the Profesional with Campagnolo Record, the Competition with Suntour, and the Super Carrera with Shimano 600.

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