I'm thinking of buying this bike: https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/bik/267943270.html. I know it's fair game but please be sporting at least until tomorrow after I've decided for or against!

Anyway, seller knows nothing. No indications of frame maker at all (nothing on BB shell or stays). Reynolds 531 DB and all circa '83 Campy Nuovo & Dura-Ace. Wolber clinchers with campy HF Record hubs. Selle saddle with "Tornado" inprint (not Torpado).

I'm trying to figure it out by norrowing down who made fastback frames..... I know it's not a Cinelli or Centurion Equipe but maybe Trek?

Who else made fastbacks?

Any ideas?

Lots of US builders in that era used that stay arrangement. Can't see any detail in those pics though. I'd buy it for two and half. If it's fillet brazed, might be an early Ritchey?

Yeah, pixs are too small, but the fastback looks like a Bruce Gordon!!!

i didn't think trek made any fastback binder bolt through stays..
it's a style i see every once in a while but i cant recall who favored it...
i just saw one on a 60th anniversary paramount, but other details were very different

definitely looks very nice and a good value.. a well made frame
hope it's still there

Treks later models had a sort of fastback stay treatment. I believe 1985-????

And didn't most of them have the Trek investment casting lugs? I know the Trek 400 I had briefly included the clearly labled Trek castings in the lugs.

yes they did, I wasn't suggesting the bike was a Trek just mearly answer another question.. I have no idea what that bike is but it looks sweet, My Faggin has fastback stays and I like the look of them.

Didn't say you did suggest it was a Trek. Actually I was hoping to help rule out Trek as a possible builder, as the Trek investment castings would still be easily seen by the seller and most likely stated as one. In any case, it looks like a pretty nice frame and certainly one worth picking up if you're in the market and its the right size. If I had my Schwinn sold and that was local to me, I'd probably be over looking at it myself.

Buy It! It does look very much like an early Bruce Gordon from the stay pic. I bet it is already gone.

vjp

Well - did'ja snag it?

The original TX 900 series treks had those type seat stays circa 1976-79. Roger

""Well - did'ja snag it?""

I was hoping to get a more definitive idea on the frame. I know it's a good bike with components alone worth the asking price.....but I think now I'm gonna pass. No chrome, no stampings and it looks like a 54cm when I'm 56cm) I'm going to buy a Campy Khmasin Gold wheeset for my Colnago instead.

I'd be very interested to hear more about it however, if someone else grabs it.

It is still there. I just spoke with him.

It also has more Campy than stated in the ad: Seatpost, headset, Cinelli stem, HF Record hubs, Dura-Ace pedals! SOMEONE GRAB IT!

BTW... I'd bet the guy would take $200. His name is Silvio and his number is: (650) 834-1614. he and the bike are in South San Francisco.

I bought it...Thanks for posting, M-theory, I owe you a beer! I'm lucky enough to be buying it for a friend/co-worker, so I didn't haggle over the seller's price, it seemed worth it and he seemed like he needed the $$ (also it didn't smell like it was stolen, hope my instincts are right). It IS a Mystery: very likely it IS all 531, but beyond that I'm lost. It came apart very easily and revealed 2 matching serial numbers on BB shell and back of steerer: 2318141, very small neat stampings. It's pretty clean and well built, but not quite up to Bruce Gordon levels, IMHO. I'm guessing American or British, and have posted those bad pics from the CR ad plus a detailed description on this Velospace site: https://velospace.org/node/1962
I will take better detail pics and post them to the same site ASAP...but meanwhile, any educated guesses??

Glad you bought it Unworthy.....!

I don't a have a clue who built that frame other than that's a pretty long serial number and I would guess a larger/established manufacturer. It's one digit too long for an 80's Trek.

hmmmm.... large builder, Reynolds 531, Campy drops and fastback stays from about '81....should be an elephant in the living room!?

I picked up this Trek on CL today and it has fastback stays and similar dropouts as those pictured, but no Trek castings. Frame and fork had just a trace of the Columbus stickers left. Haven't had a chance to take a closer look at the rest of it yet.