Can Anyone Identify This Frame?
#1
十人十色
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Can Anyone Identify This Frame?
A few months back I posted a couple of general shots of this frame and asked if anyone could identify it but without any luck. A couple of folks thought it might be a Mercian but Mercian said 'No'. I've just been up to see the friend who bought it off ebay and had the chance to take some more 'intimate' photos, pasted below.
I rode the bike briefly and while no expert (far from it) it felt to me both quick steering and soft over rough ground, due perhaps to it being made of Reynolds 531? The seat tube is 27.2 and it has 40.7cm chainstays. There is a frame number on the outside of the right Campagnolo dropout. The fork ends are Campagnolo too. There's an F on the underside of the BB. And that's all there is. Oh, and the lug points have been thinned, indicating to me that care was taken in the frame's making.
My friend had the forks repaired by Mercian and had them drill the brake mounting hole to take Allen-key Campagnolo calipers. He drilled the rear bridge himself but the bike was made to take nutted calipers. He also painted the frame with a rattle-can with a Toyota colour.
What do you think? Any comments regarding any aspect of this frame will be appreciated...
There is an album of photos of this bike at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/2298367...7617824097302/
I rode the bike briefly and while no expert (far from it) it felt to me both quick steering and soft over rough ground, due perhaps to it being made of Reynolds 531? The seat tube is 27.2 and it has 40.7cm chainstays. There is a frame number on the outside of the right Campagnolo dropout. The fork ends are Campagnolo too. There's an F on the underside of the BB. And that's all there is. Oh, and the lug points have been thinned, indicating to me that care was taken in the frame's making.
My friend had the forks repaired by Mercian and had them drill the brake mounting hole to take Allen-key Campagnolo calipers. He drilled the rear bridge himself but the bike was made to take nutted calipers. He also painted the frame with a rattle-can with a Toyota colour.
What do you think? Any comments regarding any aspect of this frame will be appreciated...
There is an album of photos of this bike at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/2298367...7617824097302/
Last edited by Dawes-man; 05-07-09 at 06:59 AM.
#2
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#3
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I wonder if the painter filed it a little? And the paint is pretty thick, might be hiding some nonsense.
#4
十人十色
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Hugo
#5
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-Kurt
#7
十人十色
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I forwarded these links to my friend:
https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ayphotohosting
and
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroral...ofessional.jpg
He reckons it's a good match except the Professional didn't have cable guides and had different seat stay eyes and rear brake bridge. He also says there's no sign of there ever having been a head badge riveted on.
I've written to him saying, "Is it possible that the paint was not original when you got the frame? If it wasn't perhaps the cable guides were added, the seat stay eyes filed and the headbadge holes filled at a re-paint. How is the bridge different?"
https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ayphotohosting
and
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroral...ofessional.jpg
He reckons it's a good match except the Professional didn't have cable guides and had different seat stay eyes and rear brake bridge. He also says there's no sign of there ever having been a head badge riveted on.
I've written to him saying, "Is it possible that the paint was not original when you got the frame? If it wasn't perhaps the cable guides were added, the seat stay eyes filed and the headbadge holes filled at a re-paint. How is the bridge different?"
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Nice construction on a Professional is no surprise. An "F" serial number on a MK V though... unprecedented.
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#9
十人十色
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Yes, and the F is the only thing on the BB. I've looked at the serial number site that cudak888 kindly provide a link for and it doesn't say anything about numbers on the outside of the right hand dropout as is the case with my friend's bike.
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The doco refers to what was put on the "good" frames - and I would say that you have a "good" one. Out of curiosity, what is on the dropout? I've heard of late 60's Grand Prix's and similar having serial numbers stamped there, but from 1966 on, Raleigh was quite consistent with the stamping location on their better models.
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#11
十人十色
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The doco refers to what was put on the "good" frames - and I would say that you have a "good" one. Out of curiosity, what is on the dropout? I've heard of late 60's Grand Prix's and similar having serial numbers stamped there, but from 1966 on, Raleigh was quite consistent with the stamping location on their better models.
What do you mean by "doco"?
#12
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My Waterford has identical Henry James lugs. Problem is Waterford stamps the S/N on the BB. Your BB is cutout. It could be Waterford made for another mfg. I'm almost 99.9% that it's a Waterford though.
#13
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I would call Richard Schwinn and read him the S/N. He might be able to help. Good luck.
#14
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That fork crown is very different from my Mk V Raleigh professional, everything else looks right though even the brake bridge.
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The bottom bracket cut outs on your frame looks like a pro too:
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doco - the online documentation in Bulgier.net and on Sheldon Brown's site.
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That said - I am still unconvinced of the Raleigh Pro theory.
-Kurt
Last edited by cudak888; 05-08-09 at 01:44 PM.
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but the serial number is a big anomoly.
Vagner forkcrowns and even that slotted BB shell show up on so many other makes I think it's inconclusive.
Also note that mkeller's BB shell is welded (seamed) and the OP's does not appear to be. I think the smaller details like the chainstay bridge and quality of brazing are significant.
Vagner forkcrowns and even that slotted BB shell show up on so many other makes I think it's inconclusive.
Also note that mkeller's BB shell is welded (seamed) and the OP's does not appear to be. I think the smaller details like the chainstay bridge and quality of brazing are significant.
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The parts were all available to any builder. Sort of like building a "Harley" today, I suppose. The location of the serial number and the format would say to me that it was a private build, using all of the same stuff that Raleigh used on the Pro. Which would have almost guaranteed a nice bike.
The location of the serial number is weird - it is certain to be defaced by the axle nuts.
And my Pro, anyway, lacks the cutouts in the brake bridge brazeon's that this bike has...
The location of the serial number is weird - it is certain to be defaced by the axle nuts.
And my Pro, anyway, lacks the cutouts in the brake bridge brazeon's that this bike has...
#20
十人十色
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I wouldn't hesitate to buy a bike from such a man.