F.W.Evans frame.
 

I've just bought this old F.W. Evans frame. I'd very much like to know more about it.

Evans which is known now for it's big chain of stores in London made frames themselves from the '20s through to the '70s, and build their reputation on touring bikes. They sold frames with their name on them, but not made by them, until not that long ago (perhaps ten years ago or so).

I've no idea of the date of mine, and I'm curious... I imagine that the forks (if they're original, although they look it) and the dropouts might give some clues... Also I've not seen the F on the side decal done in that way (like an E) on any other Evans bikes I've seen.

I love this frame. The paint's tatty but it's not rusty, I'll not repaint it, I'll try rather to touch up the paint.

What do you think about it?

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/9264/originalbj.jpg

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/4103/original1w.jpg

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/7772/original2w.jpg

http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/8136/original3.jpg

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/7900/p1030077.jpg

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/2397/p1030074.jpg

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/7762/p1030073z.jpg

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/2461/p1030072.jpg

http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/2573/p1030070.jpg

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/6634/p1030068.jpg

I can't shed any additional light on this frame but it is very nice. Obviously it is a high quality frame to have campagnolo dropouts. I like the extra braze-ons, the front derailleur cable stop is really cool and I could use one on a few frames. The fork lamp mount is cool and the fork crown reminds me of the early 70's Raleigh competition which is nice. The craftsmanship seems to be nicer than the mass-produced bike boom brands, maybe it's pre 70's?

As much as I like the lug cut outs, they are extremely phallic!

Thanks for your comments mkeller. I vaguely thought pre 70s too.

The phallic lug cutouts are entertaining...

I've noticed that a photo on one of the editions of Richard Ballantine's 'Richard's Bicycle Book' (first edition was '72) has him with a F.W.Evans without braze ons for brake cables, with sloping shoulders on the fork crown and the 'E' looking F. There's also an article dating to '74 talking about the use of such fork crowns.
http://www.bikebrothers.co.uk/evans_scans.htm

well, its a lovely bike, and the cutouts have big cajones...I think that the lamp mount would say pre-70s, but we've never gotten a definitive answer - was it the law at one time to have a front lamp on a road bike in Great Britain?

do you think that this is one that Evans actually manufactured?

LOL, That's the first thing I thought. I'd ride it just for that reason alone.

I'm pretty sure that this bike was one that they made in the basement, I think the ones they had made outside were less idiosyncratic (as I remember them as a child in the early '80s, and as google seems to back up) - that Ballantine photo and that article make me think that it could well have been built by Harry Healey there.

Perhaps the lamp bracket puts it a bit earlier than Ballentine's bikes, so maybe late '60s. Seems plausible. There have I think long been UK laws requiring the use of lights on bicycles, but I think it's only in the last few years that policemen have started upholding those laws.

As an aside I had Richard's Bicycle Book as a boy, and it got me tinkering with bikes. I just ordered an old copy.

I was told once that lamp brackets used to be required to be sold from bike shops. The law was changed and lamp brackets went the way of the three-speed freewheel. If the story was true then knowing when the law changed would help to date English bikes. I have a '49 Claud Butler with no lamp bracket, btw.

I was looking at vintage British lightweights on the internet today - the bracket was ubiquitous before the '50's and then sharply declined in use, but I've seen one on an early '70's bike. If the frame was made in the basement of the shop the bracket could have been a custom option.

I haven't seen a luggless sloping shouldered fork crown on a pre-'70's bike though - has anyone else?

F. W. Evans used to be my LBS in '94 when I was stationed in London - I lived in Kennington my first year there. I know by then they were not building the frames there, but they were still using the exact artwork your frame has - and they also still used the old lamp bracket on the odd frame here and there, too! In fact, nearly every Evans frame in the showroom was built with touring in mind.

I ended up switching allegiances to Condor Cycles at Grays Inn Road, partly because I'd moved away from Kennington but mainly because one of Evans' mechanics broke the cable anchor off my Campy 50th Anniversary rear derailleur.

A year later, I was finally recompensed after they had exhausted their search for a replacement (in that time I found two complete sets and bought them both - I wish I had them today!)

Thanks Drillium Dude, interesting that the lamp brackets were used that late.

Are you sure it's quite the same artwork you remember? The bikebrothers site has scans of a mid '90's catalogue which shows a very similar F.W.EVANS decal, but with a conventional F rather than the one that curves in at the bottom making it look like an odd E - presumably a 'rationalised' design.

Dropouts seem to be Campy 1010 Long Extension, made from the '60's to the '80's.

Of course, that was a long time ago and I can't be certain of the exact font, but they are very, very close. The reason I definately remembered the lamp boss was because I had to ask what it was, then have someone demonstrate as well! I really was clueless regarding touring stuff.

The difference in the logo is a very small one, to compare you can see the newer logo at the top of this page:

http://www.bikebrothers.co.uk/evans.htm

Nice story with the light boss.

I've been in contact with Nic Henderson of the Bike Brothers website and he concurs that the frame may well be from around the early '70's, perhaps a bit earlier, or perhaps a little later. Built in the basement of the old shop (they moved out in the late 70's). The fork crowns are Cinelli, which doesn't help in dating since the design seems to date to the '50's.

I've been de-rusting, spot priming painting and polishing the frame, and have some 27" rims with a sturmey archer 3 speed hub, some drops and a Brooks. Still some bits to get, but it's not far from roadworthy.

Cool information. I'm excited to see how this one turns out.

Here are some quick snapshots of what I've built from the frame. It's not finished yet, plenty of little ends to tidy up, but I'm happy with it, it rides really nicely and the old Brooks is fantastically comfortable.

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/571/p1030103.jpg

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/6928/p1030102f.jpg

http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/8630/p1030106m.jpg

http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/6174/p1030107.jpg

http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/5453/p1030105.jpg

Nice. What kind of bars are those?
-Gene-

The bars are Charge Bowl bars with the Charge logos sanded and polished off. I'm not generally a fan of fixed gear fashion items but they do the job very nicely, they're really very comfortable, and not terribly expensive.

Very nice.Reminds me of this. My favorite cycling video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyz5d3entBw

That was fun! Although I am not sure I would ever be at ease wearing argyle knee highs while riding my bike.

That is an exceptionally nice build. The handlebar looks great with the old stem.

An internet search reveals that your Charge Bowl bar is not available in the US. Bummer.

That film is delightful. I like the description of the cycle tourists as excursionists. I might use that title.

What a sweet looking build! I love the stem! I had a few of them some time ago but got rid of them...what a dumbass I am!

Wow, that turned out beautifully. Do you plan to keep it as you have it? P.S. - Nice purple shoes.