Late '80s Falcons
 

IDENTIFIED: It's an early 1980's Falcon.

I'm considering what appears to be a nice frameset with details strangely similar to the Raleigh Professional Mark V's. Thing is, it's $175 - a bit more then I usually plunk down for a frameset - definitely quite a bit for an unknown.

That said, I do want to get an idea of what the thing actually is. I honestly don't think it's a Pro - details are simply wrong for it. That said, here are the details that stand out:

-English threading
-Lugs with window cutouts, could be Bocama Competition 83's or similar.
-Flat, non-engraved seat stay caps
-Short rear drops
-Water bottle braze-ons, seat tube + downtube
-Downtube shifter braze-ons
-Top tube cable clips, beefy ones too
-Under the BB cable routing
-Appears to have NO BB cutout - one of the reasons I've dismissed "Raleigh Pro" as a possibility.

I only have one photo of it:

http://www.jaysmarine.com/myseryframe.jpg

Any ideas? I haven't a clue - I was going to say Falcon, but the stay caps are too short by comparison.

-Kurt

Some mysteries are better left unsolved.

What ever it is I would rather have the Albert Eisentraut behind it.

Do you get a fork for $175

Yes, I get a fork.

The Eisentraut is out of my budget, not my size, the fork is a ball of rust, and I don't like it - nor Eisentraut himself.

-Kurt

Whatever it is, under the paint, being British and (most likely) mass-produced, and without the fork, $175 is much too much.

Just took some photos + more data:

-Columbus DO's
-27.2 seatpost
-126mm spacing
-BB marked BCM - definitely Bocama lugs.

Felt light enough to be 531 - definitely lighter to the touch then some Tretubi or Cromor frames I've held.

http://www.jaysmarine.com/mysteryframe_1.jpg

http://www.jaysmarine.com/mysteryframe_2.jpg

http://www.jaysmarine.com/mysteryframe_3.jpg

http://www.jaysmarine.com/mysteryframe_4.jpg

http://www.jaysmarine.com/mysteryframe_5.jpg

-Kurt

Kurt,

I'm not "diggin" the paint scheme. I'd save the $$$ for that treasure that will certainly come your way.

I do, as a matter of fact. If it really was a Raleigh Team Pro, I dare say it would look pretty neat with that scheme and the traditional decals. I'll know what it is sooner or later; sent a message to the fellow who owns it. Same place where the wrecked 753 Jan Legrand Team Pro came from.

I've got enough SR to put this one together too.

-Kurt

What's with the two sets of stays having different terminal styles at the rear dropouts? That's kinda weird.

Thought so myself, but I can't explain it. It's the second unknown frame I've come across with just that:

http://www.jaysmarine.com/unkframe_1.jpg

-Kurt

Maybe it's a Serrato ;-)

http://images.craigslist.org/3n43m63...0d44ff125d.jpghttp://images.craigslist.org/3n33o73...907cce10a9.jpg
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?561211-eBay-CraigsList-finds-quot-Are-you-looking-for-one-of-these!-quot-Part-II&p=10810075&viewfull=1#post10810075

McDonalds promotional? ;)

-Kurt

Kurt,

It is a Reynolds 531 Falcon frame and fork. I had one with the identical lugs and fork crown with the same flat plate stay caps.
It seems like a reasonable price given that you will have to respray and buy decals.

methinks that there is no way that this bike is a Raleigh Team Pro.

Sue me

Well, what do you know - it certainly is. Did a little search, and I found this:

http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/d/...1/DSC00065.JPG

Perfect match.

That said, I suspect that it is original paint. There's a mark in the paintwork that corresponds to the decals on the example above:

http://www.jaysmarine.com/mysteryframe_6.jpg

Also dug up an old discussion about the former frame here on BF - supposedly, the slightly different stay caps were another experiment, along with the decals: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=407253

-Kurt

Nobody said it is.

Nah. If I really got ticked off with you, I'd put you on Velo-Orange's mailing list.

-Kurt

Could very easily been built by myself in the Coventry Eagle/ British Eagle/Barry Hoban (clements)Factory in Wales 80's. All lugs, drop outs are what we used. But i have to add that most frame builders at the time were using the same. if the seat tube is 27.2 and it was built in Wales its 531 tubing. I have a low profile in the attic with the exact same colours that i built and sprayed 85ish. ps they must of been short of short point seat tube lugs at the time as it is different to the head tubes lol

Ah - I was trying to get in touch with you - sent you an email via the BF system.

Post is 27.2, and it feels like 531. I'm surprised the ST lug isn't part of the same set - both headlugs and seat lug are short-point. I notice the white/red example has a long point seat lug matched with the short-point headlugs - is this normal?

Incidentally, what was the production run for these machines? What year were the seatstay caps changed to the cheaper version you allude to in the other thread?

I notice you mentioned the decal set was a prototype - how long did those prototype decals run? It would seem as if this bike had the same style on the white/red (unless the production decals used the same shape/die cutout).

-Kurt

Kurt - is there a serial number visible?

Seems curious to have Reynolds tubing and Columbus dropouts. Were there markings on the steerer?

No serial number anywhere on the thing. Not one.

Steerer tube is completely blank. No dove markings, and it's not rifled either.

-Kurt

Doesn't sound like a Raleigh, though I do see the similarities. Sounds like you've already reached the same conclusions, and Falcon seems to be the leading candidate. I like the look of it.

I'm 100% sure that it's one of these '80s Falcons; without a shadow of a doubt. The frame details are spot-on, and the decal residue on the downtube clinches it.

-Kurt

Sorry to bump this up, but I found another '80s Falcon. They just seem to come out of the woodwork:

http://www.jaysmarine.com/clements_80s.jpg

Unmarked rear drops.

-Kurt