leylandp38

Hi, newbie here...

I have just bought a very tatty road frame with interesting Nervex lugs and apparently Reynolds 531 tubing. It's totally stripped and has been badly repainted in Hammertex. No numbers or markings are visible. The seller thought it was a Carlton Franco-Suisse but I realise it has the remnants of a Dawes head badge.

I am a bit disappointed (I wanted a Carlton) but it's still a very elegant looking frame. I think from the wraparound seat stays it's quite old, but i don't know what age, what model and what components it would have had (I want to do it up with largely authentic kit).

Any help would be appreciated. Pictures attached below.

thanks in advance

Al

Andrew F

Nice find! I love the relaxed head tube! good luck with the build!

dashuaigeh

wow, I really like the frame! https://www.thefootdown.co.uk/2009/12...ke-gallery-16/ this looks like it has similar angles, but I think the guy got the age wrong. https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/649314-1937-english-dawes-now-begins-restoration-little-help-here.html reminds me of yours too - with 531 too (just no nervex). 1937 seems a bit too early though.

if you ever decide you'd want to part with it, let me know . and FYI, there's a Raleigh which might just be a rebranded carlton in the sales posts right now.

JohnDThompson 

Falcon also used that wrap-over style:

leylandp38

Yes that looks distinctly similar... do you know the date of the Falcon? Those sort of stylistic touches might have cross-fertilised.

Thanks everyone for the tips so far, hoping someone will yet recognise it exactly.

leylandp38

Well - an update. The bike IS a Falcon. The broken off head badge I thought was Dawes due to the Olympic flames is actually Falcon.

The reason for my error was that it has been snapped off below the top rivet so all I have is the top of the flaming torch. I'm actually quite pleased, I will eventually work out the age and model of the bike I am sure.

I can't believe it...

Gary Fountain

It's a lovely Falcon and should be a really interesting project. I just love the British wrap-around seat stays.

leylandp38

Yes, it is - thanks Gary.

Final update - it's a Falcon Olympic. Not got exact date yet but 1971 or 1972 seems likely. The Falcon Olympic was apparently built with Reynolds 531 plain gauge tubing. Strong and light but not as uber-cool as the butted 531 tubing. It's a midrange model evidently (high end models being the San Remo variants).

Well mine is progressing to its new existence as a singlespeed. As it is completely stripped I'm adding some slightly newer kit here and there to it. So far I have an italian TTT alloy 1" threaded stem, new 1" threaded alloy headset, modern sealed Campagnolo bottom bracket (spare I had lying about), Suntour Superbe Pro crankset (fits the campy BB), and Suntour Superbe Pro hubs plus 700c Mavic Open Pro rims to build them up with.

I need to find a replacement Falcon headbadge (mine being broken), and some new drop bars as the lovely old alloy Dawes "Made in Great Britain" bars I had found seem faintly wrong now. But going well. She'll be a beauty once sandblasted and given a lovely new coat of paint.