Hi, can anyone help to identify this frame? As seen in the pictures. Sorry for not giving you all a whole lot to work with but I don't have much info either. I live in Ireland and a lot of the older bikes we get tend to be Raleigh, Dawes or French brands like Motobecane and Peugeot. This is made from 531 tubing, it has french hubs and rims, both Maillard hubs, a Rimtec front rim and a Rigida back one. The brakes are Weinmann 500. The drive side crank and chain ring are Sugino but the left side is the same Shimano group as the derailleurs and shifters with an arrow and curls. I've seen those derailleurs on other bikes and thought they were Shimano 600 but now it seems I'm wrong from my googling. I just picked up this bike, a gift from a bike coop where I volunteer, just the other day and I want to try and find out what it is. The one sticker on the frame, other than the Reynolds one is all faded and I can't make out what it says at all.

Thanks and I'll try to give more info if people want it.

The fork looks more like a Dawes than a Raliegh

Is there a serial number? Raleigh number scheme is pretty easy to identify.

I have a Raleigh Team Pro with lugs and a fork that look rather like that. Doesn't have the integrated cable guides on the top tube though.

No, no serial number that I can find. Does anyone know the name of that derailleur as well? No sign of a Raleigh head badge having been on the frame.

That RD is a Shimano Golden Arrow.

Neal

I don't know what it is, but doubt that it's a Raleigh. I'd ask that you check the seatpost diameter (should be stamped on the shaft) and the BB threading (should be numbers on the fixed or RH cup: 1.37" x 24 or otherwise) and if there's anything stamped on the dropouts...this may help confirm if the 531 decal is real or fake. Those decals usually were the first to perish, not the last...

I've got a feeling the seatpost is 26.6. I'll have to confirm that though. The bottom bracket has been replaced with a sealed cartridge. I'll have a look at the dropouts. Well the 531 sticker is pretty wrecked, I can only really make out the tops of the numbers.

the top of "501" looks quite a bit like the top of "531"

Looks like a good project!

No I can see where the 3 curves down. I'd be astonished if it wasn't. I should have put a picture of the sticker up really. Plus the seatpost definitely is 26.6. Haven't had a chance to check the dropouts.

well 26.6 is metric tubing if it's genuine 531, so then we're looking at a French (or maybe Spanish) frame...and the headset is also something seen on both FR and British bikes. Since the Shimano GA RD screws into the DO hanger: it's not Simplex DOs...guess they could be Huret or this is a late enough product that FR makers were using ISO BBs and forks, but still metric tubing (Peugeot did that into the '80s) and regular DO hanger threads. How about one more pic of the (crimped?) seat stay tops?

Picture of the seat stay tops as resquested. Also I had a look at the drop outs and they did seem to have some numbers printed on them but it was hard work making them out. Picture is included. I did notice to fasten the seatpost clamp it's necessary to tighten the bolt rather a lot, I wondered if it wasn't possible the 26.6 in there now was slightly too small. Unfortunately I haven't got a seatpost sizer or accurate enough calipers to check.

Yeah stay tops are crimped...more like a FR touch than from anywhere else. That 531 decal is an "80s" style, I don't know the precise year it was introduced, but somebody here will. I think the numbers on the DO is a serial number, and can't tell what brand they are just from the shape: look like they could be Gipiemme (maybe). John Thompson has excellent comparison pics of DOs, maybe he'll chime in. Good chance the seat post has been over-tightened on a too-small post (if it was regular Imperial 531 it should take a 27.2 post, metric/Continental will be either 26.6 or 26.4) you may need to get some LBS help in re-rounding the top of that tube if it's a 27.2 that's been crimped and distorted.
Last clue: what's the rear spacing: 120mm or 126mm?

It's 126mm.

New discovery is that the bottom bracket is regular thread. Plus on the stem I noticed a small quite faint insignia. Looks like a standing figure with HR inscribed above it. I'll try and post a picture when I can.

By "regular" you mean that both sides have RH threading? If so: French threading.

Sorry no I mean regular english, 68mm and with reverse threading on the drive side.

jury is still out: it has a BSC BB, but with those other details it's clearly a late "70s early '80s frame so can still be FR from a maker who switched over to BSC threading (as several did). Here's the clincher: measure the outer diameters of all 3 main tubes, the top, down and seat tube with a good caliper. If the dimensions are even millimeters (or very close) it's metric tubing and has to be French (or other Continental origin), if they are accurate to inch dimensions (1 inch= 25.4mm, 1.125"=28.6mm) then it's Imperial tubing and not French.

Right, I'll have to do that tomorrow because I don't have a particularly good calipers to hand. I haven't checked out the seatpost yet to check if a 27.2 would fit, what would it mean if it did? All in all thanks for all the help, especially unworthy1, you've been super-tastically helpful.

I measured the tubes and they seem to be metric dimensions, top tube was 26mm, the seat tube 29.8 more or less, although verging on higher and the down tube was bang on 29mm. I also measured the seat tube inner diameter with the bolt removed and got 26.6 but I assume if there had been a too small seatpost in there for a while it would need some opening up to get back into shape. Also tried a 27.2mm seatpost which was definitely not going to fit.

Metric should be 26/28/28 for the top/seat/down tube ODs...if you get over that either there's very thick paint or something wrong with the caliper you're using...or you're getting something like Imperial dimensions: 25.4/28.6/28.6
Is the stem marked with a dimension (like 22.2 or 22.0?) are the handlebars marked with any numbers in the clamp area (25, 25.4, 26?)

I've measured the tubes again and I got 26mm for the top tube. The seat tube seems to be slightly elliptical, wider by 1mm in width measured across the bicycle than when measured along the length of the bike, making it 28mm one way and 29mm the other. The down tube is still resolutely 29mm. I also think the calipers are accurate, I measured one Spanish Zeus I have and got exactly 26/28/28 and a couple of seatposts with diameters stamped on them and got accurate measurements.

one other possibility: those are some oddball tubes...still don't know what to make of it, but seems like it could be metric tubing but "ovalized', however that was generally done at the BB area and not the entire length of a tube...plus you need then an altered or custom BB shell for the non-round ends.
I'm stumped: I don't think I can solve this mystery...but I can tell you that the Reynolds decal you have for 531 3-main tubes was a style first introduced in 1981. Could be useful IF you can determine that it's a legit decal. They also did the same decal in French, but doesn't mean a French (or Belgian or Swiss) builder would have to use that decal.