Mystery Frame
 

Traded my '64 Bottecchia conversion for this frame at the shop. They had no idea who made it, but they had it on display on the wall, and I think they were asking $500 or so for it.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4080/...464e710a_z.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4079/...79ab65fb_z.jpg



There are random letters and numbers on the lugs, and some here on one of the dropouts.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4114/...df73f020_z.jpg


Can anyone tell me anything about this frame? Any guesses? My friends guessed that it was a home build.

Here are some more examples of random letters and numbers on the lugs:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4097/...5d660747_z.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4122/...2bdd445e_z.jpg

Here's a picture of the headset.
Bottom bracket shell


P.S. I forgot to mention the one thing they did know is that this was made in the late 70's or 80's.

Sweet! Love the nervex lugs! Not sure about the make tho.... but then again it could have had its ends swapped....

Try posting in the C&V forum.

Sorry, new here. I guess that would be a more appropriate place; I'll post it over there as well. But maybe by chance one of the single speed folks might happen to have a clue.

Not sure on the Nervex lugs. They don't look like any that I have seen before.

http://cyclespeugeot.com/images/Nervex_lugwork.jpg

I stand corrected upon actual closer inspection.... :lol::rolleyes:

Doesnt look clean enough for a professional build. Any one selling that would have cleaned up all the welds, lugs, etc.

I have identical lugs on my early 70's Raleigh.

What model, they don't look identical to any Raleigh that I have ever seen...

(kinda, sorta, but not quite) close to some Puch's tho:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_K3LsaGxYIZ...uchclubman.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4079/...79ab65fb_z.jpg

Check this out! I think I may be onto something.

http://www.carltoncycles.me.uk/mybikes/images/69-l2.jpg

1969 Carlton Longfellow

Found the name of the lugs "Crespera".... You may have a rare gem there.

http://www.carltoncycles.me.uk/detai...s/crespera.jpg

i think raleigh/carlton were known for forks like yours too

Looks like a match :O

fork looks similar to this, no?

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2...leighcrown.jpg

Very similar, indeed, but not an exact match.

I've seen a lot of Raleighs and Carltons that look very similar, and Sheldon Brown's Raleigh dating page says that the number stamped on the dropout dates it to 1966. However, I've yet to find an exact match! I can't find a Raleigh or Carlton track bike from that time that has the same lugs.

I found this on ebay. The lugs don't look the same but the fork does. Also the dropouts kinda do but its hard to tell from the pictures. You might want to message the seller. His name is "carltoncycles" and he seems to know his stuff.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ht_1266wt_1139

I think we may have a match. A quick Google search for "Carlton Flyer Track" wielded a few bikes that are almost an exact match. This one is nearly exact, but it looks like the owner changed out the fork.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=167351


This one is an exact match all the way around.
http://cars2.ebay.com.au/Carlton-Fly...ayphotohosting

The ONLY thing that bothers me is the headbadge. My frame has two small holes in the head tube that look like they're for a badge, but they're vertical, as in one on top of the other. All of the Carlton badges I've seen are horizontal. I'll keep looking.

Thanks for the help everyone! I'm pretty satisfied with what I've found. 1966 Carlton Flyer.

The chrome looks a lot like stainless steel that's been polished.

Not to me.

Looks like old chrome (awesome).

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4079/...79ab65fb_z.jpg

vs.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/...7fe124a352.jpg

my guess is it's a raleigh track from the 60s, the dropouts and everything else matches the carltons from the 60s but the headbadge is weird. by the 70s raleigh and carlton both started using simpler lugs and beefier dropouts

sweet bike by the way, enjoy it

Thanks! I'm definitely going to be riding it often. I'm probably going to put new parts on it because, while I can appreciate that it is indeed a piece of history, I will be riding it every day. Frames haven't changed much over the years, but the components sure have. Plus there are a few dings in the tubes, so it wouldn't be worth an awful lot anyway. I'm not building it to be a museum piece, I'm building it to be a dependable piece of machinery (regardless of how awesome it looks :))


Also noteworthy: My fork isn't drilled for a front brake! While it's cool that it's a dedicated track bike, I was planning on riding with a brake. Any suggestions? I said I don't care about restoring it accurate to the time period, but I'm not down with maiming the fork with a drill.

I am sure most LBS will be able to drill a hole for your front brake.

and as a sidenote, chrome+white looks awesome.

Or a Carlton path racer.

Stainless steel goes from this to what you see next to it or even what you show, depends upon how much time you put into polishing it. And exposed to the elements, it can easily lose it's brand new luster:

http://www.bremertonnjrotc.com/goawe...or/anchor8.JPG

And it could even look like this:

http://prollyisnotprobably.com/2010/...inless_ste.php

http://speedpedal.files.wordpress.co...attachment.jpg