Hi folks,

This has been posted on RetroBike as well, but just in case anyone here has any ideas…

Complete beginner at classic bikes here, so please bear with me. I was recently handed an old race bike that was otherwise going to be skipped by a family member; my only problem is that I’ve no idea what it is, what it’s worth, whether I should try and restore it or not…

Photos:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/pfPatP]IMG_20140917_124046095[/url] by poltheball, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/pg426u]IMG_20140917_124055827[/url] by poltheball, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/pg5ZRp]IMG_20140917_124104918[/url] by poltheball, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/oYA7CQ]IMG_20140917_124113843[/url] by poltheball, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/oYA6AE]IMG_20140917_124133576[/url] by poltheball, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/pfP7aV]IMG_20140917_124144254[/url] by poltheball, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/pe44CE]IMG_20140917_124300286_HDR[/url] by poltheball, on Flickr

From noseying about the bike, it’s got some pretty awesome lugging at the headtube area, and the original colour was (or included) a light baby blue. It has Specialities TA cranks and pedals, Weimann type 730 brakes, Mavic Monthlery Pro rims, Campag downtube shifters and a Suntour Cyclone rear mech.

There are more pictures on my photostream here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/58370809@N05/

Complete noob question; how do I fit a rear mech on to a sliding dropout frame? And is this bike worth putting a bit of work into, or selling on to someone who could do a better job than me? Really want to strip the orange paint off, but don’t want to ruin whatever is lurking beneath.

Cheers,
Paul

Hi,
There’s a mech hanger attached to your mech already – with forward facing dropouts (i.e. actual dropouts, not track ends like you’ve got) this would be held by the rear skewer and probably a screw/bolt/funny shaped washer through the hole that’s in the top of it. You can probably do the same with this one – just trap the mech hanger in with the skewer.
The fork looks a bit like it could be a Carlton, but the seat stays don’t – are there frame numbers on it (bottom of bb, rear dropout, and/or fork steerer)?
Are the wheels newer than the frame – I think those mavics are 700c but the frame looks like it might fit 27″. What hubs?

Oh, and your drive needs the moss doing, etc, etc

I’d say the frame is a bit older than some of the componets so maybe someone was keen on it.
No idea about the make.
Refit, does it fit you and will you ride it?
If it does and you will why not spend a few quid, i bet it will ride nice.

And another point regarding the wheel size.

The Weinmann 730 brakes were the longer version of the 630 I think (it’s been a long time!). Therefore if the wheels have been changed from 27″ to 700c a longer brake calliper may be required.

I know clearances on road frames have got a lot smaller but there is a huge amount on that frame and fork.

the lugs look distinctive to me…

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/builders.html

Cheers for replies. I’m too big for the frame but would be happy enough to get it working again and move it on. Any ideas as to what it could be worth? Drive could do with mossing, garage could do with clearing… but I’m moving out to uni at the weekend, so I’m not going to be doing it 😆

Hadn’t thought of checking frame numbers, good shout. Will have a look and see if I can find anything on the bb shell.

What do we think, could it be a Flying Scot? I vaguely remember the name being bandied about, and it does look similar to some quick google images search results..

[url=https://flic.kr/p/ahpM68]Flying Scot Road-Path Frame (95H).[/url] by Paris-Roubaix, on Flickr

Lugs are wrong on that one, but colour is similar to the undercoat. Going to try and strip off the orange spraypaint.

might be worth posting on lfgss too to see if they can identify it

I’d put good money on it being a complete bitsa. Which is no bad thing. Most bikes of the day were. Interesting lugs on steering tube should stand out to someone. Probably built as a track bike with track ends being fitted.
If you can’t get the mech hanger to work you could try a solid nutted axle which tends to hold those things better. an alternative is one of those bolt on gear hangers designed for track ends. I have used them on my SS MTB on occasions. Why not take the opportunity to build a nice fixed or SS?

The frame I’d take a guess at “old” (bear with me on this!) to a date when fixed gears were the thing and your only bike toured (mudguards), raced, commuted, etc (1950s????)

The kit is maybe mid/late-70s

You could try getting a frame builder to braze the threaded part of a derailleur hanger to the track end (something that I did to mine way back when), but it’ll need a proper check for rust (inside and out) etc before riding (hence frame builder)

The wheels look like sprints, which are pretty close to 700c clinchers in size

Right, found a frame number. I think it says 91129, with the possibility of a capital E towards the right of the bb shell, although that may just be scrapes. There is an X with possibly a Y underneath it on the bottom of the downtube.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/phm3wt]IMG_20140918_170546191[/url] by poltheball, on Flickr

Does that give anyone any further clues as to what it might be?

Rear mech is about ’76/77, the frame I’m sure my father has something similar as the lugging looks very like one of his bikes, I’ll check with him, if so I’d suggest late 70’s early to mid 80’s