Hello esteemed list members:
Just picked up a bike tonight. A custom touring bike built in 1983 by Allin Cycles, in Croydon, Surrey, in the good old UK. Anybody have any info on the builder? On the CR site, it says that some may have been built by Ron Cooper. This bike has some aspects that makes me think this may be a Cooper built because I have seen these details on a few Coopers: in the inner fork tangs, a row of hearts, diamonds, spades, and clubs cutouts. The seat lug is threaded on one side. There is a wraparound seat cluster (that have Allin cast in), with fat stays. Prugnat (I think) cutout lugs. I know these features are on other bikes, but the look is reminiscent of Cooper to me. Curiously, a beautiful Lagoon blue Joe Bell paint job. She knew nothing about the paint, said she had the frame shipped here and was built up by a local shop. Maybe the paint is original, maybe not. She even gave me the original receipt. $210 in 1983 for frame, brazeons, headset, etc.
The woman who owned it said she never rode it beyond a one or two short rides, and by the looks of it, that may be true. She said it never fit: its a 51 with a 54 top tube (my size :0), and she was shorter than me by a few inches. No wonder it didn't fit. It is a touring bike, with braze ons for cantilevers, double water bottles, pump peg on top tube, a light on the left side of the fork, low riders mounts on front fork, Campy long dropouts, eyelets of course, two on the front, Reynolds 531 db tubing, and Nice anyway, and if it was ridden, it has far fewer miles than any of my bikes. There is no wear on any chainrings, brake pads, derailluers, etc. Typical eclectic parts mix: Shimano cantilevers, the nice old kind, Shimano 600 derailleurs, Suntour bar cons, Sugino AT crank, 24, 42, 48, really wide range ST cluster, like a 14/34, Dura ace seat post, Specialized alloy headset, Maybe I will post some pics in a few days.
Mark Rosenberg
in dark San Diego California