[CR]Help! Please ID this frame if you can... (a bit long sorry)

(Example: Framebuilders:Chris Pauley)

From: <LeMansGTMAN@aol.com>
Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 18:44:12 EST
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Help! Please ID this frame if you can... (a bit long sorry)

Whatho everyone,

Recent exchanges about keyword spamming / Colnago / Trialtir reminded me of an unknown track frame I've been stripping down ready for re-enamelling over the last two weeks.

I also recall some recent chat about individual builders for one of the bigger specialist lightweight manufacturers (was it Holdsworth / Claud B?) who punched small marks under the chainstays, so as to be able to ID their frames for piece work payment...

I bought this 22.5" C-T frameset at a cycle-jumble at Mildenhall some years ago, and it has lain idle in my shed since then.

Somewhere along the line before I bought it some plonker did a respray (enamel straight onto metal) in bright yellow and affixed a complete set of Colnago decals to what is pretty obviously a fine example of British building. This frame has very clean brazing and finishing and is completely straight in all respects except for surface rusting (read on).

Anyways, now I've got all the paint off and am down to the metal - I'd like to be able to ID the maker if possible - and then approach our friends at Lloyds for the correct transfers.

- Nervex Lugs.

- "A" on the left rear of the seat cluster - but probably a Nervex manufacturing mark?

- Long-ish rear triangle - about an 1.5 inches between the tyre and the seat tube with an inflated sprint wheel mid-way in the rear drop-out.

- No-name forged drop-outs front and rear and no mudguard eyes on any.

- Brake drillings front and rear - and the rear bridge is curved and not lugged.

- Frame number on underside of B/B shell is 'C2156' - but the last four of these digits of this have been overstamped onto another number which can't now be read. No numbers or marks on rear drop-outs.

- Number on fork column is '08609' or '60980' depending on which way up you read it!

- Wrapover stays which have been very nicely done in that they are fluted (as on the Holdworth Monsoon and Zepher that Hilary Stone sold on e-bay recently) but the builder has continued the fluting over the wrapover by in-filling with blazing and then filing it to meet the profile on either side.

- There is a small roughly v-shaped indentation underneath the left side chainstay immediately adjacent to the B/B shell.

No rivet holes for headbadge - so presumably not a Holdsworth then...

- I would say the frame has the look of pre-1970s (when I started cycling) and there is evidence of surface corrosion and pitting all over it, plus surface 'snail trails' of rust which added together give it the general patina of an old but high-quality frame.

- It takes a 27.2mm seat pin and is very light when compared to my other (but larger) 531DB frames.

Not really much to go on I know - the fluted wrapover configuration is the stand-out perhaps, but if anyone has any ideas I'd be v.grateful. Equally, if anyone is so inclined to help I can take some digipix and send them.

Cheers,

Ian Briggs - Luton (mild & cloudly - spots of rain now and then) UK