Friends, As Chuck Berry said in song, "C'est la vie, say the old folks, it only shows you never can tell..."
I bought my Witcomb frame from brother Wayne Bingham, who
bought it from Ethel Marden, widow of the famous nature
photographer Luis Marden:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/
After cleaning the bottom bracket shell a bit, it's clear the the last digit of the serial number is a five. (It's the 3rd digit that I can't make out for certain.) So the serial number is either 1065375, 1005375 or 1095375.
The frame has long 1010 style Campagnolo dropouts (without eyelets) and a build year of 1975 would seem appropriate. I.e. you can see from the photos on the Classic Rendezvous Web site that the frame can't decide whether it wants to have "late 1960s" or "early 1980s" geometry.
Now back to that serial number. If the final 2 digits indicate the build year, what do the otehr digits _really_ indicate? Is this the 106th bike build during the 53rd month of 1973? The 1005th bike built during March 1973? (for different reasons, neither of those seems likely.) How about the 1095th bike built in in 1975, which just happened to have been during March? That still seems like way too many bicycles for a small manufacturer.
I'm open to other guesses and speculations.
Regards,
Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)
>
>
> -------------- Original message --------------
> From: Dan Kehew <dan.kehew@gmail.com>
>
> My initial guess is that you have a 1972 frame. I have #
> 830471, which I am guessing is a 1971 frame.
>
> Thanks for responding, Greg. The graphics are very similar to
> the (beautiful) frame Fred Rednor has posted to the CR list.
> Particularly the lining on the seat stay tops, although the
> recent arrival has a wraparound seatstay treatment. Does your
> '71 compare with Fred's?
>
>
>
> The Suntour dropouts on yours are a bit surprising, though.
> Were those even available in 1972?
>
> Heck if I know. That bit really had me thinking it was a
> later frame. Can't tell from Fred's photos what type of
> dropouts his bike is sporting.
>
>
>
> Do the (hopefully original) graphics and the patina on your
> frame support a 1972 vintage in your opinion?
>
> Patina ... Yeah, I fear that's the stuff that came off with
> the masking tape when I unpacked it... It's got no dents, but
> the paint and transfers have some riding behind them. I love
> original, but particularly after this packing job it's got
> the look of a bike that wants freshening.
>
> Seriously, I'll be giving a call to the Witcomb shop at some
> point here and ask about their serial number scheme. I
> promise to post their answer to the list for archival
> purposes. (Yes, I did search the archives before asking.)
>
> Dan "Patinas Added While You Wait" Kehew
> Davis "Patinaville" CA
>
>
>
> Mine looks older than Fred's, IMO. It has a round decal on
> the upper seat tube, just below the (1960s-1970s type) 531
> decal, which states "custom built David Cotton." Two sets of
> World Champion stripes around the seat tube, plus the
> smallish "W-in-a-wreath" decal, same as the one on the head
> tube. 1010/A dropouts with the "Sport hole" in the RH one.
> Cable stops on the lower seat tube (both sides).
> C-in-a-diamond Campy Record headset. 40" wheelbase.
> Note that #520166 is also shown on the CR Witcomb page, and
> stated as a 1966 frame.
> The fork blades on mine have the old Campagnolo "gruppo
> Record" decals on them. "Witcomb" is in black block font, in
> white panels with gold lining around both ends, on both the
> top and down tubes. Paint is a non-flam maroon, with white
> hand-lining. Full wrap seat stays.
> Fred, what's your best guess as to the last digit on yours?
> 5? 8? 9?
> Greg Parker
> Ann Arbor, Michigan
>
> _______________________________________________
>
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