Putman, Clyde wrote:
> Friends:
> Anybody want to venture a guess as to the builder of my mystery bike?
> I bought it for the parts, then started looking at the frame and it is
> nicer than I had antipicipated.
> Thin lugs, nice work at the various stay braces. Not a (insert perfect
> builder here), but no gaspipe either.
> Pat 72 derailleur, Italian BB, no rifling in the steerer tube, seatpost
> is well under 27.2.
> I am guessing it is a nice repaint, can't find any evidence of removed
> decals.
> Campy drops front and rear, chrome is good quality on drops and lugs.
> No serial number that I can find. BB has "4" stamped in it with evidence
> of tubes being pinned.
> Campy steel arms with aluminum rings.
> 53 cm ctc seat tube.
> Looks like very low mileage, and I am guessing that parts have not been
> messed with much, but then again...if low mileage, why repaint?
>
> Also if anybody wants to trade for a similar frame / bike in 55-56 ctc
> seat tube, I am interested!
>
> With any luck pics can be found at:
> http://www.flickr.com/
Wow. This looks *very* similar to my own mystery bike. I got it 3rd hand over 25 years ago after the BB shell failed at the seat tube. The guy I bought it from had ridden it on the full Bikecentennial route in 1976 and for several years after before the failure. When I got it it sat in my closet for several years until some low-life ripped off my commuter bike. At that point I decided to fix the frame, so I pulled off the old BB shell, brazed in a new one and built it up as my new commuter. I've been riding it ever since.
About the only significant difference I can note is that mine has a 27.2mm seat tube, but it is entirely possible that I reamed it out to 27.2 -- I honestly can't remember.
--
-John Thompson (john@os2.dhs.org)
Appleton WI USA