[CR] Edward Albert's Mystery Track Frame

(Example: Production Builders:Peugeot)

Date: Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:54:58 +0000
From: "Norris Lockley" <nlockley73@googlemail.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR] Edward Albert's Mystery Track Frame


At the start of the slide show on Edward's site I was conviced that the frame was a 1930s one of English manufacture, possibly one of Ernie Merlin's frames from his Goswell Road, London premises . Several head-tube shots later I was still convinced..but then the photo of the slightly ugly seat-stay cap started to cause some doubts..Ernie would have been using arrowhead caps at that time.

The shot that definitely changed my mind was the one of the rear track drop-outs...not at all English in style or the method of fitting in the stays...much more Italian in concept and execution.

I don't think the frame is Italian but I do think that it was built just over the Italian-Swiss border in the town of Chiasso, by the renowned Swiss company SIEBER for whom Mrs Cinelli worked prior to marrying Cino.

I have a very similar but not identical SIEBER frame..the head lugs on mine are more decorative and the seat-stay caps are different..but the rest of the frame is of the same style including the drop-outs..The headlugs on my frame are large swirls a little reminiscent of Hetchins Swallow model, but it would not be beyond the imagination of a skilled lug-cutter to take a set of long spear-point ones such as those on Edward's frame, split them down the middle in order to produce two large swirls. Frame-building never did have much in common with rocket science.

The Swiss section of the main Classicrendezvous site have a feature about SIEBER bikes, including two track models. The all--chrome bike owned by Scott McCaskill has a great resemblance to Edward's frame.

My frame can be seen at : * http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyclecrank/sets/72157607354392606 - Anglo-Italian track frame.*

Thanks to the help and guidance of three or four List members I was directed to the SIEBER site and now know that the frame is Swiss-made.

Norris Lockley

Settle UK