First, the good:
I've decided to sell off a project I really can't take on right now.
I believe this to be a mid 50's Freddie Grubb Frameset. I'm going with mid 50's due to several factors. Brake braze ons are on top tube and pump pegs are on downtube. The downtube decal is "freddie" not "f.h. grubb". Furthermore, there man on bike decal is on the seattube.
Measurements are as follows:
54 cm CTC seattube 57 cm CTC top tube 42 cm seatstays from center of bottom bracket to end of stay 90 mm headtube, center to center 41 INCHES overall length 71 degree seattube, headtube is in the same ballpark but hard to get an exact measurement because of headbadge.
Additional specs:
531 frame, Lugs look to be early nervex professional, but could also be italia.
Headbadge is incorrect, from a later version, but I have the correct one (see below)
Fork ends and rear dropouts are prefectly aligned. Frame looks good as well, but I don't have frame alignment tools to check
Replaced the missing oiler port
Includes NOS light race gran luxe headset with new bearings and grease. Will also include seat piller and newer (but well worn, b17).
Now for the bad.
The paint is shot. Lots of chips, scratches, surface rust, etc. Decals are still visible, but it's not going to win a show anytime soon. As far as I can tell rust appears to be surface, sanded down the worst areas a bit and it came right off to bare steel.
Fork has a bit of a jingle to it, meaning particles in the blades. Doesn't seem to horrible.
Fork has also has had the crown race re-brassed. At some point, one owner cut the crown race down from 27.0 to 26.4 to fit a modern headset. I wanted to use an original so I had Bernie Mikkelsen in Alameda add brass and recut the fork crown. Came out great, but there are heat marks on the fork.
Other than that, there are no cracks, dents, dings, etc. Pictures of the bike built up (but not restored) can be found here:
Please study them closely and ask for additional pics if needed. I am also willing to take this back as a return if you feel that it's not as described when you get it on the sole condition that we split shipping to and fro.
I'm asking $300 plus shipping for the frame, fork, headset, seat pillar, clamp and brooks. For an additional $35 I will include the "man on bike" headbadge (this is slightly less than I paid for it). I will also entertain reasonable trades or offers.
Also, Nick at Lloyds now has the correct man on bike decal and downtube decals, I have confirmed this with him
Please contact me off list with questions.
Thank you.
Sean Flores
San Francisco, CA