Any idea what this old frame is?

Can anyone identify this MTB frame?

DT bosses suggest it's fairly early. But 1"1/8 threaded HT so not super early.

The paint job is awful. It's mega thick. I might remove it but wondered what I'm working with first. Almost certainly had some repairs but hard to tell the extent under all that paint.

Clamped BB shell is strange. It takes a standard BB. Not eccentric so not sure what purpose it serves.

The forks are just something of a similar era that I found. Will probably keep the original forks on it though.

Too small for me unfortunately but might build up for my wife. Its actually my Dad's. He got it in a job lot of frames years ago (including the awful paintjob). He was told its a Roberts. Not sure about that. I seem to recall thinking it was a Dave Yates. Anyway can't seem anything like this made by either of them so possibly neither.













Images are all here if needed.
https://imgur.com/a/QZpWkZB

Theres a few low volume builders that spring to mind. Given the position of the rear brake mount, it is unlikely to be the obvious one (Overbury's), it looks to be set up for heavy touring so a rack can go on unhindered.

Is that a down tube shifter mount?

Thorn maybe, somebody early 1990's anyway.

Re:

Unfortunately I can’t help you with the name of the maker - but what size wheels does it take?

The rear dropouts look good quality but the overall frame certainly does look a hotchpox...!

legrandefromage":2258dlha said:

Theres a few low volume builders that spring to mind. Given the position of the rear brake mount, it is unlikely to be the obvious one (Overbury's), it looks to be set up for heavy touring so a rack can go on unhindered.

Is that a down tube shifter mount?

Thorn maybe, somebody early 1990's anyway.

Click to expand...

It is. Both sides too.

Re: Re:

Theoldfm":12iaskb8 said:

Unfortunately I can’t help you with the name of the maker - but what size wheels does it take?

The rear dropouts look good quality but the overall frame certainly does look a hotchpox...!

Click to expand...

Do you know I've not tried. Will pop out later to clarify but fairly certain its 26"

Might just be the photo but that top tube looks soooooo short

Reminds me of my hairy Jeremy Torr

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That shell, with the 2 clamps, could well be for an eccentric BB. Eccentric BB shells commonly
have this clamping mechanism, or a couple of screws that bite into the BB body.

A friend had a Roberts Touring bike with that extreme short/sloping TT and high seat stay attachment shape, the fork says Roberts to me too, though I've no idea what's going on wth the BB - eccentric but threaded weirdness - and despite the super thick paint there are clearly some holes, rust spots and some funkiness by the seat clamp. Might be worth stripping it back naked to see what the state of it is before building it up?

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Frankenorange":s7s24rif said:

That shell, with the 2 clamps, could well be for an eccentric BB. Eccentric BB shells commonly
have this clamping mechanism, or a couple of screws that bite into the BB body.

Click to expand...

True, but eccentric BB shells take an eccentric block that the BB screws into, they aren't threaded themselves!