What have I been riding?

I'm about to strip this bike and sell the frame on. I bought it as a frame only. It has been resprayed in Colnago colours but thats not what it is and was not sold as such. The seller thought it was a Viking. It's very early, but rides really well, but just a shade too small for me. I'd like to know what it is, though suspect it's not very special as it has the pressed steell dropouts. A tourer though, as seperate mudguards and frame drillings. BB is SB and six numbers.
Any thoughts?

From that colour my guess is a Viking Vision. I used to have one, a nice frame in 531.

It's got quite Raleigh-esque proportions but the lugs are wrong for it to be a Raleigh. Like you say, it's not a top-end frame because of the pressed drop-outs and the clearances are quite wide. The shape of the curve in the fork say to me that it's 70's or 80's in vintage.

I think it's before 80s as there are no bottle mounts. It's also a 27" wheel bike as the wheels installed are 700c and there is loads of clearance. Long chainstays suggests a tourer as well.

Just like the Viking?

Yes I think it is a Viking but what model and year? The fork crown lug is slightly different as the centre bit is longer. Be good to know what the tubing is. Also there is no front light mount on the fork.

Looks like a Falcon Champion du Monde?

It was the seatstays that made me think.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Falcon-Champi ... 2a4d6a7ce6
Shaun

It looks like it could be a Raleigh-Carlton/Worksop from early-mid 70's. The head lugs and rear seatstay don't look like what I've seen on Viking, nor have I seen them use that serial system, though I know both Raleigh and Carlton used "SB" and had a 5-6 digit number system in the year '72-73. The lugs are by either Ekla or Brampton, not 100% which one. The lack of downtube bosses, horizontal fork crown and overall frame styling is quintessential late 60's to early-mid 70's. However very unusual to have a plastic cable guide under BB for this period, thats usually later era.

With pressed dropouts looks lower-end, and with mudguard eyelets on the dropouts - likely 100% British! (very unusual to see on frames from milder climates such as Italy or even France). Have you weighed the bare frame to know if its 531 or a heavier tubeset?

Regards.

Re:

No did not weigh frame but from my experience 531 is not always lighter than 501/chrome alloy mix.
The plastic guide was added by me on the build.

That's not a raleigh or a carlton - the lugs are all wrong.

My guess is it is a low end falcon as suggested above, in gas pipe tubing - definitely won't be 531 with drop outs and lugs like those. Sorry!