SBDU 753 Time Trial Special

originalshinkicker · May 11, 2015

It's just a month since I bought a 531SL SBDU Time Trial Special but I couldn't resist taking a risk on this 753 from 1978 - lots of surface rust and a seized seatpin but I thought a 753 SBDU Time Trial frame, Dura-ace seatpin, OMAS TI BB and an Edco headset was a bargain for £165. I haven't got the time to do anything with it at the moment but I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

It's working out ok as the seized seat pin is already out and I've checked the rust and the metal is nice and bright below the rust.

It doesn't look to pretty at the moment but the frame looks solid!
Cheers
Neil

Midlife · May 11, 2015

Sadly I'm old enough to remember seeing people using these in anger

Too small for me but jealous nonetheless.

Shaun

widowmaker · May 11, 2015

Re:

Are those drop-outs drilled for weight saving ?

Midlife · May 11, 2015

Yup

Shaun

lakesroadsheep · May 12, 2015

What specifically are the differences between the road and TT frames ?

Nob · May 12, 2015

Re:

Martin Pyne used one to great effect when he did a 49.31 minute ride 1 week before the 1981 25 mile champs then went on to win that championship on the same machine. So has good pedigree

glpinxit · May 12, 2015

Envious. Looks like one other weight way to save weight was use less paint. (Even less, that is.)

Midlife · May 12, 2015

True, legend Had it there was a special lightweight paint / laquer used. Certainly for the gold hour record frames and the like it was virtually transparent

Shaun

originalshinkicker · May 12, 2015

lakesroadsheep":2watrvdi said:
What specifically are the differences between the road and TT frames ?

Generally, tighter clerances, shorter frames - vertical dropouts mean you can tuck the rear wheel in right behind the seat tube. Horizontal dropouts wouldn't necessarily allow this as you need space to slide the wheel forward to get the wheel out. Less rake on the forks; SBDU time trial bikes used 38mm rake on forks where std road frames had 42mm or even 45mm rake. SBDU even used foil head badges to shave that tiny bit of weight. Some only had a RH gear lever boss specifically to use one large chain ring.

The paint is very very thin, probably why the rust has decided to attack it.

They do have a great pedigree and that's why I wanted one. I would have preferred one in better paint condition but that would have cost several hundred pounds more!

glpinxit · May 12, 2015

Larger holes in tapering sizes in the rear dropout too. (Possibly larger in the fronts too but hard to tell.)

SBDU 753 Time Trial Special

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