Another newbie playing the "Name my Frame" game.

Hi all,

I've been lurking , sorry researching, on the forum for a while now, but this is my first post.

I am trying to identify the manufacturer/builder of a frame I recently bought and am hoping that the collective knowledge of the forum may be able to help. The bike was sold as a Raleigh Road Ace, but was quite clearly not the case, but it looked like a decent frame so I bought it anyway.

Having stripped off the 3 different paint jobs. this is what I found:

Top and Seat tubes are 56cm ctc and 74 deg parallel.
Fork rake - 37mm
Lugs - Haden Sovereign
Bottom Bracket - RGF, English threads
Drop outs - Campagnolo, long horizontal
Seat post - 27.2mm
Tubing - Unknown
Frame weight - 1830g
Fork weight - 650g

There are some features which I am hoping somebody will recognize.

The frame and forks have a serial number, '5185', this is stamped onto a flat area which has been filed onto the BB and steerer. Approx 25 x 6 mm the area on the bottom bracket is at the 6 o'clock position and runs across the frame.

There are NO visible vent holes in the frame, obviously seat tube, down tube and chain stay vent into the bottom bracket but the seat stay is vent is covered by and vents through the brake bridge. I believe that the chain stay bridge vents into the stay.

The frame was purchased from the Merseyside area.

Unfortunately the frame had some damage, the ears for the seat bolt where virtually destroyed so these have been removed a a new solid binder fitted, there was also a nasty dent from the front mech clamp but this has been repaired and a bolt on mech hangar fitted.

If anybody has any ideas as to who the manufacturer was or could be, I would be grateful for your input.

Thanks in advance.

Portacatena rear dropouts allied to a braze on front mech are a bit out of time. Looks like a late 70's mid 80's frame built for a shop to stick their own decals on.

Nicely made with good shorelines on lugs so not shabby. Pound to a penny its 531.

Number looks like a stock ID rather than identifying the builder.

Shaun

Re:

Could be a Dave Moulton frame? Just a guess/start.

Simon

Re:

Harry Quinn possible too. Not all his frames had a Q at the beginning of the serial number. There is a registry for Quinn's. Merseyside frame builder.

Simon

Thanks, every bit of info helps.

As I said I had the front derailleur hanger added to cover/strengthen a dent in the tube. Time wise that's what I was thinking.

Steve

It would be nice if it was a Harry Quinn or a Quinn Brothers frame. I used to ride to their shops as a kid back in the 70's. It was reminiscing about those times that got me into retro bikes.

Steve

Re:

There's a good chance it could be a Quinn of some variety Steve.
Looks well made.
Look up Harry Quinn serial numbers. It could well fit in.

Simon

Real Quinn's numbered frames started with a Q made from an O overlaid with an I to make a Q..... Later cheaper frames didn't but that's not one.

It looks like my O'Brien frame which is by an unknown builder.

Shaun

Welcome to the club its fun playing the frame game ;-)

Can i ask what did you strip the paint off the frame with?

cheers