Roy Thame 1973/4

I would have thought Winston is the man to ask on std. colours.

I have been looking at RT numbers again and found a few more shop numbers and a couple of 4 digit numbers. So if it is agreed this is a T Quick frame and he built a lot of the RT frames then this would all tie together. Couple of numbers below. It also seems he used 5 digit numbers with a letter possibly after these 4 digit number.

https://stolen-bikes.co.uk/stolen-bikes ... roy-thame/ frame number 0385
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vint ... tions.html frame number 1151

I believe it may have been a special. My friend in the club who stripped it down, stated that the components have next to no wear at all. Furthermore, it ran a 54 chainring and 13-18 block. He has asked me to ask Winston Vaz to measure the geometry when it’s painted. He suspects it was a time trialists bike, special Ed by Tommy Quick.

Ok, I guess he can also confirm the number too, so are you thinking this was built for RT or built and sold by TQ?

Really don't know. My friend suspects the geometry may well be for time trialling. The minimal part wear he said infers it wasn't subject to heavy use in training, just brought out on race days. Clement tubs, 54 big ring, compact block.

As for the builder, we have no idea.

Can you ask him to be more specific? From your photos it looks like standard 70s road geometry.

Why are you replacing the BB?

No reason not to take this at face value I think. The Strada was mentioned earlier in this thread and looks a distinct possibility. The frame doesn't have the typical features of a TT frame of the time such as vertical dropouts, shot in/fast back seat stays and I assume no drilling out of the BB, as per catalog. But there no reason that it couldn't have been kitted out for TT use. I guess the frame measurements would confirm this. If its had little use then the paintwork is probably original too. If TQ was working at or for the shop at the time that would fit too he would have built plenty of earlier shop Strada's and other Italia models.

As for the frame number/date, I have now seen two other RT with 4 digits and then some with 5 digits and often with a letter. I think it fair to assume he used Holdsworth shop numbers up to 1975 and then his own, so this would have to be post 75 I would have thought. If an early one could have been built during 75 for later sale. With so few numbers and no really good date fixes it is difficult to know how the number ran. The highest number I have got so far is 57150, way too high for a sequential shop build rate starting a zero. So either there are some changes in the numbering system or some built in coding, or he may have had access to some factory supply and badged them as RT?

I have started a RT database for my own purposes which you can view here if you wish. https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/fold ... TNKZkN4TmM