TVT (an ugly one at that)

No matter which way I looked at this, pink red & yellow - awful.

This is like the girl at the bar, great shape, trinkets in all the right places, then she turns round and :shock: bright red or shocking pink lipstick and no dress sense :facepalm:

The plan then - took advice on stripping the lugs so that they could be the lovely shiny alloy - it's a specialist job. Didn't fancy taking that on as the bike is a couple of cm's too big.

No sure what TVT it is either, isn't a HR or HM, doesn't have TVT stamped anywhere except on the BB shell. Seat stays aren't like any other TVT I can find on the web. However, it is fundamentally an extremely lightweight frame.

Not a fan of badging things up as something they aren't - however I feel a little poetic licence is allowed here. I didn't have the forks, and with zero chance of finding some I plumbed for a pair from a 979 Vitus. So already it's a bit of a fraud.

The next stage was for distraction tactics, take one's eye away from that gaudy paint job. Decals - a quick £35 on various decals and the transformation is complete - not saying it's any better but perhaps more palatable?

Decked out with Shimano 6400 group (excluding BB, cassette & chain) with a nice pair of Vittoria tubs. It's a nice ride, although a little front heavy due to the forks.

And it's a tad too big as you can see by the low seat and short stem

Re:

poetic licence allowed - much better

That stem is too low though. Perhaps a shorter one would let you position it higher up but that doesn't look to be at the long end of the spectrum...

If the mods wanted an ugly RBOTM i'd be all over it!

Your not wrong on the stem Gav though for it to be 'almost correct' it isn't too low for me, it's that the bikes too big :roll: 9cm stem, can't really go much shorter and if I raise the stem it's like riding a dutch town bike - way too upright. Can't see it being a keeper, though a correctly fitting TVT is very much on the shopping list.

Looking at the rear brake bridge I'd say its an Early LOOK made TVT, around 1986 Lemond used at the Tour .
Normally the chain stays have TVT embossed on them.

Here's a look KG 131 (I think!) that I had - the brake bridge is not the same as yours, but the seat cluster and headtube area look very similar. Mine had TVT stamped on the non drive side chainstay, and a TVT-marked cable guide under the BB.

IMHO that is not a LOOK 131 Frame its 100% a TVT HR repainted Yellow with Look Decals fitted.
It will have the curved seat stays at the brake bridge, looking at the frame from behind.

I think it was a Look frame (although I may have the number wrong, I remember researching it and the 131 was the closest I could find I think). Pic of the brake bridge below. The paint was definitely original, not a respray. One of those "what was it and who made it" type mysteries I guess!

Believe me its a TVT

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wbyn1aum1sp7 ... gz8Ca?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yajk4ruiuizf ... wMlNa?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/omna2qebf4f0 ... 97-Da?dl=0

The original post by Finney1973 shows one with a different rear brake bridge making it an earlier TVT made for LOOK, like this LOOK KG96 used in 1996/7
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/q3ip4n0py1tg ... 2cxQa?dl=0

Identical to the Look frame, with the exception of the seat stays & brake bridge. Mine has TVT on the BB with the frame number & size. As it was NOS there wasn't a cable guide, so I had to add my own.

It's the poor ugly sibling to Stringfellows link to the KG86, the frame number has what could well be a datecode - 160393 48 with 55 (size) on the other side of the BB shell.

Wish I had the correct forks as I'm pleased at how light this bike is - 9.1kg - which isn't too shabby for its age. Carbon forks would have this down to below 9kg.

Debating whether to take this over the Cat & Fiddle this weekend - that 28 sprocket on the rear keeps catching my eye