Abilita road frame help!

T

Theeb

Retro Guru
Recently bought this Abilita frame. Intending on dong it up as a road bike. Can't find any information on the builder and slightly confused about the tubeset. Lastly, slight concern about the bottom bracket cable routing rust...

Any help with any of the above appreciated.
NB. Tubeset sticker says the following:

TUBI SPECIALI SUPERBUTTED
ACCIAIO CROMO CYCLEX
RIVERNICATO
RINFORZI ELICOIDAI???

Any help on any of the above much appreciated.
 

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RIVERNICATO means re-painted according to Google Translate so it's had a respray at some point.
The super-butted tubing was SLX/SPX/TSX as it was butted and had the helical reinforcements at the tube ends. You should be able to feel the spirals in the seat and down tubes at the bottom bracket.

A decent frame re-finisher should be able to tell you whether that rust is serious or not. Hopefully it's just the cable guide.

Mark.
 
With a name like that I was expecting it to be Italian - and then I saw the Dorset tag on the headbadge!

Anyone here from the area?
 
I assumed Italian as well - can't find any trace of the company in Dorset...possibly the (re)painter??? Any ideas for someone i could take it to in the London area?
 
Just been speaking to the guy who owns our LBS, he is from Bournemouth. He has an idea it MAY be related to a business called Paul's Cycle Services based in Sturminster Marshall(?). They did some repair work and respray for him approx. 20 years ago. No idea if they're still in business.
 
Old Ned":37lv5t4p said:
Just been speaking to the guy who owns our LBS, he is from Bournemouth. He has an idea it MAY be related to a business called Paul's Cycle Services based in Sturminster Marshall(?). They did some repair work and respray for him approx. 20 years ago. No idea if they're still in business.
Click to expand...

Hi, My friend has an Abilita mountain bike, I have been trying to find some info on it as neither of us know much about them. I live in Poole, Dorset BTW. I think it may be related to Paul's Cycle Services too because my mates bike has stickers which say (and look original) "custom painted by pcs" and "PCS" in the Abilita font and colour.

I will try and dig out or take some decent pictures but for the moment here's a couple from after a ride this weekend (muddy).
 
IMAG0324.jpg

IMAG0325.jpg

IMAG0326.jpg
 
Actually this has me quite interested now :)

Just found these pictures on the net. maybe helpful. looks like one sticker says "Handbuilt Paul Wilkin" sticker looks damaged so possibly wilkins???

thisone.jpg

thisone2.jpg

thisone3.jpg
 
PCS was Paul's Cycle Services and was based in Sturminster Marshall near Wimborne, Dorset. Paul Wilkin was the name of the frame builder, and he badged his frames with the name "Abilita" (pronounced ah-bee-lee-ta). I knew him quite well and he built me a Reynolds 531 touring/audax bike about 20 years ago which is still riding beautifully . He must have packed up the business over 10 years ago.
 
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