Speedwell titanium frame for sale

L010577

Retro Newbie
I have a 24" seat tube Speedwell titanium frame which I wish to sell, but have no idea of its worth. Generally in good condition. Please contact if interested. Please see attached gallery for some photos of the frame.
 
I cannot find the gallery but I know what they look like as I have one.

A few days ago, while idly looking through E-bay, I came across a Speedwell frame and forks, NOS, for sale from an American seller. The Buy it Now price was - wait for it ------US $ 5,500 !! Now I know there are some crazy people over there (I can say that as I used to live and work in the States) and the guy was selling it rather like a piece of artwork, but amazingly there was an offer outstanding on it. I have just looked and cannot find the auction so perhaps it sold ? I would love to know how much for.
Now don't get carried away (I keep saying to myself !) but I suggest you put it on E-bay at, say, £500 starting price and see where it goes. Tidy it up with a range of good photos and promote it well with a good description and a bit of history of the marque and you may be able to pay off the mortgage - or not.
Best of luck.
 
By Speedwell do you mean the 70's range of titanium frames ?

We kept a couple in the bike shop, the quality was somewhat iffy and they never sold ..............

Post a pic and take it from there :)

Shaun
 
Midlife":bdvcn3t2 said:
By Speedwell do you mean the 70's range of titanium frames ?

We kept a couple in the bike shop, the quality was somewhat iffy and they never sold ..............

Post a pic and take it from there :)

Shaun

Good enough for Ocana to win the TdF on - sprayed up as a Motobecane.
 
Correct. I think Ocana rode it in the mountain stages. Also I believe Beryl Burton rode one. The frames are incredibly light so it would certainly give you an advantage.
It is regarded, I believe, as the first titanium frame made in production quantities. Some were painted black so not always apparent what you were riding. As to build, I guess at the time they probably did not have tube sizing quite right and the guy I bought it from, who is heavier and stronger than me, said he found it a bit squirelly at times. Nevertheless, a bit of bike frame history worth having.
 
Old Ned

Compared to a Woodrup / Quinn / Aende etc quality type frame available at the same time the joins were a bit hit and miss.

Not saying they were hopeless but elegant would be a difficult word to use LOL

Would like to see a pic if it's for sale :}

Shaun
 
Found it in the gallery..............that's a really nice frame, I wonder if it's a later one :)

Tempted :D


Shaun
 
I have found the pictures now. I was not sure where to find the gallery.

It looks just like my frame except mine is 22 1/2" square and dates from 1975. The date of build is reversed so this frame is 12 August 1974. It has a good transfer on it which is important.

This thread has caused me to look out my old research notes on Speedwells and I seem to have more info than I thought. Basically they made from 1972 to 1978 by the Speedwell Gear Case Co. Witton, Birmingham. It is reckoned a few thousand were made but were not commercially successful. Not many were sold through bike shops but most went via Lamborghini showrooms in Europe and America, possibly buy a car and get a space age bicycle free. The titanium is pure not the alloys of today. I have a photocopy of a Speedwell catalogue of the time which shows a price for the fully polished frame of £240 and the painted version £165, the latter doubtless needing less finishing work. How would these prices compare to a top steel frameset of the mid '70s ?
if you need more info I could try and look it out. Hilary Stone wrote a Design Classic article on them in Cycling Plus magazine No 117.
 
I'm interested in buying and building up from my days at Cliff Pratt Cycles :)

I helped looking after the lightweight side but was not the main moneyspinner so had to fit in with the "five star" dealership status selling for Raleigh.

As you walked in the front door of the shop there was not a lot of space by the window on the left so frames went there, walking through there was a hidden side door and frames were displayed there and also by the stairs as bikes wouldn't fit in.......it was my job to polish the frames at intervals to keep the dust off.

We kept frames that were selable which meant 22" in those days and in the team colours plus a few ods and ends........ including a speedwell titanium. Polished it for years LOL

Shaun
 

Latest posts

Back
Top