Decent Falcon MTB

Looks the spitting image of a 1985 Bridgestone or at least the CB Canyon shown below it does. Thus I think its a Japanese built rebadged import not a UK built machine. Brit bikes from a lugged steel building firm would still have roadbike frame influance not so obvious USA inspired build.

The absolutely tiny sales volumes at the time wouldn't even justify getting some special head badges printed up and "Made In England" could probably be stretched to cover "Painted & Assembled"

Designing and testing their own custom frame with import tubing, plus finding someone with very tidy welding skills to make a few dozen makes no economic sense whatsoever.

In any event it's the only DECENT Falcon MTB I've ever encountered

Probably it is a 'Town and Country' It certainly appears '84, it's black with the late '83 component date codes and the Canyon being on the scene by '84 and it's the only candidate proposed

that really is a great component line up for the money! - And pretty much in line with the bits I have been procuring for the build

So cheers Graham

Regarding origins

I still think if it were made in Japan imported it would just say made in Japan like the forks do, and give away some stronger indication of maker

Falcon were at least planning the Canyon so will need to have got themselves together to do so

The Canyon is British built - and not a Bridgestone/Araya/Akisu or whatever and was equipped in line with Graham's account of the '84 Town and Country but with a much more Saracen like frame - lugged 531, a few have appeared on here and look fantastic

But who can tell on this particular bike for sure? I feel as confident as you can be in anything in this murky world that it would have been built in the UK as it claims and the head badge isn't just BS - But it could be! Definitely a possibility

I nicked back a teeny bit of the head badge and it definitely looks as though it was on there since day one - The idea occurred to me that anyone can slap a badge on anything should feel inclined...

I'm not sticking Shimano pedals on it though! Although I do have a pair of SX pedals, as the rest of the bike has no Shimano I'll make this one Shimano-free

I had on of the Falcon Town and Countries ,I traded a super tuff burner mkI for it it was a great bike , I remember cycling up Patricks Hill in Cork ,Its steep and gets worse at the top
see youtube for video of cycle race up it . With one hand on the bars . I then sold it and got a Peugot which I still have . I also sold my Skyway BMx last year .

I had a Holdsworth in 1989 that was built with Tigged Cro-mo. It was epic value in 1989 at around £350 and was kitted out with Deore apart from Exage mountain hubs. It took my up pen-y-fan and would have lasted longer but was just far too big for me and I replaced the frame with a small Rockhopper Comp frame.

Carl.

Yeah I had a Holdsworth 'Ultima' back in the day

It was well made and pretty nice bike. Never twigged it was a Falcon group product until long after I'd sold it!

Very, very occasionally you see Deore and even XT equipped Holdsworth branded bike from the late '80s - early '90s