Help me identify this bike?

[grubb1937]

Don't believe it is a F. Pratt frame. He would have put his own transfers back on it, rather than renovated by... Pratt's was quite a well known shop and it would fair to assume your frame was a decent lightweight to have been refinished. The top eyes on the seat stays and the rear dropout with the downward tang (For use with Osgear) all indicate a build date of late 1940s, very early 1950s. A decent photograph of the lugs (seat and head) and frame number would be helpful in trying to tie down the builder. Your frame may be a Claud at a guess as Frederick Pratt built frames with Claud Butler before he went out on his own and it may have been one he actually built at C.B. But like I said, need more information.

 

[Rainbowdave]

My Freddie Grubb has the same tops of the seat stays if that's any help?

 

[AshfordNimbus]

Thanks all, I'll get photos Monday.

 

[AshfordNimbus]

Done some more hunting and it seems the rear dropouts are for an Osgear set-up, see more info here:

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/de ... ar-hs.html

This pretty much dates the frame at least from the 50's, if not older. Just to find the maker now.

 

[COUPES]

Williams chain rings are all stamped with date stamps. Go to Classic lightweights and look up the restoration page, dating Williams chain rings. Stamping is above the tooth number. They could of been changed but a general indication of the year its made. Any progress?

 

[AshfordNimbus]

Re:

Hi, thanks for the info. I stripped the frame, and am slowly collecting the parts I need. It's on bit of a back burner at the moment as cash flow is a bit tight at the moment. I've got bars, brakes and levers, currently sorting head set bearings and bottom bracket bearings. Wheels will be next.

 

[Logdrop]

Re:

Got round to having another go with this. Picked up wheels, and watching some Campag parts on eBay. The bottom bracket has 'British Made' stamped on it, with the initials L.S next to it. The only image I can find of this is on a Flying Scot site, but it's not a Flying Scot. 69 is stamped on the fork steerer.

The frame number on the n/s rear dropout is 845235, (there may be another number/letter at the start, but it's hard mudguard eyelets brazed on) which Google leads me to Hilary Stone's site, mentioning a Purves with the same number, but it's not a Purves going by images. I'm a bit lost!