Unique Mystery Touring Frame ID Help Please

[bolgre11]

The combo of features and fit/finish seems to be enough to stand out, but i've had no luck so far on other forums or through my own research. Bought it for a song online from a man in Fresno, California who mismarketed it as a cyclo-cross frame.

Only info on the frame itself is the BB serial and a stamping on the fork tube indicating it's Reynolds 531. There's some very small remnants of black and yellow decals on the down-tube, but nothing substantial enough to make a guess what they were.

It's a 60cm frame and has an english BB. The brake bosses are set up for standard canti brakes with 700c wheels.


Thanks in advance!

 

[Jonny69]

I feel like the frame and fork don’t belong together. Gut feel is the frame pre-dates the fork by quite a lot. Is the rear bridge drilled for a brake? If so, I might even say the rear canti bosses were added later and the fork swapped to match.

 

[hamster]

I agree, the frame looks late 1970s / early 80s. The fork would have been lugged. Looks like a classy frame from a small builder.

 

[mdvineng]

That could easily be 80 or 90's and a pair. The head badge outline is a potential lead. Nice quality work.

 

[vcballbat]

The forks are beautifully made and have the same mudguard eyes and details for the top mounting as the frame so I would say that they are original to the frame, definitely not cheap unicrown forks. I can make out some evidence of lettering on the down tube A very nice well made frame

 

[legrandefromage]

Children, children...!

Cast seatclamp, Shimano vertical dropout, puts it firmly in the late 1980s into the 1990s

Have we learnt nothing from the years of pixalated zooming in and myopic squinting??

 

[vcballbat]

Children, children...!

Cast seatclamp, Shimano vertical dropout, puts it firmly in the late 1980s into the 1990s

Have we learnt nothing from the years of pixalated zooming in and myopic squinting??

The Shimano vertical dropouts could take the frame right back as far as 1980, I have an 81 frame and also owned an 80 frame with the same..I like a mystery

 

[vcballbat]

The Shimano vertical dropouts could take the frame right back as far as 1980, I have an 81 frame and also owned an 80 frame with the same..I like a mystery

My Raleigh SBDU Time Trial Special 1980...

 

[legrandefromage]

hate to break it to you sweetie but that 753 graphic is much later and your frame doesnt have a cast seat clamp

so ner.

 

[vcballbat]

hate to break it to you sweetie but that 753 graphic is much later and your frame doesnt have a cast seat clamp

so ner.

It's had a later repaint darling the SB frame number dates it to 1980. Investment cast seat lugs have been around since the early 80's possibly longer, still trying to figure out what make this lug is on my early 83 Raleigh 753 frame