An Esoteric '92 Orange Clockwork?

[br0qn]

This one has been kind of introduced in my '91 Merlin thread. It's the second of three bikes I bought since April which marked the first I've had since I was maybe 13 in '99.

The '92 Marin lives at my friends house ~500 miles away and he's going to help me build that one up so this will be my first build. I'm out of my depth with only a newly acquired multi tool in hand so I have to start acquiring tools as well as components to get this one done.

After drooling over the Oranges here on the board and never having seen one listed here in California, I started combing ebayUk and came upon this clockwork. I was right away drawn to the nickel plated fork so I wrote the seller with some general inquiries and he told me the bike was originally black and I then had to have it as a negative to my same year Marin which is a nickel plated frame with black forks.



The cost to post ended up being the cost of the frameset but I was happy with that given what totally roached out gear is going for out here. The seller even offered to squeeze a groupset that was listed in the sale section here into the box for me if I wanted to purchase and have it shipped to him but that STX set got away from me as I slept on it. It would have been an inexpensive way to get rolling but I've decided I want to build this up with as many period UK components that I can. Being new to this Pace and Middleburn come to mind but if I should be looking for other makes, please make suggestions.


Wishbone / mono seatstay is really rad.







Anyone good with the Orange serials to confirm the year / model ?




It came with a headset, stem, bars, seatpost binder and a shaved down post. Don't think any of these bits will stick around.




And not listed in the advert but the kind seller included for me






I've got to get either this or, more likely, the merlin ready sooner than later, I have a goal to cycle / camp catalina island for a couple nights before the end of summer.


I have a wish list of some parts in the WTB thread (check my sig) but if you have ideas (I know you do) please leave them here !

 

[br0qn]

This very tiny image was clipped from the '92 catalog in the archive here and it looks to be a black prestige with the same fork.



I'm a little torn here to go for this ^^^ or something else given that the frame needs paint, leaves a decision to be made. I lifted a photo from @northerndave and started playing with ideas. Orange colors in Rocky Mountain schemes...is this sacrilege ?

 

[CTK]

I like it just in black. Wonder about the fork and stem in black aswell?

 

[brocklanders023]

Nice project!

Serial number points to a June 1992 frame so the same as mine below. The decals you have were from the 1988-90 bikes but if you are free styling who cares! The Prestige pictured had the aluminium fork, not the segmented ones like yours that first appeared on the original P7 in late 93.

 

[br0qn]

I like it just in black. Wonder about the fork and stem in black aswell?

So do I but the mind wanders...

There is a black rc30 for sale on here right now... hmmm

**edit** mockup added

 

[br0qn]

Nice project!

Serial number points to a June 1992 frame so the same as mine below. The decals you have were from the 1988-90 bikes but if you are free styling who cares! The Prestige pictured had the aluminium fork, not the segmented ones like yours that first appeared on the original P7 in late 93.

Hey thanks for that info! I didn't know the fork differed with that tiny pixelated image.

Definitely free styling a bit but will have to ponder whether or not it's worth the $$ to get the proper set (leaning towards yes it is)

Is there anyway to tell from looking at the frame or serial if it's indeed a clockwork vs a prestige? I know the tubesets were different but my untrained eye doesn't know what to look for.

 

[pw_pw_la]

Catalina Island? So you're in the LA area, too?

Which means: that Merlin was also in the LA area!?

As for the Clockwork: Personally, I wouldn't go for any of the weird paint schemes. Keep it classic. Freestyle parts and spec if you want, but if you're going to repaint a frame, paint it either as it would have been originally, or something simple and classy.

If only for the fact that if you ever decide to move it on, you'll struggle to sell anything that's too far from the expected/collected norm.

But, hey, saying that, it's your bike, and if the weird paint jobs will make you happy and get you riding it: go for it!

 

[pw_pw_la]

PS. And I thought I was bad at going off the deep end...

3 bikes before you've even built the first one must be a new record in retro addiction!

 

[brocklanders023]

It's a Clockwork, the Prestige had a less agricultural rear cable mount.

 

[br0qn]

Catalina Island? So you're in the LA area, too?

Which means: that Merlin was also in the LA area!?

As for the Clockwork: Personally, I wouldn't go for any of the weird paint schemes. Keep it classic. Freestyle parts and spec if you want, but if you're going to repaint a frame, paint it either as it would have been originally, or something simple and classy.

If only for the fact that if you ever decide to move it on, you'll struggle to sell anything that's too far from the expected/collected norm.

But, hey, saying that, it's your bike, and if the weird paint jobs will make you happy and get you riding it: go for it!

Ya LA too (as we established in the other thread) and the bike was here. It was listed for maybe 2 days before I saw it then the seller got sick with this thing going around so we waited for some 10 days before a meet. He was kind to let me know I had dibs should I want it.

I'm like 80% leaning black as it should be but the others would be fun and I'm probably considering Rocky Mountain paint schemes to keep me from adding a 4th bike here because I have been searching CL in Canada for a blizzard =X

PS. And I thought I was bad at going off the deep end...

3 bikes before you've even built the first one must be a new record in retro addiction!

I'm wayyyy off the deep end. Wait til you see what is going on with the Marin.

It's a Clockwork, the Prestige had a less agricultural rear cable mount.

Haha. Noted, thanks.