FALCON - PMS 753

marshalllucky

Retro Guru
Recently picked up this Falcon 753. This was a surprise find as this is the first Falcon 753 I have ever come across.
If there are any Falcon experts out there I would welcome any info on this.
From my quick research, this one seems to date from 1989 as there are `PMS` decals on the chainstays , PMS Falcon were Falcons Pro team for 1989 and the team lineup included Shane Sutton. The team only lasted 12 Months and then became Banana Falcon for `90 & `91. Both teams rode Falcon 753`s with Dura Ace groupset ( cycling magazine published an article on Chris Walkers 1991 Banana -Falcon team bike a couple of years ago which is still online ) .
My bike ( if you ignore the crappy pedals and mountain bike saddle that the previous owner put on ) also has virtually full Dura ace kit.
Now I`m not suggesting this was a team bike but maybe what I have is a Falcon high end team replica? , I dont even know what the PMS Falcon team bikes looked like as I cant find any photos online , I suspect I will have to buy some old copies of `Cycling` from 1989 and hope there are some photos of the team in action.
The bike is filthy, I have just wiped it over but will be stripping it and am now even considering getting it sprayed up as a Banana Falcon team bike, shouldn`t be too hard as it already has so much Dura ace clinging to it!.
Any advice about Falcon 753`s or PMS Falcon would be greatly appreciated.
 

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Smart looking machine:) Can't help I'm afraid as my Falcon knowlege peters out at about 1982 when I had to leave the world of cycling and get a job LOL

My Falcon is a San Remo Equipe made on the production line for the team frames in the 1970's

I wish you luck as Falcon were a law unto themselves BITD

Shaun
 
originalshinkicker":k53k09mi said:
Does your bike have any kind of frame numbering? I can't see anything mentioned in your opening post.
Cheers
Neil

Hi Neil, No , I can`t find any serial number - so far . I have only just started to strip the frame so will have a better look at it incase the number is somewhere funny but nothing on the BB shell. I have just removed the chainset and and will be attempting to remove the BB tonight ( its a BB-7400 Dura Ace ) . The frame also has had a race number hanger on which has been pulled or snapped off, there are two small brazes under the top tube which I will photograph once I got it stripped. According to the aforementioned `Cycling` article , the pro teams 753 Frames were built in-house by Falcon but the riders were not happy with the rake of the forks so Dave Marsh had to remake the forks for some of the riders. I picked the bike up from the National cycling centre in Manchester ( velodrome ) it had belonged to the father of one of the coaches for British cycling, ( I dont think its fair to identify him ) but he seemed to know very little about it.
 
Re:

Now I`m not suggesting this was a team bike but maybe what I have is a Falcon high end team replica?
I'd suspect any 753 frame with a race-number lug, especially one that has snapped off, (indicating that it has been used/abused) of being very likely indeed an ex team bike, more so given the bike's provenance?
 
The PMS Falcon bikes did indeed have the same paint job and Dura Ace groupsets so you almost certainly have a team bike. If I recall correctly, Falcon didn't make any high end bikes at that time, suggesting it's not a replica.
 
Re:

Thanks for all the replies, I did suspect this may have been a team bike but didnt want to raise my hopes. I have not been able to find any info that Falcon ever sold and marketed a 753 off the peg machine but if anyone knows different....... I have oddly found just one photo online of PMS Falcon and it looks like Steve Jones which is totally bizarre as I have one of his old ANC bikes as documented elsewhere on this forum. Its a bit grainy but you can make out the large PMS logo on his chest ( 1st rider on left at rear ) from the 1989 LA McEwans crits in Cardiff.
 

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As it is looking like a team bike will you now keep it as a PMS or are you still thinking Banana ? nice score BTW
 
kingbling":2iiltg1w said:
As it is looking like a team bike will you now keep it as a PMS or are you still thinking Banana ? nice score BTW

Thanks, it was really poorly described , I just had to have it. There is no way I would now do a banana makeover , it would be such a shame, I`m not even going to have it painted, it`s staying as is . I have stripped it , I couldnt get the non drive side ( adjustable ) pin cup out of the BB shell, I broke my pin spanner :-( but I got the lockring off and the fixed cup on the other side so i was able to service the BB at least but I really wanted to fit a new BB. I may well use some of the Dura ace components and sell on the frame...not sure yet , I may even set it up for my summer ride , think it needs a longer stem, maybe a 120mm ITM black stem would look better than the 80mm cinelli that it came with. I will get some photos on soon when I find my camera.
 
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