FW Evans frame help

[Enzine]

Hi all, I'm hoping someone can help me with a frame identification. I recently bought an old bike to harvest for parts as it had some old XT stuff on it, I was planning on scrapping the frame but then decided to maybe spray it up and turn it into some kind of hybrid, so before I got the paint stripper out I thought I would try and find out what it was.

I have read many posts on your forum about FW Evans ATB’s and the early Saracens but I still can’t work out exactly what it is.

There are NO Saracen markings or sticker on it at all, it is black and made of 501 tubing not 531. I have read most of the early Evans ATB’s were silver but some were black, is this one of the rare black ones or is it a later Saracen or something else? I also can’t find a frame number anywhere unless it’s well hidden or it never had one. I don’t want to mess with it if it’s something special even if it's in a tatty condition.
Thanks.

 

[DrJo]

I think it's an evans, bit like a saracen but not quite, 501 if I remember correctly, gaspipe mate, not worth the bother, £20 posted sounds about right?? do you do paypal

 

[Enzine]

The frame is not for sale mate, I just wanted to find out if it was an early rare black Evans ATB and not a Saracen Conquest. P.S. Not sure why you would want to buy something that’s “not worth the bother”

 

[Splatter Paint]

Re:

I think that is an Evans / Saracen Conquest, circa 1986. It would have been the original Deer Head XT. I had an Evans one for a while, nice to potter about on.

SP

 

[Enzine]

Thanks Splatter Paint for your thoughts, I found the post of your Evans / Saracen Conquest viewtopic.php?f=6&t=317279 (Nice bike BTW) and while the frames do look the same my frame is 501 not 531 and it has Evans stickers on the front and seat tube not Saracen like on yours. I can't find any photos anywhere on the net or in this forum of a black 501 FW Evans like mine so I'm still not sure what it really is and I still can't find a frame number.

 

[legrandefromage]

Ya didnt look hard enough! Contains a bit of history on F. W Evans and Saracen too

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=260404

 

[legrandefromage]

And another, these predate yours as they have a very distinctive rear cable guide:

 

[legrandefromage]

I'd have yours down as around late 1984 to 1985 latest. The Saracen brand had taken hold after that and very few 'Evans' badged MTBs escaped - although there are a few into the late 1980's

 

[legrandefromage]

Pre-production Saracen from 501 with that distinctive rear cable guide

 

[Enzine]

Thanks legrandefromage, I did read these post the other day and there is some great information in them but as I said mine like the silver one above is 501 and has no Saracen stickers at all (unlike the black one you posted above) It has the same small green "Handcrafted in England for FW Evans" sticker on the seat tube as the sliver one above. I was just trying to find out where in the timeline of Evans / Saracen this sat as I couldn't find another like it with the same combination, I wonder if it could it have been a special build as the frame is a lot smaller than all the other ones in the photos.