Mystery chromed mid 80s bike with a 'T' serial number and engraved 'M' - Bob Read Cycles stickered

[sjcprojects]

Yes, it does make sense. I was expecting a UK maker, but there's no reason why a bike shop here wouldn't import frames from elsewhere if the price was right. Or, perhaps just as likely, the frame was rebadged with the bike shop decals at some point. It had quite an odd selection of parts on it, so it was definitely built up from the frameset by the shop or the customer, anyway.

 

[non-fixie]

The serial number has me wondering who the actual maker was, as it looks decidedly Asian.

In which case the first two or three digits would be significant. "T" could be a manufacturer or a fortnight indicator. "8" or "80" could be a year.

Perhaps @dihummer has a clue?

 

[sjcprojects]

Indeed, the serial is what made me mention the Far East in my first post. 1980 would certainly be very possible as a year, I would think. Maybe this is an example of a frameset made in Asia, exported to Belgium, and then finally to Doncaster here in the UK. In which case, I suppose it would be an example of the increasing globalisation of supply chains...

 

[non-fixie]

Or maybe just a bloke in Doncaster having fun with a die set. "This will have them scratching their heads for a while!"

 

[sjcprojects]

Or maybe just a bloke in Doncaster having fun with a die set. "This will have them scratching their heads for a while!"

I'm not ruling that out as a possibility!

 

[pigman]

I do remember a bike shop on the main Balby road between Doncaster town centre and the A1 Warmsworth junction many moons ago. Whether this was the shop in question, I can't say. The shop was not ultra high-end, but did carry lightweight stock as well as everyday bikes and kit.

Back in the 80s there was quite a bit of importing mass produced frames going on. I had a few from Wilson cycles. They looked decent enough, with nice looking lugs etc but had heavy seamed tubing. They were sold as 'training frames', so used as second or winter bikes. These were the days when riders didn't use a £5k carbon bike in all weathers

 

[bikeworkshop]

Looks like it's been cut in after the chrome to me.
Good quality engraving - so I would wonder if the frames were bought in by the shop, who then carved the M to give it a custom panto look.

 

[sjcprojects]

used as second or winter bikes.

Which reminds me, one odd feature of this bike is that the frame has mudguard eyelets, but the forks don't. The fork is almost certainly original, though, as the bloke I bought it from was only the second owner, and he said the first owner had hardly used it himself (which judging by the condition of the parts on it seems true). Which suggests that either the bike shop or Minerva had various chromed forks and just put this one with frame because it was the right size. We're definitely not talking about a meticulously built machine here...it's all about the shininess!

Looks like it's been cut in after the chrome to me.

Yes, it's definitely been added after the chroming. Which makes sense if it was imported by Minerva (if it was them, seeing as an 'M' makes no sense for Bob Read to add?) and then sold on as one of their frames.

 

[bikeworkshop]

Which reminds me, one odd feature of this bike is that the frame has mudguard eyelets, but the forks don't. The fork is almost certainly original, though, as the bloke I bought it from was only the second owner, and he said the first owner had hardly used it himself (which judging by the condition of the parts on it seems true). Which suggests that either the bike shop or Minerva had various chromed forks and just put this one with frame because it was the right size. We're definitely not talking about a meticulously built machine here...it's all about the shininess!

Frames with eyes, Forks without,

very common on racing-style bikes in the 80s where mass- produced sporty looking chromed Forks were usually eyeless.

I assume it means the forks at least were bought in.

Indeed a strong sign of midrange

 

[sjcprojects]

Oh, yeah, it' 100% midrange at best. The first thing I noticed when I collected it was the weight of it compared to a proper lightweight. Which wasn't helped by the selection of parts on it, but even as a nearly bare frame it's very noticeably weighty. Once I get the seatpost in a vice to remove it, I'll weigh the frame – I'm sure it will be well over 2kg. The forks weigh 840g, so not exactly lightweight either. The focus of this bike was definitely for it to look sporty, not to actually be so!