Mystery frame to identify

[davercc]

I'm new here so sorry if I've posted in the wrong place.

Trying to identify the make and model of a frame I've just bought. Ignore the pale blue paint, it's a respray, but I think the red,yellow,black bands on the head and seat tube are original. It looks very nicely put together and has unusual lugs with 3 holes. The head tube and seat tube decals are tantalisingly only half visible. It's got shot-in seat stays, sloping fork crown and braze ons for changers [sorry, my mstake it hasn't -Dave] so I'd say late 80's or 90's period. Any ideas?

 

[Midlife]

Looks younger than that.......mid to late 70's or early 80's given the rear seat bolt and holes drilled in the lugs.

Badge looks like it has a river / castle / bridge on it

Shaun

 

[hamster]

Looks like the Tyne bridge to me...

 

[Old Ned]

Not so sure, I reckon it could be late 60's looking at the seat bolt clamp. Later it would have been an allen key one, this takes a nut and bolt type. I had a Harry Quinn mid-60's with shot-in seat stays like that. Need to see the BB area and where the cable guides are. It could be from a Tyneside shop but possibly bought in and re-badged. Bob Jackson were drilling lugs like that in the 60's. Braze-ons could be added later.

What's the rear drop-out width?

Looks like it could re-furb nicely.

 

[Midlife]

Have you got a separate picture of the fork crown ?

Like Old Ned says (see my post) the seat bolt dates it earlier but I would still go for early 70's if it is a fully cast sloping crown without any visible lugwork

Shaun

 

[davercc]

Thanks all for the quick response - what a helpful bunch of people! I took some more pictures in case you're interested. The 'Denton Cycles' kind of gives it away. Now they're a Newcastle shop and I thought were just responsible for the blue respray. But searching the web and here I find out they rebranded other peoples frames as their own. And presumably stuck a decal of the Tyne Bridge on the tubes (well spotted that man!).

Some people say that Mercian supplied the frames...or Dave Yates...or Paul Donohue... http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... ton+cycles

But who was building with those lovely Cinelli look-a-like lugs ?

BTW, The weight of Frame, forks and a zip tie is 2.95kg. I'm not sure how you measure drop-out width - It's 130 centre-centre or about 122 between inner faces ? Anyway, I think it deserves a proper respray from one of the professional outfits.

 

[Old Ned]

The above bracket cable guide for rear mech and 'stop and loop' for the front point to a 60's frame as do the long rear dropouts. I'm sure that sloping fork crowns were around in the 60's, Cinelli themselves used them on the Super Corsa from quite an early date. If the rear dropouts measure 122 between then they indicate a '120' width for use with 5-speed.

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/ca ... 3cat-1.jpg

My 60's Harry Quinn used very similar lugs, possibly Prugnat. They were coming into favour in preference to the more fancy Nervex Professional.

It looks in good condition and well worth restoring and using with period fittings.

 

[Midlife]

I'd plump for a 1970 woodrup, nothing but a hunch though

The sloping fork crown dropped out of popularity in the early 70's, has it been sprayed over chrome ? as the sloping crown was a favorite for all chrome forks, and very nice they looked too

All in all very well worth sorting, please use an allen key / bolt for the seat stays and not an ordairy one

Shaun