Newbie with a Tom Avon barn find, and lots of questions...

[coomber]

Picked this up tonight, was a barn find at his parent's new pad apparently.

This is my first ever road bike so expect lots of stupid questions..

Internet shows nothing other than Tom Avon was based in Beaminster, outside of Bristol. He had some issues (?) and set up Wessex cycles in Frome, Somerset.

Have no idea on road group sets so this could all be tripe but looks OK.

Only issue I can find is that it looks like the seatclamp has had a repair. There's touch up paint and one of the two brazed parts ( that the bolts goes through on the frame) is a different size to the other? The can't be right can it?

Its 531 Reynolds and quite light.

 

[coomber]

Re: Newbie with a Tom Avon barn find, and lots of questions.

 

[coomber]

Re: Newbie with a Tom Avon barn find, and lots of questions.

So as you can see the lug is original from the front:



Not sure the rest looks right. Sorry about the quality of the pictures, the bike hasn’t been cleaned yet either (arrived home after ten from collecting it)






You can see why I think it might be repaired by the top of the seatube in this picture, which surely should be smooth?

 

[coomber]

Re: Newbie with a Tom Avon barn find, and lots of questions.

Mystery solved. Someone has removed a previously stuck seat post by some rough means. Then brazed on a new "ear" for the seat clamp, but of a different size. Is tidier in the flesh than these pictures look.

 

[Nob]

Re: Newbie with a Tom Avon barn find, and lots of questions.

Suggest you take this for renovation to Argos Cycles of Bristol
http://www.argoscycles.com/renovations/
Good project to sort out as Tom Avon produced good frames

 

[coomber]

Re: Newbie with a Tom Avon barn find, and lots of questions.

Yeah needs sorting. But it's solid as it is so going to see how I take to this road riding lark before spending cash.

This has raleigh branded bars and possible this isnt original paint. Anyway of confirming it is a genuine Tom Adams?

 

[Dead Rats]

Re: Newbie with a Tom Avon barn find, and lots of questions.

Cantis at the back but not at the front = non OE forks?

 

[coomber]

Re: Newbie with a Tom Avon barn find, and lots of questions.

Quite possibly. But might just be that its a custom frame and bought forks, although if you were spending money on a hand built frame surely you would buy custom forks?

 

[Dead Rats]

Re: Newbie with a Tom Avon barn find, and lots of questions.

If only bikes could speak... but then your detective work is all part of the fun!

 

[keithglos]

Re: Newbie with a Tom Avon barn find, and lots of questions.

Can't remember much now, but it was Tom Avon (not his real name) and the place is Bedminster which is well in Bristol, Beaminster is south Dorset.
I seem to remember that he built them himself, late 1960's.
Keith