Please help identify maker of "nickel" frame

[baronsouthside]

Afternoon. This frame just arrived for me. Bought from eBay £60 all in i thought it would make a decent winter ride. Its well made, Aelle tubing with Columbus dropouts and a Campagnolo Mirage headset. Heart shape cutouts in the lugs and a serial number JA 04 97 on the bottom bracket. My understanding is the BB is British threads although i haven't tried yet. The interWeb isn't coming up with much apart from a forum in Austrailia. Thread here.

http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewt ... 1#p1464551

Any help much appreciated. Jonny

 

[baronsouthside]

So my own research this afternoon has taken me towards Titan of Switzerland bikes. One of the pics in the thread shows a serial number, The SN style is different but the frame size stamp is in the same position. Heart shape lugs, Columbus drop outs. Some of the 90s paint jobs are similar angular fades. Thoughts?
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vint ... rland.html

 

[baronsouthside]

So more research by myself. Leading on from Titan bikes from Switzerland, I got a link to Debernardi frames which got a mention in a forum thread about Titan. Then from there it looks like there is/was an Italian frame building company called Tecnotrat who manufactured frames under various names like Debernardi, Titan, Saronni, and no name frames for export, to be badged local at point of sales. An example of the size stamp of a Tecnotrat BB is attached here along with a pic of their catalogue. I think i'm correct in saying Tecnotrat then became known as Debernardi. So I'm kinda getting the feeling (from the look and BB size stamps, age ) that my frame is an Italian frame built for export (hence the British BB) by Debernardi/Technotrat. Not a name I'm familiar with. Thoughts?

 

[dwscrimshaw]

I have been trying to identify a bike and it has been suggested it has similarities to a Technotrat. As I not familiar with this make any advise on my frame and its age would be helpful. The frame takes a 26.8mm seat post and came to me badged as a Holdsworth, but the frame number is too short and in wrong location. I was assuming Reynolds plain gauge, which may be incorrect. Any thoughts?

 

[baronsouthside]

Morning dwscrimshaw. My own research kinda stopped after I posted this thread as i finished the build. Im pretty confident though from pictures online that my frame is a Technocrat that was built for export and badge locally but Ive yet to track down where exactly that was. There is a nickel bikes in Northern France but I did have a British BB thread so Im unsure. The things I was finding in common with all the known technotrat bikes online was the placement and style of the frame size stamp (in cm) on the bottom bracket and the use of heart shaped lugs exactly like your pictures (but i know that was fairly common for other makers also) so its the frame size stamp that seems to be the common denominator. The serial numbers seemed to be different and unique to the specific brand that technocrat were building for so if you may have to study all the 'brands' and find the one that matches your SN. Ive no reason to not think my frame wasn't Columbus tubing like it was badged. My best guess is your frame may be Columbus tubing also. Ive uploaded pictures of my finished bike which I used a Shimano tricolour group set on.

 

[dwscrimshaw]

Yes, that's I nice looking frame. I think, as you say, frame size stamping is the best indicator and I think mine got out without a frame number on it. So i assume a contract build for someone, could be the Holdsworth shop as mine came with with their badges, I guess i'll never know now. I was looking for a single speed for the winter and this does very well so happy with it, whatever it is.