Possible Purchase - Roberts???

[MatBH5]

Hello,
Due to a bit of an addiction to Roberts cycles (stemming from an unhealthy fascination with DOGS BOLX in my teens), I keep an eye open for anything with said badge. I'm a novice with road bikes though.

On a recent gumtree trawl, a £50 'Roberts' cropped up, probably £500 miles away but somewhere I'm due to visit next week. Worth a gamble and had only been on 15 minutes, so message sent to seller, some freindly banter later (he'd taken it off of Gumtree as he was worried he couldnt load pictures to show (poor) condition) and I've got the opportunity to pick up in Glasgow next week.
I'm wondering whether I'm letting myself in for a bit too much though, and even if the bike is genuine? OK, it's a relatively modest outlay, but I'd need to pack and courier as I'm flying in and out for business.

I've a few pictures ... any thoughts? Should I politely walk away from the deal or is it worth the effort to try to clean up, respray etc? Components look like they are poor, recent additions, rust on frame, shifter braze-ons removed, but the frame quality looks somewhat reasonable.

Correct me if I'm wrong, please!

Pub bike in the making?

 

[hamster]

I'd ask for the frame number and check with Chas Roberts before hand. However a £150 repaint from Argos would see it good as new.
If you dropped the forks out and removed/binned the wheels you'd probably just about get it onto a large suitcase....

 

[foz]

it looks like the gear lever bosses have been filed off, and a band on set used instead - makes me wonder what else has been done to it.

 

[MatBH5]

Re:

Thanks both, I think maybe there was one gear lever boss (rear) and this has been removed and a band-on fitted to essentially add front shifting?
Appreciate the advice, I might be biting off more than I can chew, and I'll bear it in mind. Mat

 

[Midlife]

Lugs have been filed and drilled with good shorelines, Classy. The rear dropouts look like long campag and that ties in with the over BB cable guides......so late 70's early 80's frame and well made. The fork looks like it doesn't belong (later) even though the brake is nutted.

Reynolds sticker looks older than the Roberts...... Pound to a penny it's not a Chas Roberts.

Bit of a bitza IMHO but worth the £50 but a lot of work.......

Shaun

 

[roadking]

Re:

Edit - typo!

Rk.

 

[Midlife]

Here's a classy finished lug from a "my era" Roberts......

On reflection does look like your frame.

Shaun

 

[MatBH5]

Re:

Oh! Very nice. I can see the resemblance in shape and the drilling. May I ask what year yours is? I'd there a thread showing it off?
Thanks

 

[Midlife]

Sadly it's not mine, I have never owned one but have come across them in a previous life.......

http://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vinta ... berts.html

The bike above is the one I was looking at which reminded me of yours, although the fork and seat stays are different.

The Pic I posted for some reason is not in the thread but is the same bike.

Shaun

 

[MatBH5]

Re:

Well, an update. I couldn't resist and this is now in the garage. Took some pictures on arrival.

Looking at other examples, I can believe this is a Roberts, the paint looks original, the transfers (or hand painted?) ROBERTS on the downtube seems contempory to the rest of the paint. Frame number on the dropout (campagnolo) says 137. I guess that's an early frame, the oldest Roberts I could see on one website was number 130.

Unfortunately the fork is far from original (and not too good quality) and the shifter boss has been filed off. Some fairly deep rust on the seatstays look nasty and would have pitted the metal.

The build is a complete 'bitsa'. Stem and bar (Giro Italia) are Cinelli, 105 headset, B.B.Spori (?) front brake, unnamed rear brake, miche rear hub on unmarked alloy rim, campag front hum on mavic rim. Raleigh branded SR cranks. Mech, shifters & brake levers are Shimano.

On the plus side, it feels light, is my size and might be worth the effort!

As I'm a novice, if the frame was stripped and possibly resprayed, could a shifter boss be added? Are 'matching' forks a reasonable possibility? What type and cost of component could build this back to something of reasonable and era-correct bike? So many questions - I'm excited!

Thanks

Mat