What are these holes for?

[bedraggled]

What are these holes for?
Are they for a race number?
These are on an SBDU 753 Raleigh race bike and I can't find a picture of an SBDU bike with a similar feature.
All the period pictures I've found have the number under the top tube.

 

[Midlife]

SBDU also made touring frames. Any more pics?

Shaun

 

[bedraggled]

So they could be for a rack?
I thought about that first but there are no fittings on the dropouts, clearances look close and it's got caliper brakes.
It's on ebay.

 

[Nob]

Maybe drainage holes or possibly for cantilever type brakes are maybe just a mistake in the tubings & the builder just left it there... At least its a bit lighter

But how sure are you that its a genuine 753 Raleigh SBDU :?:

 

[Ivo]

So they could be for a rack?
I thought about that first but there are no fittings on the dropouts, clearances look close and it's got caliper brakes.
It's on ebay.

There are many bikes with rack fittings having close clearances and caliper brakes. If the holes are threaded they are rack fittings.

 

[bedraggled]

Can't be sure it's 753 but it's definitely got an SBDU serial number.
Perhaps they were added later when it was repainted, I'd forgotten about the Cranes and their adventures.

 

[roadking]

Those seat stay holes are very invasive (thin gauge 753), I 'd be surprised if (a) the frame is 753, and (b) if it is then equally surprised if those holes are original.

I recall not seeing brazing on the Crane's bikes for the fitted racks (take a close look, a real close look at the image).

Jon.

 

[skentellytubby]

Re:

Hmm was looking to bid on this, specifically on the basis of it being a 753

So we are thinking it isn't a 753? Bidding on it has gone pretty high for a 531 frame :?

 

[bedraggled]

You would have to weigh the frame to tell if it was 753.
Can be a gamble buying a resprayed frame, don't know if it is hiding damage.

 

[skentellytubby]

Well it went for £400 odd, missed out. Got my eyes on a Peugeot now...