What frame is this? Is it a Zeus?

[averagebiker]

I took a punt on this frame recently as I liked the look of it it and the forks it came with. At 21" it may prove a little small but if it is anything half decent I will build it up to have a ride before deciding if I keep it.

Why do I think it may be a Zeus? Well because it came fitted with Zeus 2000 butted 531 fork and looks similar to one of the very few images of a Zeus frame I could find!

Can I offer any other clues apart from pictures....

Under the thick white paint the original colour is a lovely mid blue metallic.....
It may have been brought back from France by the previous custodian.....
The rear drop it spacing is 126mm

So what do the RB bike identifying collective think it is? Feel free to demand other/better pictures

 

[Midlife]

Portacatena dropouts and style sort of puts it early late 70's - 80's builders could buy Zeus frame components, from Ron Kit I think. I guess if it was a Zeus frame it would have Zeus dropouts?

 

[averagebiker]

Thanks, I am thinking it is around 1980 vintage. Will look up those drop outs on the t'internet

 

[averagebiker]

Yes I see, I did wonder what the threaded holes on the drive side dropout were for.

I think I will have to take some of the white paint off the BB to see if there is a serial number.

 

[pigman]

The zeus forks are probably just a zeus fork crown that could have been used by any frame builder. Its not frame panto as such which might denote the make of frame.

 

[averagebiker]

Thanks Pigman. I am not sure what you mean by your second sentence?
Cheers

 

[pigman]

If you look at say a colnago, the fork crown will be engraved 'colnago'. That identifies the frame make. It will have been a generic fork crown and colnago pantographed it. The zeus fork crown left the zeus factory like that and the logo identifies the crown rather than the frame make

 

[averagebiker]

Ok, I get it now.

 

[Old Ned]

I have a Paul Milnes that has Zeus F+R dropouts and fork crown but was probably sourced from the trade, maybe Belgium. Your lugs are a standard design used by many builders (Prugnat?) so the frame could be anything!

 

[pigman]

A long, long time ago I had a JF Wilson with a Zeus fork crown