What have I got here then?

[onza100]

Can you help me identify my bike. All I know about it is I rescued it when I was 14 back in 1994. It was stripped and repainted by myself in the summer holidays but the lacquer has reacted with the colour and i never got round to doing it again. Been sat in my dads shead since then lol!
Hopefully someone may know, thanks!

 

[TheGreenRabbit]

Geoffrey Buttler ?

 

[legrandefromage]

Carlton made by Raliegh

531 or similar

 

[legrandefromage]

OR Ernie Clements designed Falcon - these had very similar wraparound stays on the seat tube and lugs like yours.

In fact, my money's on Ernie....

Heres what it might have looked like:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FALCON-REYNOLDS-E ... 240%3A1318

And something very similar:

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... e+clements

 

[onza100]

I seem to remember writing to raleigh and them saying it wasn't one of theirs. Do you think its worth anything to anyone? i'd like to see it restored and its quite low in my queue of bikes and cars to fix!

 

[legrandefromage]

Hmmm - wheels yes, bits no, frame, yes as a 'Fixie' on ebay.

 

[hamster]

GB Maes bars and Hiduminum stems go for a few quid on the CTC website. The rear mech is also worth a few quid - but as LGF says Campag hubs adn Fiamme rims are the classy bit.

 

[pete_mcc]

Looking at the serial number have you thought of Eddie Bates, one of the Bates brothers. He specialised in 531 built frames without the 'cantiflex' bits that his brother Horace used . Not my area of expertise but there's a pile of stuff online

 

[Old Ned]

Looking at the seat wrapover I would say Raleigh or Falcon, possibly from 70's with the 'over bottom bracket' gear cable routing and associated braze-ons. The 3 holes for the head badge could be a clue. I don't think the frame is anything special but would make a good hack type bike. I rather like the 'crazed' finish, didn't some MTB's have something similar at one time?

The fittings are a mixed bag. Wheels are OK but will need a lot of attention to get them up to scratch. Rear gear sort of collectable - if it's in a reasonable condition. Bars and stem also collectable - but have you tried to see if it will come out of the frame? GB stems I've had often seem to corrode badly inside frames if not well greased when fitting.

 

[onza100]

I've split this up now. Just got round to it. I'm going to list bits on ebay. Before I do does anyone wants to swap anything for mtb bits?