bikingshearer 

I remember seeing photos of the bike. It was stunning.

My guess is that it was the penance for the language Ernesto used when he first learned about the "Windsor" stickers on Merckx's Hour Record bike.

sykerocker 

My memory of the gold plated Lamberts is that they're all off the original batch of bikes that were in production before the company went bankrupt. And therefore didn't deliver bikes to a lot of shops that had to pay for them in advance. Like my buddy in Erie, who's Atala/Fuji shop almost went under because of that debacle. I saw one gold plated bike at TOSRV in 1975 or 76, and two years ago a kid tried talking me into buying a really beat gold frame for $300.00 - no components, just the frameset. I laughed.

The gold plated bikes are all THAT screaming special. If anything, they're rare because they're of the first generation lugged frame Lamberts (which is the model that chick was straddling in the advert), and those in general aren't common due to the bankruptcy. Now, keep in mind I'm saying not common. I'm not necessarily saying valuable.

fietsbob

As I recall Windsor was a Mexican brand name, back then, so the sponsors
brand was painted on a Custom DeRosa made super light Track Bike.

It was all about the payments, and taking place at the Mexico City
Olympic velodrome to take advantage of the air density reduction of riding at that
altitude, as there are just less air molecules to ride thru, that high.

Windsor , and several other brand names have changed hands since then ,
and have even less meaning. It really is just a painted on Logo, after all..

icicle

The gold plating is between 6 and 10 microns when applied. There is less than an ounce of gold on even a 24 inch frame. The bikes were done as promotional items. The retail price was $279.95 which was twice what the painted versions cost. There were some lugless ones made and those had the sealed BB. The originals were English made frames that came from another builder. I seem to recall that Falcon had made some of them. I will post pictures of the pair that I own, but because they are in boxes in storage, it will take some effort before I can get them. One of them has brand new (still in excellent condition) Clement Campionato del Mundos with it. (Never glued on- replaced the Hutchinsons that ended up on my Masi.) The other one I think has Criterium Seta or Seta Extras. Be patient the pics will come eventually.

mtree 

[QUOTE=icicle;13564474] The originals were English made frames that came from another builder. I seem to recall that Falcon had made some of them.


I purchased my Lambert SS in May of 1973 for $144.98. In 1981 I sent it to Cycle Art where a nice complement of braze-ons were done (including a Campy derailleur hanger) and a great new (not authentic) paint job. The frame was lugged and to me had the appearance of a Viking frame which would make sense as that company was going down as Lambert came on the scene. I think I even saw letterhead with both Viking and Lambert named. It now runs with Phil hubs and BB, Huret derailleurs, King headset, TA crankset, Avocet saddle, Tange chrome fork and SunTour barcons; original brakes, crank arm bolts and seat post QR,



I have most of the components (no bb or hubs) in a box if someone was thinking of doing a rebuild.

sykerocker 

Oh, this is fun - I just finished restoring an almost-Lambert (frame is original, everything else has been change) that I'm going to photograph tomorrow and do a submission in C&V. 39 years later, and I finally get one.

mtree, I'd be real interested in those components, as I'd love to put mine back to as close to original as I can. If my memory is correct, the lugged frames were definitely the pre-bankruptcy ones, I'm not sure how many were made that way after the reorganization.

By the way, if anyone has one of the original Lambert rear derailleurs, do not try riding with it. I got first hand reports back in the day that the road life of one of those was usually about a week or less - and can remember one guy who had one that blew apart on the road within a hour of taking delivery of the bike. They were incredibly weak, and probably the one part on the bike that was worse than the death fork.

mtree 

[QUOTE=sykerocker;13728946]mtree, I'd be real interested in those components, as I'd love to put mine back to as close to original as I can. If my memory is correct, the lugged frames were definitely the pre-bankruptcy ones, I'm not sure how many were made that way after the reorganization.

Like I said, I would let them go if they were going back onto a LAMBERT; I won't be doing a rebuild of mine as I love where it is. As a mewbie I can't yet respond to forum PMs so you may have to give me a return email.

sykerocker 

[QUOTE=mtree;13731745]Drop me a note at: sykerocker@hotmail.com

mtree 

Originally Posted by sykerocker mtree, I'd be real interested in those components, as I'd love to put mine back to as close to original as I can. If my memory is correct, the lugged frames were definitely the pre-bankruptcy ones, I'm not sure how many were made that way after the reorganization.

Like I said, I would let them go if they were going back onto a LAMBERT; I won't be doing a rebuild of mine as I love where it is. As a mewbie I can't yet respond to forum PMs so you may have to give me a return email.


Sent out an email a few days back with a few photos - did you receive?

cloudbreak

Hi,
I just filled tires on my gold Lambert bike...gonna try to post a pic!
Pat
file:///IMG_1807.jpg

thinktubes 

aussiepug

Zombie thread

rhm

And still no photos.

But to cut to the chase... it's a Lambert. How valuable could it possibly be?