marius.suiram 

The bike has Lamber crank set, rear wheel is a Ukai with Lambert hub, bars.
Brooks professional saddle.
Gran Compe brakes.
Suntour Cyclone derailleurs and endbar shifters.
I didn't find any serial number, but on the frame there are a lot of stickers (what should I use to get rid of them?)
The fork is probably a replacement, but no signs of damage at the frame.
Any idea of the year of fabrication?

T-Mar

Lambert can be quite difficult to determine the model as most do not survive in original condition, having been heavily modified over the years. The frames on all models during this period were basically the same, with some cosmetic differences and, of course, component selection. We can safely eliminate the gold plated version of Professional Grand Grix and the Professional Grand Prix Deluxe, which had chromed rear stays. I don't see any BB cups, so I'm assuming it the 2nd generation (1973) with the sealed bottom bracket. This would indicate either a Grand Prix or Grand Prix Professional. The former came with a wired-on wheelset while the latter came with tubulars. However, it was common place to discard or rebuild the latter with wired-on. Regardless, since the wheelset was the only difference between the two models, it's not a big deal.

marius.suiram 

Thank you.
I did not mention, probably you already saw that the crank set is a triple.
Should be a touring model?

T-Mar

All the Lambert models were outfitted with a triple crankset as standard equipment.

marius.suiram 

Ok, thank you.

rickpaulos

That is a lugged frame with Lambert stickers. That predates the lugless aerospace bikes, the Viscount name change, purchase by Yamaha and the infamous fork recall. Later Viscounts were lugged frames again but made in Asia.

Take the crank off and check the axle. The lugless Lamberts had a 4 sided axle but it wasn't tapered. Those had issues. The lugless models had cartridge bearings pressed in to the bb shell and the axle had 2 grooves for circlips so the axle would not slide side to side. The grooves were a stress riser and the axle could snap off. The lack of taper on the 4 sides means the bolt takes all the stress and those would break off the ends of the axle.

Lambert used needle bearings in the pedals. They were too small and would get chewed up. The pedal axles bend easily, probably not made of cromo steel.

The lugess bikes came out in about 1973 so yours should be older than that. Lambert was a small English builder of decent bikes before the Aerospace fiasco that forced them to sell out. IMO, it was a legendary scam, selling the liability of the impending fork recall to another buyer.

My first job was to assemble the Aerospace Lamberts. Many got put back in the boxes due to the endless problems. The shop owner wasn't about to spend his own money to fix them. One had a head tube snap off during shipping. another freewheel came seized up. the cranks mostly failed, frames cracked, original derailleurs were useless and many got replaced by the buyers. The quick released were lousy. The bb shell was too thin to tap for a normal bb. Edco had a bb that threaded into itself from either side but few wanted to pay the high price for that plus a new crank set. I remember some owners trying to hand file tapers into the cranks with poor results. I owned one but the seat tube cracked from the top down. I sold it to a shop rat who just drilled holes through the frame and seat post and bolted it in to place. Fortunately he got run over and the bike destroyed before the fork broke and he might have gotten hurt. The sealed bearing Lambert hubs were okay, the center pull brakes were fair.

T-Mar

The fillet brazed Viscount frames were manufactured with investment from Yamaha, not Kawasaki, and they came out in 1974.

Kdogbikes

Here’s a pic of mine. I’ve since had it on a few rides. Pretty light Phoenix tubing. I’ll probably just keep it hanging in the vault because of the original fork doesn’t do much for the value. It’s been interesting reading up on the lambert/ viscount history.

juvela

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subject cycle came with the aluminum fork

chrome Japanese replacement fork it now exhibits is the one offered in the recall programme

here is an Akisu which was installed by a shop on a nearly identical Lambert from this same time as part of the warranty/recall programme -



the cycle is discussed in this forum thread which includes a number of posts on the fork -

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...er-sports.html

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2cam16

That picture looks familiar. LOL!

marius.suiram 

I removed the stickers.
It is a Grand Prix.
Thanks for all comments.

Flying G

Until yesterday, I had never known or had seen a Lambert Grand Prix Professional with the gold plating. I visited a seller in New England to examine a Peugeot PBN10 (?) Course on CL and asked the fabled question “Do you have other vintage bikes or parts?” He did! So we next looked at a Blue Vitus and then the Gold Grand Prix Professional. Turns out that the seller was helping a relative who was a serious cyclist years ago but can no longer ride. All 3 bikes were in VG condition with all original parts and the Grand Prix had two wheel sets (one tubular and the other clincher). So we agreed on a reasonable price and loaded up the van and now I am truly backlogged with bike projects. Time for an intervention, therapy or counseling until I can work thru this backlog. Fortunately, Mrs. Flying G understands me.
Here are some photos of the Lambert using my iPad. The photo quality is pretty low but the bike and components are recognizable. Yes, I think that I have the Death Fork! Does anyone actually ride these Gold Grand Prix Professionals?

Kdogbikes

Pretty cool Lambert. I could use those pedal buttons. I ride the death fork with confidence. 3rd gen though.