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Mystery 70s or 80s titanium frame

Old 03-02-19, 02:19 PM
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samkl 
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Mystery 70s or 80s titanium frame

Here's a mystery donation to the local bike co-op, where I volunteer. Donated as a frame--all other parts except headset were not part of the donation and not original.

I know the donor. His father was one of the founders of the Yellow Jersey bike shop in Madison in the 70s. This was the father's favorite bike, but the son didn't know much about it. He said he thought it was from the 1970s.

Titanium frame. 57cm ST, 56cm TT. BB threading is BSA. Spacing is 126mm (I think... could be 120 but pretty sure it's 126.)

I took it for a spin, which is why the seat post is so high in these pics. Man, I couldn't believe how smoothly it rode. 25mm tires gliding over potholes like they were nothing. Very quick, too. Maybe this is what Jan means when he talks about "planing." An exceptionally nice riding frame, and if it were my size I'd snap it up.


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Last edited by samkl; 03-02-19 at 02:36 PM.
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Old 03-02-19, 08:04 PM
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Thought this would attract a little more interest! Hm.
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Old 03-02-19, 09:00 PM
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It's interesting alright. Maybe nobody has an answer. French cranks and headset? Why do you think 70's-80's?
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Old 03-02-19, 09:20 PM
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Originally Posted by AngryFrankie
It's interesting alright. Maybe nobody has an answer. French cranks and headset? Why do you think 70's-80's?
That’s what I was told by the donor. Also, one pair of water bottle bosses and 126mm spacing suggest an older frame.

The headset came with the frame but not the cranks.
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Old 03-03-19, 03:32 AM
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Not Stainless Steel but Ti? Is the fork the same material. IIRC you need to cut the fork to fit that HS which is a late ‘80s model.

Kellog comes me to mind as he was a pioneer of Ti in some regards,
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Old 03-03-19, 08:50 AM
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Looks like my late 80’s Fuji Ti. It is an early CP one.

Miyata and a few others offered them too. I think they were sourced from the same location, so it is probably tough to figure out the “brand”.

If if I can attach pics from my phone, I will do so.
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Old 03-03-19, 08:58 AM
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Old 03-03-19, 09:00 AM
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Old 03-03-19, 09:01 AM
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Old 03-03-19, 09:31 AM
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+1, a Fuji would be my leading candidate, as they used forged dropouts with provisions for adjusters. Almost everyone else used flat plate. The subject bicycle also has the little peak cut into the front of the seat tube, that was typical of Fuji. Serial number indicates a 1989-1990 model. It looks like the non-drive side crankarm may have a crack in the reinforcing collar on the back of the arm.

It's definitely not a Miyata, as their titanium frames of this era were bonded with aluminum lugs. When you think Yellow Jersey of this period, you think Panasonic, but during this period they had vertical rear dropouts cut from plate and the cinch bolt for the seat post was integrated into the fastback stays.
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Old 03-03-19, 11:51 AM
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Impressive detective work—thank you!
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