Ferrouscious 

Yesterday, I acquired a new frame from a friend. I have no idea what it is, what it’s worth (probably not much), or how old it is… So I’m building it up!

Ferrouscious 

Here’s what I currently know about my “bike”:
-It’s black (powdercoated from the start)
-It’s shiny and new (but old)
-Serial number is GW12L00462
-It takes a 27.2 seatpost with a separate clamp
-It’s welded (not brilliantly, I might add)
-OLD is 126mm
-It’s designed around 700c wheels (I assume)
-It takes a 1 1/8” headset
-It takes short reach brakes
-ST is 54cm CTC (with some extending past)
-TT is 58cm CTC (lengthwise) and is probably sloping
-Downtube is not welded in straight (frame is aligned though)
-Frame is quite stiff
-Tubing is straight gauge
-Frame weight is 5lbs 11oz

Pictures too! Anyone know what this might be?

Bianchigirll 

I am thinking it is an early '90s touring frame.

P!N20

You're not wrong.

That's odd.

And is it just me or are those shifter bosses crooked? (Edit: sorry, missed your comment that the down tube isn't welded in straight.) Guess it doesn't matter, but are we looking at a backyard job? Although if it has a serial number you'd think it would be a production frame of some sort...

Ferrouscious 

I would have thought so, but there is minimal tyre clearance with 23's. I considered that it was intended for different wheel size, but the indentations in the chainstays line up with 700c wheels. For comparison's sake, I measured clearance to the seat tube and brake bridge to be 4 nickels (approximately 7-8mm) at the closest point. That's not even including the space that a brake would take. It actually won't take 25's with a dual pivot calliper.

Bianchigirll 

It looks like an early '90s Sport Tourer

Ferrouscious 

The whole tube is turned a bit, including shifter bosses and bottle bosses. I'm assuming the braze-ons were installed before welding in the downtube. The NDS seatstay is also slightly rotated. The frame is too aligned for a backyard job, but hey, maybe he has a specific set of skills... Curious...

Cyclist753

It would make a nice 'beater' single speed!

T-Mar

When I first saw the thread title, I though it was going to be a late 1980s, Zebra brand bicycle.

Sorry I don'r recognize the serial number format. A 1-1/8" headset would put it into at least the 1990s. The lack of tyre clearance is perplexing given that it has fittings for fenders and racks. I wonder if it's designed for 650C or 650B?

nomadmax 

Text me a list of stuff you need for the build.

Wildwood 

And i was thinking M. Cippolini.

mstateglfr 

The chosen dropout angle, welding, 1 1/8 steered, and off centerness all screams garage practice frame.
The serial # screams production.

Odd.

TiHabanero

No way is it a Schwinn Sports Tourer. They had more pride than that thing shows.

Mad Honk 

Somewhere else on this forum I saw the term "welded by a drunken Soviet submarine builder" Likely applicable here. Looks to be a wire weld in the "grudge". JMHO, Smiles, MH

Lascauxcaveman 

Cheapo SS/fixie frame from about 10-12 years ago?

P!N20

The vertical dropouts and shifter bosses suggest otherwise.

nomadmax 

I got your text last night. Is that list the stuff you already have or what you need to get it built? I'll look thru my parts bins.

Ferrouscious 

@nomadmax the list is what I need to finish the build. I’m going to the Cinci co-op tonight for some of those things as well as spare small parts for the Maru. If you need anything, I can take a look there.

Ferrouscious 

In other news, I checked a 26" (ISO 559) wheel in the dropout, and the brake reach seemed exceedingly excessive. Not terribly surprising. I calculated the reach to the brakes for a 650b wheel (as I don't have one at home to check with). That came out to 65mm, which is perfect for a MAFAC (M.A.F.A.C®?) Racer. To further muddy the waters, there is no cable stop. With the seat tube extending past the junction point, cable routing would also be odd.

I took some additional photos and notes on the tubing and paint. The BB shell and headtube are both seamed.


The seat tube might also be seamed, but there is only the faintest of joining lines, so I somewhat doubt it (look to the left and down of the expansion slot).

I couldn't see into the stays or the downtube, so no information there. The powder coat has a bright, rust-coloured primer underneath and a clear coat on top. It's slightly thinner around the BB, but is even and thick everywhere else.

When I get a headset, I'll check geometry with the fork (coming soon!).

Ferrouscious 

This bike is going to be built as a replacement rain/winter bike for my C. Itoh. I have never posted pictures of that abysmal creation, so here are a few choice photos and a story:
As bought, it weighed close to 40lbs. For you metric folks, that is… CALCULATION: 40lbs=excessively heavy. I bought it for $40 as someone else wanted it for $30. I wanted it more.


It was awful, but just what I needed. I had outgrown my first bike, the Austro Daimler Alpina. I spent a week and $35 prepping the C. Itoh for commuter/beater use. I only bought tyres and new inner cables. I also upgraded some of the parts using my then-tiny parts bin. Those included: alloy bars, stem, saddle, and brake levers. Weight dropped to “only” 35lbs (still heavy kg).


Then, I stopped cycling to school. The cold winter and early waking times had taken their toll on both me and the bike, so I shoved the C. Itoh into the darkest corner of the garage. However, not all hope was lost. Spring eventually crawled out of its hidey-hole and I got a job at a bike shop. I needed a commuter bike again, but the C. Itoh was unusable in its current condition.


Over the summer months, I took the C. Itoh out of commission for the second time to make it bearable long-term. I spent $30 on upgrades, focusing on the best bang-for-the-buck. I bought a longer stem, cloth bar tape, a new saddle, DT shifters, an under-BB cable guide, better brake pads, and new housing. In addition, a well-loved, but totalled Schwinn Varsity came into the shop and gifted me the rest. I installed mudguards, a better BB, bars, freewheel, crankset, hoods, and seatpost. The pig had Chanel! Weight again dropped to 30lbs, even with the original steel wheels. The only parts still needing upgrading were the frame and fork. It was still utter garbo. Until now.

Chr0m0ly 

Weird, I have a mid 80's Zebra(kenko) that also had vertical rearbdrop outs.

Ferrouscious 

I’ve had this fork laying around in my garage for the longest time. It’s made of carpet fibre, so you know it’s good. I also have no idea what it is. The fork decal says "SC Series Carbon Weave". It's a 1 1/8" headset.


It has aluminium dropouts with integrated mudguard mounts. There are also remnants of what I assume to be a factory identification sticker. Curiously though, it has a STEEL steerer. Kinda negates the whole “lightweight carpet fibre” thing doesn’t it? Does anyone know what it is? Is this fork safe to use? I can always check integrity with a hamer…

nomadmax 

I'll go on record as saying I'd be more prone to use a CF fork with a steel steerer over aluminum or carbon.

krecik

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Ferrouscious 

It’s been a while since the last update, so much has changed. I'm fairly certain that the frame was made by Nashbar. I simulated installing a headset to check if the fork I had would negatively affect the geometry, and unfortunately, it did.


Thus, I “installed” my Maruishi’s fork (disassembled for upgrades, maintenance, and alignment) to simulate a non-suspension-corrected fork. That seemed to work much better. This can only mean one thing: a new fork. Sigh.


In the meantime, I replaced all bolts with stainless versions and prepped the frame with two coats of frame saver. Next, I rubbed down the exterior with TriFlow to remove the excess coating. That was washed off with Dawn. Last, I applied a paint sealant for a little extra protection and shine. It still needs some finishing, but that will come later.