Latest find: a 70's Speedwell titanium
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70's Speedwell titanium - update: new pics
Update: new pics in post # 22
Picked this up yesterday: a Van Deursen labeled Speedwell. I didn't have clue what it was when I saw the ad, but it looked like it might be titanium, so off I went.
This is the picture from the ad:
When I got home and looked the bike over I saw the "TitaLite" sticker:
It took Google all of .34 seconds to find me the Speedwell story:
https://www.handmadebikes.net/speedwell.html
Nice! The wheels are not original, and neither are bar and stem, but black ist gen. Dura-Ace seems at least period correct.
Two things make me wonder: the pedals (first time I've seen clipless pedals with clips):
And the seat post. Anyone recognise this?
Picked this up yesterday: a Van Deursen labeled Speedwell. I didn't have clue what it was when I saw the ad, but it looked like it might be titanium, so off I went.
This is the picture from the ad:
When I got home and looked the bike over I saw the "TitaLite" sticker:
It took Google all of .34 seconds to find me the Speedwell story:
https://www.handmadebikes.net/speedwell.html
Nice! The wheels are not original, and neither are bar and stem, but black ist gen. Dura-Ace seems at least period correct.
Two things make me wonder: the pedals (first time I've seen clipless pedals with clips):
And the seat post. Anyone recognise this?
Last edited by non-fixie; 12-26-11 at 03:35 PM. Reason: new pics below
#2
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Wow, nice score! That's a legend, for sure. Too bad that somebody used it as an errand bike, but luckily it's in good hands now . Is it your size?
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I guess the pedals with clips and clipless could be useful, I think everyone's missed the front of a cleat engaging before, and you can still get a toe in place to start pedaling so you don't get stranded in an intersection.
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Freakin sweet. Is the fork Ti as well?
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#7
car dodger
seatpost looks like an american classic I've seen before,
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#8
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I just examined the seat post a little closer. It seems to be a DIY attempt at a zero offset post:
#11
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Nice find
I'm certainly curious to see it finished.
OMG I can see Ocana even rode one of these bikes when he won the tour in 1973.
One of my all time cycling heroes on this bike
I'm certainly curious to see it finished.
OMG I can see Ocana even rode one of these bikes when he won the tour in 1973.
One of my all time cycling heroes on this bike
Last edited by pullup; 12-20-11 at 01:57 AM.
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Wow---what an interesting piece of titanium evolution! I'd probably think of that more as a wall hanger curiosity than as a rider. That thing must have been a fortune in the 70s - titanium was not easy to come by, especially in higher grades. The US set up shell corporations overseas to buy it from the USSR and considered it a strategic resource. It was used in some of the spy planes the CIA had overflying Eastern Europe.
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#17
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Very light indeed. Most modern Ti frames are about 1300 grams, it seems, with much beefier tubes. So expect a noodle! have you ridden it yet? I know the weather hasn't been kind in our corner of the world this week, but I managed to sneak in two nice rides.
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No, I haven't ridden it yet, but it is the work, not the weather that's keeping me indoors. Regarding the noodly character: that remains to be seen. Early examples weren't very stiff, but according to this article that had been cured by '75, and as mine is from august '77, it should be fine. We'll see.
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