1simplexnut

Hi everybody ,
Wild shot in the dark , hoping someone out there can fill in the gap in the decal wording ?
Limited info about the frame from a contact . Tubing is Ishiwata 022

Chombi1 

I'm thinking......"Built by R. Casey"?.....
But there might be another letter .issing between the a and the s.

Jay Turberville

Can't confirm, but a duck-duck-go search turned up an R.Cossey builder in New Zealand.
That could be his decal in the middle of the seat tube. Too small to confirm but it seems similar.

Fixed Gear Gallery :: Fixed gear submission

Another from this forum.
https://www.bikeforums.net/singlespe...ore-photo.html

Jay Turberville

I see the OP is also from New Zealand. So that would increase the odds that "R.Cossey" is correct.

1simplexnut

That link from the bikeforum post looks to be a winner thanks
Nice detective work !

seagrade 

Rex Cossey was a not unknown frame builder in New Zealand in the 1980s. I recall his name but not where he was based. From memory he built a few track frames to order, no doubt a few road as well at a time when import licensing limited supply and import duty increased prices of European-built frames.

https://collection.pukeariki.com/obj...330/cossey-rex

masispecial

Rex Cossey was based in Papatoetoe, or thereabouts.
He was a member of the Auckland League of Wheelmen, the local cash cycling club, so many of his clients were ‘cashies’
I think he stopped frame building around 1990.

Jimbo1983

This is only slightly related, but involves smaller NZ frame builders...I recently bought a bike that was built in the 90's by someone called Ross Clark in Te Awamutu or maybe Te Aroha. It was branded Roscottelli but the previous owner repainted it at some point. It's a nice frame, very big (65c-c seat tube) but I'd like to know more about the builder, I've only found mention of one other bike made by him online.

jonwvara 

I have to know: What's a "cash cycling club," and what are "cashies?"

juvela

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please pardon this Yank's ignorance but what be a "cash cycling club" / "cashie" members?


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unworthy1

whilst we await the truth...I have a guess: these cyclists are all huge fans of The Man in Black and sing his hits while they race.
Making them another version of the famous NZ All Blacks?

jonwvara 

The suspense is killing me.

1simplexnut

Indeed!

The " cash cycling club'' has me puzzled ?? ( money laundering maybe ? he he )

A "cashie '' means to me , a job or work done for cash ,under the table , not declared to the taxman etc .

1simplexnut

hiya ,
Thanks for the info .
HAve you seen the questions about ''the local cash cycling club" in this thread ?

1simplexnut

Had to go and have a look at the history . Found below answer

https://teara.govt.nz/en/cycle-racing/page-2

From 1876 clubs were formed to support riders and create rules for riding etiquette and racing. In 1892 clubs split into amateur and professional or ‘cash’ clubs. Many amateurs thought ‘cashies’ were unsporting for racing for money. Cash prizes were often a significant income source for working-class riders. Some cash riders accused amateurs of being purist for racing in a less competitive field. By 1897, 64 clubs were affiliated to either the New Zealand Cyclists’ Alliance (amateur) or the League of New Zealand Wheelmen (cash).

jonwvara 

Thanks for that! While never a racer of any kind myself, my sympathies are with the cashies on this one.

seagrade 

Ross Clark is another largely forgotten Kiwi framebuilder of the 1980s and 90s. He would have built dozens if not hundreds of Roscotelli frames then, although as the following indicates he wasn’t responsible for all of them…

https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/...-added.191762/

Coming back to the Auckland cash club, the Auckland League of Wheelmen, by the mid 1980s the cashies were in a minority - pretty sure that was the only local club then, whereas there were still at least four or five amateur clubs running their own regular club races and competing in interclub events. Because there was no crossover us amateurs didn’t see cash racing first hand, although it seemed there was a regular local race programme and national championships etc.

For those wanting the full story from the early days there’s a lengthy Doctorate thesis about amateurs, cash amateurs and professionals in New Zealand -

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/35463392.pdf

Jimbo1983

Thanks for the reply. Do you know anything else about Ross Clark? That thread you linked is the only thing I have found in my searching online thus far, plus the small amount of info from the previous owner. I should probably post a picture too so here it is after I stripped, re-greased, re-cabled, and swapped the brakes to 600 to match the rest of the running gear.
It's an interesting frame in that it has hellenic stays, don't see that all too often.

seagrade 

That’s a cool and distinctive Kiwi-built race bicycle. The Shimano 600 looks a good choice too, quite common on race bikes of the era. Unfortunately I don’t know much more than already posted about Ross Clark/Roscotelli but have forwarded the thread to a former work colleague who has forgotten more than I’ll ever know of these things… he may have more to share.

Jimbo1983

Oh cool thank you!

masispecial

I think that the New Zealand League of Wheelmen may have endured but I have read, probably in one of the Kennett Brothers NZ Cycling History books, that the amateur cycling organisation that became the New Zealand Amateur Cycling association resulted from a breakaway from athletics in the 1920s.
Tho two organisations were amalgamated into Cycling NZ in the 90s when the UCI did away with the distinction between professionals and elite amateurs.

masispecial

My recollection is that Ross Clark was based in Hamilton, and was a partner in Milremo Cycles, which would have been the #1 racing shop in town. I guess he started building in the late 70s, and stopped around 1990.
He built road and track frames, and possibly a tandem or two.
There was a very large Roscotelli bike around Auckland in the 80s with two top tubes.

Jimbo1983

Thanks for that, that's some good information. It's a shame that frame building mostly died out save one or two, but such is the way of things.

1simplexnut

Finally got the frame into my possession .
Not sure what to do with it now .
Its has had a bit of a hard life .
The chrome front and rear is toasted .
A fair bit of crusty rusty popping up from under the paint here and there .
The worst damage is to the seat post ears . I doubt the would hold a post ?
Please have a look at the pics and share your opinions on fixing options .

Also a couple of unusual little braze ons under the down tube which look to have been used to channel the gear cables underneath .

Some red paint on the fork makes me wonder if is a repaint ?
Ishiwata decal and the remains of the Cossey decals are not clear coated over .
dropouts front and rear match . Suntour GS

It will go to the back of the queue until I figure out those mangled ears .

obrentharris 

I'm sure a competent framebuilder could repair and strengthen those "ears," probably straighten them, then braze a tube between the two and cut out a slot in the tube afterwards. Let's see if we can summon @bulgie to give his expert opinion.
Brent