Witcomb bicycle purchase
05-19-13, 08:33 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,315
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
7 Posts
Witcomb bicycle purchase
So...Im not a great collector of British bikes..but this one was on local craigslist..only a few miles away and it was vintage...mostly early dura ace stuff...sugino cranks...came with high flange dura ace sew ups but i had a set of low flange dura ace..about the same year...with clinchers...took it out for a ride and it rode great...531...of course...dont know a thing about Witcomb except that they were English bikes and had a racing team at one time
Likes For joe englert:
05-19-13, 10:00 PM
#2
Gone World Hepster
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Lincoln, NE
Posts: 1,211
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 7 Times
in
4 Posts
It would be interesting to know if this bike was from Witcomb Lightweight Cycles in the USA. Richard Sachs worked for the UK version for some years and the US branch for a bit, as did JP Weigle, Chris Chance and Ben Serotta.
05-19-13, 11:08 PM
#3
Senior Member
Damn that's gorgeous!
05-20-13, 07:05 AM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 20,305
Mentioned: 130 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3464 Post(s)
Liked 2,831 Times
in
1,997 Posts
Nice bike, this is what a serious racer would have ordered back then, plain paint, no lug lining. Nice wrap over seat stays and note the "eared" head lugs. Sugino crank was a "I don't need Campagnolo" alternative. The head tube herald may give an indication of where it was built. What are the small labels or graphics on the seat tube?
05-20-13, 07:16 AM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Marysville, WA (north of Seattle.)
Posts: 363
Bikes: 54 R.O. Harrison, 56 W. F. Holdsworth, 59 Sauvage-Lejuene campeur,63 Jack Taylor Tourist,74 & 78 Davidson, 80 Colnago Super, 82 Merckx Professional, 92 Rain City Steelhead, 08 Rivendell AHH, 2011 Rivendell Custom, 2014 Woodrup/Sayles custom 650b
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
5 Posts
Very cool - you did well!
05-20-13, 09:50 AM
#7
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,315
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
7 Posts
Thanks all for the information and comments....the head tube says witcom cycles England...the other decals on the seat tube? I will have to look again when I get back up to the bike...i work a couple hundred miles away from my bikes (school teacher) so im back up over the weekend (however, only 9 more days til summer vacation!!!so i can be at my home all the time).....I will get some more pics up this weekend. The guy I bought it from was the original owner and he purchased just the frame and fork and built it up himself back in the 70s...I was wondering....did the American Witcomb say "made in the usa" or did some of the american Witcombs still have the "made in England" decal on them?
05-20-13, 03:12 PM
#8
Ride, Wrench, Swap, Race
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Northern California
Posts: 9,194
Bikes: Cheltenham-Pedersen racer, Boulder F/S Paris-Roubaix, Varsity racer, '52 Christophe, '62 Continental, '92 Merckx, '75 Limongi, '76 Presto, '72 Gitane SC, '71 Schwinn SS, etc.
Mentioned: 132 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1565 Post(s)
Liked 1,296 Times
in
866 Posts
The American Witcombs had "Witcomb USA" on the head tube.
It is strange how (on the original tubular wheels) all of the hub dust caps have popped out of the hubshells(?).
It is strange how (on the original tubular wheels) all of the hub dust caps have popped out of the hubshells(?).
05-20-13, 03:37 PM
#9
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,315
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 8 Times
in
7 Posts
these are not the original wheels with the dust cap issue..put on period correct low flange dura ace hubs that are clinchers.
05-08-14, 03:30 PM
#10
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: London
Posts: 8
Bikes: Airborne Torch, Witcomb 1973 Giro D'Italia, Witcomb 1980 Randonneur, “French Market” Raleigh Team Record 1978, Vista Aero Team 1982, Moulton Deluxe 1965, Ron Cooper 1982
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
3 Posts
Blue Craigslist Witcomb
Hi Joe, This is how it looks now. I found the original order form inserted in the seat tube from Witcomb's in Deptford London to Sunshine Bicycles California dated 18/7/73. It has had a respray at Mario Vaz's shop in Hither Green and I shall be riding it in the L'Eroica Britannia vintage bike sportive next month. L'Eroica Britannia.
all the best Neil
Last edited by Neil Calder; 05-08-14 at 03:34 PM.
05-08-14, 04:43 PM
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Calgary
Posts: 665
Bikes: Condor, Cinelli SC, MKM Metcalfe, Peugeot AE08, Bianchi, Cougar, Miyata, Harry Hall, Holdsworth Special, Raleigh Int'l, Le Croco, Bob Jackson, Zeus
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 114 Post(s)
Liked 102 Times
in
53 Posts
Nicely done Neil and welcome to C&V. Do you have some more photos you can share of this lovely bicycle?
Thanks.
Brad
Thanks.
Brad
__________________
Better bike .. Better life!
Better bike .. Better life!
05-09-14, 07:06 PM
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Nampa Idaho
Posts: 1,081
Bikes: 76' Centrurion Pro-Tour, 86' Specialized Rock Hopper, 88' Centurion Iron Man, 89' Bruce Gordon "Hikari", 95' Rock Hopper Ultra.
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 14 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
3 Posts
Well done Sir! Beautiful and very cool bike 
Cheers,
Chris
Cheers,
Chris
08-24-18, 08:48 AM
#15
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: London
Posts: 8
Bikes: Airborne Torch, Witcomb 1973 Giro D'Italia, Witcomb 1980 Randonneur, “French Market” Raleigh Team Record 1978, Vista Aero Team 1982, Moulton Deluxe 1965, Ron Cooper 1982
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
3 Posts
I have now done 5 Eroica Britannia’s and an Eroica Limburg on this and it continues to ride beautifully. Neil
