Help ID Vintage Steel Frame/Fork
#1
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Davis, CA
Posts: 56
Bikes: 2001 Cannondale RT3000, Santana Cilantro, 2004 Ed Litton BreakAway travel bike, Bianchi Volpe, 1972 Atala Competizione
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Help ID Vintage Steel Frame/Fork
Can you help me identify this frame?
Here are the clues:
Tubes are stamped "Reynolds 531 Butted 19/22"
Tubes are metric sized 26mm and 28mm OD
Fork is threaded 25x1mm with flat milled at the top
Fork steerer ID 22
Campy 1010 dropouts with eyelets (numbers stamped on both L & R)
Campy fork ends with eyelets
Frame/fork have NO braze-ons
BB fixed cup is RH thread, 35x1 mm, spindle says "Nervar 117"
SS bridge brake hole is reinforced with tubing
CS bridge is seamed tubing with obvious seam
ST: 52 cm
TT: 54
CS: 44
PS This is a street find looking for a new home. Not my size and I don't need another project!
Both sides have numbers
Only a "0" stamped on the bottom of the shell. Fixed cup is RH thread
Clearly had a head badge, races are Stronglight
Here are the clues:
Tubes are stamped "Reynolds 531 Butted 19/22"
Tubes are metric sized 26mm and 28mm OD
Fork is threaded 25x1mm with flat milled at the top
Fork steerer ID 22
Campy 1010 dropouts with eyelets (numbers stamped on both L & R)
Campy fork ends with eyelets
Frame/fork have NO braze-ons
BB fixed cup is RH thread, 35x1 mm, spindle says "Nervar 117"
SS bridge brake hole is reinforced with tubing
CS bridge is seamed tubing with obvious seam
ST: 52 cm
TT: 54
CS: 44
PS This is a street find looking for a new home. Not my size and I don't need another project!
Both sides have numbers
Only a "0" stamped on the bottom of the shell. Fixed cup is RH thread
Clearly had a head badge, races are Stronglight
Last edited by fxsvelo; 02-24-23 at 07:36 PM. Reason: added info re: BB
#3
Senior Member
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lug pattern a NERVEX one employed by both Motobecane and Jeunet*
fork crown is NERVEX pattern Nr. 7
serial placement one employed by Motobecane
fixed bottom bracket cup puzzling:
it has two flats and no rings which would indicate T.A. Italian thread
Stronglight metric thread would exhibit one ring and eight flats
Stronglight CH thread would exhibit no rings and eight flats
possible fixed cup from another maker or marking worn away/poorly struck
another possibility is that original fixed side threads damaged and tapped to Italian with installation of a T.A. cup
tentative guess for identity and date:
Motobecane early 1960's
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* both firms own other marques so frame could be from one of these two companies but be otherwise badged
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lug pattern a NERVEX one employed by both Motobecane and Jeunet*
fork crown is NERVEX pattern Nr. 7
serial placement one employed by Motobecane
fixed bottom bracket cup puzzling:
it has two flats and no rings which would indicate T.A. Italian thread
Stronglight metric thread would exhibit one ring and eight flats
Stronglight CH thread would exhibit no rings and eight flats
possible fixed cup from another maker or marking worn away/poorly struck
another possibility is that original fixed side threads damaged and tapped to Italian with installation of a T.A. cup
tentative guess for identity and date:
Motobecane early 1960's
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* both firms own other marques so frame could be from one of these two companies but be otherwise badged
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Last edited by juvela; 02-24-23 at 06:57 PM. Reason: spellin'
#5
Yep I think "Moto" as well. Probably pre-'74 (when for US models they went to the round badge) and (not sure of specs for these years or for other markets) if ALL the tubes are stamped Reynolds 531 DB then almost certainly a GR, could be a GR with only the 3-main tubes 531 DB, I know some were.
I don't think I ever saw a GR with the "crimped" stay caps this has, they often had a flatter surface cause they got painted with "lining"
I don't think I ever saw a GR with the "crimped" stay caps this has, they often had a flatter surface cause they got painted with "lining"
#6
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Oakland, CA
Posts: 3,269
Bikes: '82 Univega Competizione, '72 Motobecane Grand Record, '83 Mercian KOM Touring, '85 Univega Alpina Uno, '76 Eisentraut Limited
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Actually, the seat stay tops look like my 72 Grand Record. Will post a pic if I can find a descriptive one.
Edit:
Edit:
#7
Ah ^ a '72 is a bit before my time (of seeing Motobecanes in the wild), thanks for the info point.
Does yours have all 531 DB or just the main tubes?
Does yours have all 531 DB or just the main tubes?
#8
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Oakland, CA
Posts: 3,269
Bikes: '82 Univega Competizione, '72 Motobecane Grand Record, '83 Mercian KOM Touring, '85 Univega Alpina Uno, '76 Eisentraut Limited
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One of the key remaining pieces of that disappearing Reynolds decal on my 72 has the number “3” to indicate the main triangle only.
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#9
Senior Member
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wrt suggestion of boom era Grand Record -
MB was employing Vagner crowns at this time rather than the NERVEX Pattern Nr. 7 worn by the subject frameset
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wrt suggestion of boom era Grand Record -
MB was employing Vagner crowns at this time rather than the NERVEX Pattern Nr. 7 worn by the subject frameset
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#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Oakland, CA
Posts: 3,269
Bikes: '82 Univega Competizione, '72 Motobecane Grand Record, '83 Mercian KOM Touring, '85 Univega Alpina Uno, '76 Eisentraut Limited
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#11
Senior Member
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Thank you!
Me roosty "memory" biteth me in ye olde hindquarters yet again.
Here is a feller in your same livery dated by its forum member owner as a '73 using information from the MB serial db created by T-Mar
Motobecane Serial Number Database
it exhibits a Vagner crown paired with a short-lived head emblem
perhaps '72 may have been the final year for the NERVEX crown
subject frame should be able to date to a specific year using the db
it exhibits two markings:
64116
14 _ _ _327 (middle characters appear to have been mooshed by qr)
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#14
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Oakland, CA
Posts: 3,269
Bikes: '82 Univega Competizione, '72 Motobecane Grand Record, '83 Mercian KOM Touring, '85 Univega Alpina Uno, '76 Eisentraut Limited
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whoever does end up taking on this project (and it will be worth some effort, IMO) they'll need either a 26.4 or 26.6 seatpost.
Might be either but perhaps the size that noobinsf is running in his would be the winner (?)
It's a plus there's a BB installed, hope it's still usable
Might be either but perhaps the size that noobinsf is running in his would be the winner (?)
It's a plus there's a BB installed, hope it's still usable
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