1962/3 Falcon San Remo - help please

[Dancjwood]

I have acquired this fantastic albeit tired Falcon San Remo which I believe to be the 1962/3 model; the advert from the time offers it in this nice Bronze paint scheme.

The gent I got it from bought it second hand in 1970; he remembers updating the stem and handlebar, he painted the white bands on the rear triangle but otherwise it is entirely original and has sat in his garage for many years.

I intend to restore it to as near original spec as possible however information on the exact spec is understandably sparse. The last owner remembers that the stem he replaced had an external nut like a GB stem of the period. Does anyone have any suggestions for a period stem/bar combo?

The brakes are Universal however the levers are Weinmann and all other San Remo's i've seen appear to have Weinmann 999 brakes. Is this likely to be a deviation from the standard spec?

I have some Campagnolo record large flange hubs with the early flat quick release which i will build up for the bike; can anyone recommend some contemporary rims?

The bike came with lots of extra bits; my favourite is the original sew up repair kit!

 

[Midlife]

Nice find . Mine is from the early 70's but I guess this one in nearer your vintage.

http://classiclightweights.net/united-k ... mo-equipe/

 

[Dancjwood]

Re:

I've been looking at that one; it's a fabulous looking bike.

The picture of Mick Stallatd is really useful as it looks like he's on small flange hubs and the stem is very like a gb stem.

 

[keithglos]

Re:

Your Falcon was a genuine racer, not the poverty spec shown in the 62/3 catalogues.

To undestand what it was like to ride you should equip it with light rims and tubulars.

The handlebar control was used to enable changing both gears at once to get the next gear ratio. If you decide to use it (them) you must get the extremely flexible inner cable, and feed it through one hole at a time in the lever. If you put it through both holes and then pull you will ruin it.

Keith

 

[Dancjwood]

Re:

Mine does differ from the advert in that it doesn't have a chrome fork, it appears to have always been white.

I'd love to use the bar end shifters but they appear to be an extra; not on the original bike. The last owner can't remember where they came from.

I will build it with tubulars; I have got a hideous amount of wheels at the moment so can put a second set of day to day wheels aside.

 

[Midlife]

The forks on your bike have no mudguard eyes so don't match the rear, replacement maybe as all the San Reno's I recall have had chrome forks. Are Keith mentions the San Remo you have looks like the Equipe which was the "team" model and was designed for club / race use

 

[Dancjwood]

Re:

I don't know why I hadn't noticed that; I'll check and see if they have a matching number.

 

[Dancjwood]

Re:

I've checked; there's no numbers; maybe it is a replacement.

The question now is do I get them chromed?

 

[torqueless]

Re:

The brakes are Universal however the levers are Weinmann

Are you sure that is not a pair of Universal levers with Weinmann hoods?

I like to think that if I came across a haul like that, I would just strip the components down, deal with 'live' rust in the frame, lubricate everything, put it back together, and mount it on an immaculate pair of LF sprints.. but in reality I might do different.
I must admit I don't understand the compulsion to restore a bike to factory spec. I reckon most cyclists back then were glad to get away from it.. ymmv.

 

[Dancjwood]

You're right, they are universal levers.

Normally that's what id do; I have a number of bikes, all a mish mash of components and eras and all used fairly regularly. I'm a big fan of original paint, particularly on rarer bikes, I like them to have a story and be more conservation than restoration. In the case of this one I think the paint is too far gone, it's falling off in places.

I'm not trying to return it to factory spec, I don't think we can find out what that was, but i'd like to put it back to 60's components and make it the high end racing machine of that era as it was designed.