Bling'd Claud Butler Cape Wrath

[crud]

updated photo's, 25th Feb

Well after taking this bike apart, not entirely due to the five page thread critising it, I missed what I created and I have rebuilt it, but better. Regardless of who made the frame and where it was built, it is built well, with good tubes and the ride is brilliant Just waiting on some new wheels, NOS M950 and some special rims.

Yes my chain is Rusty

Frame: 15" Claud Butler Cape Wrath - Tange Double Butted Cro-Mo, Ti-Plate Finish

Fork: 1996 Rock Shox Judy SL

Headset: Chris King
Stem: Ritchey
Handlebar: EA50 XC Riser
Grips: Yeti


Brakes: XTR M950
Brake Pads: XTR M950
Brake Cables: Clarks
Brake Levers: XTR M952

Shifters: XTR M952
Front Derailleur: XTR M953
Rear Derailleur: XTR M952
Derailleur Cables: Clarks
Cassette: XT M739
Cranks: XTR M950
Crank Bolts: XTR M950
Chainrings: XTR M950
Chainring bolts XTR M950
Bottom Bracket:XTR M950
Pedals: Ritchey Clipless

Hub Skewers: XTR M950
Rims: Mavic D521
Hubs: Front Hope TI . Rear XT M739
Nipples: DT
Spokes: DT
Tyres: Ritchey Inno Vader Folding

Saddle: Nisene Ti
Seatpost: Ritchey Comp
Seatpost Binder: Bontrager Ti

Weight: 25lbs

 

[utahdog2003]

That's the second Claud Butler slap today. For us ignorant knits living in the swamps of Florida....please explain. Why the CB hate? :?

 

[Gadro]

I like it , good build, I don't care about the correctness of parts. It just looks right and I bet it's good fun to ride.

The Claud Butler brand is much maligned and can be the object of snobbery to those that are obsessed by Yeti's , Klein's, etc. BUT back in the day it was a British brand and I would have loved to have had one. One of mates had the new D24 Cape Wrath a couple of years ago and for the money he paid it was an excellent bike and simply p*ssed all over similar priced Scott's, GT's and Treks. (Not that you could find anything in those Brands priced as low)

Looks a great little bike and perfect for throwing around on trails (ah the comfort of steel!)

 

[barry2017]

Claud Butler were the best mass produced bikes made in England, but in the early 90s they shut down their british factory and now they are all made in China. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but they aren't special in the way they once were.
Still, they're good bikes, always good value for money and mostly well designed. I'd jump at the chance of owning one as good as this.
My Claud Butler is painted in Hammerite and has drum brakes.

 

[hamster]

The problem is only that they made bikes at a wide range of prices. The good ones were good, but the mystique of the brand is ruined by £150 Full Sus BSO's riding around shopping centres with fat smokers on them.

Way back in history (1960's) Claud Butler were very, very, very good and still sought after.

 

[Easy_Rider]

Looks nice

Having seen this frame in the flesh, i can say it is very nice indeed and good quality too, no matter what is written on the side. It looks to have the same finish as the "Ti Plate" Parkpre, and it was mistaken for Titanium....

 

[Mr Panda]

This one looks absolutely fine.

I have a matt black 2004/5 Cape Wrath in aluminium alloy and it is probably the heaviest bike I've ever owned. Looks quite neat but I suspect it'll be for sale soon :twisted:

 

[lewis1641]

i thought it was great before and think itsw great now. back int he day claude butlers came out of the same factory as falcon bikes here in sunny brigg. i think that might have affected them a little but i think the main reason is the marketing.

i think falcon realised that claud butler were a strong brand and so in the mid 90's they started putting the name on bikes that really should have been labelled as falcon. for me it started to go wrong with the huge tubed aluminium frames.

i genuinely love the early 90's claud butlers and this bike goes to show they can still make an attractive (and i assume nimble) frame.

i would really love to find a 91 cape wrath, oracle or sceptre. growing up so close to the factory there were a lot of them around back then. i used to have an oracle for a while. miss that bike

 

[utahdog2003]

The Claud Butler brand is much maligned and can be the object of snobbery to those that are obsessed by Yeti's , Klein's, etc. BUT back in the day it was a British brand and I would have loved to have had one. One of mates had the new D24 Cape Wrath a couple of years ago and for the money he paid it was an excellent bike and simply p*ssed all over similar priced Scott's, GT's and Treks. (Not that you could find anything in those Brands priced as low)

Looks a great little bike and perfect for throwing around on trails (ah the comfort of steel!)

That's what I figured. The subject bike for this thread looks like a nifty little beast to me. Very Nice. AND bonus points for a cool name...'Cape Wrath"

Claud Butler were the best mass produced bikes made in England, but in the early 90s they shut down their british factory and now they are all made in China. There's nothing wrong with that...

Made in China. I'd say that there's everything wrong with that :cry: , but I guess that's a topic for another thread...

 

[Wold Ranger]

Claud Butler

Unfortunately I'm old enough to remember when Claud Butler made hand Brazed, beautiful fancy fret lugged 10 speed racers to order only, hand lug lined paint, they were on everyones wish list. don't know how they evolved over the years to what they became, but they certainly were not mass produced poor quality frames back in the 60's.