FALCON - PMS 753

[marshalllucky]

Recently picked up this Falcon 753. This was a surprise find as this is the first Falcon 753 I have ever come across.
If there are any Falcon experts out there I would welcome any info on this.
From my quick research, this one seems to date from 1989 as there are `PMS` decals on the chainstays , PMS Falcon were Falcons Pro team for 1989 and the team lineup included Shane Sutton. The team only lasted 12 Months and then became Banana Falcon for `90 & `91. Both teams rode Falcon 753`s with Dura Ace groupset ( cycling magazine published an article on Chris Walkers 1991 Banana -Falcon team bike a couple of years ago which is still online ) .
My bike ( if you ignore the crappy pedals and mountain bike saddle that the previous owner put on ) also has virtually full Dura ace kit.
Now I`m not suggesting this was a team bike but maybe what I have is a Falcon high end team replica? , I dont even know what the PMS Falcon team bikes looked like as I cant find any photos online , I suspect I will have to buy some old copies of `Cycling` from 1989 and hope there are some photos of the team in action.
The bike is filthy, I have just wiped it over but will be stripping it and am now even considering getting it sprayed up as a Banana Falcon team bike, shouldn`t be too hard as it already has so much Dura ace clinging to it!.
Any advice about Falcon 753`s or PMS Falcon would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Midlife]

Smart looking machine Can't help I'm afraid as my Falcon knowlege peters out at about 1982 when I had to leave the world of cycling and get a job LOL

My Falcon is a San Remo Equipe made on the production line for the team frames in the 1970's

I wish you luck as Falcon were a law unto themselves BITD

Shaun

 

[originalshinkicker]

Does your bike have any kind of frame numbering? I can't see anything mentioned in your opening post.
Cheers
Neil

 

[marshalllucky]

Does your bike have any kind of frame numbering? I can't see anything mentioned in your opening post.
Cheers
Neil

Hi Neil, No , I can`t find any serial number - so far . I have only just started to strip the frame so will have a better look at it incase the number is somewhere funny but nothing on the BB shell. I have just removed the chainset and and will be attempting to remove the BB tonight ( its a BB-7400 Dura Ace ) . The frame also has had a race number hanger on which has been pulled or snapped off, there are two small brazes under the top tube which I will photograph once I got it stripped. According to the aforementioned `Cycling` article , the pro teams 753 Frames were built in-house by Falcon but the riders were not happy with the rake of the forks so Dave Marsh had to remake the forks for some of the riders. I picked the bike up from the National cycling centre in Manchester ( velodrome ) it had belonged to the father of one of the coaches for British cycling, ( I dont think its fair to identify him ) but he seemed to know very little about it.

 

[torqueless]

Re:

Now I`m not suggesting this was a team bike but maybe what I have is a Falcon high end team replica?

I'd suspect any 753 frame with a race-number lug, especially one that has snapped off, (indicating that it has been used/abused) of being very likely indeed an ex team bike, more so given the bike's provenance?

 

[Lemond75]

The PMS Falcon bikes did indeed have the same paint job and Dura Ace groupsets so you almost certainly have a team bike. If I recall correctly, Falcon didn't make any high end bikes at that time, suggesting it's not a replica.

 

[marshalllucky]

Re:

Thanks for all the replies, I did suspect this may have been a team bike but didnt want to raise my hopes. I have not been able to find any info that Falcon ever sold and marketed a 753 off the peg machine but if anyone knows different....... I have oddly found just one photo online of PMS Falcon and it looks like Steve Jones which is totally bizarre as I have one of his old ANC bikes as documented elsewhere on this forum. Its a bit grainy but you can make out the large PMS logo on his chest ( 1st rider on left at rear ) from the 1989 LA McEwans crits in Cardiff.

 

[kingbling]

As it is looking like a team bike will you now keep it as a PMS or are you still thinking Banana ? nice score BTW

 

[marshalllucky]

As it is looking like a team bike will you now keep it as a PMS or are you still thinking Banana ? nice score BTW

Thanks, it was really poorly described , I just had to have it. There is no way I would now do a banana makeover , it would be such a shame, I`m not even going to have it painted, it`s staying as is . I have stripped it , I couldnt get the non drive side ( adjustable ) pin cup out of the BB shell, I broke my pin spanner :-( but I got the lockring off and the fixed cup on the other side so i was able to service the BB at least but I really wanted to fit a new BB. I may well use some of the Dura ace components and sell on the frame...not sure yet , I may even set it up for my summer ride , think it needs a longer stem, maybe a 120mm ITM black stem would look better than the 80mm cinelli that it came with. I will get some photos on soon when I find my camera.

 

[marshalllucky]

Re:

PMS Falcon rider Nick Barnes and Team car 1989 Kelloggs Tour.