Falcon Team Banana

[Rich Aitch]

Details below picture.

 

[Rich Aitch]

This is my Falcon Team Banana which I brought a few years ago to get to work when petrol hit £1.25p for the first time. One day the pump attendent said to me that he'd never expected to see the day when it cost 20 quid just to fill a motorbike! It got me thinking about cycling to work to save money. I tried it once a week for a few weeks by mountain bike and liked it but I wanted to be able to get there faster than one and a half hours I realized I needed a road bike. I remembered drooling over "Team Banana Falcon's" in my mums catalogue when I was a spotty child. There was something about the yellow and white frame that made them look very special.
There were a lot for sale on Ebay most were too big and made outlandish claims about Reynolds tubing. All I could see on them was the British Standards sticker... Surprisingly quickly a 17" one came up near me. What clinched it was that it was the only one I'd seen with the original handle bar tape.
I picked it up from the seller in Booths supermarket carpark in Clitheroe and pedalled home. I remember doing a quick sum and realising that if I rode once a fortnight to work during British Summer Time then It'd have paid for itself in about a year. That plan quickly got quashed because my office relocated to almost next to the railway station so motorbike and Team Banana got retired to weekend duties.

 

[Rich Aitch]

As brought.

Note the clumsy steel pedals and chromed seat pillar. Selle Italia saddle is not original- I think they had a hard yellow saddle- and has been replaced by a yellow gel one.

 

[Rich Aitch]

Specs, square brackets show original equipment that has been replaced.

Frame: 1020 guage (Plain) steel 1" diameter dog leg rear dropouts.

Fork: 1020 steel, flat crown, external lugs

Headset: Threaded, unknown provenence

Stem: Sakae
Handlebar: Sakae Road Champion

Bar Tape: Original fitment graded yellow into white


Brake Levers: [Weinmann] now perforated Weinmann

Brake Calipers: [Weinmann centre pivot cast calipers] now Campagnolo Mirage at back.

Brake Pads: Unknown

Brake Cables: Unknown but with original orange/ red sheathing.

Shifters: [Shimano S.I.S thumbshifters on the down tube], ugh! replaced with Ofmega Master's.

Front Derailleur: [Shimano F.E] Gipiemme LJ

Rear Derailleur: [Shimano S.I.S] Ofmega Master

Derailleur Cables: Unknown but with original orange/ red sheathing.

Cassette: [Shimano 6 speed] Shimano 7 speed now.

Chain: [Unknown] SRAM

Cranks: [Alloy, unknown] Campagnolo alloy

Chainrings: [Alloy, unknown] Campagnolo Centaur ATB 48t, Ofmega oval 38t

Bottom Bracket: Adjustable

Pedals: [Unknown, horrid] Welgo with Zefal Mt Christoph toe-clips, now Ofmega Sintesi with white Zefal Mt Christophe toe-clips.

Rims: [Rigida Superchromix stippled plated steel] Rigida Excel 70's

Hubs: [Sachs Maillard] Campagnolo

Hub Skewers: [Bolts] Zefal security skewers

Nipples:

Spokes: 36

Tyres: Specialized Nimbus 700 28c

Tubes: Specialized 700, presta fitting 700 28C

Saddle: Selle Italia SLR Gelflow perforated yellow leather, vanox (chrome vanadium?) rails.

Seatpost: Campagnolo Aero Chorus aluminium 1" micro adjustable,
[NS 1" Chromed seat post and separate bracket]

Seatpost Binder: [Chrome bolt] Zefal security skewer

Bottle Cage: Nimrod tubular steel, yellow

Extras:

Weight:

----
Part way through upgrade:

 

[Rich Aitch]

Next up is to replace the beautiful but slightly alarming Rigida Superchromix rims with something that will stop in the rain. It has never been a problem before but this year has been a bit of a wash out for weather so I haven't ventured out much on it.

 

[chrisv40]

That brings back some memories Rich, I got one of those for Xmas from my Mums catalogue years ago.

Loved it to bits and rode it everywhere.

Nice to see it all so nice and original right down to the bar tape

 

[Lemond Fan]

Lovely retro bike, they actually made 2 models, the one sold in most mail order catalogues was the normal tubing but I think from memory Gratton sold both models the normal tubing model and a more expensive Reynolds 501 or 531 machine. My brother bought one and still has it to this day. Only problem is he lives in Germany so difficult to get photos for you.

He still has a full team kit new and unworn !!!

 

[Goldie]

Next up is to replace the beautiful but slightly alarming Rigida Superchromix rims with something that will stop in the rain. It has never been a problem before but this year has been a bit of a wash out for weather so I haven't ventured out much on it.

Nooooooooooooooo! Don't replace them! I know the feeling of utter terror that accompanies braking in the wet on Superchromix's well and can honestly say that it has brightened up many a dull day by putting me on unexpected collision courses with a variety of roadside furniture. I love that "Vrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!" noise that they make under hard braking too, sort of implying that they are doing their best, even if no noticeable deceleration is taking place.

At least promise you'll hang on to them and put them on for high days and holidays

 

[fingers]

Smudge a bit of bitumen round the brake surfaces (dont go mad)... That'll give you a bit of grab.

 

[Rich Aitch]

Thanks Goldie and Fingers. I love those wheels too, especially the "Zizzing" sound that you get in the dry. When it has been dry I've always found them to be pretty sharp at stopping. I think I'll clean them up and hang them on a wall somewhere.