help needed with Mystery Columbus frame.

[nowthenyogi]

Hello!

I purchased this frame pretty cheap from ebay.

It appears to be a columbus frame and forks which according to the seller originally had campag parts on it (apart from the brake calipers).

S/N on BB is: 5971 (i think). Dropout are columbus and there were faded remains of a columbus sticker on the fork, which is why I assume it is all columbus steel.

There was a decal on the downtube for the 'Canadian Cycling Association' and a maple leaf sticker on the headtube so presumably it was in Canada at some point in its life.

Original colour was a dark midnight blue, judging by the colour of the steerer tube.

The frame came with possibly original cinelli giro d'italia bars, weird cutout SR stem, universal 'super 68' calipers and campag levers.

Would love to know what it is so I can restore it to a decent degree!

More photos here: http://imgur.com/a/9jl5t

Cheers!

 

[Old Ned]

Isn't that a Specialized 'S' on the seat tube?

 

[nowthenyogi]

It is, shoddily applied after a bad respray. I'm pretty sure its early 70s italian just don't know what exactly.

Found some more detail whilst stripping paint off: GPM BREV No 168690 stamped on the rear brake bridge. Gipiemme I guess?

 

[Midlife]

The cut out stems started in the 70's ......... I had one

Shaun

Just had a look at the rest of the pics....the cable routing under the BB puts it later than my cycling days. Early eighties ?

 

[nowthenyogi]

The cut out stems started in the 70's ......... I had one

Shaun

Just had a look at the rest of the pics....the cable routing under the BB puts it later than my cycling days. Early eighties ?

Ah, later than I thought then, I guessed from the brake calipers it might be early 70's. Been trawling through archived shots of various italian bikes from the period without any luck for the past few hours... I'll carry on!

 

[Midlife]

It's difficult to date a frame by what is attached to it.

For example your frame has braze on downtube shifters, these were uncommon in the early 70's, certainly on UK frames as most people used banded ones.

Is there a good picture of the lugs as they might be used to date it.

Shaun

 

[nowthenyogi]

Cheers for the help, got a few shots of the lugs after paint removal.

Bit easier to see them after being rid of the inch thick coating of paint...

 

[Midlife]

Plain and simple lugs start to mark it out as a more modern frame as does the rear brake bridge. Are the forks / bridge recessed for an allen bolt ?

Shaun

 

[nowthenyogi]

Nope, fork and bridge aren't drilled for a recessed bolt.

Also had a better look at the serial on bb, seems to be "597 6" - with the space. Not sure if it's intended to be like that or the 6 wasn't lined up with the rest when it was punched on.

 

[Midlife]

http://www.velofilie.nl/framedelen.htm

Been looking for the lugs and BB........my german isn't that good LOL

Shaun