Identification help - Claud Butler

[321Ewan]

I recently bought a Claud Butler and am curious to find out what model it is and when it dates from, hopefully you can please help!

All the previous owner said was 'probably 1970's'...

The number on the bottom of the frame is 050602, and I can see it was made during the Holdsworth era of CB.

Oh and the wheels/tires are certainly not original...

 

[Midlife]

Those top tube cable guides are a bit 80's really. It's not a good pic though. Are the brakes nutted or allen key, do the cable guides for the mech's go under the BB ?

Shaun

 

[321Ewan]

Hi Shaun

Apologies for the pic. The brakes are nutted and the cable goes over the BB.

 

[Midlife]

Changed laptops can see that now LOL

I'll have a think ........

Shaun

 

[321Ewan]

Cheers

 

[Goldie]

Late '70's or early '80's sounds right - I can see it's got cotterless alloy cranks. How about a Cresta? The 1981 spec looks a close match (top tube cable guides, alloy cotterless chainset, Reynolds 531 fork blades) although the colour maybe doesn't sound quite right.

http://www.nkilgariff.com/

 

[321Ewan]

Late '70's or early '80's sounds right - I can see it's got cotterless alloy cranks. How about a Cresta? The 1981 spec looks a close match (top tube cable guides, alloy cotterless chainset, Reynolds 531 fork blades) although the colour maybe doesn't sound quite right.

http://www.nkilgariff.com/

Thank you, this sounds very promising - so I googled "claud butler cresta 1981" and came up with an old topic this very forum http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1436776

 

[321Ewan]

Also, looking up the brake calipers (Weinmann type 730) that seems realistic for early 80's.

I sadly know very little about bikes! Any other parts that could give clues?
(Wheels/tires/seat obviously unoriginal)

 

[Robbied196]

Have a look on the back of the brake calipers, there should be a circle of numbers (months) with a 2 digit year stamped in the middle of the circle. So many weinmann brakes were getting used in production through the 70s & 80s as long as they are original its a pretty accurate indicator of year

 

[321Ewan]

Have a look on the back of the brake calipers, there should be a circle of numbers (months) with a 2 digit year stamped in the middle of the circle. So many weinmann brakes were getting used in production through the 70s & 80s as long as they are original its a pretty accurate indicator of year

Thanks! 1982 is their year. I can only assume that they are original, though the catalogue on http://www.nkilgariff.com/ says the Cresta comes with 999 brakes not 730..? Also the Cresta only seems to be in Violet-Blue or Red, but I've probably just missed something somewhere.