is a vintage speedwell titanium worthy of some hassle/dough!

[bduc61]

There is this titanium speedwell for sale in France

As it is far in the country and the guy asks at present more than 800 quid, I wonder if it worth the hassle and money :idea: :shock:

I have read that these frames are nearly full grade titanium ( unlike the 3/2.5 or 6/4 ones) therefore much more flexy

Were they prone to failure at specific junctures ?

The seller says the fork is not titanium , so what is it ? Steel - it seems original as it looks like one I saw on another picture.
Were they some titanium forks made by speedwell ?

It is also sporting a partly painted frame in a goldish tone

This example is equipped with decent stuff ( Huret Jubilee derailleurs) and lightened parts but still, that's pretty hefty for a titanium of the "start" of the titanium technology.

What's your view ?

 

[Midlife]

Re: is a vintage speedwell titanium worthy of some hassle/do

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Britis ... l_home.htm

Forks look like the original titanium jobbies. The price depends on what you are prepared to pay for the warm nostalgic glow of owning one........

Shaun

 

[bduc61]

Re: is a vintage speedwell titanium worthy of some hassle/do

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/British_isles/speedwell/Speedwell_home.htm

Forks look like the original titanium jobbies. The price depends on what you are prepared to pay for the warm nostalgic glow of owning one........

Shaun

as you say "warm nostalgic glow"
to me it implies that it is more a collectable item rather than a bike to be used
I tend to buy stuff that is perfectly usable even if 25 or 40 years old and this with pleasure
Here I wonder if it is more of a garage queen that can't really be used with peace of mind !

I don't have 800 quid to invest in a collectable item at present I am afraid :roll:

 

[Midlife]

Re: is a vintage speedwell titanium worthy of some hassle/do

Plenty of pro's rode Speedwell / Titalite BITD so can't have been too shabby

We had a very early frame hung up in our shop which never sold, it was a very early one which wasn't the best built. We were told that it took hundreds of man hours to build / finish and had to be welded in a noble gas filled sort of box with holes in for arms to go through. Apparently it was technological breakthrough.

The later ones looked a lot better finished.

I have always been tempted to buy one but they just go for so much money I can't justify it.

Shaun

 

[bduc61]

Re: is a vintage speedwell titanium worthy of some hassle/do

this one is engraved
PR 575008
so presumably may 75 8th frame
that would make it a series what ? II?

 

[rusty bodie]

Re: is a vintage speedwell titanium worthy of some hassle/do

one of the guys in our bike club bought one yonks ago with a hairline crack in it. they were prone to this apparently. vaccuum welding was considered the only option back then . .

 

[orbeas]

Re: is a vintage speedwell titanium worthy of some hassle/do

Plenty of pro's rode Speedwell / Titalite BITD so can't have been too shabby

We had a very early frame hung up in our shop which never sold, it was a very early one which wasn't the best built. We were told that it took hundreds of man hours to build / finish and had to be welded in a noble gas filled sort of box with holes in for arms to go through. Apparently it was technological breakthrough.

The later ones looked a lot better finished.

I have always been tempted to buy one but they just go for so much money I can't justify it.

Shaun

Plenty of them broke too, The best part was the forks which were bomb proof...
I know Ron Kitching, who were the distibutors, had a lot back.. I broke one on the Pennine way and thinbk Eric Stone broke a few too...
Cannot remember how they rode..

 

[non-fixie]

Re: is a vintage speedwell titanium worthy of some hassle/do

'Your' fork looks like the original titanium item. Here's mine, a '77 example. It looks and feels well-made, albeit a bit more flexible than a steel bike. It also feels very, very light and I'd have no problems riding it often if it were closer to my size (63 cm).

Best picture I have of the fork:

 

[bduc61]

Re: is a vintage speedwell titanium worthy of some hassle/do

superb
and with the first generation black Dura Ace group :shock:

I have got the same group and is looking for a frame to hang it on
that could be an idea :facepalm:
I shouldn't have posted , now its going to haunt me as a vent noir II from Puch is hard to find !

but as other post suggest, the frame may be prone to fragility depending on former use :roll: :?:

 

[Midlife]

Re: is a vintage speedwell titanium worthy of some hassle/do

non-fixie

Best group ever............. good old black Dura-Ace. Slightly facelifted first gen as there is plastic coating on the brake bits and the rear mech was originally a silver Crane.

Interesting Speedwell frame, same as the one in our shop BITD that had the seat cluster as two rounded tubes but I don't remember ours having a brazed on rear mech stop. Later ones seemed to have flattened tubes at the seat cluster like steel frames.

Still on my shopping list though

Shaun