Overbury's Pioneer

[retrobikeguy]

Re:

I guess there are possibilities of no S/N, As you say though, there may be something when all the paint is off.

Just a thought...is there anything on the fork, can't remember if they stamped the steerer too.

 

[Peachy!]

I’ll say it....

Great info THM

 

[legrandefromage]

There was no serial number on either of my bikes - both were Columbus but there were plenty of Reynolds frames. Tubing can have a faint Reynolds marking once you get the paint off.

Heres another colour option - sadly this one looked like it had a front end impact

 

[Heavy]

Roller cam is a nice touch.



Edit : Bugger wrong spec sheet........

Found it.

How on earth did I not see this big orange post ! :shock:

Thanks THM - I love the fact that it's done on a typewriter & it will be very useful.

 

[Heavy]

There was no serial number on either of my bikes - both were Columbus but there were plenty of Reynolds frames. Tubing can have a faint Reynolds marking once you get the paint off.

Heres another colour option - sadly this one looked like it had a front end impact

Thanks LGF,

Its good to know that missing s/n are not uncommon.

I'll definitely be going for a fade of some sort. No firm plans yet but it's likely to be fairly bright 88/89 stylee.

The person I bought it off said that the bike was yellow & blue (I haven't seen any blue yet)

He also said that he bought it off an American who'd had the f&f imported to the US to be built up, then later brought to the UK.

 

[xxnick1975]

Re:

The rear brake mounts and the position on the cable stops will give some clues to age of this frame and the rear OLN maybe.

These are very versatile and rideable bikes so well worth sorting this one out if you can.

The blue and yellow fade is one of the famous colour ways for these.

There have been some spectacular rebuilds threads for these over the years, worth seeking out, of the top of my head, Sinnermans (he’ll be along soon I imagine - knows a hell of a lot about Brit bikes of this vintage) was immaculate and there was another one by Bryn? (Sadly they guy died in a motorbike accident) but the Pioneer he refurbed was something truly inspiring.

Good luck with it and keep us updated!

Edit - oh yeah check the forks - I’ve read the original forks had a tendency to get bent - from the photos yours look fine but worth double checking

 

[danson67]

I'd agree on the serial numbers...My Pioneer has no numbers, but my Cross Fell from a few years earlier has on on the BB shell and on a flat filed into the steerer tube.

Orders would have been coming in very fast for Andy by 1988/89, so I suspect he probably dropped bothering with the numbers in favour of getting them out the door.
Overbury's was just Andy making the frames, and his mum Enid handling the front end and the shop...also, their stock management, record keeping and paperwork could be described as lax at the best of times.

On the colour, the yellow looks spot on, but it might have just been plain with blue stickers...although most Pioneers did have a fade of some sort, there was a small upcharge for it.

The curved and oval chainstays would suggest that it's Columbus tubing, so probably 1989.
I had a June 1988 Pioneer, which was still Reynolds 531, with the s-bend 22.2mm round chainstays.


All the best,