pioneer no.3 or is it?

pwebb

Retro Guru
starting a build thread for this curiosity:
I bought this frame from a forum member before xmas in Somerset - who in turn bought it from another forum member , I decided to build this one up as a restomod and went for a loud colour atypical of Overbury's bikes - its now back from being dipped and powder coated and is looking pretty neat.
DSC07556_cr2.jpg DSC07557_cr.jpg DSC07560_cr.jpg DSC07561_cr.jpg

I am puzzled by this one - it has v-brake style cable routing, no canti bridge and routing for top pull front mech - all of which are not your typical Pioneer build - I have 2 others and have compared closely... ...The fillet brazed parts look exactly like my other pioneers as does the BB shell and the dropouts - very puzzling, its possible this was a one off experiment but I have not seen a Pioneer later than 1992 and V brakes came on the scene in 1996.

IMG_20250116_222851047_HDR_cr.jpg IMG_20250116_222901674_HDR_cr.jpg
(fwiw the fork is from another source - I just had the 2 powder coated at the same time and it looks simialr to the unicrown forks of early 90s)

back to the frame - I guess the triple cable stops could have been added later but that doesnt explain the lack of a canti bridge. Or it could be something else altogether - but the closeness to the Pioneer in so many ways is baffling - right down to the shaping of the top of the seat tube and the lugs on the BB shell, plus derailleur hanger are all standard Pioneer.

IMG_20250116_222916939_HDR_cr.jpg

From the weight and the gauge of the tubes it appears to be a mix of reynolds and columbus - which is not unusual for a Pioneer, it also has all the other trademark Overbury's traits like 1" Head tube and seat tube is similarly thin , not at all like a mid 90s bike that would almost certainly be 1 1/8 head tube and thicker seat tube too.

I am not overly bothered it will build into something nice - I have some NOS XT hubs and rims and will add a 1x9 drivetrain - once I assemble the requisite parts. More anon
 
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