Titanium Frame ID????

[owenB]

Hello, i posted this on the pre97 forum but perhaps it should have gone here, Im looking at identifying the frame i have with a view to rebuilding it, any ideas on who made it and the year?

This is what I wrote:

I'm looking at rebuilding a titanium frame but I'd like to dress it up in period kit so I need some help with a rough year and who made it. I'm told it could be ti-max or Saracen but I'm not sure. No markings on the frame, no numbers can be seen throughout!!!

Any suggestions?

 

[hamster]

A canti hanger puts it pre-1996 ish. I doubt the canti hanger is a retrofit as the cable routing is on the right of the top tube - V-brakes work cleaner with left hand or top routing.
While top pull mechs have been around for ages, they seemed to become more popular from the mid 90s. So my guess would be 1993-96.

 

[owenB]

Thanks for the quick response, any manufacturers around that time that might have used TI?

 

[hamster]

Lots did, but it was generally subcontracted: Litespeed did many, also Sandvik but most of all it was Russian fabricators who suddenly didn't have much of a job building MiGs.

Probably it's not one re-badged for a big name (as it has no serial number) but that's not to discredit it. The socketed tube ends welded to straight cut tubes are unusual - you can just see finer welds inboard of each joint. Build it up and tell us how it rides!

 

[Woz]

Re:

Socketed tubes should help id it. As said, rather unusual.

Did Bontrager flirt with socketed Ti at the seat cluster?

 

[ishaw]

Is there a cable mount on the other side of the frame? Looks like two on the side in the pic so could be for front and rear mechs with the brake cable on the other side? If so it would be a v brake frame and change the age a bit.

The drilled drop outs ring a bell but not sure what from. Park pre ti?

 

[hamster]

Is there a cable mount on the other side of the frame? Looks like two on the side in the pic so could be for front and rear mechs with the brake cable on the other side?

Puzzled...I can see three cable slots... :?

 

[ishaw]

Could be. My eyes aren't what they were. It looked like two separate ones with a space in between to me but I'm probably wrong.

I have two ti frame with the three on the same side and to run v brakes resorted to avid ultimate and Paul ls v brakes as you can swap the cable bolt and noodle assembly around.

 

[Sketchyxup]

Re:

Possibly a Saracen?

It has side mounted cables and looks pretty similar to this:

 

[owenB]

Re:

Plenty of good comments, the last Saracen frame has a single seat rear stays unlike mine which is twin as per the norm. Cable runs on the top tube is only on one side. Saracen is close but not quite right...,!

Keep going, we might get it in the end