Unique Mystery Touring Frame ID Help Please

[legrandefromage]

I'm sorry (I'm not really) but everything whiffs of late 1980s into the 1990s for that frame

Most builders stuck with traditional horizontal dropouts and the same type of fork over and over again.

My own 1980s Raleighs, British Eagle, Dawes and other tourers have all been built seemingly using the same instruction manual.

The one pictured appears to be later going from what I've owned and looked at over the years

Using an obscure one-off TT frame as a reference 'so all frames must be like that' is just a bit misleading.

*My SBDU frames have been SB7336 and SB8387

 

[vcballbat]

I'm sorry (I'm not really) but everything whiffs of late 1980s into the 1990s for that frame

Most builders stuck with traditional horizontal dropouts and the same type of fork over and over again.

My own 1980s Raleighs, British Eagle, Dawes and other tourers have all been built seemingly using the same instruction manual.

The one pictured appears to be later going from what I've owned and looked at over the years

Using an obscure one-off TT frame as a reference 'so all frames must be like that' is just a bit misleading.

*My SBDU frames have been SB7336 and SB8387

No reference to all frames are like this was made just highlighting the fact that Shimano vertical dropouts and investment cast seat lugs have been around for quite some time as the evidence suggests and as you rightly point out used by high end low volume frame builders. So was this frame built by a US frame builder or possibly a quality Japanese import which were popular in the US during the 80's and beyond

 

[vcballbat]

Had a look on Velobase and your rear dropouts are showing as Shimano SFR, the same as on both my 1980 and 1981 Raleigh. On my 81 you can just make out the SFR. Looks like the horizontal F/R version were known as SF which I'm guessing that is what's on the front, mine has Campagnolo upfront

https://velobase.com/ViewFramePart.aspx?ID=1d9939be-d349-4137-bdeb-993b012712fa&AbsPos=44

 

[bagpuss]

I fit right in with ocd. .... that col thingy in the alps

 

[chickendrumsticks]

It's had a later repaint darling the SB frame number dates it to 1980. Investment cast seat lugs have been around since the early 80's possibly longer, still trying to figure out what make this lug is on my early 83 Raleigh 753 frame

View attachment 764154

Perhaps you could pursue this romance off line. I'm feeling slightly sick.

 

[legrandefromage]

He touched my brazeons

 

[chickendrumsticks]

He touched my brazeons

Were you flaunting them I wonder?

 

[bolgre11]

I feel like the frame and fork don’t belong together. Gut feel is the frame pre-dates the fork by quite a lot. Is the rear bridge drilled for a brake? If so, I might even say the rear canti bosses were added later and the fork swapped to match.

Thanks for the response! You're certainly not the first person to suggest this, i've gotten that consensus from a few other places now.

I appreciate hunch regarding the brake bosses, that's the first time that's been brought up. After inspecting the frame I can confirm that the rear bridge wasn't drilled with a brake in mind though.

 

[bolgre11]

All, thanks so much for the attention and thought, banter and frivolity aside.

I'm happy to hear the sentiment regarding the quality of the work is shared, it piqued my interest as soon as I saw the listing. I just really didn't expect this to be such a mystery.

 

[Jonny69]

It’s definitely a nice frame. I guess all you can do is sand or scrape back a bit of the purple paint and see if there’s anything underneath. If there’s old paint underneath and it’s a different colour on the frame and fork, chances are they don’t belong together. If you do it somewhere you can’t see, you could touch it back up with metallic purple nail varnish.