Yet another "what have I got here?" question.

[Dean Brown]

I've owned this bike since the late 80s and used it to get me all over London as a student. I bought it second hand for no other reason than that I needed a bicycle and this one was offered. I know it's a Falcon "Designed by Ernie Clements". My memory of it was that it was a 10 speed, but it may just as easily have been 12 speed, I need to dig out the rear wheel for a definitive answer. It's all there and complete, right down to the buckled front wheel that was the reason for me taking it off the road. No badges, just transfers/stickers. The frame (minus forks) weighs 2.5kg which is somewhere around 5.5lb I think. Brakes are sidepulls, pedals had rat traps, it never had mudguards or anything like that. QR wheels.
Weather's getting better, (did I really just say that?), I'm out on my bicycle more and more and all of a sudden I've gone nostalgic for this one. So, before I take it to a local tech and as for it to be put back on the road, any ideas what it is? My guess is late 70s, early 80s. I'm not a knowledgeable cyclist, but I do remember that the Falcon felt a lot lighter, quicker and nicer than the Raleigh Jubilee 10 speed it replaced.
Can anyone shed any light? Many thanks, Dean

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Yours is one of the better quality Falcons, looking at the lugs and seat stay eyes. Unlikely to be later than early 80s. Falcon frame numbers are a nightmare, you might be lucky though. It's a nice frame. What is the rear spacing? 120mm leans towards the 70s 126mm towards the 80s
Edit, was it equipped with Suntour Cyclone mechs? More pictures would help.

 

[Dean Brown]

Yours is one of the better quality Falcons, looking at the lugs and seat stay eyes. Unlikely to be later than early 80s. Falcon frame numbers are a nightmare, you might be lucky though. It's a nice frame. What is the rear spacing? 120mm leans towards the 70s 126mm towards the 80s
Edit, was it equipped with Suntour Cyclone mechs? More pictures would help.

Thanks for the reply. Showing my ignorance probably here but, when you say "rear spacing", is that gap between the drop outs? If so that gap's 120mm on mine. Yes, Suntour Cyclone mechs. Which bits would be most helpful to photograph? I'll try and find all the scattered parts tomorrow if possible.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Yes that's right. It's likely to be 70s then. Take pictures of all parts. Suntour will have date codes on them. No surprise it was better than a jubilee. 120mm will be 5 speed or 6 speed Suntour ultra narrow. 6 in the space of a 5. Chains and freewheels are rare.

 

[Dean Brown]

Yes that's right. It's likely to be 70s then. Take pictures of all parts. Suntour will have date codes on them. No surprise it was better than a jubilee. 120mm will be 5 speed or 6 speed Suntour ultra narrow. 6 in the space of a 5. Chains and freewheels are rare.

In my head, it's a 10 speed but tomorrow will reveal all I'm sure.

 

[Dean Brown]

I've owned this bike since the late 80s and used it to get me all over London as a student. I bought it second hand for no other reason than that I needed a bicycle and this one was offered. I know it's a Falcon "Designed by Ernie Clements". My memory of it was that it was a 10 speed, but it may just as easily have been 12 speed, I need to dig out the rear wheel for a definitive answer. It's all there and complete, right down to the buckled front wheel that was the reason for me taking it off the road. No badges, just transfers/stickers. The frame (minus forks) weighs 2.5kg which is somewhere around 5.5lb I think. Brakes are sidepulls, pedals had rat traps, it never had mudguards or anything like that. QR wheels.
Weather's getting better, (did I really just say that?), I'm out on my bicycle more and more and all of a sudden I've gone nostalgic for this one. So, before I take it to a local tech and as for it to be put back on the road, any ideas what it is? My guess is late 70s, early 80s. I'm not a knowledgeable cyclist, but I do remember that the Falcon felt a lot lighter, quicker and nicer than the Raleigh Jubilee 10 speed it replaced.
Can anyone shed any light? Many thanks, Dean

Had a rummage around the sheds this morning and found some of the ancillaries which will hopefully help date and possibly even identify the model of my Falcon. The only things that I'm not 100% certain came from my bike are the brakes and levers as I've found so many of those in various boxes. Some Weinman, some Galli. Can't find the buckled front wheel yet, but the rear wheel reveals that my memory is correct and that the bike is a 10 speed. Looking at the numbers stamped onto the cranks and the date code on the SunTour bits (TC), I'm making a guess that the bike is circa 1977 or 1978 if it's a bit newer than some of it's parts perhaps. Looking at the 1978 catalogue it most closely resembles the Professional in looks, although the 10 speed suggests maybe the Super Route, or just as easily neither I suppose. Anyway, here's some pics of the bits I've unearthed today. As ever, your input would be most welcome.

 

[Dean Brown]

Had a rummage around the sheds this morning and found some of the ancillaries which will hopefully help date and possibly even identify the model of my Falcon. The only things that I'm not 100% certain came from my bike are the brakes and levers as I've found so many of those in various boxes. Some Weinman, some Galli. Can't find the buckled front wheel yet, but the rear wheel reveals that my memory is correct and that the bike is a 10 speed. Looking at the numbers stamped onto the cranks and the date code on the SunTour bits (TC), I'm making a guess that the bike is circa 1977 or 1978 if it's a bit newer than some of it's parts perhaps. Looking at the 1978 catalogue it most closely resembles the Professional in looks, although the 10 speed suggests maybe the Super Route, or just as easily neither I suppose. Anyway, here's some pics of the bits I've unearthed today. As ever, your input would be most welcome.

Just found the front wheel, isn't this fun. Not as buckled as I remembered it but having been left out in the elements it's quite far gone now. Anyway, the hub is a Maillard, Made in France. Presumably that matches the rear but I don't remember seeing anything stamped on the rear hub.

 

[sjcprojects]

Not surprisingly given you bought it in the late 80s, the parts on it are a bit of a mix – I would guess the Weinmann brake lever is original, whereas the Galli one definitely isn't, and I'd be surprised if the bars are the original ones. Not that it matters, it's all decent stuff, although obviously some of it has seen better days.

If it's for nostalgia's sake, it's worth doing for the pleasure of seeing it back to life, but even if you're not getting it repainted (and that paint does look pretty far gone, even it it is only original once), if you're getting someone else to put it back together it's going to cost a fair bit, as that's quite a bit of work. Plus you'll need at least one new wheel (which means it's probably worth getting a new pair, which would cost about the same anyway - worth looking on the items for sale thread on here for that).

Just a heads up, because it's easy to underestimate the amount of money you can end up spending on this sort of thing, even if you were do all the work yourself – and once you're paying someone else to do it you're easily into 100s of pounds...

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Falcon were notorious for changing specs. Two of the same models could turn up at the dealership and have detail differences.
I would replace the bars and stem, the bar's look well chewed up. Being that era of Cinelli their likely to be 26.4mm clamp size, which is specific to Cinelli.
I think most of what you have will clean up and will make a nice late 70s bike. I'd certainly rebuild it. Check the hubs for wear, you may be surprised. Soak everything in plusgas, especially the pedals in the crank.
Edit, I'd be happy to build it for you if you need help.

 

[Dean Brown]

Thank you once again for the replies and for the heads up. Putting the bike back together would be an act of pure pragmatism really rather than completely nostalgic. The bike may have kept it's dimensions since I last took it out, but the rider most certainly has has not. If it were a motorcycle I'd be clucking about and trying to get the "correct" bits, but it's not and I know next to nothing about bicycles so "correct" is virtually meaningless to me in this context.
My average speed seems to be 12MPH and my average distance around 20 miles. Very much a fair weather cyclist and carrying too much weight. As far removed from what you'd call a cyclist as one can get really.
My MB is fine (an ally framed Claud Butler Cape Wrath that I bought new around 2002 ish) for my needs but I did consider buying something a bit more road focused on account of the sparsity of mountains in Lincolnshire and my currant disdain for cycling up hills.
Rather than spend several hundred pounds on a budget road bike, I decided that I could look into paying someone to recommission what I've already got. At 17st I don't need a carbon fibre, streamlined wonderbike with Bluetooth gears and disc brakes. I don't need the Falcon I have to be original, or even look good, just something to bimble about on during the nice weather and point at things when I reach my destination.
Does that sound realistic at all, or do I have slightly optimistic plans for the old thing ?