1960s Bike Identification

[gazzzza]

Hello. This is my bike that I purchased second hand around 1973. The paint on the front forks is the original the blue is my respray. The only decal I remember is part of a Reynolds label. It came to me as a 10 speed, I do have the front derailer somewhere. I believe the original items are:- centre pull brakes, chain wheel, cranks, the retainers for the pump, saddle, handle bars, rear derailer. I have looked through the web and think its a Falcon but can not be sure. The frame number is PM780. I would be grateful if anyone could help me to identify the bike so I can get on to restore.

 

[midlife]

Falcon model 94? Someone will come along who knows more than me .

 

[gazzzza]

Thanks midlife

 

[biggs682]

Look's a lot of paint in place but also look's a nice project

 

[gazzzza]

Yes I nice project that has been waiting to happen for a long time.

 

[Spokesmann]

Not Carlton, even with those wrap over stays, assuming the frame number is correct. Looks like a great project though.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Holdsworth Pro had wrap-over stays. Other than Carlton can’t think of any others.
Agree though, looks a lovely project.

 

[carpenter]

As the op said, it could be a Falcon - I know that the "super route" in the 1960's had wrap over seat stays.

Could the forks be from a different bike?

 

[Cycleops]

Could the forks be from a different bike?

A distinct possibility

 

[gazzzza]

Thanks everyone for your comments so far.

 

[Paulus]

A distinct possibility

I would agree, especially as the colour of the forks do not match the paint job on the frame at all.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

It was quite common practice on quality bikes, such as 531 frames, to stamp the fork steerer with the frame number, so a match here would confirm originality, and a mismatch would confirm a replacement. Of course there may be no number, in which case you'd be none the wiser either way, but the fork crown design is quite distinctive, as is the wrapover stay design, so a bit of detective work may reveal the origin of both and whether they belong together or not.
Fork-bending crashes were hardly unusual events on this type of bike, so there are plenty of old steel machines around with forks that were either replaced with generic aftermarket ones from a bike shop, or ones salvaged from a donor frame.

 

[Once a Wheeler]

From memory of the early 60s, two features of this frame make it a possible Falcon. The first is the wrap-around seat stay which many makers flattened off to give a belt effect but Falcon kept as a reduced-diameter tube. The second is the absence of brazed-on stops on the top tube to guide and lighten the rear brake cable. One model which had both these features was the Black Diamond, designed by Ernie Clements, but I could not say if this is a Black Diamond. One additional feature which suggests it could be a Black Diamond is the rear drop-out. Many of the higher specification frames of the time had Campagnolo drop-outs with an integral threaded hanger for the gear and their typical captive-bolt wheel positioner. The absence of this feature again suggests the Falcon Black Diamond which was supplied with the Simplex Juy 60 Record rear gear as standard. As a footnote, I have seen Simplex Juy 60 Record rear derailleurs on sale for well over £1,000; so if the person you bought this from is still around it would be worth making an offer for any old boxes of bits that might have survived from the time the frame was new.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I would say the seat stay treatment looks very reminiscent of the Falcons of that era.
I have a 1971ish San Remo,