Happy Christmas and help!

[mythste]

Best. Christmas. Ever.

My dad has had an old bike hanging in the garage for years and I'd never really paid any attention to it. Anyway, after having spending this year really getting into it he's said he'd like me to have it. He thinks it's a 70s RJ Quinn, he bought it second hand in Liverpool in 79 and it's had a semi well done respray since then (it was blue originally but my dads a red!)

Campag Record derailleur, hubs and seat post (?) brakes I don't recognise.

I think what id like to do is get it powder coated professionally, keep as much of the drive train as possible original - it's still all working remarkably well! Perhaps a more forgiving cassette but we'll see how it goes. Nice Brookes saddle and bar tape perhaps as well...

Anyway! Any ideas on confirming ID? Can't see any serial numbers in the usual places.

Thanks!

 

[mythste]

More

 

[midlife]

Very nice and very 1970's. Brakes are Weinmann 500's, light and popular for the time. 4 hole front mech is rare, chainset looks like Sakae Royal LA5.

Save up and get a nice wet paint job, BITD it would most likely had a famboyant finish which would set the kit off nicely. Just a tad jealous....

Shaun

 

[derrick]

Needs a proper paint job, Shiny Shiny

 

[midlife]

Oops, forgot to add, RJ Quinn was / is the bike shop, not sure he built frames and likely bought them in as was common practice at the time. It might have no number.

Shaun

 

[mythste]

Very nice and very 1970's. Brakes are Weinmann 500's, light and popular for the time. 4 hole front mech is rare, chainset looks like Sakae Royal LA5.

Save up and get a nice wet paint job, BITD it would most likely had a famboyant finish which would set the kit off nicely. Just a tad jealous....

Shaun

I'm not at all clued up on these things, how does a wet paint job compare to a powder coat?

I'm thinking British racing green with brown Brookes saddle and bar tape. Stay classy!

 

[biggs682]

@mythste that looks nice , normally against refinish/powdercoat/re spray as you loose all the great patina but if its been done before

no stampings on underside of bottom bracket ?

shame its not a Soens as we could ask @Bill Soens about it

@Tony Smith is a semi god on Quinns so he might give you a few hints

feel free to post some pics on my In Appreciation Of Merseyside Bikes face book page

 

[classic33]

Oops, forgot to add, RJ Quinn was / is the bike shop, not sure he built frames and likely bought them in as was common practice at the time. It might have no number.

Shaun

"shop in edge lane liverpool
As I understand it, Harry Quinn's father started 'Coronet Cycles' in 1890, which Harry inherited sometime in the forties. RJ Quinns was a separate shop, and some sources (like that in the first post) suggest that R&J were Harrys brothers; who set up a rival business."

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=106588

(SR) Royal LA-5 chainset:1979.
http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=c09e003e-86c6-4dc4-91fd-6d547e0d3c00&Enum=122

hilarystone.com1000 × 562Search by image
CGF2 CAMPAGNOLO RECORD FRONT GEAR c1978 clip-on rare type with 4 holes and narrow band Excellent £63

 

[raleighnut]

Nice.

 

[midlife]

back in the 70's the builders spent a lot of time on the "shorelines" of the lugs making sure they were crisp, I'm having a mental (alcohol) block if your's are Prugnat, Haden or Bocama, the painters deliberately kept the lines of the lugs very clear by making sure they were not filled in with paint. Hers's a pic of my 70's Bob Jackson with the lugs on show

I have come across a variable quality of powder coating from the frankly awful to the superb, here's a pic of of my 70-80's Rourke frame which has been powdercoated in black, it's actually quite a nice powder coat but the lugs and wrapover have started to make the detail disappear.

Your bike deserves a good refinish by one of the usual suspects

Shaun

 

[midlife]

http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=1F46D1C8-F7D6-4C09-949C-9CE7F0078D60&Enum=115&AbsPos=13

My most favourite chainset

The Mavic stem is also a rare item, blatantly copied by SR and Barelli..

Shaun

 

[Sillyoldman]

Looks lovely, ah that big old Ever Ready rear light takes me back.

 

[mythste]

Thanks for all the input so far! Had a look and I still can't see anything that resembles a serial number or anything.

Had a word with the pop and mentioned bill soens and now he's questioning himself as to weather he'd just said Quinn as he knew it was a Liverpool build. It was a long time ago!

A bit scared to take it out for a test ride at the moment as I'm not sure I trust the tyres, they're tubeless and seem to be holding PSI fine, would I be risking dried glue and the tyre coming off the rim after all these years? Should I just go for it?

Final question (for now, at least!) most of the changes im planning to make are going to be aesthetic with most, if not all of the machanics staying as they are, the only thing I do want to do is change the rear cassette to try and get at least a 28 on there, will this be possible with the current derailleur and where could I find such a thing?

 

[classic33]

Two Quinns in Liverpool, at the same time, building bikes.

 

[Ian H]

A bit scared to take it out for a test ride at the moment as I'm not sure I trust the tyres, they're tubeless and seem to be holding PSI fine, would I be risking dried glue and the tyre coming off the rim after all these years? Should I just go for it?

You're more in danger of a puncture. If you can't push the tub off sideways with your thumbs it's well-enough stuck.