---------------------==/Help identifying vintage racer

[ChrisEyles]

I've almost finished doing up a rather nice racer I picked up a while ago as a lockdown project.

It's in rather good condition (well it is now - when I picked it up it was looking decidedly sorry for itself!), the usual scrapes to paint on the chain stays but flawless chrome on the forks. It's running full 105 kit but I'm not sure this is period correct, I'd guess it's decidedly more recent than the frame. It's also got a rather nice aero seatpost and san marco rolls saddle. All fairly nice kit so I'd guess it's probably a decent frame too.
I've no idea who ~. It's got rather generic looking lugs and drop outs (to my mind):

The frame has guides for a full cable outer back brake mounted above the top tube, which may narrow things down to the cognoscenti here?

Serial number is a bit hard to make out but I'd guess SY 950058.

 

[midlife]

Looks like a Raleigh number, are there more numbers / letters under the guide?

 

[ChrisEyles]

Cheers @midlife - yes, the letters "SY" are underneath the cable guide. I think the numbers are 950058, though it's a bit hard to read.

Mods, would it be possible to merge this thread with the duplicate I (or rather my pet rats scurrying across the keyboard!) accidentally created? Thanks!

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Looks like a Raleigh number, are there more numbers / letters under the guide?

Lack of Nottingham headbadge and the way the seatstays are cut at the seat lug juncttion doesn't scream Raleigh at me though. It's not really old as it hasn't got oilers for the BB bearings, and the cable guides are plastic underside ones not metal ones above the BB shell. Are there any clues as to the tubing quality such as seatpost diameter indicating it's 531 for example? I wonder if it could be a Puch? They had long-format frame numbers and non-drilled headbadges.

 

[classic33]

Cheers @midlife - yes, the letters "SY" are underneath the cable guide. I think the numbers are 950058, though it's a bit hard to read.

Mods, would it be possible to merge this thread with the duplicate I (or rather my pet rats scurrying across the keyboard!) accidentally created? Thanks!

Think that the "9" may not be a nine.
Take a look at the first "0" after the five, almost identical as though struck with the same punch, then swapped for the last "0" which is better formed.

Is there any rippling under the down tube, just behind the head/steerer tube? Forks appear to be bent back slightly.

 

[biggs682]

Shame there's not LL in front of the numbers as that might point to Dave Lloyd .

 

[Paulus]

A very nice bike. I've no idea what it could be, but one little point.
The cable guide under the BB is possibly the wrong way round or just needs moving across more centrally, the guide is protruding over towards the chainrings.
The centre cable is coming out of the guide at an acute angle and looks like it is touching the seat stay.
Is the gear shifting ok?
Sorry to nitpick on a fine restoration.

 

[Cycleops]

Not a high quality frame as there is no integral hanger on the rear drop out but the chromed fork is at odds with that so might have been a later addition, the 105 head set indicates this too. Components are quality so it’s an odd mix. Could be a Puch or even a Peugeot. Someone may have built it up as a “parts special “?
i think Chris has pushed the cable guide across to show the numbers.

 

[Paulus]

i think Chris has pushed the cable guide across to show the numbers.

I didn't think of that

 

[ChrisEyles]

Thanks for the input folks.

I'll measure the drop outs tonight, which may help date the frame (my guess is they're going to be sized for 5/6 sprockets on the rear, somewhere around or slightly over 120mm). Will also check the seatpost diameter as suggested (and check for crash damage at the head tube area - think this is just a photo angle thing though, seems like they often look bent back in a pic even though they're fine in the flesh).

@Cycleops my 1960s Cinelli has no integral mech hanger, but that's still definitely a quality frame. I reckon that only applies to much more modern frames, usually accompanied by a naff rear mech.

The plastic cable guide under the BB is the only thing to me that suggests a more modern frame, everything else says pre 1980s to me.

 

[Hover Fly]

Top tube cable guides say 80’s or 90’s to me.

 

[ChrisEyles]

@Hover Fly thinking about it, my wife's 1980s Dawes galaxy has similar cable guides, so could be. I'm really rather flummoxed as to the identity of this one!

Still, a bike by any other name would ride as sweet and all that.

If it wasn't so damn hot I'd be taking it for a spin now that it's all fettled up.

 

[Hover Fly]

Just a thought, during the 80s there was a flurry of people spending their redundocash on setting up small businesses, framebuilding being one such, most lasted only a year or two, basically all they did was buy a few lugs, tube sets and tools and go for it (almost did it myself). Could be the product of one of those.
So:

Spoiler

Blame Thatcher

 

[midlife]

Nutted brakes though, early 80's as it has under bb guide?

 

[ChrisEyles]

126mm OLN on the rear, which I believe is 6/7 speed spacing.

27.2mm campy seatpost.

700c wheels (should have mentioned that well up thread!).

It's looking like 80s might be about right.

The seatpost was nicely greased & moved very easily, but I'm struggling with the quill stem a bit! Would like to lower it a smidge, but the top bolt is resisting. Fingers crossed some GT85 and a tap with a hammer fix things!