Vintage Falcon road bikes

[midlife]

This book, going to have a hunt on t'internet later..

 

[Illaveago]

This is a picture of my 1978 Falcon. I thought it was a Black Diamond but I'm a bit unsure now. It originally had a steel crank and wheels, red Bluemels Veloce mudguards and Simplex rear derailleur.

 

[midlife]

Looking good Dredging the memory but it could be an Olympic?

PS here's a later "Falcon" with all chrome rear triangle.


http://theflyingwheel.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/falcon-proffesional.html

 

[southcoast]

This is a picture of my 1978 Falcon. I thought it was a Black Diamond but I'm a bit unsure now. It originally had a steel crank and wheels, red Bluemels Veloce mudguards and Simplex rear derailleur. View attachment 396492

I like that, nice bike. Could possibly be a Olympic. I believe the Olympic was 531 plain gauge main tubes. So seatpost diameter is probably best was to tell.

 

[southcoast]

Looking good Dredging the memory but it could be an Olympic?

PS here's a later "Falcon" with all chrome rear triangle.


http://theflyingwheel.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/falcon-proffesional.html

That’s looks very nice with the Cinelli Bottom bracket, 82/83?

 

[Alan O]

This is a picture of my 1978 Falcon. I thought it was a Black Diamond but I'm a bit unsure now. It originally had a steel crank and wheels, red Bluemels Veloce mudguards and Simplex rear derailleur. View attachment 396492

Ah, the decals on that look exactly the same as my old one a few posts earlier - it's a pity I don't have any better photos of it.

 

[midlife]

That’s looks very nice with the Cinelli Bottom bracket, 82/83?

Not sure, it has a brazed on front mech which might make it a bit later ?

 

[Illaveago]

I like that, nice bike. Could possibly be a Olympic. I believe the Olympic was 531 plain gauge main tubes. So seatpost diameter is probably best was to tell.

I thought I could remember seeing a Truwel transfer on the seat tube but I may be mistaken . I'll take a look tomorrow.

 

[KneesUp]

It's not quite 'Vintage' or particularly exotic, but my favourite road bike was a Falcon Strada from 1991 or 1992 (I think) which I got very cheap of a friend of my brothers (well off) friend becuase he'd bought it just as all his mates bought mountain bikes, so he decided to buy an MTB instead and wanted rid of what was then a seeply unfashionable road bike.

It was 531, said 'Handbuilt' on it, and was so amazingly futuristic it had quick release wheels, indexed downtube shifters - with a six speed freewheel, I'll have you know - and aero brake levers. Every now and again I'll scour eBay for one because it is the only bike (so far) I've ever had stolen, and I'd quite like another. Minus the impractical white saddle.

I don't have a picture of mine, but this is one I didn't see on Gumtree until it had sold. It's all original apart from the bar tape, which was also white if I remember correctly, and the seat post which was an unpainted fluted one. Unless my mate's brother changed that before I bought it I suppose! Mine also latterly had chrome forks becuase I bent the originals due to an unfortunate incident that involed the retaining nut from the front calliper coming off so that when I braked the calliper was pulled off and around the wheel for a very short distance until the cable ran out, and then I started to fly.

 

[southcoast]

Thanks for sharing. Good luck in your search to find another one.

 

[mjr]

It's described over in https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/falcon-majorca-restoration.182937/ but this is still pretty much the 1983 Falcon Majorca's current configuration, except that the tail light has moved to the drive-side seat-stay and the back tyre is now an all-black Marathon after the HS wore thin. Oh and a snapped spoke was replaced and that rear mudguard bridge lifted up. Oh and the rear was replaced with a commonplace modern Shimano 6. Oh and the bottle cage was replaced with a butterfly-style one. Oh and the bell may be on the RHS of the stem now.

 

[southcoast]

View attachment 396827 I have an ec72 in bits waiting for paint shop. Came with Campagnolo shifter and rear derailleur.

Will post some pictures of frame once I can get to shed.

Hobbled to shed and managed to get picture.

Who will be painting the frame and will it be in the original green?

 

[southcoast]

It's described over in https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/falcon-majorca-restoration.182937/ but this is still pretty much the 1983 Falcon Majorca's current configuration, except that the tail light has moved to the drive-side seat-stay and the back tyre is now an all-black Marathon after the HS wore thin. Oh and a snapped spoke was replaced and that rear mudguard bridge lifted up. Oh and the rear was replaced with a commonplace modern Shimano 6. Oh and the bottle cage was replaced with a butterfly-style one. Oh and the bell may be on the RHS of the stem now.
View attachment 396791

Is that a long cage VX rear mech and is it working well with the modern Shimano freewheel? How are you finding the handling these days?
Here is a link to a 83 brochure http://www.veterancycleclublibrary.org.uk/ncl/pics/Elswick Falcon catalogue 1983 (V-CC Library).pdf

 

[mjr]

Is that a long cage VX rear mech and is it working well with the modern Shimano freewheel? How are you finding the handling these days?

It's a Vx but I don't remember if it's GS or not. I think it's the right size but the cage is not marked like examples I've seen. It's working fine with the Shimano freewheel, although the front derailleur has to be trimmed to reach the most crossed gears.

Handling is better since fitting a shorter Origin8 stem.

Thanks for the brochure link.

 

[Illaveago]

I fitted a shorter stem as opposed to the original one that was fitted on the bike in the picture as I found the handling to be very twitchy.