Retro Bicycle Thread

[ren8gor]

Hi Guys,

 

Can anyone shed some light on who made this track frame? I believe it was built by a builder in JHB in the 80's. It has a rather unusual seat clamp arrangement.

 

I would very much like to establish who built this frame, as I am about to embark on restoration.

 

I have posted this request in a previous forum, but havent been able to identify the frame yet.

 

http://www.thehubsa....e__hl__identify

 

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Chro Mo]

If built in JHB could be a DHC frame?

 

Never seen that seat-clamp arrangement before.

[ren8gor]

If built in JHB could be a DHC frame?

 

Never seen that seat-clamp arrangement before.

 

Looking at the pics of the previous posters DHC, the fork looks very similar, so perhaps it is a DHC. The seat lug however is very different. Who built the DHC frames? I know DHC was marketed as an Inhouse brand by Deale and Huthe Cycles, but who was the frame builder? The hubber i bought this frame from suggested that a builder named "vince" built this frame. Perhaps "Vince" did some building for DHC

 

Looks like a Bill de Lange

 

Thanks for the response Morpheus. I figured it would pique your interest. What makes you think it looks like a Bill De Lange frame. Perhaps I should send him a pic and ask him. Any idea how he can be contacted.

[LongDonkey]

Been toying with a respray and fitting the original components back on ye olde Le Turbo. Threw away the original pump for the frame mount though...

Edited January 27, 2014 by TooTall?

[ren8gor]

I had one of his custom frames a good 20+yrs ago and the seat cluster looked awfully similar.

Will try and dig up some old pics if I can find them.

 

Thanks Morpheus. Would be great to get a definitive match.

 

Any idea how i can get hold of Bill De Lange

[CycleJunkie]

My Tommasini albeit with modern 9 speed gruppo......

 

 

 

Delgado, what has happened to this bike? I have one that looks almost identical.

[quintonb]

Been toying with a respray and fitting the original components back on ye olde Le Turbo. Threw away the original pump for the frame mount though...

Looks like you have the '89 "Blue" 105 on there.

I have the same on my Reynolds 525 built HANSOM... Good luck in finding that specific groupset's spares...

I am under correction, but Shimano only made the "Blue" 105 groupset for 1 year.

 

I say look for the missing pieces and restore back to original.

[Fixer]

Hi Guys,

 

Can anyone shed some light on who made this track frame? I believe it was built by a builder in JHB in the 80's. It has a rather unusual seat clamp arrangement.

 

I would very much like to establish who built this frame, as I am about to embark on restoration.

 

I have posted this request in a previous forum, but havent been able to identify the frame yet.

 

http://www.thehubsa....e__hl__identify

 

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Looks like a "Vince" built in Pretoria.

[LeTurbo]

Threw away the original pump for the frame mount though...

 

Pity. I'd have paid good money. Oh well.I guess that's how these things become rare and valuable and irreplaceable.

[LongDonkey]

Looks like you have the '89 "Blue" 105 on there.

I have the same on my Reynolds 525 built HANSOM... Good luck in finding that specific groupset's spares...

I am under correction, but Shimano only made the "Blue" 105 groupset for 1 year.

 

I say look for the missing pieces and restore back to original.

I have all the pieces for the shifters in a plastic bag, all still works fine. Upgraded so i could try road cycling with reasonable components to see if i liked it. Have a new steed so i suppose i can refit old stuff. Dunno how i will handle fiddling on the frame for gear shifts though.....

 

Yeah and Sorry Le Turbo, i am a tit for tossing it. Had to do a major shed repack and did not think.

[quintonb]

If you have everything then rebuild it for sure.

I have been riding my HANSOM quite regularly and rode it both days this weekend.

Down Tube shifting is really not that bad. I actually prefer my HANSOM to my Cannondale.

I have decided to do Argus on my HANSOM this year.

[ren8gor]

Looks like a "Vince" built in Pretoria.

 

Bingo!!!!

 

Fixer, you are the first person (other than the guy i bought the frame from) to mention this name. And i did buy the frame from a guy in Pretoria.

 

Can you give any more info on this builder as all the discussion around RSA frame builders dont mention this guy?

 

Any idea when he built frames, how many, tubing he used?

 

Most importantly, what did the decals look like?

 

Thanks

[Chro Mo]

Seems to me that there were a lot of builders around at some time or another in South Africa - certainly more than I thought.

 

You always learn a bit more every day when you like the old bikes.

[Loose cog]

This is a great thread and I have learnt a lot over the few months. Thanks all.

 

I have few more questions:

 

Is anyone able to identify this TT frame I came about? It has a sloping top tube with smaller 26in front wheel.

 

 

In the http://www.thehubsa....frame-builders/ forum mention is made of Bill Lange (De 'Lange) and Robbie MacIntosh. Is my frame from this era and what was the tie up between the two?

 

I have been thinking what to do with the frame but needed to be sure of its origin before destroying any historic value.

[HeyYou]

I found this a couple of years ago and posted it on the HUB, but I think it was lost in the meltdown!

 

It gives a small bit of detail.

 

Archive-URL: http://search.bikelist.org/getmsg.asp?Filename=classicrendezvous.10803.0633.eml

From: "Hentie Stassen" <stass(AT)iafrica.com>

Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:29:51 +0200

Subject: [CR]South African framebuilders

 

Just a small list of South African frame builders. there might have been

earlier builders ommitted

 

If anyone is interested, I can try and find more information, source photos,

or even frames and complete bicycles if anybody wants to collect them. One

can pick a complete bike up for many brands for us$100-200, shipping will be

an additional us$100. Sometimes the bicycles are free for the taking. YMMV

 

I do have a hansom tandem, a hansom frame and a pettini bicycle. The pettini

is in my wooljersey gallery.

 

Gotty Hansen built under the brands Hansom, Zini. These were build as

racers, track and tandem, and some definitely custom fit. Gotty Hansen was

the president of the SACF - South African Cycling Federation. My LBS has NOS

zini frames for approx US$150

 

Francois du Toit built Lejeune under licence, later building du Toit. Custom

fit was available. One regularly see 6/7 speed Lejeunes at the funrides, I

have only seen one du toit cycle. I dont think he is building anymore. He is

the local pinnarello agent currently

 

Duncan McIntyre, not sure what his own brand was, but he also built under

the Pettini brand for Linden Cycles. He used to build in just about

anything, but my pettini is a lugged frame

 

Bill Lange built De 'Lange and also under the Macintosh brand for Robbie

Mcintosh, (never seen these before)

 

The Bloch family built Sancini, (heard about them, never seen, but I might

be able to get hold of a frame from a local guy)

 

The Cohen family built Le Turbo (one regularly sees them in 10/12 speed

variants) these are more bottom end.

 

There are also 2 other brands : Alpina and Cosmos, but I dont know who built

them. Alpinas are lugged steel, one can see them regularly. I have not seen

(or noticed) a cosmos before

 

(I think Peugeot also built locally, not sure. there sure are an awful lot

of them around)

 

Moving off-topic now, but adding them for completeness sake for posterity,

and also because I am not sure about some of them

 

Not sure if these are on or off-topic/KOF as I have never seen any

Gary Koen - Avenue

Peter Wheeler - Victoria, Lotus (the lotus frames were carbon fibre, and

definitely off-topic)

 

John Freeman - Exocet (the only ones I have seen is aluminium, he could have

built in steel as well)

 

These are distinctly not on topic

Donald Williamson - Produx (used to be aluminium and now carbon fibre. I

think they started off in aluminium)

Patrick Morewood - Morewood (Downhill mountainbike)

 

Hentie Stassen

Fontainebleau, Gauteng

South Africa

[LongDonkey]

Pity. I'd have paid good money. Oh well.I guess that's how these things become rare and valuable and irreplaceable.

My enterprising and "horading" gardner has saved the day. He decided the pump was fine and kept it. I will arrange a finders fee for him as the pump still exits.

 

Not sure what sort of collector you are and how much of a prize it is. If i do restore mine, i think it would be a great item to keep as well for the whole bike.

 

I will post a pic of it. Plus another old one that has been in my garage for the last 30 odd yrs from the "Sprinter" that i cycled home from school on. The second one is just too short to fit in the top tube rests (prob smaller frame), but might be worth something to someone.

Edited January 28, 2014 by TooTall?