-
I ride a 68cm and a 70cm frame now, so 72 is not a stretch. It looks like the seller has pulled the add from eBay and sold it. I would have bought the frame but wanted to find out more. I actually located the original owner and the mechanic who worked on the frame in 1984. The main frame stays (cable stays) were added in 1985 to stiffen the frame for loaded touring. I'm sad I missed the opportunity.
-
Doug Fattic apprenticed at Ellis-Briggs https://www.ellisbriggscycles.co.uk/about/our-history/
https://www.flickr.com/groups/dougfatticsframebuilding/pool/
A bit hard to read in reverse but... http://twoseriousbikes.blogspot.com/2008/08/doug-fattics-framebuilding-class.htmlRichard Sachs apprentice with Witcomb at their facility in Connecticut and J. P. Weigle, too
They apprenticed at Whitcomb England in the early 70's. Their time overlapped in the UK but they didn't start and end at the same time. I don't remember which one was there 1st. They worked together making frames at Witcomb USA. Chris Chance got his start at Witcomb USA after the American business got going. -
Identify Vintage UK Lightweight frame circa 1950's or possibly 1960's?
The frame was last stamped with the British postal code at 53 Gilkes Crescent, London SE21 7BP as the registered owner. I am considering restoring this huge cable stayed frame but want to establish its provenance.
Perhaps an oldster from a London Club might have seen this in 1980's or 90's. Any advice is welcome
Maybe someone here in London will recognize this unique frame? -
It's a big trip to North America but this fellow apprenticed with the best in the UK and been teaching frame building for over 30 years. Hi classes often run long by a week or more (at no extra cost) because he is so conscientious. Doug Fattic Frame builder - Teacher - Humanitarian
914 South Third St. Niles, Michigan 49120 +01 269-684-6761 http://www.classicrendezvous.com/USA/Fattic-Doug.htm

-



That is a good looking bicycle in the picture you sent. My interest is to find a 70cm vintage frame from the 1950's that was built a light weight touring frame. I am drawn to old stuff and even the new Bilenky tandem we had built used a 1970's old school Phil Wood disc brake as the rear hub 'drag-brake' I don't own any frame other than the Bilenky that is newer than 1984. So I will wait around and see what comes along. The seller (Paul) eBay ID: yellowsweeptwo actually seems to have taken the bike for free as a gift on freecycler listing in the UK. The intent there is not to convey things for resale..;. but to 'pay-it-forward, as a kindness to be used by the recipient. I know this because I was able to actually track down the former owner that gave the complete bike away only last month. Apparently....Paul striped it down and sold the parts off then sold the frame on eBay. That wasn't the idea. To add to the sadness in Paul’s (apparent) behavior>>> When I asked him who the former owner was; I was told that he (Paul) got it from a Tipper (a garbage man) and that there was no way I could get the history from this 'tipper' . The appears to have been a bold faced Lie.
I then spent days trying to ID the frame on French bicycle forums because it looked like a classic Bertin seat stay treatment. The French Forums sent me to the UK where I went to the mat tracing the British Postal Code on the BB. I found the original owner that gave the bike to Paul after days and days working the leads. It came thru a very observant bike shop owner who remembered the frame from 1984 and was good friends with the owner at that time (who was a British clergy man of some type named Martin) I digress here but the fellow posing as a nice guy on eBay seems to be rotten at the core, he lied to me, resold a gift from some sort of a priest, then did not have the will to respond to my queries knowing how much work I was/did put into this.
However, the totally bright side is I now have a fantastic and likeminded friend in the UK named Ian who was the bike shop owner, a true silver lining in that we are cut from the same cloth in many ways and only met thru this frame.
I am 198cm if I stand tall and if I slouch I am 195, my crotch height (Rivendell Grant measured) is 98cm
I think your bike looks fantastic,
Cheers,
John
Post Script... woops; just realized you are communicating on a UK Forum.... I didn't need to translate a tipper for you! I guess my head is swimming in 'new' forums, countries, and threads over this frame. I've never pursued anything this way before... I really liked that frame.