Bike from OT Cycles in Dartford

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  • Have been given a bike from OT Cycles in Dartford from the early 80's. Does anyone know anything about bikes labelled OT Cycles, who made the frames or is it a bike that was re stickered?

    The frame has fancy lugs. Do I go beater or do I go for originality?

  • Sounds interesting do you have any photos.
    The owner of Harry Perry cycles in Woolwich might have heard of OT cycles, or maybe Welling cycles in.. Welling, if indeed it is a make of frame..

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    • 50233178787_ace3dde45c_o.jpg
  • Possibly a couple of letters missing before the OT?

  • OT cycles had a shop in Dartford, and that is where the frame/bike came from, I was told.

    Wondering is anyone knew who made the frame.

  • Thank you, I never knew.

  • It looks like an early 50s frame. I have a 1950 Stallard with the same lugs.
    The forks are unlikely to be original.
    Is there a serial number?

  • That is the thing, the frame is supposed to be from the 80's. As that when the frame was bought new, from OT cycles. So was an old frame repainted and relabelled as OT cycles or was the frame built by a local frame builder?

    The forks aren't original but the stem is a primo milano stem that pre dates the frame to before the 80s I think. Think that primo made BMX stems so part of a BMX shop.

  • Primo Milano stems were made by Holdsworth and are not related to the Primo BMX component manufacturer in any way:
    http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=f9692d7c-4ea8-4d55-932f-6d56fb25e3e3&Enum=102

    I think the lugs are Oscar Egg, this style was introduced sometime in the late 40s.
    I expect it is an earlier frame rebadged by the shop.

    You could try posting it in the Pre 1950s thread to see if anyone can help id it:
    https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/238801

  • Thank you, I did a bit of searching and thought the stem was italian as it said Milano on it. The ones I saw on ebay seem really expensive for ratty stems.

    Thank you will post in on that thread.

  • Here are more pictures of the frame copied from 50s thread:

    Back to the OT cycles bike:
    Here is a picture of the BB serial number

    Here is a picture of the rear brake bridge

    Here is the bit I noticed that the BB has an oil port so the frame must be alot older that 80's.

    The rear dropouts need to be tweeked straight as do the rear seat stays. So that means a decision on spacing.

  • Looks at least '60s to me at the newest. Would be very very old-fashioned for an 80's built frame....

  • Yeah that what I was thinking, so it must be a frame that was repainted and badged as OT cycles. But the stem, which was with the bike is definitly not 80s so think that would be better to get the age of the frame.

    But the person who bought it from OT cycles thought it was brand new.

    Anyway, now what to rebuilt it as.

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Bike from OT Cycles in Dartford

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