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Great story!
My own 2 cents is that lug lining would be a classier touch and more in keeping with other frames I've seen rather than block painting the entire lug.
However, you've already put in a lot of work so you should go for what you really want. If you have a good painter it should turn out nicely either way.
pastry_bot-
Hey pastry_bot, I've finally finished with the restoration. I've posted an update further down this thread, but a full list of photos can be found here Roberts Bike | Flickr
Berkley_the_yank
Greetings from across the pond!
I have been searching for a while, and am so happy to have found like minded Roberts enthusiasts.
For a little back story, my beloved track bike of 15+ years finally had to be laid to rest. I was in search for a cheap frame that I could build up with leftover components I had laying around the garage. I stumbled upon a local older gentleman (Richmond, Virginia) who was selling on Craigslist an unbranded, stripped track frame that he had been in possession of for the last 30 years. He was only asking $75 USD, so I figured I’d take a chance just to have something to put on the road until I got around to building the bike I really wanted. After picking up the frame I realized I might have something pretty special. I posted photos of the frame to various bike forums and had feedback from multiple frame builders expecting the frame to be an early Roberts frame. I reached out to Neil Carlson at robertscycles.com to see if he would be able to confirm this suggestion. He contacted Tom Bogdanowicz, for his advice. In his opinion, he feels that it is most likely an early 1960’s Roberts Frame. Neal also shared my photos with former Roberts mechanic Brian Phillips, who concurred with Tom’s analysis. After a few months of research, we have determined this frame (frame #414) had made its way to the states via “Cycle Imports” out of Cornish, Main. The gentleman I purchased the frame from had bought the frame used in Boston, Massachusetts in the late 1980’s. By the time he had purchased the frame it had already been stripped of all paint/decals and had been clear coated. Unfortunately, the frame providence was not shared with the gentleman I had purchased it from, but that might have worked out in my favor considering I was able to buy it so cheap.
I have taken the time (and a lot of money) to purchase components of that era to fully restore the bike back to it’s original glory. I also reached out to hlloydcycles.com to have custom decals made that match the white, black, and gold Roberts badge and downtube decal as seen on the earliest other track frame (#66) example provided by Neil Carlson. I am about to have the frame and fork professionally painted, but before doing so, I hoped to get some feedback from this group on my preferred color combination. My choice might make a few purists cringe, so I was hoping for some honest feedback before having the frame painted. I really like my design, as I feel it highlights the lugs that Roberts is so well known for. What are your thoughts?
As a newbie, I doubt I will be able to post a picture, so I will include a link to the design I have planned as well as photos to the frame as it sits now.
Thanks so much and look forward to hearing back from other members of the forum.
Photo 1 (Frame as it is now) - https://www.flickr.com/photos/8132829@N04/50587961026/in/photostream/lightbox/
Photo 2 (My design for the finished restoration) - https://www.flickr.com/photos/8132829@N04/50695477481/in/dateposted-public/lightbox/