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Got any pics of it built up or with wheels please to gage sizing. It look great. To confirm, is the chart saying the 59 cm seattube is twinned with a 57 toptube? Is this centre to centre?
Thanks -
Yes, just measured the frame to make sure. Seat tube is 59cm center-center and the top tube is 57cm c-c.
Unfortunately I don't have built up photos readily available, but let me know by PM if you need further details or shots? I could possibly borrow some wheels for it to illustrate the angles (even though not planning to install a headset for those shots).
Cheers
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It is just for angles, so wheels are a must see for me I'm afraid.
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Alrighty, now some new additional photos added here to the end of the set:
https://picasaweb.google.com/101380551217275846243/SpeedwellTitanium1977The first shots with wheels only do not make any justice... Borrowed Mavic Open Pros with fatty 32mm Marathon Supremes from my everyday beater.
Fortunately, I was able to pull out one photo showing the as-found-setup with Nisi tubular rims laced to Record HF hubs (and flat tubulars) -> see the last photo of the set!
Note that in all photos including the last one, rear drop-out adjustment screw is more than 2/3rds into the drop-out (almost fully screwed in), so the rear wheel sits pretty much as forward as allowed to adjust.
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Beautiful/ bump.
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I am putting a Titanium Speedwell bike on an eBay auction going live tonight.
It was my father's.
He ran a business called Titanium International Ltd. - details will be in the eBay listing.
I hope this is of interest.
Best wishes
Dr. James Freund
j.freund@lancaster.ac.uk
Brazelephantman
user140082
vilms5000-
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About
SOLD: Vintage Speedwell Titanium 1977 road frame & forks, 59cm
Posted by
@sepe84
Offering for sale, a piece of English cycling history with a Finnish twist.
Speedwell Titanium. Serial number 977013 indicates September 1977. Size 59cm. Ofter referred to as the first commercially produced titanium bike.
Here's the story: this Speedwell Ti was ordered from Birmingham to Helsinki in the late 70's by a Finnish amateur cycling enthusiast already around his 50s, who had pulled the trigger to invest in a "bike of his life". He even had his name engraved onto the stem. The bike was used in some local amateur races and for training, before he passed away in 1988.
In the early 80's, the frame had developed a hairline crack - typical for this frame - at the drive side weld between the downtube and the headtube. The 2-year warranty of the frame had already expired, so he decided to look for a repair locally.
Not surprisingly, at that time, there wasn't that many people capable of repair welding titanium, especially in Finland... However, this guy had a friend working as co-pilot at Finnair. Trough his friend he was able to organize the repair by a Finnair technician and master welder, using company equipment. The repair came off nice both technically and - at least in my opinion - also aesthetically, and the bike was successfully put back into some further use.
I bought the bike off the original owner's son over 25 years after his old man passed. It had been tucked away in the garage for all that time, as the cycling enthusiasm of his father did not pass between generations.
So the frame offered is repaired at one weld, but in working condition. The original front forks are also titanium, they seem to be just fine as well.
Other maybe noteworthy points are an identation by the front derailleur clamp and some bit more scratched areas on the top tube at the locations of the three brake cable clamps. Overall, considering the age - in more than decent condition.
It's amazingly super lightweight, my scale stops at 1302 grams for the frame and at 510 grams for the forks, so approx 1800 grams in total, and this is the largest frame size!
Details about the sizing: http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/Speedwell/speedwell2.jpg
Further photos of the actual frame & forks offered for sale (the detailed photos will show the repair, even though at a distance of +3 feet it really does not draw any attention): https://picasaweb.google.com/101380551217275846243/SpeedwellTitanium1977
Price is now £380 for frame & forks, excluding shipping costs and/or PayPal fees.
PM for details
Cheers