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• #52
Record cranks had the fifth spider arm hidden behind the crank and Chorus cranks are raised-up around the crank bolt dustcover.
The brakes could be Monoplaners, but Athena also had a non-Monoplaner brakeset that looked very similar: need to see the pivot point.
The rear mech has the A & B adjuster screws above the parallelogram and the cable adjuster is knurled, which mark it out as early C-Record era.
So I'm going to put my money on Athena, 1988 - 1991.
You're welcome.
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• #53
Centre of the bottom bracket to the centre of the top tube, where it meets the seat tube (c-t-c) is best, as the seat tube can extend some way above the top tube.
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• #54
Hi Ozric,
If your friend would consider selling either the bike or the frame, then I'm keen to buy, as I've recentlybeen on the look out for a Youngs made bike (I lived near the shop in the eighties).
I'm new to this forum (any forum actually) so not sure if this is the normal way of asking such things?
Just for reference 22.5-23.0" frame is my size. -
• #55
Frame is smaller than a 22". I ride a mid 90's GT of that size and it's definatley smaller, at a guess 17/18.
I'm away for a few days. Will have a proper nose Sunday if I can. -
• #56
Keep me posted...it looks like a 22-22.5" from the pics ...but let's wait and see.
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• #57
I just been informed it measures 21.5 inch. Tbh honest the frame really needs stripping and repaint but it's all straight. No idea what would be a fair price to ask tbh
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• #58
Does this mean it might be for sale at an agreeable price and if so is it the frame only or the bike or not sure yet?
I would feel more comfortable discussing it less publicly if/when you or you friend are ready, how do folk exchange emails or phone numbers on public forums?. -
• #59
By the way does the paint need stripping because it's in bad condition or that it's too garish :-)
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• #60
Does this mean it might be for sale at an agreeable price and if so is it the frame only or the bike or not sure yet?
I would feel more comfortable discussing it less publicly if/when you or you friend are ready, how do folk exchange emails or phone numbers on public forums?.Click on the name of the person in question and your given some options. Select private message (pm).
Already sent you one. -
• #61
I like the look of that bike, but it will need repainting...what does that cost now days?
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• #62
Just joined the forum as a result of a general Googling to find links for Youngs bicycles. My experience and contribution(s) might or might not be relevant or of interest but here goes, nontheless ....
Back in the early 1970's I lived in Catford, London and had started to go to Avery Hill College (Eltham). I had a general purpose road bike built for me by Youngs. It was a lovely golden yellow with the Youngs name emblazoned on the frame.
At that time it was fitted with standard Derailleur gears and had the obligatory drop bars. Soon afterwards we moved to Charlton and one evening, whilst riding home down the very steep Charlton Church Lane, the gear arm fractured and the next thing I knew I was kissing tarmac! The bike's frame survived, but there was damage to the rear wheel and bars.
Silly, I know, but thereafter I've never trusted swing-arm gears like Derailleurs again! Tarmac and blood don't make for a tasty apperitif.
To cut a long story short, when the bike was repaired, I shifted to Sturmey Archer gears and, because of asthma, I found that straight bars were better for me so I had those fitted as replacements.
I eventually gave my bike to a friend and colleague. Recently, because he now has his own off-roader and because I'd mentioned that I was hoping to do a bit of bike riding again to help with what has now become COPD, he asked if I'd like my old bike back. Yesterday he returned my old steed. It was like greeting an old and cherished chum.
It's a bit worse for wear and needs a desperately thorough clean. It's not quite as pristinely golden as it was and there are some suspicious areas of iron oxide. A fair bit of chrome has surrendered to rust - but not as dramatically as it might have done. Overall, it looks serviceable and rideable. My friend was doing some initial work on it when his window cleaner, who is apparently an avid cyclist, saw it and said he'd often heard of Youngs bicycles and did he want to sell it? He described it as 'vintage' which my friend and I took to mean 'quaintly old fashioned'.
Anyway, next week, I shall be stripping the bike down as much as I can, cleaning what I can and setting it up as best I can.
Here's hoping that a 'vintage' 38-year old Youngs doesn't prove to be as dodgey and decrepit as me.
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• #63
Hi folks,
I used to work in Youngs in the late '80s & early '90s.
The ending '84 does indeed mean the frame was built in that year; however we used to have a few frames built and then they'd sit in the shop until they sold.
I remember this frame colour scheme, we had three on a rack, no doubt this was one of them - I quite possibly built it, including the wheels!
Handlebar wrapping was probably done by Paul Snell if it's still on their after >20 years, he's now associated with a bike shop in Birmingham.
I'm in Brighton now, I still have a few old Youngs transfers & a head-tube badge. (not for sale!)
I hope you / your neighbour looks after the bike, they were really nice & built with love 'by cyclists for cyclists' :-) -
• #64
Dear Comrads. Dont suppose you have an Grandini transfers.... for my lovely old YOUNGS frame... / Or does anyone know what groupset & wheels it should have. Trying to build it to its former glory. STU
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• #65
put a picture up and hopefully we'll know the age/groupset etc needed. Try Mario Vaz (Vaz Finishes) for decals
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• #66
Stuart,
Check out this thread:
http://www.lfgss.com/thread18621.html
Especially the contribution from Forum Member 'Youngs'
Ben, did you go to Gaiolie?
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• #67
Hi all, just joined so apologies if I don't get formalities correct!
I have what I now believe to be a Youngs Marksman based on the following link: www.classiclightweights.co.uk
I bought my it second hand from Renham's in Folkestone in mid 60's . I think his son Ashley was a local competitor. The frame has identical lugs (Nervex I think) frame number is 7263. Other than a replacement Gel saddle for original Brooks which I'm sure I still have and some suicide levels which my daughter wanted when she had it for a few years the rest is original. Stronglight chainset, Campag gears, bar end shifts, fiammi rims/tubs. I have some pics but unsure how to load them. I'm interested in selling the bike if anyone would like to contact me. -
• #68
Reading through this topic I had to join as I am still a proud owner of a ride-able hand built Youngs cycle that I ordered in the 80`s which was built by the Lee High Street store. As a youth Youngs of Lewisham was a store my father also bought my first BMX from (A Piranha, with metal mags) lol. Now 2014 my Youngs its still intact with original decals & in original ordered colours of Pearl white & Sky blue. At present I still ride my Youngs Racer. At some stage I will upload a picture.
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• #69
Well anyway to return to the very first post of this thread where my son Tom introduced my Youngs frame with the bent back stay . . . several years later my family bought me a Brooks swift saddle. To be specific a Brooks titanium frame swift saddle for Christmas. It didn't look quite right on my alloy frame winter trainer road bike which had been my regular ride since the Youngs bike went pear shaped, so I bit the bullet and went to Manchester bike builder Neil Orrell who brazed in new back stays, got the frame restored and enamelled and built it back up with better kit than I could have dreamed of when I originally bought the frame new from Youngs in 1974. Unfortunately the replica decals are the later, more utilitarian design but the bike as it is now, built up with Shimano Tiagra, long reach tektros to get down to the 700c's, crowned with the brooks saddle and handlebar tape is by general agreement not a bike but a thing of beauty. This summer my wife and i set off on the same route from St Malo on which Tom rode on the back of my bike, and then continued our way down the French coast to the Spanish border at Hendaye, enjoying brilliant weather along the way. Tom and his partner joined us for a week en route. This time he didn't ride on the back. Hope you agree this is a happy ending (or beginning).
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• #70
Nice story!
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• #71
Here's my youngs bike which I got from a old friend which he bought it off a mates dad lovely bike
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• #72
The lugs are so nice
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• #73
Yes I remember Young’s in Lee High Road , Lewisham. I bought my first road bike,a Carlton, there. My brother bought a Young’s Road bike. This was in the mid sixties. We
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• #74
Stumbled on your comments colonnade ! Youngs is bike I have fond memories of. As school kid, would spend Saturdays in first cramped little shop, admiring the stuff they sold. First frames they had were Frejus & Cinelli. Chrome and shiny. Bought many accessories for my old Raleigh Road Racer. Eventually they made own and they looked great. Nervex lugs were state of art, with Reynolds 531 tubing. Eventually, after school, found unable to resist. First one in gunmetal grey paint, with 10 gears by Simplex. Raced for Eltham Paragon RC. Then tried Herne Hill, with white track bike, also used for time trials. The rear triangle collapsed under the strain of my stamping hard on pedals, so they had to replace that tube. Not happy as later the bottom bracket leaked oil.
Then went for multi coloured frame, with mainly duck egg blue, with red front column and seat tubes, and 3/4 chrome forks, front and rear. Campag all over with Mafacs and Mavic rims for tubs. Dogs watsits. Now doing good at time trials, and Brands Hatch evening events. But the Queen called on my service so entered Fleet Air Arm for 2 yrs, and took bike on Ark Royal, to ride in Malta, Scotland, USA. Good days, but finished when kids came along. Memories are made of this. Got a barn find now. -
• #75
I look for logo ?
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Got a feeling that may not be the original group set. Got a feeling she swapped them over with the bike she's riding now. I'll ask her tomorrow, I'll get it measures to.
How do roadies measure frame ? Middle of bb to top of seat tube or to where the top tube meets the seat tube?