[paredown]

Original 1970s Falcon San Remo for sale on eBay

Saw this Falcon San Remo more or less by accident yesterday:

http://tiny.cc/z2jut
Ebay item: 140394830358

Looks to be all original except wheels (or possibly just skewers and rear rim.

Campy rear mech has Pat. 73 visible in photo. Decals mostly gone, except the 'Designed by Ernie Clements...San Remo" on rear stay. You can see the remains of the Reynolds decal at the base of the seat tube, although I remember mine as having been just under the seat.

Rest of the equipment is spot on with what was shipped on mine (except mine had Campy barcons), including the Brooks. Paint looks to be original.

Apropos of discussions re Falcon inconsistencies, it has the flattened wrapover stays of the later bikes, but the ?earlier (or alternative) flat crown fork.

 

[john mac]

Falcon Professional now restored.

As previously listed on this thread, my Falcon Professional is now restored.
As this is my first resto, I was pleasantly surprised to find out what a kind bunch of souls exist in the vintage cycling community, without which, parts sourcing would make a project like this impossible. Nick at H Lloyd in Penrith was superb in providing the decals & wonderful headtube badge (which in this era may have been a decal originally). Mike Bennett from London kindly drove up to Manchester to drop of the lovely Mavic Module E's, a gentleman who runs the National Cycle museum sent the Shimano shifter block (which was almost impossible to find in the UK) free of charge.
Thanks to everyone on this forum for the kind words of encouragement...another vintage Falcon rides again.
John Mclaughlin, Manchester, England.

 

[lakes road sheep]

Gorgeous !

 

[kjung]

Very nice restoration! Looks brand new. Now the fun.... to ride it in the local group rides and have other riders drool over it.

Another great bike saved from the junkyard.

 

[DannyBoy]

As previously listed on this thread, my Falcon Professional is now restored.
As this is my first resto, I was pleasantly surprised to find out what a kind bunch of souls exist in the vintage cycling community, without which, parts sourcing would make a project like this impossible. Nick at H Lloyd in Penrith was superb in providing the decals & wonderful headtube badge (which in this era may have been a decal originally). Mike Bennett from London kindly drove up to Manchester to drop of the lovely Mavic Module E's, a gentleman who runs the National Cycle museum sent the Shimano shifter block (which was almost impossible to find in the UK) free of charge.
Thanks to everyone on this forum for the kind words of encouragement...another vintage Falcon rides again.
John Mclaughlin, Manchester, England.

Very well done. I love how this topic keeps popping up from time to time.

 

[Richard]

Just beautiful!

Although mine is also Reynolds 531P, it doesn't have the nicer cutout lugs and the seat stay caps look different. Plus your has a headtube badge whereas mine originally had the decal and no "Ernie Clements" badges.

All my research indicates mine was a "Falcon Victory" (Campy Victory group equipped bike exported to the U.S. circa 1988). I got the frameset in 1989 minus all the components from a small shop in L.A.

I've had a lot of bikes go through my hands in the last 21 years but this one has been a keeper. An Ernie Clements designed 531P is a gem! Maybe the best all around bike I've ever thrown a leg over.

Restored mine this past winter with Campy Record 8 speed - not exactly "period correct" but close enough.

Go ride it!!:thumbsup:

 

[real schwinns only]

As previously listed on this thread, my Falcon Professional is now restored.
As this is my first resto, I was pleasantly surprised to find out what a kind bunch of souls exist in the vintage cycling community, without which, parts sourcing would make a project like this impossible. Nick at H Lloyd in Penrith was superb in providing the decals & wonderful headtube badge (which in this era may have been a decal originally). Mike Bennett from London kindly drove up to Manchester to drop of the lovely Mavic Module E's, a gentleman who runs the National Cycle museum sent the Shimano shifter block (which was almost impossible to find in the UK) free of charge.
Thanks to everyone on this forum for the kind words of encouragement...another vintage Falcon rides again.
John Mclaughlin, Manchester, England.

Quite fabulous, another falcon saved from the dustbin or a quite worse fate of having some nitwitt tossing all the best original bits to dustbin and turning it in to some flat handlebar single speed bicycle rubbish.Quite Superbly done mate .I hope that more people take intrest in preserving and saving great bicycles and bicycle bits from the dustman and have them properly restored as you have, and returned to all there original former glory. "quote" we shall not fail, or falter,we shall not weaken or tire... give us the tools and we shall finish the job. "Sir Winston Churchill"

 

[freakinutz]

Looking for some information

Hi..new to this thread and started reading about Falcons as I just picked up a very nice Falcon frame this evening. First, it has the headbadge, not a decal. Second, no brazeon's what-so-ever. Third, it has a gorgeous "double plate" fork crown. Fourth, it has the "Designed by Ernie Clements" decal on the right stay.

The lack of brazeon's makes me think early 70's, late 60's. It also came with a very nice and older Zeus crankset and Zeus bottom bracket. Set up for nutted brake set. The decals are pretty much non existent, except for the already mentioned "designed" decal, which is clear as can be. The rear dropouts are definitely stamped, not forged and lack adjusters.

My understanding is that the higher priced models had the "Designed" decal on them, but as previously stated, I am totally new to this brand. Could they be had with Zeus components (also reading up on Zeus!)?

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. As a note, I have a Masi Gran Criterium that is being put back into as new condition and would love to start this with the Falcon when the Masi is completed. Any help with componentry would be appreciated.

Much thanks..

Steve

 

[freakinutz]

falcon frameset

I totally forgot one other thing about this frameset which I think is pretty cool...it has the wraparound seat stays. So again I ask: can any Falcon experts help me with information regarding the stays? Was this fairly common or do I have something that was not readily produced?

I can try posting some pictures if that helps.

Thanks..
Steve

 

[paredown]

Pictures would help!

Stamped dropouts almost guarantee that you have an Olympic or Black Diamond, unless it is really old, like late 50s when I simply don't know what dropouts they were using.

That sentence from my piece on Sheldon's site is a bit misleading--the "Designed by Ernie Clements" decal is also on the lower end bikes, but the script is different than the high end bikes. (There are some pictures somewhere in this thread...)

Same for the wrap-over stay--the earlier San Remos (60s) had a non-flattened wrap-over stay and sometime in the late 60s they switched to a flattened wrap-over stay, About the same time they also switched to a Cinelli sloping crown fork and spearpoint lugs for the team replica San Remos. (There are pictures scattered through this thread of some of the variations...)

However, they continued to use a slightly cruder version of the non-flattened wrap-over stay and a flat fork crown on the lower end models through to the late 70s....

BTW, I have only heard about one other Falcon with Zeus equipment & have a suspicion that this was not done at the factory--there were lots of bare frames that went through a dealer in Baltimore & that may the source of the Zeus equipped bikes..

Dean

 

[edherbst]

My Falcon

I have a Falcon San Remo but I'm not sure what model or year it is. I hope this thread can help me ID it.

Here is what I know about it. I am the original owner, I believe I purchased it around 1975 for about $400. It is all white with chrome tips on the front forks and has decals identifying it as a San Remo, the frame measures 24" so it wouldn't be a 76 but might be an 80. Serial # on frame is 1814 and it has a 531 decal on it. Brakes are Weinmann Centre pull, it was a Campanolo 10 speed but the rear gears were replaced a few years back when they seized up and I couldn't coast. The original rear gears were a small close ratio racing stack. Front gears are 52 47. Derailers are original Campo parts and the rear is stamped Velox.The bars and stem are Cinelli Giro D'Italia parts. The pedals are stamped Atom - made in France. Toe clips are stamped on top Truhier Compitiion France. The original toe straps(only one left) were white leather and marked Lapize. The crank is stamped T.D.I., the hubs are quick release marked Gnutti Italy. The clips that hold the rear brake cable are stamped Terry's n9 399 1". The front wheel was bent and replaced but the rear is original and stamped NISI Toro at the tube stem hole. The saddle is a Mesinger but might not be the original part. I think I may have replaced it. The only other possibly significant arker is the upper decal below the seat has the word special on it. Attached are photo's of the bike.

The side stand on it was purchased at the same time and is marked ESGE UZ Pletscher W Germany if that might help date it.

 

[kjung]

Hi Ed,
Early to Mid-70's, my guess, a Model 78. See the uploaded Falcon Catalog much earlier in this thread, and check out the specifications. The Model 78 had Steel Chainrings, but Campy gears. Also the wrap around stays, chrome tips, and made of 531 plain gauge.
Good luck with the bike.
KJ

 

[edherbst]

Thanks KJ,
I considered that it was a model 78 or 80 but guessed the 80 because in the 74 Catalog the 78 didn't have the CG bars and stem. Though by 75 or 76 when I bought it that might have changed. Ed

 

[kjung]

Ed,
You sort of hit on a key issue with older bikes. They parts/components were constantly changing, particularly on bikes during the 'bike boom' of the 70's. (Parts could be in short supply and change mid run) Notice in the Falcon Catalog that it is deliberately vague as to exactly what parts were on the bike. Rarely does it specify a component manufacturer.
So, that being said, your guess is as good as another. In fact there was very little difference between many of the bikes in Falcon's 'mid range'.
Good Luck.

 

[freakinutz]

Pictures of my newly acquired Falcon frame

Hey there. Thanks for getting back to me regarding the questions I had on the frameset I recently acquired. I took a few pics and hopefully you can retrieve them via this link:
http://freakinutz.shutterfly.com/#n_19. Any further information regarding the frame would be greatly appreciated.

Steve

 

[edherbst]

KJ,
Another reason I was thinking the Model 80 is that the 78 was called the Olympic. The description of the 96 in the 74 catalog also lists the same parts and it is pictured with the toe clips. I hoped the white color might be an indicator of the model. My research on the NISI Toro wheels indicated they were first manufactured in 1975 so that would be the earliest possible model year for this bike. I also hoped someone might know what the "Special" decal might have represented.

 

[real schwinns only]

NICE falcon man, its long point lugwork quite reminds me of a Fiorelli i once owned it was a quite nice bicycle 1960's model. but me seatstays were quite different compaired to your falcon.and the fork on the Fiorelli had different crown.is it reynolds tubing? it could be a quite nice restoration project .Quite good find mate. "quote" We shall not fail or falter; we shall not weaken or tire...Give us the tools and we will finish the job.
Sir Winston Churchill,

 

[freakinutz]

Everything I've read would lead me to believe that this is Reynolds 531 tubing. I'm pretty sure that when I've settled in on a color for the new paint, I'm going to have the lub work outlined simply to show them off. I'll also do that with the fork details. Looking forward to the build, but the Zeus parts are going to kill me!! :^) Thanks for the comments!!

 

[TXKestrel]

falcon help!

i have no idea what model falcon this is, im going to look at it on friday. the seller is asking $400 but i dont know if its worth that much. the seller says its almost perfect condition. From what i could find the derailluers are sachs huret new success touring from 1985. Here is some info from the sales page

"Falcon Road Bike 54cm, circa 1970's
San Remo model ?
Frame: Lugged Reynolds 531, Double Butted
Fork: Lugged Reynolds 531
Mavic Rimtec rims
Derailleurs: Sachs – Huret
Shifters: Sachs – Huret
Brake Calipers: Campy Veloce
Brake Levers: Weinmann
Crankset: Stronglite
Saddle: Ritchey Vector
Sakae Drop Bars w/ cotton tape and hemp twine


and a set of RARE
Cinelli 64-40 Drop Bars Giro D'Italia (Tour of Italy)
40cm center to center
26mm clamp
138mm drop
if you would like them


Made in England

Excellent condition"

 

[Richard]

More pics would be helpful. The tubing decal indicates that it may be 531 straight gauge in the main tubes only.