No ones ever heard of this company? Trying to find out what it is. Thanks.
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Griffen mares tri bikes in the 90's, maybe they made road frames toO
I dunno. But it's got full campagnolo drop outs in the front and rear. Owner said it ran 700cs on it. I'm just wondering what this is all about. I can't find the company on google or any forum. It also says its made in Santa Monica and has a campagnolo "specalize productti" sticker on it.
I found a link for Griffen Bicycles from Texas. I do not know if it is the same company, but it does mention that they made TT frames.
What really happened to GRIFFEN Bicycles…? « GRIFFEN Bicycles Farewell Blog
What really happened to GRIFFEN Bicycles…? « GRIFFEN Bicycles Farewell Blog
Wow, this takes me back.
I bought a Griffon frame from a shop in Santa Monica in 1981 or '82. Custom frame, Columbus tubing, built by a guy who made them somewhere near the shop. What was the name of the shop? I can't remember, and Googling for down there doesn't show it up to me.
Mine had an earlier down tube decal; it wasn't block font like that; and it was in silver blue. It got stolen *out of the house* I was living in, in 1985 :-( .
It was a gorgeous, top-of-the-line frame. For $40, you got yourself a deal.
I bought a Griffon frame from a shop in Santa Monica in 1981 or '82. Custom frame, Columbus tubing, built by a guy who made them somewhere near the shop. What was the name of the shop? I can't remember, and Googling for down there doesn't show it up to me.
Mine had an earlier down tube decal; it wasn't block font like that; and it was in silver blue. It got stolen *out of the house* I was living in, in 1985 :-( .
It was a gorgeous, top-of-the-line frame. For $40, you got yourself a deal.
Yea Griffen and Griffon are two separate entities. The G-en was an established bike company. I think I've seen maybe one other G-on in my lifetime. Most likely a one man shop plying and improving his welding skills while trying to get it up and running. Probably limited production of frames due to company not lasting very long. Just my musings on the topic. 
Well, I took it to a known shop in my area, and the guy had no idea what or where this bike even came from (location and decade). This guy has been working on bike his whole life, and was a mechanic for a french woman's road team ages ago. Said that as far as the frame goes, he said its a good buy. Nice tubing, and that its a bummer that its a Campy bike, but all the original Campy parts are missing. He said if I could have had all the original components, that this bike would a been extremely unique.
I'm going to start a thread of me building it up to an everyday bike that I can learn road biking on. I ride mountain and im assuming that there are extreme differences between the two sports. I don't know whether or not if im going to try and go with all old campy stuff, or update it to new stuff. We measured the back chain stay, and it measures to 126mm. Now last night i saw online that 126 was only for 6-7 spd road bikes. He went ahead and put a 9speed 700c wheel in it, and there as still a lot of clearance for maybe even a ten speed.
Neither he or I know if this bike is a 27" or a 700c. With the looks of it, it was originally a 27". But, if i could find a decent pair of long reach brake calipers, i could get this thing to run 700c, which would open up a whole new world of parts and components that i could run on this bike. Like I said, im going to start a thread. There is a little bit of cable burn on the top tube that has had some corrosion, so I want to sand it down and paint that small section. As far as parts, guys im all ears. I dont ride road so I would have no idea whats good and whats not. Hope to hear from you all soon.
I'm going to start a thread of me building it up to an everyday bike that I can learn road biking on. I ride mountain and im assuming that there are extreme differences between the two sports. I don't know whether or not if im going to try and go with all old campy stuff, or update it to new stuff. We measured the back chain stay, and it measures to 126mm. Now last night i saw online that 126 was only for 6-7 spd road bikes. He went ahead and put a 9speed 700c wheel in it, and there as still a lot of clearance for maybe even a ten speed.
Neither he or I know if this bike is a 27" or a 700c. With the looks of it, it was originally a 27". But, if i could find a decent pair of long reach brake calipers, i could get this thing to run 700c, which would open up a whole new world of parts and components that i could run on this bike. Like I said, im going to start a thread. There is a little bit of cable burn on the top tube that has had some corrosion, so I want to sand it down and paint that small section. As far as parts, guys im all ears. I dont ride road so I would have no idea whats good and whats not. Hope to hear from you all soon.
BTW, theres a shop in SM called "Cycles Griffon"? No idea of the relation to this bike. Ill call monday and see.
I'd be surprised that the frame was set up for 27" wheels.
If you can fit a 9-speed "modern" wheel in there, a 10 speed will fit fine, too. 130mm is the hub width for 8/9/10 speed rears, and a steel frame spaced for an older wheel like yours can easily be splayed out from 126mm to 130mm with hand pressure.
If you can fit a 9-speed "modern" wheel in there, a 10 speed will fit fine, too. 130mm is the hub width for 8/9/10 speed rears, and a steel frame spaced for an older wheel like yours can easily be splayed out from 126mm to 130mm with hand pressure.
Well that's what we did today. He had a cheap 700c wheel set with a 9spd on the back, and it fight fine. Had enough room for a ten. I just need to find long reach calipers now. We measured, it was 51 cms as far as the brake reach.
This was a new one for me--I had once seen the name on a list of California frame builders from the 1970s but knew nothing about it so I went digging. (I cross posted this on your thread in Retro classic as well...)
I did a quick search in the Classic Rendezvous archive, and here is some information (and there is more information there)--the builder's name was Jim Holly, and he used to have a store of the same name in Santa Monica (Still under the same name it sounds like, but under new ownership), but he has since moved to New Zealand:
Good to see that I am not disappointed--the writer of the quoted email has pictures of his Griffon on his Wool Jersey page here
The Joe Bell mentioned in the message is still refinishing frames, & may still have replacement decals--worth a try. Here's his page on CampyOnly
I did a quick search in the Classic Rendezvous archive, and here is some information (and there is more information there)--the builder's name was Jim Holly, and he used to have a store of the same name in Santa Monica (Still under the same name it sounds like, but under new ownership), but he has since moved to New Zealand:
The Classic Rendezvous mail list has migrated to Google Groups--the sign up is on their splash page--you certainly could join and make a request for more information-from the comments, it sounds as if he was building 'Italianesque' bikes so I would suspect Columbus tubing and fairly tight geometry a la Masi...Holly was active from 1973 until the mid 80s, but still builds occasionally
(in NZ I suppose). His shop in Santa Monica was near Art Stump's and Stump
helped him with pointers and frame-building fixtures. He's mostly
self-taught and favored the style of Stella and the Italian builders of the
70s. He mentioned that Joe Bell has his old decals (hint to anyone
wondering what to do with theirs).
It seems he (or maybe the successor business) still has the order/build
sheet for my bike as he mentioned some special requests from the client.
Good to see that I am not disappointed--the writer of the quoted email has pictures of his Griffon on his Wool Jersey page here
The Joe Bell mentioned in the message is still refinishing frames, & may still have replacement decals--worth a try. Here's his page on CampyOnly
Do you have a link to this Google Groups? And I was looking for decals cause I wanted to get the bike reprinted, cause there is some cable burn and now rust on it. Excited in finding out more about this bike and it's back history. I love old stuff.
Added links to post--the Classic Rendezvous folks are a bit cantankerous--so read the rules before you post (something I didn't do, so they yelled at me...)--but look at the link that I posted from their old mail archives (also added above) and read what is there first. They hate when you ask questions they have already "answered".Do you have a link to this Google Groups? And I was looking for decals cause I wanted to get the bike reprinted, cause there is some cable burn and now rust on it. Excited in finding out more about this bike and it's back history. I love old stuff.
I would be tempted to clean it up, polish it and ride as is--original patina is only original once
The name of the shop was Wilshire West Bicycles. I bought a Griffon through them before beginning a six month cycle tour around the Rockies in Canada and the USA. Passed the bike on to a collector two years ago. I now ride an e bike and mountain bike.Wow, this takes me back.
I bought a Griffon frame from a shop in Santa Monica in 1981 or '82. Custom frame, Columbus tubing, built by a guy who made them somewhere near the shop. What was the name of the shop? I can't remember, and Googling for down there doesn't show it up to me.
Mine had an earlier down tube decal; it wasn't block font like that; and it was in silver blue. It got stolen out of the house I was living in, in 1985 :-( .
It was a gorgeous, top-of-the-line frame. For $40, you got yourself a deal.
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