1965 Falcon Olympic

[Illaveago]

I picked up this Falcon cycle today. It was a bit of a trip and the weather was miserable but I was glad to see the bike and load it into my car. The bike was listed as a 1970's model which I assumed was correct. It seemed to match the description in the Falcon catalogue, the colour and equipment seemed correct. The thick seat stays rather than pencil ones seemed to match those from the 70's. The Campagnolo Gran Sport rear mech I thought was a bit old but the long spear point lugs looked fine. Seeing an oiler in the bottom bracket looked a bit odd!
After an even longer trip back on the motorways we finally arrived back home. I unloaded my bike and started cleaning it.

 

[Cycleops]

Fair bit of work there.

 

[biggs682]

Nice project @Illaveago

 

[midlife]

Nice, I always associate that wrapround seat stay with the San Remo range.

I guess, @Mandobob will be along soon

 

[Illaveago]

The cranks , pedals and rear mech were covered in thick black gunge . I washed it off with white spirit . The cranks and pedals spin freely. Apparently the bike had been ridden up to last year. The teeth on the cranks are a bit hooked . I found the date code on the back of the chainring. The code letters ZF which would be 1965, a lot older than was previously thought.
I have only done a quick clean a more thorough job will be done later . I have found a few other things whilst cleaning. It looks like the downtime cable guides are Campagnolo and that the Reynolds 531 transfer has butted frame tubes , forks and stays on it . I thought that it was just plain gauge .

 

[Illaveago]

Some more bits.

 

[Illaveago]

Here is the frame after a quick clean. I think I will clean it up and service the bearings first so that I can get it rideable. This might involve borrowing a set of wheels from another bike for the time being. It would be nice to go for a ride on it.

 

[MichaelW2]

Go on, ring that number in Southampton....

 

[Mandobob]

Nice, I always associate that wrapround seat stay with the San Remo range.

I guess, @Mandobob will be along soon

Hi Midlife. Illaveago and I had quite a correspondence on this one before he bid for it.

I think this is a real find. What a treasure to see the San Remo style seat stay wrapover on a genuine Olympic! During the 1960s it seems this detail was used on other models - my 1967 Super Tourist hast just that same detail. Doubly interesting because when it was introduced, the San Remo had the tubular wrapover detail which was to become the indicator of the Olympic / Super Tourist / San Remo model 80 through the 1970s!

 

[Cycleops]

Go on, ring that number in Southampton....

"Hello Mr Guard, I have a Falcon bike bought from you a little while ago and would like to make a claim on the warranty for excessive rust on the underside of the BB".

 

[Illaveago]

Go on, ring that number in Southampton....

Do you mean the cycle shop ?

 

[mjr]

Go on, ring that number in Southampton....

It'll just sit there waiting for more digits!

 

[biggs682]

Looks like it's no longer in existence 😔

As it looks like it closed in 1989

 

[Illaveago]

Looks like it's no longer in existence 😔

As it looks like it closed in 1989

The chap I bought the bike from remembers using it .

 

[biggs682]

The chap I bought the bike from remembers using it .

What the bike ?