New bike: Rourke beauty

[RedRider]

It's over a month since I had my bike stolen and after abit of searching I've finally found something to replace it in my affections. It's an early 90s frame and I have a complete Campag Daytona groupset including hubs to attach. Some nice wheels are being built and it should be on the road by the weekend.
Can you tell what it is? Here's a couple of teasers:

 

[Rooster1]

It's a bike

 

[raleighnut]

SBDU Raleigh (753)

 

[Fab Foodie]

Rourke. I did think Holdsworth Pro, but the stays look too thick.

 

[RedRider]

Rourke. I did think Holdsworth Pro, but the stays look too thick.

Well spotted!

SBDU Raleigh (753)

We think it's 653, at least that's what it's being sold as. It's been repainted by the shop, beautiful and necessary job but unfortunately this has obscured the frame number so difficult to say for sure. It's light though.
What made you say 753?

 

[Fab Foodie]

Well spotted!

We think it's 653, at least that's what it's being sold as. It's been repainted by the shop, beautiful and necessary job but unfortunately this has obscured the frame number so difficult to say for sure. It's light though.
What made you say 753?

If it was repainted by Rourke then they should know what it's made from. It could also be 853. Either way, it should go well :-)

 

[raleighnut]

Well spotted!

We think it's 653, at least that's what it's being sold as. It's been repainted by the shop, beautiful and necessary job but unfortunately this has obscured the frame number so difficult to say for sure. It's light though.
What made you say 753?

The seatpost clamp is very similar to my 653 frame but 653 is quite rare as it is a 'mixed' tubeset and they didn't make it for long (there are a lot of conflicting views on what a 653 tubeset is, one says that it is 753 that hasn't been heat-treated another says it is a 753 main triangle with 531c rear end.

 

[fossyant]

653 is 753 rear and 531c main triangle. I have a Ribble.

 

[raleighnut]

653 is 753 rear and 531c main triangle. I have a Ribble.

yep. I've seen that as well but the quoted thickness of the main triangle is 0.1mm thinner than that stated for 531c

 

[midlife]

Nice Rourke paint job and chrome as well

Shaun

 

[RedRider]

The seatpost clamp is very similar to my 653 frame but 653 is quite rare as it is a 'mixed' tubeset and they didn't make it for long (there are a lot of conflicting views on what a 653 tubeset is, one says that it is 753 that hasn't been heat-treated another says it is a 753 main triangle with 531c rear end.

653 is 753 rear and 531c main triangle. I have a Ribble.

Aye, I've been reading about the various 653 theories since I set eyes on this frame a couple of weeks ago. Amazing that no definitive answer is settled on.

Nice Rourke paint job and chrome as well
Shaun

Thanks, the chrome's not perfect but it sure sparkles in the sun!

If it was repainted by Rourke then they should know what it's made from. It could also be 853. Either way, it should go well :-)

It was painted by Seabass Cycles in Peckham but high quality and very similar orange/white/blue (CycleChat?!?) colour scheme to the original. They're also supplying the groupset and building the wheels. Their workshop is a real treasure trove collected on visits to France and the Netherlands and elsewhere and thus far I couldn't recommend them highly enough.

 

[raleighnut]

Aye, I've been reading about the various 653 theories since I set eyes on this frame a couple of weeks ago. Amazing that no definitive answer is settled on.


Thanks, the chrome's not perfect but it sure sparkles in the sun!



It was painted by Seabass Cycles in Peckham but high quality and very similar orange/white/blue (CycleChat?!?) colour scheme to the original. They're also supplying the groupset and building the wheels. Their workshop is a real treasure trove collected on visits to France and the Netherlands and elsewhere and thus far I couldn't recommend them highly enough.

If it rides as nicely as my 653 TT frame does (and that is an ultrashort frame, you cannot get the rear wheel out with the tyre inflated and when I took it down to show John at 'Bob Warner Cycles' he commented " Bloody hell, that's a very short wheelbase" as it is visibly a lot shorter)
Funny thing is the geometry is such that the bike isn't 'twitchy' but does suffer terribly from 'Toe Overlap' (but does accelerate nicely when the 'engine' was up to it.)

 

[midlife]

If it was repainted by Rourke then they should know what it's made from. It could also be 853. Either way, it should go well :-)

Yep, Rourke / Jason very helpful with info about their frames, and do it for free iirc, unlike some who charge a tenner......

Shaun

 

[RedRider]

I'll prob need to experiment with some quill/bar combos over the weekend to get the fit right but once it's built up I'll share a few more pics. Can't wait. Cheers all.

 

[Hover Fly]

Aye, I've been reading about the various 653 theories since I set eyes on this frame a couple of weeks ago. Amazing that no definitive answer is settled on.

A copy of an advert. from the time should settle it, 50 ton (531) front end, 60 ton, 3 main tubes 80 ton (753) stays.

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