Orange 753 road bike ?

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Recently picked up a Reynolds 753 frame with a few Dura ace bits still attached (Brakes,headset and front derailleur) from my local bike shop ,the bike and previous owner are well known to the shop so not someone who has just wandered in of the street ,now the interesting thing is the back story to the frame as it was reputedly built and supplied by Orange bikes in part payment for some graphic design work back in the early days when Orange where first becoming established . No idea if this is true but interestingly their is another Orange 753 road bike on retrobike.co.uk supplied by another local bike shop on behalf of the widow of a deceased owner but whilst mine has no decals other than the 753 stickers the other bike was painted in the classic orange fade with Orange and Formula decals . Any other rumoured Orange road bikes other than the alloy framed Dynamo's out there ?

Paul
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
We need pics @PMarkey .
 
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PMarkey

PMarkey

Guru
That's the one , their is also mention of two other 753 Orange road bikes on retrobike in This thread one supposedly brazed up by Steve Wade for his own use plus another purchased from a Halifax bike shop as mentioned previously but stickered up as an Orange Formula . I will get some pics of mine today but I'm not sure it will add much to the story as the bike is a plain silver with 753 decals (renovated) as it was powder coated a couple of years a go it is definitely 753 though as I have seen the bike in the shop on and off for the last 8 or 9 years where the only change was the powder coating from silver to silver ? and Dura ace brifters from downtube shifters . the frame number on both frame and forks is 3 digits plus a filed flat on the steerer tube has LL89042 or LL80042 stamped on,possibly a date ? the remaining parts of the group set on the bike are Dura ace 7400 so around about the late 80's .

They, Orange, assembled the parts of the bikes. Steve Wade built bikes, not frames.
The bike was supplied complete but the original owner has moved on to something else taking the newer components bought when he upgraded and just leaving the frame,brakes,front derailleur and headset .
At the end of the day I'm not particularly bothered if it's an Orange or not but it would be nice to be able to put a name to the builder just so I can put appropriate decals on even if its just Fred smith cycles .

Paul
 
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PMarkey

PMarkey

Guru
Pics of the frame , no reply from Orange bikes though I have to admit it was a long shot seeing as the frame is roughly 28 years old .
IMG_1676.JPG IMG_1677.JPG IMG_1679.JPG IMG_1680.JPG IMG_1684.JPG IMG_1683.JPG IMG_1676.JPG IMG_1677.JPG IMG_1679.JPG IMG_1680.JPG IMG_1675.JPG
IMG_1675.JPG
 
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classic33

Leg End Member
Orange, when based in the Queens Road area/Hanson Lane area, only assembled the parts they bought in, never actually building the frames from scratch.
 

classic33

Leg End Member
That's the one , their is also mention of two other 753 Orange road bikes on retrobike in This thread one supposedly brazed up by Steve Wade for his own use plus another purchased from a Halifax bike shop as mentioned previously but stickered up as an Orange Formula . I will get some pics of mine today but I'm not sure it will add much to the story as the bike is a plain silver with 753 decals (renovated) as it was powder coated a couple of years a go it is definitely 753 though as I have seen the bike in the shop on and off for the last 8 or 9 years where the only change was the powder coating from silver to silver ? and Dura ace brifters from downtube shifters . the frame number on both frame and forks is 3 digits plus a filed flat on the steerer tube has LL89042 or LL80042 stamped on,possibly a date ? the remaining parts of the group set on the bike are Dura ace 7400 so around about the late 80's .


The bike was supplied complete but the original owner has moved on to something else taking the newer components bought when he upgraded and just leaving the frame,brakes,front derailleur and headset .
At the end of the day I'm not particularly bothered if it's an Orange or not but it would be nice to be able to put a name to the builder just so I can put appropriate decals on even if its just Fred smith cycles .

Paul
The shop may be what is now the Giant shop, previously PedalSport at King Cross further along Queens Road.

It's had a few names over the years.
 
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