Pearson 1970s Steel frame on ebay - Thoughts please

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Paul_L

Über Member
Am thinking about bidding on this, but apart from the fact that it looks good, is made of good material and is the correct size i'm a bit clueless as to what to look for, which makes me a prime candidate for an ill-informed ebay purchaser. £175 (inc. postage) seems reasonable given the description, but i wouldn't mind a second opinion.

I'm looking for a steel frame for a retro rebuild. Ideally i'd like something from the 1980s but apart from that this seems to fit the bill.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261096094589?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
 
I don't know anything about Pearson other than they are currently well regarded, but has that always been the case? I don't know.

It does look nice and is clearly a steel lugged frame, is it actually a Pearson? I don't know that either.

Anyone can have frame decals made, heck you can even buy loads already done, so just be aware on that score.

That said his feedback is spot on, and the range of stuff he sells is all relevant, so on the surface everything seems bang on.

Perhaps you could email Pearson and see if they can confirm if it is one of theirs?

Should make a nice bike though when it's built up, good luck :thumbsup:
 

vickster

Legendary Member
Pearson have been around since 1860 - reckon they were well established by the 70s :smile:

Sensible to contact them by email or phone (both shops are open on Sunday, you'll more likely get one of the brothers at the Sheen shop), they are a very helpful bunch (my LBS)

It's a lovely colour. Also, on an auction, so the price could go higher
 

RecordAceFromNew

Swinging Member
Location
West London
My 2 cents:
1. It could be an illusion due to foreshortening from camera angle, but the head tube looks a lot steeper than the seat tube, which is unusual (usually 1 or 2 degree difference). It true thiscould mean one or all of a) extraordinary long top tube, b) toe overlap, c) extraordinary short trail meaning twitchy handling, d) large saddle setback.
2. Campag dropouts likely mean quality frame whatever the label says. Strange that forks are not specified to be 531 - 531 forks were not uncommon in the 70s.
3. The adjuster screw/spring at the rear dropouts usually come with the frame. They are missing.
4. It has an integral hanger and 120mm rear spacing so was designed for 5/10 speed, you will have to cold set the frame quite extensively if you want to use modern geared rear hub/wheel. Also it would have been designed to use 27 1/4" wheels so long drop brakes probably needed for modern 700c wheels.
 
OP
OP
Paul_L

Paul_L

Über Member
Pearson have been around since 1860 - reckon they were well established by the 70s :smile:

Sensible to contact them by email or phone (both shops are open on Sunday, you'll more likely get one of the brothers at the Sheen shop), they are a very helpful bunch (my LBS)

It's a lovely colour. Also, on an auction, so the price could go higher

Result. Thanks for that. Spoke to one of the brothers in the Sheen shop. Very helpful. I pointed him in the direction of the ebay advert, and he looked all the photos. He stated it's almost certainly not a genuine Pearson but could have been built to their order by another GB frame builder (he mentioned possibly Dave Yates in the north east) and then legitimately badged up as a Pearson, possibly through an association with the shop in some way. He identified the seatpost clamp as definitely not a Pearson, as accountantpete has pointed out above.

The guy i spoke to seemed to think that from the pictures the frame looks a good piece of kit and an "absolute bargain" (his words) if you can get it for the current asking price.

I'm tempted, just need to convince SWMBO!
 
OP
OP
Paul_L

Paul_L

Über Member
My 2 cents:
1. It could be an illusion due to foreshortening from camera angle, but the head tube looks a lot steeper than the seat tube, which is unusual (usually 1 or 2 degree difference). It true thiscould mean one or all of a) extraordinary long top tube, b) toe overlap, c) extraordinary short trail meaning twitchy handling, d) large saddle setback.
2. Campag dropouts likely mean quality frame whatever the label says. Strange that forks are not specified to be 531 - 531 forks were not uncommon in the 70s.
3. The adjuster screw/spring at the rear dropouts usually come with the frame. They are missing.
4. It has an integral hanger and 120mm rear spacing so was designed for 5/10 speed, you will have to cold set the frame quite extensively if you want to use modern geared rear hub/wheel. Also it would have been designed to use 27 1/4" wheels so long drop brakes probably needed for modern 700c wheels.

Thanks. These are all reasons why i want to do what i'm planning. All my bikes are off the shelf and i can maintain and service them all competently, but i think you only start to learn about the finer details such as these by building from scratch. For example, i've just googled cold setting, and straight away i'm put off. Not by the fact that it can't be done, just the additional unnecessary cost as i would want to install modern gear on it.
 

RecordAceFromNew

Swinging Member
Location
West London
Thanks. These are all reasons why i want to do what i'm planning. All my bikes are off the shelf and i can maintain and service them all competently, but i think you only start to learn about the finer details such as these by building from scratch. For example, i've just googled cold setting, and straight away i'm put off. Not by the fact that it can't be done, just the additional unnecessary cost as i would want to install modern gear on it.

Hemmm, actually cold setting while tricky, is free, if you diy.

It is true that it is nearly impossible to learn much without doing it (and encountering problems :whistle:).
 

HovR

Über Member
Location
Plymouth
I assume you will want a nice mint paint job on your finished bike? In which case it's worth considering that if you were to buy a bike in worse condition in need of a paint job it would cost £140 (from Argos cycles) for the paint job alone (for a proper professional finish, same as bikes have out of the factory).

In that respect, this is a good deal.
 
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