# Vintage lightweigt I.D. help



## COB (Aug 1, 2010)

I have a vintage lightweight 10 speed that is missing the head badge. The 2 mounting holes for the head badge are verticle and spaced 2 1/4 inches apart and appear to have used rivets. I cannot find any identifying marks on the frame to denote who the manufacturer was. The bike has a lightweight, lugged steel frame with ornate chrome lugs at the steering tube. The lower fork tips as well as the rear of the frame the dropouts are chrome. The rear brake cable runs through the top tube entering and exiting the tube through chrome groumets on the left side of the frame tube. The bike is equipped with Campagnolo Record components, Weinmann Vainqueur 999 center-pull brakes, Quick-release Weinmann 27" alloy rims laced to Normandy hubs,  Nervar cranks and is fitted with an "Ideale 42" leather racing saddle. The bike also came with a set of Sheeren alloy wheels laced to Racelite hubs marked "Made in England". These wheels have glue-on tires and have axel nuts (alloy) with a 2" wing on one side and a round, flat extension on the opposite side marked "CB". I will attempt to post some pictures of the bike but I am not sure about what kind of success I will have with this. If anyone can give me some help with this, it would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## sam (Aug 1, 2010)

Sounds like a very high gread british bike--CB would be claud butler--but you bike is not an original claud butler . most likely a holeworth built claud butler. they took over in 1955.and still make a claud butler model.


----------



## COB (Aug 2, 2010)

Thanks sam! Now at least I have someplace to start looking. I still cannot get the pictures of the bike to post.


----------



## COB (Aug 3, 2010)




----------



## COB (Aug 3, 2010)

Success with the pictures at last !!! Is this a Claud Butler or something else? Any help on the I.D. and information on this bike would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## RMS37 (Aug 3, 2010)

The bike is actually an Austrian built Sears 10 speed from the mid-sixties. Sears did a big business importing, branding and selling Austrian built Steyr/Daimler/Puch produced 3-speeds in the fifties and in answer to the Schwinn Varsities and Continentals from the beginnings of the ten speed boom, they began offering 8 and 10-speed versions of those 3-speeds. 

By importing these bikes Sears was able to offer the top of the line models at a similar price to the Schwinn entry level derailleur “lightweight” models. The Sears models outclassed the Schwinns with Campagnolo derailleurs and some alloy componentry but ultimately lacked the durability of the Chicago bikes.

These bikes are nicely made and finished but are not the equal of bicycles with artisan built frames. These bikes have a high period charm factor but most of their current market value is tied to the Campy parts.


----------



## COB (Aug 3, 2010)

Thank you Phil. I appreciate the information !


----------



## sam (Aug 4, 2010)

Phil is correct---it's a production , factory built 10 speed.But at least you did get one of the better in that class.And it looks good.


----------



## sailorbenjamin (Aug 22, 2010)

Post that over at the Classic and Vintage Forum.  They'd love to see it.  It's not necissarily a sears, Puch sold bike through a number of retailers.  I wonder what kind of tubing it's made of.
http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?181-Classic-amp-Vintage&


----------



## RMS37 (Aug 22, 2010)

It’s true, it may not be one of the bikes Sears ordered from Puch and badged for themselves but that is the way most of them got into this country. It also matches the Sears livery minus the badge and decals but someone’s shame at having a Sears 10 speed might explain the “cleanup”.  Nowadays it is a cool period piece and even more so as a side note from the Sears wish book. I want to say some of the versions had Reynolds tubing decals but my two bikes are too buried to check currently. Whatever the tubing it was probably plain gauge and thick, the bikes are nicely made but the frames are quite heavy.


----------



## sailorbenjamin (Sep 13, 2010)

There were some 531 Free Spirits and Ted Williams'.


----------

