# Please, Can anyone ID this road bike frame? Thanks Cabers!



## Arfsaidthebee (Jul 3, 2021)

I bought this bike about 5 years ago and hung it in the rafters...Trying to identify the maker of the frame. Frame has no markings at all. No badge holes. I think it may be a 70's/80's era...Mix of parts...Specialized neck, Campagnolo headset and Record hubs, Suntour XC, no rim markings. 3 cable housing stops on top bar...seat post lip. Bike also came with 3 Maillard front hubs (dated 4-88). Thanks for your time and assistance. It is appreciated.  























Thanks again...


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## bikerbluz (Jul 4, 2021)

Wish I could be some help, but wanted to say nice bike.


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## Archie Sturmer (Jul 4, 2021)

Maybe a blue powder-coated *Panasonic*; but who made frames & forks for them?



Some of the details/parts may look similar, but the wrong color/year/model?

Not too familiar with _derailleur _bikes, but a serial number might be at the bottom-front of the head tube; (1 digit for year, and 1 letter for month).


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## juvela (Jul 6, 2021)

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what make are frame ends?

do fork ends match dropouts?

what is serial placement & format?

what is threading?

lugs _appear _to be Prugnat 62d


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## Coalfield (Jul 8, 2021)

No ID after a few days, so I will post some thoughts - but without more info = not an easy ID.  The Panasonic pictured above utilizes above-the-BB cable route, maybe it changed a year or 2 later.
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This is a Quality frame with forged drop-outs and adjusters, nice seat stay caps, good production level brazing with some thinning on the bottom head lug (altho a thick repaint/powdercoat hides a lot, including brazing gaps).    Road sport model with single eyelets for fenders or rack.

Almost everything on the frame points to mid-80s or a few years following.  [Clearances for 25mm tires, maybe 27/28.  Dual water bottle bosses (are they identical?), under BB cable routing (is there a newish looking wire guide on bottom of BB?).]  *Except* the nutted brakes, which shout out as being before mid-80s on a quality frame, - OK maybe as late as '83/84.  Re-painted frames, beloved by their owners are often updated with minor additions/modifications.

Which brings up the component selection.  Do we know if anything is original to the frameset?  How many component rebuilds since the repaint?  Campy headset, hubs, shifters etc might indicate the repainted frame was a Campy build, later changed for a triple? [A driveside pic w/ resolution might help).  Was prior owner an old man who made changes to stay on it?

There will almost certainly be serial numbers (or some code) stamped on the bottom of the bottom bracket, if readable/visible thru the paint.  If there is nothing on the bottom bracket that is good input, too.

There seem to be threads extending outside the BB shell on the nds - check that it is tight.  Guessing a longer spindle changed-in to accommodate the triple? Maybe it should have been an asymmetric axle?

If you pull the fork, check the steerer for any markings.


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## bloo (Jul 8, 2021)

Nutted brakes?


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## juvela (Jul 9, 2021)

bloo said:


> Nutted brakes?



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as opposed to _incasso_









						1985 Raleigh Olympian brake mounting question | Vintage Lightweight Bicycles
					

Hello I purchased a 1985 Raleigh Olympian and the rear brake was not mounted to the bike. It is a Dia Compe side pull brake, and what is unusual(at least for me) about the brakes on this bike is, they use a sleeve nut through the frame to mount the brakes. The sleeve nut is tightened with a 5mm...




					thecabe.com
				




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## Arfsaidthebee (Jul 12, 2021)

Hello again,
First of all, thanks to all the great people who responded...lots of good information. I think @Archie Sturmer  may have the correct frame maker, Panasonic. Excellent! I'll be checking each year through the 1980's to see if I can narrow down a build year. The frame has a "knob" for a pump near the headset, may be a clue. 
(_Note_: I just pulled the old file on this bike...Owner said "I think this is a Nishiki because the frame looks exactly like the pink and yellow Nishiki I have. Both bikes were found at a garage sale." 
As I now recall, the owner said he found this bike laying out for garbage pickup down the street and grabbed it...I paid him $30 for the bike + wrong seatpost/seat and a 3 bike car rack.  More research for me!

@Coalfield - thanks for your input...a Sport Model possibly...The water bottle cages are identical (Blackburn). The tires are 27 x 1 1/8. Front is a Specialized Touring II (95 psi). Rear is a National Tire Co. Ltd. (100 psi). 2 shift cable guides on BB, original.
Brakes are Suntour Superbe w/Scott/Mathauser C pads. 
There are no markings on the frame anywhere as far as I can tell. 
Extended threads are tight and cranks are silky smooth. Two new tires and the bike is ready for a ride.

Thank you to all the Cabe members...


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## Archie Sturmer (Jul 12, 2021)

Thanks. 
I thought that we could almost see a serial number stamping (date code), although filled-in with powder coating, at the bottom of the head tube.


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## BianchiGirll (Jul 16, 2021)

Arfsaidthebee said:


> Hello again,
> First of all, thanks to all the great people who responded...lots of good information. I think @Archie Sturmer  may have the correct frame maker, Panasonic. Excellent! I'll be checking each year through the 1980's to see if I can narrow down a build year. The frame has a "knob" for a pump near the headset, may be a clue.
> (_Note_: I just pulled the old file on this bike...Owner said "I think this is a Nishiki because the frame looks exactly like the pink and yellow Nishiki I have. Both bikes were found at a garage sale."
> As I now recall, the owner said he found this bike laying out for garbage pickup down the street and grabbed it...I paid him $30 for the bike + wrong seatpost/seat and a 3 bike car rack.  More research for me!
> ...




If you're looking to identify the frame the components don't really matter too much.  However if any of them are original this certainly is a Pannasonic DX-2000, which I don't agree because the shape of the fork crown and headtube lugs are different.  

As mentioned we need frame details.  Is there anything stamped on the dropouts and fork ends? Can you see any threading marked on that bottom bracket?   Any idea what size the seatpost is?  

I find two sets of a bottle bosses and nutted brakes interesting.  Most better quality bikes seemed to have switched from nutted to recessed brake mounting around '84-85 with dual bottle bosses coming along around '86.  It would be interesting to see if the frame is made for nutted brakes or if someone just installed them because that's what they had on hand.


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## Arfsaidthebee (Jul 23, 2021)

Sorry for the delay in responding...(Maui time)

I was just curious to see if anyone could ID the frame. I ride 50-lb. cruisers mostly but I am starting to enjoy the long, fast riding of road bikes...I learned a bit about BB standards and differences from the Park Tool video (recommended). Very interesting. 




The BB is threaded but I have not removed the crank-I need to watch the video a few more times! 
The bike is a mix of components. Here are a few more pictures of the frame. The seatpost diameter is 27 mm.  @BianchiGirll 
Hope the pictures help a little.

















Thanks!


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