Humangirl

Has anyone heard of a frame called "Jim Rogers"? I just picked up an awesome road bike, equipped with Campy, Suntour, and Weinmann components.

The frame is made of Reynolds 531 tubing. And it's actually a really small frame, maybe like 48 cm, with real tight geometry and close cut clearance. Seems maybe like an 80s bike.

I can't find anything online!

MajorA

Pictures!

OrangeOkie

and pictures of the bike, too!

cooker

Most of the google references were to financier Jim Rogers and his motorcycle tour of the world but I found this reference to a Jim Rogers who co-founded the awkwardly named Tour of Nevada City Bicycle shop and the Sierra Express Racing Team (SERT) in California...maybe the bike is from that store or team?

If you click the store link maybe you can email them or the team and see if the bike is named for that guy.

Humangirl

Alright, these pics aren't the best because I am working with the built in cam on my MacBook, but here's just an idea of the mystery bike.



P.S. For some reason the cam takes a picture of everything reversed, so that is why you see all the lettering backwords....

MajorA

Closeups of the lugwork and the seat cluster might help (others here, i.e. the real experts, not me ...) but I'd guess that it's a late 60s or early 70s British machine. There were apparently a gajillion small frame makers in Britain up through that time, and while we remember the larger companies and better-known marques (Bob Jackson, Woodrup, Witcomb, Claud Butler, Mercian, etc.), there were many others who counted frames per year in the dozens, rather than thousands. The crankset, the flat-blade high flange Campy hubs (these alone, assuming they're original,makes it no later than early 70s), the barend shifters with the clamp-on cable stop, the 531 frame and forks ... they're pretty consistent with that place and time. Whatever it is, it ain't 80s.

It's a jewel ... pleeeease don't part it out.

unworthy1

I agree with everything Major A said (including that it's a beauty!) except I think it could date as late as the mid '70s. The Suntour barcons and TA cranks are parts that span many decades, but the hubs and flat QR levers are date-significant, if original. It's rare to see as small a frame as this from that era, except as a custom-build, and this is undoubtedly custom and high quality, probably British...tho I've never heard of the builder...yet. Are the rims/tires 27 inch?

coelcanth

check for a patent date on the rear derailleur (no date = early) and examine the front derailleur for characteristics (cable stop) to help dating

if the wheelset is original, the hub locknuts will give a specific year..

looks like maybe the cinelli 1/a stem is the nutted (early) version ?

the brakeset could suggest the bike was built before the campys became ubiquitous (or before they were release in '68 ?)

also the bottle cage braze-ons look like an early type before threaded bosses were standardized..

my guess is late 60s.. high quality machine built for a serious rider

Humangirl

Original wheels, Campy hubs, no locknuts, QR. (Do you think the hubs are Record? The rear derailleur says Nuovo Record, the front derailleur is Campy too). It looks like the tires were replaced b/c there is a "Schwinn" tire on the front and a Kenda on the back.

The stem is 3ttt.

Patent date on the rear derailleur is 73.

And one of the first things I noticed was the extra long horizontal dropouts. I immediately thought, fixed gear conversion! But then changed my mind when I noticed the quality parts.

I think I may turn it into a project to make it full Campy (from the time period). Def get rid of the 27"s and get 700c's and relace the hubs. With a brown Brooks, it would be complete.

cooker

Are you sure the brakes will work with 700c rims?

MajorA

It should ... most quality bikes from this era were built for 700c, and the hubs were laced to tubular rims. Check the third photo down - see how high up the brake shoes are bolted? If those hubs are relaced to 700c, those will only drop down 4mm. Plenty of room.

It looks more and more like yours is a '73. Congrats again ... nice bike.

coelcanth

the hubs are record..
if they don't say 'record' on the barrels under the globe logo they are pre '63

perhaps all the parts are not as originally built

unworthy1

You're gonna want some of those Universal rubber hood reproductions (see archives) when our friend gets them on the market...that'll give it mad bling

jfmckenna

Is it not too unusual that the drive train is on the left side?

splytz1

The OP pointed out that all the photos of the bike are reversed (hence the backwards lettering as well).

jfmckenna

Oh I missed that, how odd

cooker

There's another Rogers thread now, with info on the builder: https://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=304389