Geoffrey Butler Steel Track Bike
Velonutter
Posts: 2,437
In the 70's I used to ride Campag Equipped Geoffrey Butler Frames both on the road and at Herne Hill.
I always hampered to build another frame similar to what I rode but more suitable to my ageing needs.
About 4 years ago a GB Track frame came up in Southampton, so my son-in-law and I drove down and collected the whole bike, it was in a bit of a sorry mess, but I knew I could restore it. It had Columbus tubing, but I could not determine which version apart from that it had a 27.00mm seat tube not the usual 27.2mm. George Clare at GB Cycles identified it as being a Mid 70's frame.
Now Geoffrey Butler frames were traditionally sprayed White and with red transfer and upon contacting George Clare, I was surprised to hear that he still has some original transfers in stock, so duly purchased I took the frame to a local sprayer (Mike Kowal in Walsall) and got him to give it a modern kick by adding some pearlescent to the white.
The frame is a 52cm so just a touch small for me, but nothing that couldn't be sorted with a 140mm stem and a longer seatpost, this meant that I couldn't use a Campag one as I couldn't find one long enough for the 27.00mm diameter Columbus Tubing, so a USE one had to be utilised, the Bars are Cinelli Criterium.
I have two sets of wheels a set of Campag Record Large Flange with Arc-en-Ciel Tubular Rim that were originally owned and raced by Malcolm Elliots and I restored, polished and built a pair of Clinchers (as per the photo) with Campag Record Large Flange Hubs and Lombardia rims, so that I could ride these on the rollers without fear of wearing out my Wolbler Tubs on the Arc-en-Ciel wheels.
I managed to find an original Vintage BNIB Campag Record Bottom Bracket to go with the Campag Record 165mm Crank Set, I've also got some C-Record 165mm Track Cranks but felt these were more suitable.
Saddle is a Selle Italia C2, which seems fine for now, bartape is Fizik Classic Red.
Headset is a Strada Campag Record as I couldn't find at the right price a good Pista Track headset in English thread.
The frame isn't one that was built by Cliff Shrub, who was the top builder at the time, however for a nostalgic look back at my old racing times it more than adequately suffices.
I have managed to acquire an original Cliff Shrub GB Track Frame for my son with beautiful curly lugs, that will be renovated for him to enjoy in the future as it is a 58cm frame and therefore too large for me.
I've ridden the bike at Newport and at Aldersley and it really rides lovely, but having not ridden on the track since, I felt it was wasted, so I bunged my Garmin on it and now use it for interval training on the rollers.
I always hampered to build another frame similar to what I rode but more suitable to my ageing needs.
About 4 years ago a GB Track frame came up in Southampton, so my son-in-law and I drove down and collected the whole bike, it was in a bit of a sorry mess, but I knew I could restore it. It had Columbus tubing, but I could not determine which version apart from that it had a 27.00mm seat tube not the usual 27.2mm. George Clare at GB Cycles identified it as being a Mid 70's frame.
Now Geoffrey Butler frames were traditionally sprayed White and with red transfer and upon contacting George Clare, I was surprised to hear that he still has some original transfers in stock, so duly purchased I took the frame to a local sprayer (Mike Kowal in Walsall) and got him to give it a modern kick by adding some pearlescent to the white.
The frame is a 52cm so just a touch small for me, but nothing that couldn't be sorted with a 140mm stem and a longer seatpost, this meant that I couldn't use a Campag one as I couldn't find one long enough for the 27.00mm diameter Columbus Tubing, so a USE one had to be utilised, the Bars are Cinelli Criterium.
I have two sets of wheels a set of Campag Record Large Flange with Arc-en-Ciel Tubular Rim that were originally owned and raced by Malcolm Elliots and I restored, polished and built a pair of Clinchers (as per the photo) with Campag Record Large Flange Hubs and Lombardia rims, so that I could ride these on the rollers without fear of wearing out my Wolbler Tubs on the Arc-en-Ciel wheels.
I managed to find an original Vintage BNIB Campag Record Bottom Bracket to go with the Campag Record 165mm Crank Set, I've also got some C-Record 165mm Track Cranks but felt these were more suitable.
Saddle is a Selle Italia C2, which seems fine for now, bartape is Fizik Classic Red.
Headset is a Strada Campag Record as I couldn't find at the right price a good Pista Track headset in English thread.
The frame isn't one that was built by Cliff Shrub, who was the top builder at the time, however for a nostalgic look back at my old racing times it more than adequately suffices.
I have managed to acquire an original Cliff Shrub GB Track Frame for my son with beautiful curly lugs, that will be renovated for him to enjoy in the future as it is a 58cm frame and therefore too large for me.
I've ridden the bike at Newport and at Aldersley and it really rides lovely, but having not ridden on the track since, I felt it was wasted, so I bunged my Garmin on it and now use it for interval training on the rollers.
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Comments
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That is one classy looking bike.0
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