I had asked yesterday whether any members had knowledge of Colin Cape frames. Thanks to some www-ferretting on the part of fellow-CR member, Roy Drinkwater, I made contact with Colin Cape in Swindon, England.
I thought I might, to steal a word from the therapist's manual, "share" what I found. I wrote to Colin asking for information on this bike I recently received. He wrote back telling me indeed it was one of his, and he made frames under the Colin Cape name, when he owned Swindon Cycles in the 1970's. He wrote that he wanted to make the most "precise" frames in England at the time. He said that he sold about five hundred in the USA, divided among three bike shops in California and one in Texas. (The one I have came from California but has no bicycle shop sticker on it.) He also mentioned that he went out of business in the late seventies.
The frame is well made, showing (or not showing) his brazing skills. The lugs, as I mentioned yesterday are Nervex chrome lugs, and have been filed to what I would agree are "precise." The paint color, however, ain't so sweet; an ugly greenish blue. He did mention that he still has complete sets of decals for the bikes if I or anyone else is interested.
Thanks for reading and thanks again to Roy for finding the information.
Cheers.
Tom
Tom Hayes
18585 Munn Road
Chagrin Falls, Ohio 44023
hayesbikes@nls.net
hayes@jcu.edu