[CR] 1971 Falcon San Remo

(Example: Framebuilders:Alex Singer)

From: <dkernan@mindspring.com>
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Sun, 14 Mar 2010 11:01:40 -0400
In-Reply-To: <mailman.2523.1268564951.544.classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Subject: [CR] 1971 Falcon San Remo


Peter,

Glad that you weighed in--I was delighted to find your description of the model range when I was puzzling over the model differences from the abbreviated (1969?) Falcon catalog on the CR site and the one posted on Mark Bulgier's site.

And as you note, there was a red/black model available, although I don't think I have a picture of one.

Your bike does show the differences in decalling that I was trying to describe. You have the single white panel Falcon script (down tube only). Then on the seat tube you have the smaller of the two white panels (that has the UK flag and "Made in ...." on it, Reynolds 531 decal above.

Lots that I have seen have your smaller white panel moved up on the seat tube, and a second larger white panel mid point on the seat tube with a stylized version of the Falcon head tube crest in red, "Designed by Ernie Clements" repeated here, and blue and red rings setting the decal off from the frame.

Cheaper models like the Olympic have that similar mid-tube panel as a shiny foil decal as well as the UK flag/Made in..." decal above.

But I have also seem the shiny foil decals on a San Remo, including a foil backed version of the top and down tube decals.

Mine (purchase new, (1971)was repainted after I bent the frame and had tubes replaced, & surprisingly I don't have a single good picture of it in its original state.

But it did have the contrasting head tube (in flam red), and it had an aluminized/shiny panel top tube and down tube, and the double panel on the seat tube that were also the shiny/aluminized material.

I've been saving eBay pictures but I can't honestly say I can come to much of a conclusion about what changed when, except the clear change you can see when the later '70s bike come with the new brushscript Falcon name wrapped over the down tube only (with no backing panel) and the Union Jack bridging across the tube at the top end of the decal.

Dean Kernan
Pomona, New York