55.5cm Owen Blower Vintage British Steel Road Bike Frame Set

✓ Original vintage frame - built in the 1970s
✓ Lightweight for the era - just 2.8 kg
✓ Suitable for historic cycling events such as L'Eroica
✓ Thoroughly checked over & photographed in detail
✓ Worldwide shipping

Owen Blower was a successful British racer in the late 1950s who went on to start a shop in Leicester, selling bikes bearing his name until the 1980s. Racing predominately in Britain, Owen took the title of Best British All Rounder (BBAR) and set a new 12 hour time trial record that would stand for 9 years in 1958. Owen also went on to race across the continent, including the Peace Race, and finished 5th overall in the 1959 Milk Race. His shop in Leicester sold British built lightweights, specialising in time trial machines which were built by contract builders including Mike Kowal of Autostrada.

This neat 1970s Blower branded road frame was probably built by Mike Kowal at Autostrada. With Campagnolo ends, long-point lugs and a Reynolds 531 tube set this is a solid frame that will build into a super every day bike. The original transfers are showing their age but could be cleaned off and replaced fairly easily.

If you're taking part in L'Eroica or a similar vintage event, this frame is of the correct age, so you won't be disqualified for being a rule breaker!

The frame's been carefully checked by one of our mechanics to confirm the alignment's correct and there's no damage to the threads. If there are any minor issues worth noting we will do so in the overview section below. Please take a good look at the detailed photos so you can see the cosmetic condition of the frame before you buy.

OVERVIEW

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Era - 1970s
Country - British
Frame Material - Steel
Tubing - Reynolds 531
Weight - 2.76 kg
Stock Code - U-F-R98V

SIZING

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Size Guide* - Medium (Approx 32 1/2" Inside Leg)
Seat Tube (ctc) - 55.5 cm
Top Tube (ctc) - 56 cm
Head Tube - 146 mm
Chainstay Length - 42 cm
Wheelbase - 100 cm

*This is just a guide, not a guarantee the frame will fit as every rider is different. If you're unsure of your size we'd always recommend trying out a bike with similar frame dimensions first.

TECHNICAL INFO

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Rear Spacing - 126 mm
Front Spacing - 100 mm
Seatpost Diameter - 26.8 mm
Wheel Size - 700c/28"
Brake Fixing - External Hex Nut
Front Brake Drop - 49 mm
Rear Brake Drop - 53 mm
Bottom Bracket Thread - English/British/ISO Thread
Headset Thread - Standard ISO (24 TPI - British/Italian)
Headset Stack Height - 33.5 mm
Fork Crown Race - 26.4 mm (ISO)
Headtube Internal Diameter - 30.0 mm
Steerer Internal Diameter - 22.2 mm (Standard)

▼SHIPPING, TAXES & RETURNS

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We've been safely sending orders around the world since 2010. Orders are carefully packed, sent with tracking & insurance, and normally collected around midday on Tuesdays and Fridays. Larger items may occasionally require an extra day or two to prepare.

We accept returns, please notify us within 14 days and ensure the item arrives back with us no later than 30 days after the order was received.

EU orders under €150 (excluding shipping) - import VAT and the new €3 customs duty are paid as part of your order, so there's nothing further to pay on delivery.

EU orders over €150 (excluding shipping) - import fees are payable to the carrier before delivery, with nothing collected at checkout.

USA orders - import fees are collected at checkout for all orders to the USA, so there won’t be any surprise charges when your order arrives.

Other international orders - local import fees may apply and are not collected by us. Please check your country's import rules before purchasing.

▼HELP SECTION

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Seat Tube (ctc) - we measure from the centre of the bottom bracket shell up to the centre line of the top tube to give a consistent measurement regardless of frame design (ctc means centre to centre).

Top Tube (ctc) - this is measured from the centre of the head tube to the centre of the seat tube, along the centre of the top tube.

Chainstay Length - measured from the centre of the bottom bracket shell to the centre point of the rear dropout.

Wheelbase - measured from the centre of the front fork dropout to the centre point of the rear dropout.

Front & Rear Spacing - measured from the inside of one dropout to the other. The dropouts on steel frames can be stretched or squeezed a few mm but it's always best to avoid this if possible, aluminium or carbon frames should never be stretched.

Brake Drop - measured using wheels of the relevant size for the frame, as stated in the technical info section.

Headset Threads - although it's generally recommended to match threaded parts exactly, with headsets you can technically mix and match, unless you have French or the obscure old Raleigh threads, in which case you need to stick to that type.