Mid 1990's Club Tour Frame Size and date identification

[AdrianStone]

Hello - a first time poster here as I've bought an elderly Thorn Club Tour.  I've not cycled for years and wanted to start again as now retired and would like to get out more without taking the motorbike or dog. Just to explore our area (Dorset) more and go camping on a bike.

I understand the bike is a mid 1990's Club Tour, I can see no frame size stamp non the bottom bracket, there is a frame number, 595808, at the bottom of the seat tube - photo attached. Is it possible to identify the frame size from this?

Looking forward to getting out on this and hopefully restoring it as there's rust under the coating in several places in the future.

Thank you

An edit… is the build date likely to be May 1995? (595XXX) and assume 808 would be the build number?Anyone?

Frame wise it’s 53cm bottom bracket centre to seat post and 54cm top tube
Thanks

[Jags]

thats a beauty enjoy it.
dan will no doubt let you know what all those numbers mean.
i doubt its a 59cm frame  58 top tube.

[B cereus]

An edit… is the build date likely to be May 1995? (595XXX) and assume 808 would be the build number?Anyone?

Your bike looks a very similar vintage to my old Club Tour. I dated mine to around the end of the millennium by using the two letter date codes on the Shimano components. They can be a good indicator to the age of a particular bicycle. Be aware that an older bike may well not have all of its original components.

Briefly:

The first letter indicates the year, starting with A in 1976 through to Z in 2001. The whole process repeats on a 26 year cycle, so 2002 begins again with A.

The second letter indicates the month.
 A=Jan, B=Feb. C=Mar, --------- L=Dec

[Andyb1]

This one may be different but the Sherpa and Raven serial numbers stamped into the steel under the BB - you would have to turn the bike upside down to see them.  The pattern was Frame size (3 x digits), L or S for top tube length then digits giving the frame number.
Nice bike.

[John Saxby]

Just to explore our area (Dorset) more and go camping on a bike.

Welcome, Adrian!

Trust the comments by Andyb1 and B Cereus will help you date your spiffy bike 

On other matters, where are you in Dorset? I have fond memories of the Isle of Purbeck -- was born in Swanage, & came to consciousness in Corfe. (My dad was with the Tanks, based in Bovington.)  And, I spent happy times over the years with a favourite aunt, who lived in Charmouth just east of Lyme. Too long since I last visited...

Cheers,  John

(dialling in from Ottawa, Canada)

[B cereus]

Thorn’s present frame numbering system is a comparatively recent innovation. Adrians Club Tour dates from a time when frames were still being hand brazed in the UK.

I think May 1995 could well be correct. As far as I can discern, the frame number of my own CT is 01477. That’s a little speculative because the numbers are difficult to read due to the thickness of paint. If correct it would indicate April 200I, frame number 77, which is in good agreement with the Shimano date codes.

For comparison here’s a picture of my bike:   https://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=12508.0

[AdrianStone]

Just to explore our area (Dorset) more and go camping on a bike.

Welcome, Adrian!

Trust the comments by Andyb1 and B Cereus will help you date your spiffy bike 

On other matters, where are you in Dorset? I have fond memories of the Isle of Purbeck -- was born in Swanage, & came to consciousness in Corfe. (My dad was with the Tanks, based in Bovington.)  And, I spent happy times over the years with a favourite aunt, who lived in Charmouth just east of Lyme. Too long since I last visited...

Cheers,  John

(dialling in from Ottawa, Canada)

Hello John, thanks for the reply, Purbeck is lovely.  I'm in Litton Cheney, a bit further west, a village in the Dorchester/Bridport/Weymouth triangle... sort of not close to anything other than big hills and the sea! If travelling from Dorchester to Bridport it's a one mile drop at 20% in places from the A35 to the village! It'll be a while before I can tackle that!

Adrian

[AdrianStone]

Thorn’s present frame numbering system is a comparatively recent innovation. Adrians Club Tour dates from a time when frames were still being hand brazed in the UK.

I think May 1995 could well be correct. As far as I can discern, the frame number of my own CT is 01477. That’s a little speculative because the numbers are difficult to read due to the thickness of paint. If correct it would indicate April 200I, frame number 77, which is in good agreement with the Shimano date codes.

For comparison here’s a picture of my bike:   https://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=12508.0

Thank you for the photo, it's good to see another of similar vintage.  I've not found the stamp on the bottom bracket, I assume from your comment that that's likely to be due to the paint!

[John Saxby]

Thanks, Adrian.  I do remember going along the B3157 in a rental car and descending the Abbotsbury Hill, and thinking..."Jeez, climbing this'd be a handful on a bike."

Lovely countryside -- I get all weepy & sentimental seeing the Google photos...

Enjoy, in any case!