Vintage Viking Identification

[markeymagic]

Can you see hole's in the head tube if you take the fork out? They may have been filled or the badge glued on in the absence of the correct rivets.


I have just taken the fork out and yes there are two holes all the way through which makes sense and aligns itself to respray and badge glued on which I think helps with the Viking case

 

[bikeworkshop]

Phew. Great news with the drilling.
The fog of confusion is lifting.

The head lugs look like nervex, although with the long fishtail they usually had a further eye cut in the circular corner cutaways.
The top and downtube shapes are similar too

 

[markeymagic]

Thanks great picture yes I'm feeling more confident on the Viking front but still some questions to answer and more mysteries with the lugs very similar to the picture but not quite as is often the case with these things so many variations and combinations

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

I think the lugs are Vikings own, I can find no matching Nervex lugs. @KermitGKona88 @ferrus @squirrelchaser

 

[jim haseltine]

The slightly asymmetrical lower edge to the righthand rear dropout suggests to me that a gear hanger was cut off at some time.
Wasn't 26.8mm one of the seat post sizes for 531 plain gauge, or am I thinking of 26.4?

 

[squirrelchaser]

I think the lugs are Vikings own, I can find no matching Nervex lugs. @KermitGKona88 @ferrus @squirrelchaser

I'm ignorant of any specific Viking knowledge . I'd say the pre respray looks genuine . Most little tweaks could be made if you're prepared to pay and lugs are faves to chip away at .

 

[markeymagic]

Good observation on the dropout I will give it a good look tomorrow, can't imagine why someone would cut it off though?



I See lots of information online but many sites do say old 531 plain gauge is 26.8mm So who knows, are there any other ways of identifying the tubing?

 

[markeymagic]

I'm ignorant of any specific Viking knowledge . I'd say the pre respray looks genuine . Most little tweaks could be made if you're prepared to pay and lugs are faves to chip away at .






Sorry might be being a bit dim here but I don't understand this response what do you mean by pre-respray and what looks genuine.... sorry just don't to miss any crucial insights

 

[jim haseltine]

When more 'fashionable' continental rear mechs made Benelux models less desirable a lot of frames had Cyclo dropouts trimmed to enable fitting of newer designs. If you were to remove the forks there's a possibility that there is a tubing roll-stamp visible on the steerer - only a slight one though with such a small frame.

 

[chickendrumsticks]

I'm also really struggling to find any other bikes/pictures with the same headtube lug shapes all Nervex lugs seem much shorter and dare I say it less ornate!

Here's those similar frame numbers from the Classic Viking register