1978 Favori (Ellis Briggs) Concord TT

serial no. 5533

Purchased on eBay UK) on 20 November 2011 for $256 as a frameset. Back on the road 11 April 2012

Ellis Briggs, founded in 1936, remains family owned (third generation) and still in the framebuilding business in Shipley (Yorkshire), England and has built custom frames for many of Britain’s top cyclists over the years including Ken Russell (who won the 1952 Tour of Britain on an EB machine), Bernard Burns, Beryl Burton, Brian Robinson, Arthur Metcalfe, Doug Petty, Danny Horton and Dave Rayner.

This is one of their “Favori” brand frames, the Italianate name adopted in the 1950s reflecting the increasing Continental influence in British cycling at the time. Name aside, it's very much a classic British time trialling frame in design and finish with stiff 74 parallel angles, short top tube and chainstays and high bb. The Davis sloping crown fork, “fastback” seat stays and extensive chrome give it a 1960s flavour despite its build date.

Obtained from the original owner as a frameset in excellent, wholly original condition with its striking salmon and cream paintwork, this was a well-used but well cared for machine. Evidently, this was repainted by Ellis Briggs in its present colour in the early 1980s as the build sheet (kindly provided by Paul at Ellis Briggs) shows it was originally finished in Flam Green with Polychromatic Champagne head tube and seat tube bands.

This has been fitted out with a mix of some of the choicest of "weight weenie" components c. 1978-84: Campagnolo Super Record titanium pista pedals and rear derailleur, Pino Moroni skewers, OMAS titanium bb, Stronglight delrin headset and Sakae Rinkyo’s “superlight” stem and seat pillar as well as some real Alf Enger style drilled out bits including the chainring (even the teeth have been drilled!), brake levers and calipers to give a very light and lively mount weighing in at just under 18 lbs.

Frame/Fork
Material: Reynolds 531 double butted
Braze ons: gear cable stop on chainstay, single cable guide on driveside bb top shell, Saba top tube brake cable clips and down tube bottle cage bosses
Drop outs: Campagnolo vertical TT rear and Campagnolo front
Bottom bracket:
Finish: original salmon with cream seat tube panel and bands outlined in gold, white lug lining. Chromed 10" front fork socks and 10" rear triangle ends and fork crown.
Size: seat tube 24" (c to c), top tube 22.75" (c to c)
Chain stay length: 16" (centre of spindle axle to centre of dropout)
Angles: 74 head and 74 seat
Fork crown: Davis sloping
Fork rake: 1 1/2"
Wheelbase: 39 1/4"
Bottom bracket height: 10 3/4”
Rear spacing: 125 mm
Lugs: Prugnat S4 long point with windows
BB stampings: 5533 (also on fork steerer tube)
Weight:
bare frame: 4.5 lbs.
bare fork: 1.7 lbs
built up: 17.9 lbs

Components
Rims: Mavic GEL-280 28-hole (700c x 20mm, 265g)
Hubs: 28-hole Campagnolo Super Record low-flange hubs, double-butted 15/17/15g. Pino Moroni titanium skewers.
Tyres: Tufo Jet Pro 19mm sew ups.
Bottom bracket: OMAS "Big Sliding" titanium
Chainset: Campagnolo Pista 177.5 cranks with 56t drillium chainring
Pedals: Campagnolo Super Record Pista with titanium spindles, ALE alloy toeclips, no name white leather straps.
Derailleur: Campagnolo 2nd Gen. Super Record pat. 79
Derailleur lever: single Campagnolo Super Record
Freewheel: Maillard 700 dural Course five-speed 13-14-15-16-17t
Chain: Regina Extra SL Superleggera with hollow pins
Brakes: Campagnolo Super Record milled (originally from a 1976 Olmo) with custom drilled and lightened Super Record levers. CLB duralinox Mercier pink cables
Headset: Stronglight/Spidel A10 alloy/delrin
Stem & handlebars: Sakae Rinkyo Super Light 120mm stem with SR Royal World Custom 39cm 'bars, Benotto black celotape up to brake levers only and Benotto plugs.
Saddle: Premier Chisal Superleggera, alloy undercarriage
Seat pin: Sakae Rinkyo Royal P1 Extra Super Light with titanium bolts, 27.2 mm, 191 g.
Accessories: REG bottle cage and Atax bottle