Insidious C. 

Looking for thoughts on model year. This rusty Fleur de Lys resembles the other examples that turned up in my web search. The fork crown is different though, and it has a Brampton crankset rather than Williams. The weathered remains of the 531 sticker point to plain gauge tubes. The head badge proclaims "Birmingham." Single Resilion DT shifter and rod controlled Cyclo Benelux FD. Grand Prix brakes. Front wheel Dunlop lightweight (steel) rim and Resilion solid axle hub. Real wheel and RD don't belong. I badly want to ride it, but the condition of the lower fork blades makes me feel ill.

juvela

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Thanks very much for sharing this.

Fascinating.

Phllips had a nearly identical model at this time called the Fleur de Lys, circa 1957-58.

The head emblem is a 3-D Fleur de Lys symbol with no writing.

It even had the same livery of gold with antique white panels.

Have had one hanging in me racks for about thirty-five years.

Headset is Alatet. Hubs appear Resilion.

Look forward to more images.



[not my bicycle, example found online]






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Pcampeau

According to Kohl57s “On The Drops” blog, the Fleur De Lys was made from 1959-61. Sorry I’m not sure how to link it here. These hardly ever pop up, so it’s nice to see one here.

Insidious C. 

Peter Kohler wrote in his blog that the Dunelt FdL was a re-badged Phillips. They certainly appear more than just similar. The red Phillips above has shifter braze ons, however, and longer seat stay tops if my eyes don't deceive me.

I hastily assembled it for a ride today, to help me decide if I liked it well enough to invest in making it nicer. It does ride well in a comfortable sort of way. The top tube feels short but it could just be the stem is too high.



This if the sticker remnant that made me think plain gauge tubes. Anything smaller than a 27.0 seat tube just rattled around in the seat tube, so I guess it must be butted?



The head badge. Hard to see in pic but it says Birmingham 40.



The serial number on NDS dropout.



The fork crown is really troubling me. As I mentioned I have not seen one like it on pictures I've found of other Dunelt Fleur de Lys. It may be the same crown used on a mid 70s Raleigh Gran Sport (or at least some of them).

Pcampeau

Here is a plain gauge Reynolds 531 decal on my 1960 Carlton Franco Suisse, about the same time frame as your Dunelt Fleur de Lys. It’s not much like yours at all, not even the same size. I’m pretty sure you have butted tubing. I love that Dunelt headbadge!

juvela

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You are most fortunate to have gotten some of the original fittings with your example. Purchased mine as a complete machine but the only remaining original bits were the Alatet headset and the head emblem. Even the fork had been replaced.

Looked like it had been someone's mid-seventies project as all of the fittings are of that time. They had done a respray where the paint reacted with what was below it to create a crazed/crinkled effect. Disassembled it and hung the frame in the rack where it has been resting for thirty-five years or so.

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BTW -

the crown on your example looks to be a Vagner Nr. 12+





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Charles Wahl

The nearest Reynolds decal that I can find in Lloyd's history matching up with what I can see in the 4th post is this one:


That's not conclusive, by any means.

Those are some lovely frames above, from a time when even bikes that were not considered "bespoke" or "top shelf" were constructed with care and elegance. The bike I ride most often is a 1960s Falcon salvaged from a dump that doesn't share the elaborate lugs of these (plainer Prugnat long point), but it has a really nice flat/squared fork crown with points on the blades, and the construction is very neat. It's heavy, but has a look that's just "stately", and is a very comfortable ride. Still has its original headset, though that's the only original component now.

Shares the same Cyclo "Stallard" pattern cut dropouts, which were a staple of British bike manufacture until the continental forged drops became current in the mid-late '50s, at first only in high-end frames. I like them, even prefer them. The other feature it shares, that I really like, is the seat stays that taper to pencil-thin at the dropout.

juvela

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Thank so much for posting.

Excellent information much appreciated.

This Reynolds tube set seems to be a rather rare one.

The forum recently had a Claud Butler posted which was built with it. Owner was able to date machine to 1970, so it was a Holdsworthy produced example.

Thanks again.

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Insidious C. 

Thanks all for the great info. I am embarrassed to admit not noticing the stays.

The sticker Charles Wahl posted is what I presumed as well. The 32mm height I measure matches. I feel unsure now after discovering even a 26.8 seatpost was too small.

Insidious C. 

Just wanted to record an observation. The Armstrong that ftwelder posted eight years ago has a very similar serial number (15246 NO) to the subject Dunelt (185 NO).