AZORCH

This is my winter bike project and - hopefully! - my tweed ride bicycle for this coming spring. I've dated this bike based upon the serial number G 38519 which, according to one source I've located, indicates a frame date of 1949 (G = 1949).



The 1948 Sturmey-Archer three-speed hub also supports this conclusion.



Interestingly, the frame dimensions exactly mirror my 80's era Colnago:

Seat tube - 60cm c-c
Top tube - 58cm c-c

However, the wheelbase is a luxuriant 107cm!

Other specifications, which I found in a brochure online:

Wheels: 26 x 1 3/8 Westwood
Tires: Dunlop Roadster
Handlebars: Northroad Raised
Brakes: Front and rear roller
Saddle: Spring seat
Mudguard: Special ribbed section steel guards with chromium plated emblem on front
Finish: Bonderised for rust resistance; enameled black lined with gold and red; shiny parts are chromium plated.
Brazed on pump pegs, Sturmey-Archer three/four-speed trigger



And here is what the bike looked like in the original brochure (and will, hopefully, resemble once again in the months to come):



More "before" photos located here.

rhm

Cool. Nice that they made such a big one! Need a better photo of the chain ring. What will you do about a chain guard?

AZORCH

I'll be documenting with lots of "before" photographs over the next couple days if for no other reason than that all that dirty painted steel looks so cool in this corrupted state! I'll post a chain ring photo when I can get into the project this week. As for a chain guard, according to the literature the "Gent's Model" didn't come with one - it was only available on the Lady's Model.

auchencrow

That will be a most handsome looking bike for your Tweed ride!
I'd forgo the chain guard based on the catalog illustration, and just roll or tape up your pant cuff instead.

skydog6653

I'm dumb! What's a tweed ride?

AZORCH

Who needs stinkin' pant cuffs?



@Skydog: A Tweed Rides is a group bicycle ride in which the cyclists are expected to dress in traditional British cycling attire, particularly tweed plus four suits. Any bicycle is acceptable, but classic vintage bicycles are encouraged. Some effort to recreate the spirit of a bygone era is always appreciated. Tweed Rides began in London but are taking place all across the globe now. Main thing is that they're fun.

auchencrow

AZORCH -

Where did you get those socks?

AZORCH

Busted. Pulled 'em off a dead witch.

photogravity

OK, just one more post...

Minneapolis Bike Warehouse has NOS Birmingham style chainguards for $21. I bought a couple myself and they still have at least 8 more according to the auction. That style chainguard would look great on the bike atmo.

BTW, your Elswick Hopper is only a little bit newer than the 1946 Hercules that Frank the Welder gave me a few weeks back. The best part with the Hercules is that I was also able to get the original Hercules quadrant shifter with it!


Hercules Roadster - 1946 - 1 by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr


Hercules Quadrant Shifter by Sallad Rialb, on Flickr

AZORCH

I've got an opportunity to get a quadrant shifter too.

auchencrow

You must have the Ruby Slippers too, to have snagged such a keen winter project as that Elswick-Hopper!

AZORCH

Yes, but they don't fit very well and just what am I supposed to do with this little dog?

markk900

Very cool bike - please post as you are working on it - would love to see the progress. Have you gotten any information about the company itself? Where was the factory?

Was there a decal on the frame regarding the bonderizing process? My 1956 Standard has 2/3 of one and I am looking to try to replicate it....(stupid use of the new to me Park stand at the time taught me a good lesson.....never clamp over old decals.....)

auchencrow

strock 

Take her back to Kansas. It's not far from Missouri.

AZORCH

RHM, here's a shot of the chainring. I've added more "before" details to my flickr gallery here



@Markk900: I'll be updating this thread as I progress. I've uncovered a fair amount of information about Elswick and I'll post links and other information here once I get a chance to sift through it all. At first blush there didn't seem to be much available but I've since hit a couple of jackpots with some brochures and catalogs.

photogravity

With your bike being a 1949, it probably would be on the hairy edge of being a part that would have been on the bike originally. A trigger shifter would have been more likely in 1949 if you believe what Sheldon Brown has to say...

Here's a 1959 that I'd love to see in person. I spoke with Larry Black from Mt. Airy Bicycles about this bike a few days ago, but didn't ask him how much he wants.

AZORCH

Here's the thing: I have no real reason not to believe that the three/four speed trigger shifter isn't original. The catalog indicates that S-A bits and pieces could be specified as the buyer wanted, i.e., you could get whatever configuration that was available at the time and the trigger shifter seems to be the more likely candidate. However, there is some banded scarring along the top tube, right where a quadrant shifter would seem to have been mounted. And here is a 1952 Elswick that was found (believe it or not) as an NOS, partially assembled kit in Ireland - and it has the bar mounted shifter:



Bottom line is that the jury is out for the moment, especially since the trigger shifter seems to function fine and definitely is period correct. If my friend doesn't sell me the quadrant shifter, the point will also be moot anyway!

photogravity

You make excellent points... One of the interesting things that I found with Hercules bicycles is that the Syncro-switch was in the 1949 Hercules catalog, but the Her-Cu-Matic shifter shows up in the 1953 catalog, so some time after 1949 and possibly before 1953 the Her-Cu-Matic appeared. When it comes to my machines though, irrespective of whether it is proper of not, except for the roadster for which I have the quadrant shifter, I plan to affix the Her-Cu-Matic shifter.

AZORCH

And thus, the cleaning begins.


Man, I love these graphics!


And the brass head badge ain't no slouch either.

I'll start with the frame, remove the wheels to work on later, and plan a piece-by-piece attack of the shiny bits once the frame has been prepared. Meanwhile, all internal bearings, lube, etc. I need to figure out a plan for the saddle, the fabric covering of which is in very sad condition.

rhm

The trigger in your photos is correct for a bike of that year. Whether it's original or not I can't say, but you won't find anything more correct.

It's a great looking bike.

55 Traveler

Great decals. Thats cleaning up very nicely.

Any idea why the largish gap between the back tire and fender?

David

photogravity

I have the same issue with my Herc roadster... I've not put it on the stand to look it over very closely because I have a bunch more projects going on at the moment, but I think some of these old bikes from this era just have a bigger gap than we are used to seeing. The other theory is that they were fitted with 28" wheels and at a later date had smaller, more readily available wheels placed on the bike.

AZORCH

I've noticed the same issue with other roadsters of the period. A partial explanation lies in the fact that the rear tire is flat - but only a partial explanation. Compare the image of the bike from the company literature to the bike as it is currently and I think I see a closer rear fender line in the original. But not markedly so.

AZORCH

This morning I've begun to work on the shiny bits and pieces. This is relatively easy, if somewhat tedious work. I may need to disassemble the trigger shifter to clean it out and ensure that everything is ship shape, but that will come much later on. The auto parts store is closed today and I'm out of fine steel wool, so the detail work will have to wait for now. There is some pitting in the plate and I'm hoping that the aluminum foil treatment will minimize that to some extent. Looks pretty good from a few feet away though.



The chainring and the drive side crank are mostly cleaned up. Still some fine steel wool work to be done here too and I'm debating what to do about a scratch on the crank arm - probably I'll just buff it and leave it alone.