Brake levers
#1
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Brake levers
Hi - I am trying to identify a bike. Chainwheel and front lamp bracket seem to point to an Elswick but the frame has a sloping top tube, sloping from the seat downwards to the front. I cannot find an Elswick like that anywhere although there is one very like it with a straight top tube. I'm guessing it could be 20s but not sure. It has 26 in wheels, rod brakes. One strange thing is that the right brake lever operated the rear brake. Did some vintage English bikes have that configuration of brake levers and if so when did this change to the 'normal' UK set up? I would post some photos but don't think I'm allowed to yet.
Many thanks,
Phil
Many thanks,
Phil
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Hi Phil,
In your own profile you can add an album with photo's. If you managed to post photo's in an album, let it know here and someone will add those pictures to this discussion.
In your own profile you can add an album with photo's. If you managed to post photo's in an album, let it know here and someone will add those pictures to this discussion.
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Photo assist...
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That bike gives a whole new meaning to "sloping top tube."
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Nice find, BTW.
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I believe that he was talking about the parts that are normally chrome plated being black. That was a characteristic of World War II era bicycles.Eliminating the chrome reduced the reflectivity and consequently the visibility, while saving the chromium for the war effort. Of course, it could also be a case of repaint over rusty chrome.
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No help here but great bike.
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I believe that he was talking about the parts that are normally chrome plated being black. That was a characteristic of World War II era bicycles.Eliminating the chrome reduced the reflectivity and consequently the visibility, while saving the chromium for the war effort. Of course, it could also be a case of repaint over rusty chrome.
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The OP is from the UK. The pre and post war UK market British bicycles that I've seen, typically used chrome for the steel components.
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Herer's an 1939 Elswick 24LR LIght Roadster with the sloping top tube. I've also. see it on a Humber Light Roadster from the same era but it had a proprietary chainwheel, whereas the the OP's bicycle and the Elswick appears to be a Williams pattern. If so, there should be a date code on the crankarm and/ot chainwheel.
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Yes - that really looks like the bike doesn't it? I found photos of an Elswick light roadster but it had a straight top tube. I'm guessing my bike is a UK model as it has a brazed on lamp bracket on the right hand rear seat stay. Are there any more pictures where that one came from? I'm still intrigued by the brake levers being the 'wrong' way round for a UK bike. Do you know if UK bikes had that arrangement at some time in the past? Also do you know what period the bike you found was produced? I am really grateful or your efforts in tracking down the bike's identity.
Phil
Phil
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I have now uncovered the frame number which is F152328 which according to a list I found at the onlinebicyclemuseum this number dates it to 1926 or 1950. I'm inclined to think it's 1926.
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The fly in that ointment is that the Elswick serial number format typically uses the alpha character as a suffix, as opposed to a prefix.