I just got this beauty today. 1935 Golden Sunbeam gentleman's roadster Christmas came early this year. The paint is a bit rough but it's otherwise sound and it's all there, with a couple of very minor exceptions. These are really beautiful bikes. The bell alone is a work of art.
Top machine Reno, I've been looking for one in my size for a while to no avail...They are top machines of high quality!
Velo-Orange.com was having a garage sale today to clean out odds and ends from their warehouse. As I live nearby I was able to pick up a nice VO leather saddle for $35. I guess it has a few scuffs that caused them to not be able to sell it full retail. I also picked up some leather handlebar covers for a fraction of their normal retail. Matt
I have finally men's bicycle. Zbrojovka Brno, probably 30's. Original paint and chrome on frame seems to be in good condition. We will see when it arrives.
When did cable brakes replace rod-breaks? I had always assumed the former were much more modern, but by the look of some of the photos in this thread, they were around earlier than I thought?
Yet another.... “”On yer bike!” And that’s the bonafide “scruff” that’s right... when wearing yer saddles!
A lovely Winter ride to burn off the mince pies. From Alton to Alresford, stopping off at Four Marks, then back to Alton with our bikes in the guards van of the steam train. Great day out!
Me and Ben on our excellent cycle tour to the Somme battlefields at the end of the summer. Our gear was loosely 'mid century', with a few modern comforts included to make wild camping a little easier, especially for this middle aged cyclist. I chose to carry a fairly cheap three season sleeping bag that stowed down to the size of a football, an inflatable mattress that packed down to next to nothing but when inflated was really thick and comfortable, and an army bivvi bag in place of a tent. All varying shades of khaki so didn't look to out of place on our old bikes. And nothing too fancy or modern to spoil the mid century mission we had set ourselves. Ben had a lovely super lightweight pre war tent, that took up very little room. And we both carried our kit in old Carradice black canvas saddle bags, Ben riding a 1939 Claud Butler, me on a 1946 Hobbs of Barbican, both London machines. We covered over a hundred miles in the first day, Dieppe to Albert, and did the same mileage coming back. Our tour of the battlefields was much gentler as we were sightseeing, with our chum and guide Dickie, who we met up with at Albert train station. We wild camped the whole trip. We didn't bother cooking anything, preferring to stop at cafes for a breakfast coffee, with a croissant or pain aux raisin from the local patisserie. Lunch of bread and cheese and cured sausage from the local store, with a bottle of local cidré, and a cheap meal in whatever restaurant or cafe we could find open in the evening. (tricky, as most of France seemed to be shut for August.) I took three 35mm films on my grandfathers Voigtlander VITO B, you can click on the flickr tags to see the rest of the album. Somme Battlefield Cycle Tour by Mike, on Flickr Somme Battlefield Cycle Tour by Mike, on Flickr Somme Battlefield Cycle Tour by Mike, on Flickr Somme Battlefield Cycle Tour by Mike, on Flickr Somme Battlefield Cycle Tour by Mike, on Flickr Somme Battlefield Cycle Tour by Mike, on Flickr Somme Cycle Tour by Mike, on Flickr