As I have just joined I thought I should say hello. Seemed rude of me not to do so.
Very recently a late 1929/early 1930 Sunbeam Gents bicycle joined the small collection in the family of Wolverhampton-made cycles. It's not exactly a huge group – a Knight racer and a Wearwell of the same era as the Marston machine so far – but something my father is steadily putting together and working on to keep the old grey matter going in retirement.
Anyway, here it is!
(http://imgur.com/yLAqNTc.jpg)
Sadly the provenance of the bicycle isn't really known, but it's largely original aside from the list below and very probably the lighting arrangement that came with it. Overall it's solid if also cosmetically rather worn in places. I prefer to call it slightly extreme patina. What look like original (well, certainly not remotely recent) brake blocks are a nice touch though.
The task at the moment is to make sure all the fasteners, linkages and whatnots work correctly, which so far has been pretty painless; A dab of PlusGas on everything and it's all coming apart nicely for a once-over and then back on the frame - nothing rounding off or snapping.
(http://imgur.com/wSixE0u.jpg)
(You might just make out the Knight frame on the wall and a bit of the handlebars of the Wearwell)
Next step is over time find parts that are missing to get it back to looking complete and either factory correct or period correct. It's not a huge list but I'm aware some will need some patience. Not a problem, the bicycle isn't going anywhere.
The bits include:
- Sturmey Archer rear hub (preferably 1929/30 but pre war will be fine)
- Gear change selector; I'm not sure if it would be the round or cylinder one but judging from the fixing lug on the frame I think it will be the latter
- Rear mudguard (the more squared profile version to replace the Raleigh one that came with the bicyle)
- Chainwheel cover, although I'm not ruling out repairing the original one, much as that will be a bit of a faff as it is in a very bad way
- Handlebar grips; the originals are in a bad way but I know I've no chance of finding exact replacements so any pointers on preserving them will be good
- Steering lock bar; I may well see about making one which would be fun to do
- Pedals
Longer term the decision to make is whether to restore or preserve. At the moment a later (40's) BSA-era Sunbeam is about to get a fresh coat of paint and box-lining so there's no rush.
Lastly, if anyone is interested the Tettenhall Transport Heritage Museum has a 1900 Sunbeam bicycle in the engine shed. It's open on Sundays and free to visit. When I popped there a chap was just leaving on board a (I think) S7.
Hi Pete
For some reason your text is appearing in white whih makes it a bit (read completely) difficult to read!
But nice looking pushbikes!
Oops, is that any better?
Much better, many thanks. Looks like a nice little project and one i would probably leave with its patina intact. It's far from those rusty wrecks you often see as "original & unrestored".
I must pop over to the Tettenhall museum some time - I'd heard of it some time ago but it had slipped from my memory.
I certainly agree that for now it shouldn't be stripped and have some paint thrown over it just for the sake of a bit of corrosion here and there. The target I have right now is to get it back to a riding state, which means a few jobs to be done such as repairing the collapsed saddle as shown below
(http://i.imgur.com/ur2cCgf.jpg)
If you look at the four front springs that suspend the saddle, two have no ends while one of the rear frame springs has broken and the other is badly pitted. Getting the frame springs is pretty straightforward - Brooks sell them - but the saddle springs are proving a bit trickier to hunt down. I'll find some eventually and probably make a bag loop from a bit of wire to replace the missing one, then a couple of coats of gloss black and it can go back together. After that I can then get round to sorting out the rims and it should be up and running.
Longer term there are a couple of concerns about the chain case. the chainwheel cover is pretty nasty and there is a tear in the front of the case along with the usual rippling and dents they inevitably gain over so many years.
BTW the museum is a nice place to spend bit of time going round. It's mainly Bolton Paul stuff from their collection having to move out from the factory a while back but intersting stuff, plus there is a tea shop in the old station. Brought back memories for me from when it was all run down and derelict, for a kid it was a great place to explore.
You could always try R.K.Leighton in Birmingham for the saddle springs. I'm sure he does them for M/C saddles, and he may have something suitable.
P.
https://www.armoursltd.co.uk/product-category/seats/springs/
Try here..Long springs can always be shortened by turning a loop up.john
Thanks for the suggestions for the mattress springs, the ones from Armour look ideal.