# Champion bicycle info?



## kahloop1 (Oct 15, 2019)

Hi All, purchased this and a ladies version at a local auction for $12.00. Any information would greatly be appreciated......Thanks!


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## rollfaster (Oct 16, 2019)

@SirMike1983


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## 3-speeder (Oct 17, 2019)

This bike doesn't look Raleigh built like a lot of the English bikes from the sixties so maybe it was built in the 50's.???  Seems like a basic coaster brake single speed. Chainwheel looks like a Brampton. Might have been a department store bike. The image is a Brampton ad from 1950.  Does the rear hub have any maker markings?  Anything on the coaster brake arm?  These might hold a clue.


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## 3-speeder (Oct 17, 2019)

I think you got a good deal and a neat bike. Then again I like bikes that are different or unusual. This bike reminds me of my '57 Flying Jet. Never could find out much about that bike.  Has very similar features although the Flying Jet is a 3-speed.  Your front fork looks like it may be bent back a little. 




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## juvela (Oct 17, 2019)

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Thanks for sharing the Brampton page - good information there!

The one unique feature, in my experience, I see on the cycle is the flaring of the upper head lug to accept the upper head race.  "Usually" if a cycle has in integral headset the lower head lug will match the upper in this feature, but not here.  I was thinking the headset almost has to be either Brampton or T.D. Cross.

Have been assuming that a poster knowledgable on three-speeds would recognize the serial placement and format as specific to a particular maker.  

Unfortunately, the cycle's name makes it impossible to search on.  Have been working on the assumption that it is a house brand for a chainstore but of course have no hard information.

As regards dating have been thinking mid-1950's to very early 1960's.  Like you, have been wondering about the make of the coaster, Resilion perhaps?

Surprised we have not received an ID by now...

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## SirMike1983 (Oct 18, 2019)

It's not a Raleigh product from what I can see. It also does not exactly match Phillips or Hercules (common non-Raleigh brands in the US). The fittings are 1950s-early 60s era.  The coaster brake is common for bikes the English exported to the US. The Perry coaster was particularly common that period. If it's a Perry, you may be able to find a month and date stamp on the inside surface of the brake reaction arm.  It certainly does have a "house brand" look to it. The serial number strike and location is kind of unique - the common places are the rear drop, bottom bracket, or seat lug. Head lug is sort of different place for it. The lug style is also different - it's a fishmouth design, but with the fishmouth having a band at its opening.  

Two-tone paint like this was popular on English bikes in the 1950s-early 60s as well. The very long chrome shark blade on the front fender is also sort of unique. If I had to guess, and it's just a guess really, I'd say it's a house brand bike made for export to the US at a budget price point. They used generic (but still well-made) Brampton fittings, so those don't seem to have been made in-house. The brake levers are also generic (but again, they're well-made). Brampton was producing a lot of stuff in the mid-1950s for bikes exported to the US, so again that same time period. I can't name a maker offhand, and the Veteran Cycle Club library seems to have gone to a subscription-only model.


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## 3-speeder (Oct 18, 2019)

Another Brampton ad. This one from 1956. Both from Grace's Guide here:
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Brampton_Fittings         Lot of info there.


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## kahloop1 (Oct 18, 2019)

3-speeder said:


> This bike doesn't look Raleigh built like a lot of the English bikes from the sixties so maybe it was built in the 50's.???  Seems like a basic coaster brake single speed. Chainwheel looks like a Brampton. Might have been a department store bike. The image is a Brampton ad from 1950.  Does the rear hub have any maker markings?  Anything on the coaster brake arm?  These might hold a clue.
> View attachment 1080212



Looks like a New Departure Hun. Thank you for the help, it did ride very nice and i need to get it clean up. My winter projects keep


3-speeder said:


> This bike doesn't look Raleigh built like a lot of the English bikes from the sixties so maybe it was built in the 50's.???  Seems like a basic coaster brake single speed. Chainwheel looks like a Brampton. Might have been a department store bike. The image is a Brampton ad from 1950.  Does the rear hub have any maker markings?  Anything on the coaster brake arm?  These might hold a clue.
> View attachment 1080212


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## juvela (Oct 19, 2019)

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Do the bicycle's front and rear wheel rims match?

Does anyone recognize the backward S logo shown on the spoke head in this image?  I checked it at the spoke logo directory and nothing similar is shown.





http://www.mrrabbit.net/docs/spokeheads/main.html

Thank you.

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