# 1954 Black Phantom in UK



## Ukblackphantom (Mar 3, 2015)

Hi, this is my 1954 Black Phantom.
It must be very rare in the UK and certainly receives a lot of attention when I'm out riding it.
It used to belong to Gus Dudgeon, Elton John's record producer.


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## jacob9795 (Mar 3, 2015)

Nice ride! Enjoy it!


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## Ukblackphantom (Mar 3, 2015)

jacob9795 said:


> Nice ride! Enjoy it!




Thanks.
I recently had a Sturmey Archer front hub brake built into the original rim, as relying on the cruiser brake alone did not fill me with confidence!
Here a couple more pics taken last summer. 
Chris


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## vincev (Mar 3, 2015)

I bet they are really rare in the UK.


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## Goldenrod1 (Mar 3, 2015)

The bag in the back looks like an American WWII gun cleaning pouch.  That gigantic peasant-wacking chain guard must stoke fear in the locals.  You could serve tea for the neighborhood off that BIG American luggage rack, while the horn and light make it a real night stalker.  People know to keep the shades down in American neighborhoods.


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## Ukblackphantom (Mar 4, 2015)

SchwinnSpangler said:


> The bag in the back looks like an American WWII gun cleaning pouch.  That gigantic peasant-wacking chain guard must stoke fear in the locals.  You could serve tea for the neighborhood off that BIG American luggage rack, while the horn and light make it a real night stalker.  People know to keep the shades down in American neighborhoods.



Hi
Vincev, yes very rare over here: I've yet to come across another in the UK, either on line or for real.
There may be a few 1995 repops, but haven't seen those either.
Schinnspangler, like your comments
I live in a small seaside town and it never fails to draw attention from young and old, male and female. As you say in the US: it's large and in charge!
Chris


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## bobcycles (Mar 4, 2015)

*Great looking bike and the history/provenance is quite impressive.  I went to school in the UK as a young lad and spent subsequent summers there (Bournemouth, a seaside town as well) and I can remember missing my American Schwinn Stingray bikes but being intrigued by the Raleigh Choppers everywhere.  Phantom looks great, if you decide you need a correct Schwinn Phantom saddle for it?  Let me know, I have several restored ones here that would top the bike of nicely, always have a spare for sale if you need one.  *


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## Ukblackphantom (Mar 4, 2015)

bobcycles said:


> *Great looking bike and the history/provenance is quite impressive.  I went to school in the UK as a young lad and spent subsequent summers there (Bournemouth, a seaside town as well) and I can remember missing my American Schwinn Stingray bikes but being intrigued by the Raleigh Choppers everywhere.  Phantom looks great, if you decide you need a correct Schwinn Phantom saddle for it?  Let me know, I have several restored ones here that would top the bike of nicely, always have a spare for sale if you need one.  *



Hi, thanks for your comments.
I live near Dover, Kent, but know Bournemouth as I had a girlfriend there in my student days in the late 60s, early 70s.
The saddle on my Phantom is a Persons, which I thought was one of Schwinn's suppliers.
What saddle do you have and what sort of price?
Chris


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## TheDXjedi (Mar 4, 2015)

Nice bike 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## GTs58 (Mar 4, 2015)

Super nice Phantom. Is there a story on how you ended up stealing this from Gus?  

Here's my 53 that I grabbed from Ozark Flyer. He did a nice job recovering the seat before he decided to give me the bike.


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## 2jakes (Mar 4, 2015)

Ukblackphantom said:


> View attachment 199784View attachment 199784
> Hi, this is my 1954 Black Phantom.
> It must be very rare in the UK and certainly receives a lot of attention when I'm out riding it.
> It used to belong to Gus Dudgeon, Elton John's record producer.




Just to be on the safe side while riding in the lovely UK roads, I would move the bell ringer
 on the handlebars to the right side. 



(sorry...it's 2jakes... rather low brow dog's humor ) 

*
Seriously...that is a beauty...thanks for sharing !
Cheers.
Jake
*


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## Ukblackphantom (Mar 4, 2015)

GTs58 said:


> Super nice Phantom. Is there a story on how you ended up stealing this from Gus?
> 
> Here's my 53 that I grabbed from Ozark Flyer. He did a nice job recovering the seat before he decided to give me the bike.



Thanks GT. Yours is earlier than mine and looks in great condition.
I bought mine last July from a neighbour, Howard Werth who was front man of a band called Audience late 60s early 70s. (Google the band).
Audience were also produced by Gus Dudgeon. Gus imported this Phantom in the mid 90s but was killed in a car accident late 90s, after which Howard, a friend of Gus, received the bike.
In saw it some years ago at his house, and jumped at the chance to buy it last year.


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## JAKE B (Mar 5, 2015)

Nice, I also am in the UK, I have a Schwinn Heavy Duti, you should join us on the big cruise in Bournemouth next month!!


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## Ukblackphantom (Mar 5, 2015)

JAKE B said:


> Nice, I also am in the UK, I have a Schwinn Heavy Duti, you should join us on the big cruise in Bournemouth next month!!



That would be great but.....
Unfortunately, there's no way I can get a Phantom into the back of an Audi TT and I sure ain't cycling!


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## bobcycles (Mar 6, 2015)

*Phantoms had their own unique saddle and in my opinion about THE most comfortable saddle ever made for these old Balloo tire bikes...
Made by the Mesinger Co of NY who also made Indian, Harley etc Motorcycle saddles before WWII along with a variety of other bicycle seats.
email me direct and I can send you a pic of a properly restored Phantom seat.  The seat you have there was made in the 1980s by Person Majestic
and sold as an accessory seat for cruiser / vintage balloon bicycles and was also found on the Columbia 5 star reproduction.  Not a bad saddle at all
but the actual Schwinn seat beats the repro by a mile.
Bobcycles@aol.com *




Ukblackphantom said:


> Hi, thanks for your comments.
> I live near Dover, Kent, but know Bournemouth as I had a girlfriend there in my student days in the late 60s, early 70s.
> The saddle on my Phantom is a Persons, which I thought was one of Schwinn's suppliers.
> What saddle do you have and what sort of price?
> Chris


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## Ukblackphantom (Mar 6, 2015)

2jakes said:


> Just to be on the safe side while riding in the lovely UK roads, I would move the bell ringer
> on the handlebars to the right side.
> 
> 
> ...



Thanks Jake!
As it happens, I've removed the bell completely as I don't like the fact that, although it says Schwinn Approved, it's made in Japan. I just use the horn now, or yell


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## 2jakes (Mar 6, 2015)

Ukblackphantom said:


> Thanks Jake!
> As it happens, I've removed the bell completely as I don't like the fact that, although it says Schwinn Approved, it's made in Japan. I just use the horn now, or yell




I found out that the "Schwinn" ringer on my "54 Phantom was an add-on from 60s -70s. (USA made)
Later ones were made overseas.
Bell ringers have been around for a very long time.
But I have yet found a Schwinn bicycle ad with Schwinn ringers from the 50s.
I hope someone proves me wrong & tells me that "Schwinn"ringers were available 
in the 40s or 50s.
If I locate a ringer from that era, I'll trade you for a piece of grass or stone @ Wimbledon ! :o


( for those who don't know, it's not  the smoking kind...but rather where the pros play tennis )

cheers !
jake


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## Ukblackphantom (Mar 7, 2015)

2jakes said:


> I found out that the "Schwinn" ringer on my "54 Phantom was an add-on from 60s -70s. (USA made)
> Later ones were made overseas.
> Bell ringers have been around for a very long time.
> But I have yet found a Schwinn bicycle ad with Schwinn ringers from the 50s.
> ...



Alas, Jake, I fear the hallowed grass probably originates from China: everything else in this country seems to!


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