When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

20's-30's English Mystery Bike...

#eBayPartner    Most Recent BUY IT NOW Items Listed on eBay
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture
eBay Auction Picture

Schwinny

I live for the CABE
I ran across this on the net somewhere awhile back and grabbed the pics. I forgot about it till I just found them so I thought I would post these up if just for posterity if nothing else.
As I remember, It was being sold as an unknown maker and the pics were old at the time and the mudguards were missing.
I'm pretty sure its a late 20's / early 30's Armstrong or Hercules or very similar with a Cyclo 2 speed.
Pretty cool that you can still see that it has the period style celluloid handlebar covering.
What kind of pedals are those?

1506372


1506373


1506374


1506371


1506370


1506369
 
I don't think I got the pics there, but Ive been there. I just remember the guy selling it saying it didn't have its mudguards now and was showing old pics with them on. Might have been on UK.Ebay.
Golden Age has some serious metal. If someone thought they liked Hetchins, that would be THE place to go.
 
It's a 'Tri-Velox' gear system.
If you look closely you'll see the gear cable entering through the axle on the non-drive side.
In this early (Type A) version the derailleur doesn't move, but the gear cluster slides along the rear axle to align the relevant sprocket with the stationary derailleur as you change gear.
It dates from the mid 1930's to mid 1940's.
The Type B and Type C later versions had more conventional moving derailleurs similar to contemporary 'Simplex' designs.
This system is a result of a then current British obsession of the efficiency of a straight chain line.

The system failed to progress because if you required more gears then the dropout spacing had to increase concurrently.

Although they were ostensibly a separate company, they were heavily associated with Triumph bicycles as several of the people involved with the design patents were associated with Triumph.

This bike is likely a 'Triumph' bicycle as it has dropouts designed specifically for this system, and the necessary dropout spacing to allow for the sliding sprockets.
Later versions (not requiring extra-wide dropout spacing) were available as a system to fit many bikes as an aftermarket kit, but we're also possibly offered as optional extras by some manufacturers.

Here's a 'Tri-Velox' catalogue image, with the optional drum brake....
Screenshot_20211103-205227_Drive.jpg



...and a model using the system in the 1939 Triumph catalogue.....
Screenshot_20211103-205616_Drive.jpg


...as to the rest of the bicycle, I don't think that the saddle or handlebar stem are original parts.
Also either the bars and/or the brake levers are a little mismatched; you'd need very large hands to be able to use those brakes.
Seat stem could be original, but never cme with that 'drillium' work.
An interesting basis for a 'special' methinks.
 
Pedals could be these, hard to tell from the angle of the photos though.
From the 1939 'Phillips' parts and fittings catalogue.....
Screenshot_20211103-214421_Drive.jpg


...although by the mid/late 1930's a few manufacturers had similar offerings.
(All above images from the V-CC library).
 
I was thinking the pedals would be an easy one because of the initials in them, "BOA"
Triumph sounds like a best considering the rest. I do think it is a two speed though. Same difference, I know it works the same.
Those fork crown covers all seem like they are the same but they have subtle differences in shape. Otherwise a lot of these 20's / 30's English forks look very similar.
I was thinking there was a wrap around at the seat stay but It only kinda looks that way in one pic. I can see the pins in other pics, so I guess that is similar to most others also.
I've been neglecting putting my old Armstrong back together and this is a kick in the pants. So far I think I've only lost a small handful of parts... ugh
 
I was thinking the pedals would be an easy one because of the initials in them, "BOA"
Triumph sounds like a best considering the rest. I do think it is a two speed though. Same difference, I know it works the same.
Those fork crown covers all seem like they are the same but they have subtle differences in shape. Otherwise a lot of these 20's / 30's English forks look very similar.
I was thinking there was a wrap around at the seat stay but It only kinda looks that way in one pic. I can see the pins in other pics, so I guess that is similar to most others also.
I've been neglecting putting my old Armstrong back together and this is a kick in the pants. So far I think I've only lost a small handful of parts... ugh
Sorry, I didn't see the image close up where you can actually read "BOA", Doh!
Obviously made by the "Conloy Constrictor" company.
Here's an image from the 1938 catalogue......
Screenshot_20211104-080006_Drive.jpg


If you look closely at the last image in your original post you can see it has a 3-speed gear cluster.
It works very differently, as I tried to point out in my earlier post, but obviously the result is the same as a conventional sideways moving derailleur mechanism.
A friend has one of these Triumphs with this system. It works pretty well.
 
With reference to something I mentioned in one of your other threads @Schwinny, it could also be a circa 1936 'Armstrong'.
Here's the image of their 'TriVelox' version of the 'Moth'.....
Screenshot_20211104-114718_Drive.jpg



...they were one of the few other manufacturers that offered this gear system as an option.
Interestingly this one also mentions a braze on rear reflector mount, which the bicycle in question definitely has.

(Image from V-CC library).
 
Back
Top