1965 Rudge Sport - Last Bike Find of the Year!

[jimbo53]

I started collecting vintage British 3 speed Roadsters this year and yesterday picked up my 11th and probably best find of the year, a 1965 Rudge Sport, in the harder to find 23” frame and very nice Dunlop stainless steel rims. All I’ve done is put tires and tubes on and my favorite Brooks B72 saddle with my lock and cable bag bearing my 1974 LAW (League of American Wheelmen) Century Run patch, the year I got serious with bikes and still going strong at 67!
What you see is all original. Paint is exceptional for its age with exception of chain guard and flaky decals. I’ve never seen a chrome steel Oxford frame pump, but there it is!
This year has been pretty sucky for us all, me included, but looking for, restoring and riding these great old British bikes has kept me reasonably sane in these insane times.

 

[juvela]

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Let's all give jimbo53 a big hand!

btw - you might wish to give a check to the wedgebolts; crank arms out of registration by about four degrees or so.


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[jimbo53]

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Let's all give jimbo53 a big hand!

btw - you might wish to give a check to the wedgebolts; crank arms out of registration by about four degrees or so.


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Good point! I'll do a tear down to attend to bearings soon but wanted to replace the roached out tires to take it for a spin and get some pictures.

 

[DonChristie]

Wow! Shes a pretty ride! Congrats! You still have 7.5 hrs left of 2020 to get just one more bike!

 

[DonChristie]

Flipped over to marketplace and I see this! Jim, one more in 2020! Lol

 

[jimbo53]

Don, If I start in on Euro lightweights I’ll go crazy and broke! Sticking to Brit roadsters until I zig when I should have zagged. I pulled a long haul on the Rudge driving to Knoxville TN (8 hr round trip!) we must be crazy, huh??

 

[juvela]

Flipped over to marketplace and I see this! Jim, one more in 2020! Lol

View attachment 1330047

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forum member @non-fixie has expertise on this marque

he shall be along shortly for our enlightenment

always fun to see a double drummer...


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[kostnerave]

I always liked the Rudge logo. The red hand of ulster carries some interesting history!

 

[HARPO]

Enjoy!!

 

[non-fixie]

Flipped over to marketplace and I see this! Jim, one more in 2020! Lol

View attachment 1330047

Interesting to see that this bike found its way across the pond. Not Belgian, BTW, but from Heerenveen, Holland: Batavus

It looks like a Flying Dutchman model. They were built for like half a century, with only detail changes, so a closer look at the decals will be needed to tell whether it is actually from the sixties.

I owned a Flying Dutchman once, albeit a version with rim brakes. My parents bought it for me when I was a 14 y/o. My first "28 inch" bike. Used it daily for about fifteen years, after which is was stolen. A Brooks B17 and flipped bars made it look somewhat sporty.