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Just another serial number query.

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John Morgan

On Training Wheels
HI All,

have just been gifted a Rudge Whitworth, trying to find out more, hoping you can help with a serial number. The number is at the top the seat stay, 'A 414656' as far as I can see. The Online Bicycle Museum has six digit numbers listed, but no mention of a prefix?

The bike apparently has been overpainted black, but some white shows through the rear mudguard. Both mudguards have a curved section, not triangular. It sports mechanical, rod operated rim brakes. Chainset is single speed, no chain guard, and has the Rudge 'hand' chainring; cranks are secured to the spindle with a through nut & bolt. Badge at the front is brass, red hand on 'sun ray', 'Rudge Whitworth' at top, 'Coventry' at bottom. Saddle is a Brooks B73.

Stop press: seat stays are attached by a bolt to the top of the seat tube, pump mounts on seat tube, to left rear. Stem mounted lamp bracket.

Here's hoping :)
 
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Ooooh. Sounds like that there 'tekerlogic' stuff :)

My thanks for the swift reply, sort of imagined it would be 'Nah, Mate, younger than '33, different forum.' I'll get some pix done and see if I can shoe-horn them on to the site, won't be 'till Thursday afternoon, though.

As an aside, I have found an Interweb post which alludes to 'A' prefix frames being early/mid 30's?
 
A little early, but here are the pictures.

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Googling some more, found an example with v section mudguards as 1928, and two with round section mudguards from 1933 & 1935. Also two serial numbers, A 451124 from 1937, and A 193718 with no date. So it's looking like younger than 1928, but older than 1937?

From Grace's Guide to British Industrial History, it seems the company was taken over by the Gramophone Company in 1934 - possibly a connection with the change in serial numbers?

 
And just in, the nice people at Rudge Owners Club have confirmed it as 1935 on the serial number :) All I have to do now is get the Hammerite off the rims and sort out the bottom bracket and rear spokes drama. Simples!

Point of interest, t'Interwebs note the following serial numbers and dates:

A 193781 - no date given
A 414656 - 1935
A 456124 - 1937
A 4672?3 - mid 30's
A 592537 - 1938
 
Hi John,

Thanks, I learned something.

This thread was a bit quiet. Sometimes there is little or no information out there, and then you have to do the research yourself. The important thing is sharing it afterwards, so that others can learn from, and perhaps build on your findings.

Best Regards,

Adrian
 
SO, OK, something specific. I'm looking at the bottom bracket of my 1935 Rudge Whitworth Roadster. What type of lock ring do they have on the adjustable bearing cup? Currently has a 'pin spanner' bearing cup and 'pin spanner' lock ring, but the lock ring will not screw up to the frame? This makes me think it is an after market add on, but it would be nice to know
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:)
 
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