Unknown camelback english bike

[bairdco]

Found it! From a 1950 Wearwell bicycle catalogue:

 

[wrongway]

Now, that's got to be some kind of rare! Great find. Going to restore it to stock? Wouldn't be too hard I wouldn't think.

 

[bairdco]

I thought about going back to stock, but I like what the previous owner(s) have done to it over the years, so I'm going to carry on and improve on what they started.

I'm keeping the 3-9 speed set-up, because that's just too cool, and I obviously gotta keep the front wheel with the wingnuts.

The cheaper cranks and brakes I'd like to replace with vintage higher end stuff, and I'm thinking of making a set of antique track bars with an alloy stem.

The frame needs a custom paint job to highlight the lug work. Already have an outrageous paint scheme in my head.

I figure this one's gonna be a keeper (and a rider,) 'cause I haven't had a lightweight bike with gears in a long time (or, never, actually.)

I've built so many custom cruisers over the years, so I'm really excited to build something completely different.

I'll be posting updates as it goes along...

 

[wrongway]

You build your own bars? Is that hard to do? Do you do that for other people as well?

 

[bairdco]

I've built some funky welded ones, but haven't bent any up yet. But where there's a will (and a torch) there's a way.

 

[bairdco]

So, here's what I've got going now...

Found some alloy Nitto drop bars and an old schwinn stem (made in Britain, ) and I cleaned, sandblasted, steel wooled, and painted everything.

I need new cables, but the 9 speed set-up all (kinda) works, just has to be adjusted when I get cables that aren't all crusty and stretchy.

Not digging the bars too much. The original stem had no reach, and the Schwinn one throws off my steering angle.

Probably gonna change it up to something more upright. I'm just not a ten speeder type of guy.

And the derailluer is set up wrong, I know, I know...

 

[Dale Alan]

I like it,very unique geometry.I bet with those relaxed angles it will be a comfortable ride.

 

[Frank Kauffman]

I picked up this Phillips camelback model a year or so ago and the curved top tube had me pretty confused. I couldn't find a photo of anything like it. This week I started asking around on some facebook groups and was told about the camelback design that was used for shorter riders. This site was recommended, which led me to this thread. Thanks to the OP and everyone for some interesting reading that puts my bike in context a little bit. Now I want to start digging for a catalog or something to really identify the model. The date on the Sturmey-Archer hub would place it shortly after the sale to Raleigh. Maybe I'll start a separate thread to pick everyone's brains on this one.

 

[wrongway]

I picked up this Phillips camelback model a year or so ago and the curved top tube had me pretty confused. I couldn't find a photo of anything like it. This week I started asking around on some facebook groups and was told about the camelback design that was used for shorter riders. This site was recommended, which led me to this thread. Thanks to the OP and everyone for some interesting reading that puts my bike in context a little bit. Now I want to start digging for a catalog or something to really identify the model. The date on the Sturmey-Archer hub would place it shortly after the sale to Raleigh. Maybe I'll start a separate thread to pick everyone's brains on this one.

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Frank,
I recall 'talking' to you on Saturday and directing you here. Glad you found the site. There will be many helpful people on here! You might try a fresh posting of your bike in the same forum. It might get more attention. I forgot to mention that the Colt is the Raleigh version of your bike.