Sun Parkes

Dating early Sun Parkes machines from SNs is explained here:
Not sure where I found it online, but thanks to the original poster.

Dating Sun Cycles from frame numbers.

Pre 1934 a frame number only code was used, found either at the lower front of the head tube or nearside of the seat lug. Sun factory records being destroyed this code is not yet positively broken at the time of writing. To date all verified Suns carry either an eight, six or five figure number. However, from earliest days, Brown Brothers, who were the largest wholesalers of Sun fittings, produced frames and complete cycles indistinguishable from factory originals (compare 1902 Brown Brothers and 1905 Sun frame illustrations) except fot the frame numbers. As Sun also sold complete frames and cycles to small shops to affix their own transfers up to the early 30s identifying early period Suns without transfers can be difficult.

From 1930 a rolling letter code similar to their motorcycle system was adopted whereby the first letter of the code refers to the financial year running from 1^st April to 31^st March the following year. This is set out here:

A1934/5 B35/36 C36/37 D36/37 E38/39 F39/40

G40/41 H41/42 J42/43 K43/44 L44/45 `M45/46

N46/47 O47/48 P48/49 Q49/50 R50/51 S51/52

T52/53 U53/54 V54/55 W55/56 X56/57 Y57/58

Z58/59

Second (or last if there are three) letters refer to frame building shops and appear as one of the following: C/D/E/F/H or P/R/S/T/V/W. Parkes lightweights usually carry I or L.

Letters are sometimes missed or transposed but this usually takes the model so far out of known production period as to make it apparent. (EG HV 1562 on a Sid Patterson only available in 1952/54 and which therefore cannot be 1941) In three letter groupings, mostly found post 1940 the middle letter, often S or W, may have been used to distinguish Super Vitesse and Wasp models from similar framesets as the code is most often found on these models. Different letters and numbers sometimes found on both seat lug and rear dropout and in this case it is usually the latter which bears the correct one.

Tandems 1927/1958

As Sun were major suppliers of tandem fittings to both large and small manufacturers tandems which show only number codes without original transfers and letter codes without original badges are rarely actually Suns.

1959 onwards.

It is not yet certain whether the code restarted from A in 1959/60 but some Z and B codes, albeit with three letters, are found on models only in production late 1959/62. This gives us the following codes:

A64/65 B65/66 C66/67 D67/68 E68/69 F69/70

G70/71 H71/72 J72/73 K73/74 L74/75 M75/76

N76/77 O79/80 P78/79 P78/79 Q79/80 R80/81 S81/82

T82/83 U83/84 V84/85 W85/86 X86/87

Following careful matching with catalogues, transfer styles and specifications no models have yet been found which do not fit this dating list. However some Worksop Suns adopted long number only codes (EG 156202 - 32270) which are at present still mysteries.

Later Worksop frame numbers are more often found on the bottom bracket shell or at the top of the seat tube, sometimes with the year code letter as a separate offset stamping. 

A useful starting point for vintage Sun/Parkes fans?? 

Here is one of mine...

...during refinish. A Sun. Lovely vintage machine eventually.

Vintage Tandem frame & forks

This is my latest 'project'. An impulse buy really: )
Ladyback tandem frame & forks from just pre war, or just after.

Lots of surface rust, but if the frame is good then that's OK with me.
Don't know the maker. Yet.
(I don't even receive it yet: )

Bars look interesting & the 3 speed quadrant changer is useful. I've got a Sturmey Archer 3 speed wheelset with hub brake which should suit this.

Saddles look bin jobs but might be a guide to its age.
Chain wheels are spiky & well worn, but shouldn't be difficult to replace.
I do like those bars: )


Later, on closer, actual inspection I find the bars bent! But the Dunlop saddle is quite good.
Quadrant changer is a TriVelox. Quite rare.
Head-clip is likely Brampton & the stem is excellent under the surface rust.

Both seatposts are rusty but free: )

Forks are out & in good order. Bearings were shiny & the races smooth.

All good up to now.


April 7 2020

Looking to be late 30s right now & either a BSA or Triumph.
Frame is now dismantled & in process of being derusted. Long job but with plenty of spare time being self-isolated during this Pandemic, it'll get done.

Both BBs are free & I have found a good double clanger replacement chain-set for the rear. Both ends have Williams chainwheels, so not difficult to find.

Kona Stuff Downhill/Jump bike

Came as a frame/forks with a bag of parts... Nice bike though; )

Needed brakes (Shimano BR-M365 M355 Altus Hydraulic Disc Brakes Front/Rear) & some TLC to get it riding on Boxing Day: )

Still needs an 8 speed cassette, a chain & front derailler to get the 24 gears available.
Rear wheel - not original- has a 9 speed cassette & obviously does not work well with the original 8 speed changers. Getting 7 of 9 gears currently, after some fiddling...

High quality, tough alloy frame with Dart forks in good order & it rides nicely right now.

An 8 speed cassette is £13 at Halfrauds currently. £7 for a new chain and it'll be a super bike. I've got a front derailler to fit & it could really do with a couple of replacement front chain rings to be perfect.

It'll need a saddle also (this one is borrowed off my Raleigh Merlin: ) & some better pedals will also improve it.

I reckon this one is 2009ish & they cost £750 then, so a top machine in the day. And still good.

The cables for the Front Derailler are not in use here, but installed ready for use later.

This particular frame has a long seat-post, so it can be used as a 'normal' MTB for road use, but you can also lower it for hard core DH/Jump stuff: ) The bars can be raised with a suitable riser stem. It's a bit low here for a 6 footer: )

How you doing with it Woz??

WTB/Raleigh Technium composite MTB frame forks.

Check this frame forks... Recent ebay find: )

Looks like a Raleigh, USA version, of the composite Raleighs of the time.
Interesting? I think so. Early MTBs have a following & this one looks to be very interesting.

Looks to be an interesting period Raleigh frame. I'd previously looked at some of the UK Raleigh composite road frames, Dyna-techs? but they looked expensive to me.

Ebay pics above, not mine: )


Later... Dec 22 2019.
It finally arrived & it was really nice to have a closer look.

Nice paint & general condition. Takes 26" wheels & I happen to have a 7 speed Shimano Nexus wheel-set that might go very well with it.

This is looking to be Raleigh Technium, made in Kent, Washington. April 1989.
Has (I believe) 6061 T8 Aluminum main tubes (As opposed to Easton tubing?) & CrMo rear end & forks.

Not sure about the WTB connection, if any: )

But it has this rear rack mount on the seat-stay top & guard + rack eyes both ends.

Not seen another yet.
Nor any with the unpainted top & seat tube. Maybe I just need to keep looking: )

Current thinking is that this is an early Kent frame, which may differ slightly from the later established Raleigh models.

Will check & build it up meanwhile...


January 5 2020

Been playing with this over the holiday & just taken some pics of it. Tentative build here with Shimano Nexus 7 speed hub. Converting to V brakes rather than the original cantilevers. (Waiting for the new brake blocks here...)

Has a long wheelbase & appears to be designed for load carrying over trails/off tarmac, with rack & guard mounts both ends.

January 15th 2020

 
During a test ride here.
Pity it's way too small for me.

1980 Raleigh Merlin Timewarp Urban 5 speed

Recent find here.
It's just one of those you cannot ignore.
Even though I got too many already...

Raleigh Merlin 5 speed town bike here in very nice, original order.
A good spec. Raleigh at the time.
I'm guessing 1975/80 for this.

Alloy bars/stem, Weinmann centre-pull brakes, it looks like it's had little use.

I've not actually seen it yet. I travel to pick it up shortly.
Thanks Titch: )
And Pete; )

In very tidy condition when you look close. A little mark on the decal is all that detracts.

Nice Raleigh head-badge, cool Weinmann centre pulls, hardly used tyres, nice guards.
Even the chrome is shiny: )   


10th December 2019.

Been here a couple of days now, & out for a ride on it today: )
Had to replace a stuck rear 5 speed block, clean the frame a little & give it a check-over.
Here it is running very nicely.

     
Only a damaged front guard is letting it down here. (Removed shortly.)

Paint/decals amazing for its age. Alloy Weinmann brakes/levers, bars, stem excellent.

Chrome plated 27" rims (Superchromix) a little spotty but inside the rims are clean & the original innertubes have no punctures.

Pirelli World Tour tyres are as new. No frozen spokes, so the rims are straight & correctly tensioned now: )

Rear derailler is dated 1979 so I'm assuming the bike is 1980. Virtually no use. The brake blocks are just running in... Except for a squeal on the front left pad... A new set of softer pads will likely fix it. They feel hard to me.

This machine has Shimano Positron shifters. The early Shimano attempt at indexed shifting, prone to problems apparently! Not on this one. They are very interesting to deal with & learn about. (If you get problems it's very easy to change to a later 5 speed friction, or indexed system.)

Liking this one a lot. Bit of a time warp & very cool with it.

December 23 2019.

Out for a ride on it today. Sporting its newly fitted Stainless Steel guards.

Rides & looks like a new bike.

The new guards are neat to my eye & I keep the damaged pair for posterity.
They are green & gold & do match the frame colours very nicely.

3 Raleigh RSWs conquer the Worcestershire Beacon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Raleigh RSWs are Shoppers, not MTBs.

Right?

But we took 3 for a ride up the 'hill': )

On these 'mad', but very cool, vintage 3 speed machines.

To climb the Worcestershire Beacon.

For a picnic.

Was an amazing day. A proper 'one off'.
Check the pics below: )

Remember these bicycles are 50 year old, 3 speed Shoppers!

3 together is rare anywhere.
3 on top of the Malvern Beacon is unique.
Peter, Darren & John with our sturdy steeds. We hold this record!; )

We did it.

And we never saw a single MTB.

We set out from Worcester. That's where we're going. The highest bit between the two chimneys. Pete looking apprehensive!

On the way up we are looking down on houses...

3 little bikes two big smiles. Halfway up rest point.

Peter did check the skip before we set off: )

We thought these were after us, but we just lost them...

Were you calling the sheep here Pete? ; )

Final resting place on the ascent. We going to the highest point with the two little markers... This is the hardest bit.

Pete went for it!

Darren was a Hero! Just the last few yards here.

Done it: )

My machine here with its original white tyres. The highest RSW in Worcestershire ever!

The only pic we got of the three of us, courtesy of a lovely lady passer by. Thank you: )

Royal Enfield vintage machines

1950s Superlights? 1960s Revelations? 

I do like Royal Enfields: )

Here are 2 nice Superlights. One modernised & refinished. The other has its original paint & running as a Single Speed here.

The red one is 1955ish & the black one 1960.

Original spec was as a flat bar (Allrounders anyway: ) tourer, with a 531 main frame & 26" steel wheels, with Sturmey Archer hub choices.

Superlight was an optimistic description of a 35lb machine, but this was 60 years ago. The red one, weighing 26lbs here, makes a great Town Bike/Light Tourer, with a period FM hub, 700 alloy rims & mostly alloy parts, brakes especially. Good for another 60 years now.

The black one is trialling 27" wheels here. Not a lot of clearance but they work! (It'll get 700s eventually.) Was intending to refinish it when I got it, but when you look at the original paintwork/decals it'd be a shame to do that. So I'll tidy up the paint & polish it, & I think it makes a great comparison with the other machine.

I've got the original Ebay pics of these two machines to compare: )

Looks a little odd to me as seen, but although it was well used, it was well maintained also, & upgraded over time. Front wheel hub brake?? Raleigh Roadster rack! Big Sturmey Archer lamp: ) Interesting Raleigh chain-set...

This one is odd too, but in a different way. This was originally fitted with Allrounder bars. These are Track bars! And it has the original RE alloy chain set. I just wanted the 531 frame with the great Royal Enfield 'Made like a Gun' head-badge: )

My red RE Superlight is now in good hands: )

With Worcester Cathedral in the background. Nice bike & very cool new owner. In good hands now!
I'll take a better photo next time I see him, with my black Superlight hopefully: )

Another pic here of our group before we set off for a social ride along the River Severn.

Note the Social Distancing: )

Revelations revealed later...

Meantime here's a couple of interesting Revelation variations.

White one has it's original 20" steel wheels with an AG hub.
Blue one has 22" steel rims with a 2 speed coaster rear. One cable to front brake only.

Standard Revelations are cool too.

More anon.