Big Red Bike: Can You Identify It? - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

01-11-2005, 08:09 PM

I have had this bike for the last six years and have ridden it to work
everyday, rain or snow or shine. I bought in High Wycombe, halfway
between London and Oxford, and fell in love with it the moment I looked
down from atop this 'sit up and beg' classic. The previous owner told
me it was a BSA dating from around WWI! He bought it to use in war
re-enactments. Supposedly this was the style of bikes used in the
Bicycle Brigades during the Great War. I also brought it to a guy who
collects antique British bikes and he said that the cotter pin
(pictured on the site below) dates this bike to somewhere between 1914
and 1917. I want to know if anyone can tell me if this is right.

I figure I have put over 2000 miles on this bike and all I have ever
had to replace were countless tubes, tires, wheels, and pads. And that
is it! This bike has been fantastic but now it is time to sell it. As
you can see it has cracked in three places and the welds are just not
holding. I am 6'0" 210 pounds and I think 90 years has taken its
toll...Finally. I have to sell this because I want to get a Pedersen (a
living classic).

At this point I am wondering if the info about this bike is correct or
where I can sell this beauty (is eBay best?). Also, if anyone is
interested in making an offer, then I would love to talk. I genuinely
love this bike. It has been a part of me for a long time and it is
truly sad to see it go, but it lasted a lot longer than I thought and I
think that if someone took a little time to really fix it, then it
would ride again. Or maybe it is time to just be looked at. It has
beautiful lines and symmetry.

FYI: Everything is original, even the grips, except the seat and all
the parts I mentioned above. I think this is a very original and rare
bike. Pics are here:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

Little Jack

01-11-2005, 09:59 PM

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] wrote:
>I have had this bike for the last six years and have ridden it to work
>everyday, rain or snow or shine. I bought in High Wycombe, halfway
>between London and Oxford, and fell in love with it the moment I looked
>down from atop this 'sit up and beg' classic. The previous owner told
>me it was a BSA dating from around WWI! He bought it to use in war
>re-enactments. Supposedly this was the style of bikes used in the
>Bicycle Brigades during the Great War. I also brought it to a guy who
>collects antique British bikes and he said that the cotter pin
>(pictured on the site below) dates this bike to somewhere between 1914
>and 1917. I want to know if anyone can tell me if this is right.

>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

It's a Coventry, I'll wager.

01-11-2005, 09:59 PM

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] wrote:
>I have had this bike for the last six years and have ridden it to work
>everyday, rain or snow or shine. I bought in High Wycombe, halfway
>between London and Oxford, and fell in love with it the moment I looked
>down from atop this 'sit up and beg' classic. The previous owner told
>me it was a BSA dating from around WWI! He bought it to use in war
>re-enactments. Supposedly this was the style of bikes used in the
>Bicycle Brigades during the Great War. I also brought it to a guy who
>collects antique British bikes and he said that the cotter pin
>(pictured on the site below) dates this bike to somewhere between 1914
>and 1917. I want to know if anyone can tell me if this is right.

>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

It's a Coventry, I'll wager.

01-11-2005, 09:59 PM

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] wrote:
>I have had this bike for the last six years and have ridden it to work
>everyday, rain or snow or shine. I bought in High Wycombe, halfway
>between London and Oxford, and fell in love with it the moment I looked
>down from atop this 'sit up and beg' classic. The previous owner told
>me it was a BSA dating from around WWI! He bought it to use in war
>re-enactments. Supposedly this was the style of bikes used in the
>Bicycle Brigades during the Great War. I also brought it to a guy who
>collects antique British bikes and he said that the cotter pin
>(pictured on the site below) dates this bike to somewhere between 1914
>and 1917. I want to know if anyone can tell me if this is right.

>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

It's a Coventry, I'll wager.

01-11-2005, 10:09 PM

"Garrison Hilliard" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>
>It's a Coventry, I'll wager.

Cancel that... the double top bar makes it more likely to be a Rudge (also made in Coventry).

01-11-2005, 10:09 PM

"Garrison Hilliard" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>
>It's a Coventry, I'll wager.

Cancel that... the double top bar makes it more likely to be a Rudge (also made in Coventry).

01-11-2005, 10:09 PM

"Garrison Hilliard" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>
>It's a Coventry, I'll wager.

Cancel that... the double top bar makes it more likely to be a Rudge (also made in Coventry).

01-12-2005, 06:41 AM

I have never seen a Rudge with a double cross bar. Any reason why it
would not be a BSA (that is my working assumption)? And what do think
about the age of this bike?

01-12-2005, 06:41 AM

I have never seen a Rudge with a double cross bar. Any reason why it
would not be a BSA (that is my working assumption)? And what do think
about the age of this bike?

01-12-2005, 06:41 AM

I have never seen a Rudge with a double cross bar. Any reason why it
would not be a BSA (that is my working assumption)? And what do think
about the age of this bike?