PitstopPedro
Retro Newbie
Hello fellow bike fiddlers/fettlers, newbie alert, apologies if this sort of post is kinda dull for a first post, but having read something about Paragon Cycles on here and finding little else info wise, I thought I'd register here and see what the forum is all about.
I have seen similar posts to this before, just asking for some advice and telling the story -
This bike was found by myself in Dec 2023 - and was described as, and presents as - a 1950s Andy Bone Paragon - and to the best of the sellers knowledge (as he was getting on a bit/lot!) - it was bought by himself, being the 2nd owner, from the original one, another RAF employee, in 1973, when they were both stationed at RAF Wyton, UK, hence the RAF roundel and that's hand painted on.
When I went to fetch this, I wrote down some notes of what the seller was reciting to me, some of his memories and details etc, so I could recall this properly -
My first sight of it was also as he found it in 1973, apart from a newer seat and stem and a lot more miles on it. He continued to tell me some detail - being a bit shorter back in the day than owner one (certainly also much shorter now he's late 80's) he fitted the cut down and drilled seat post, with added nylon shim to take up the wear/wrong size etc. with a Brooks Vitesse 200 and down quite low, clearly not 50's parts, but he couldn't recall what was on it before and apart from maintenance in the base workshops, that's all he did to it.
More pictures hopefully here -
https://postimg.cc/gallery/5V3wjKZ
He bought this from a well known time trialer who also worked on base, going on to also joining the camp cycling club and then getting into competing in the time trials too, usually 4 a year he said. It was used for commuting, leisure and the trials on the airfield and shipped to far flung places when on secondment, it's been up Mount Olympus, as well as many other places where he was stationed. I think the front chainrings could have been selected manually, depending if he was popping into work on it, or competing in trials etc. I can't see any other reason for both front rings and no shifter...
So, I try and research other Paragons and I see this ones headstock decal is "missing", well, under all the time trial competitor sticker adhesive from years back, still visible is the outline of the same type of decal as the downtube one, I can see the little cyclist, his wheels and scalloped detail in and under the glue! It's actually under the purple top coat and primer. Superb.
So I am now the 3rd owner of a fairly rare and nicely made thing and I would really appreciate some help and advice as to what to do with it parts wise. I want to ride it locally for pleasure and exercise, I don't do European or modern stuff, I like the British bikes that were about when I had a crappy hand me down kids racer in the late 70s to mid 80's. I am enjoying building them up and owning them, these are the ones that older lads used, or blokes during my Apprenticeship had, that I admired back before I could ride a moped or drive a car and when the world was a better place, it is not for swift resale, this is not an advert, this would get used, sitting next to my other machines - I have recently overhauled a bike inherited from my late friend - a lovely 1978 Dawes Galaxy tourer in green and have also sorted out a £30 Coffee Bronze eBay 1974 Carlton Criterium, both riding nicely, I dare say there will be more!
Galaxy - https://postimg.cc/gallery/nJZ30Tf
maybe that needs it's own story thread
Criterium - https://postimg.cc/gallery/32jYYG2
The frame on this - yes is repainted and that's part of it's history, but under all the gunge and dirt - its beautiful, seems straight and undamaged, not badly rusty, just a few chips and scrapes (mostly from transporting it around the world the guy said) and a few small rusty spiders under the paint. It is really light. I thought it was badly painted black on the guys pictures, it's not...
So, it's clearly had an overhaul and period "upgrades" by the 1st owner prior to 1973, prior to the 2nd guy, is a lovely metallic red under the "new" dark purple enamel (which I now believe to be RAL4007 - Purple Violet) with crudely applied silver accents to the pretty lugs, the downtube Andy Bone Paragon decal has been kept as it was, that is - it was masked over during this repaint and sits below the newer paintwork, they even masked over and forgot about the tiny pointer at the very top of the decal, which I unmasked when cleaning the frame up, but the italic and swirly style "paragon" decals on each side of the shifter tube are still both intact and visible under the primer and the purple repaint.
Details -
As found, it was fitted with (the swapped parts believed to be prior to 1973) -
Frame:- Andy Bone Paragon #2109 believed to be circa 1953 or 54 (going by the other ones I have found for sale or recently sold) lovely lugwork and with bottom bracket/headstock grease nipples
Fork:- also stamped #2109
Headset:- Paragon engraved detail, looks old, will all clean up and go again, so pretty
Stem:- GB Forged Hiduminium Spearpoint, believed to be period
Handlebar:- Very skinny, with what looks like an fluted shim adaptor with "Cresta Boneville" engraved in it, also looking period and very lightweight
Bar Tape:- Black plasticky and half missing, no plugs present
Brake Levers:- Earlier than my other bikes style - plain and simple Weinmann
Brake Calipers:- Weinmann Type 730 side pull
Brake Pads:- mismatched F/R
Brake Cables:- Silver outers
Shifter/s:- Half of a dual Huret clamp on, no left lever fitted!
Front Derailleur:- none fitted, no clamp damage marks where one was either
Rear Derailleur:- Earlyish Huret Svelto, with plain disc wheels, not 50's I'm sure
Derailleur Cables:- it can have new ones
Cassette:- not counted yet, but very small, high range
Chain:- it think even this will live!
Cranks:- SR Melt Forged "silver" cotterless, surely these are much later
Chainrings:- Two, aint counted the teeth yet, but both have been used and are greasy
Bottom Bracket:- Bayliss Wiley pinhole cups, with a worn out square axle, seemingly well out of place..
Pedals:- Berthet Lyotard with Brooks clips and straps, with AGS hardware from the RAF base stores
Rims:- Alloy Weinmann 27 by 1 1/4, cleaning up well, both straight enough to go again
Hubs:- not been in there yet
Hub Skewers?:- Period "aladdins lamp" style wing nuts, big and heavy for a lightweight time trialler surely! one was broken, one replacement is in the post!
Nipples:- no clues as yet, not been at the wheels yet see
Spokes:- ditto
Tyres:- utterly tired 27 by 1 1/4 tan wall, make unknown, there's that little left of the sidewalls! they will be wall art
Tubes:- Schrader type which surprised me
Saddle:- Brooks Vitesse 300, much too modern, but comfy I guess
Seatpost:- Cut down and drilled Compe 27mm
Seatpost Binder:- AGS Stainless nut and bolt from the RAF base stores!
Bottle Cage:- none
Extras:- came with a nice Alloy Apex Ultralite Pump and he even gave me his tyre tools and puncture kit from back in the day, a lovely bloke.
Weight:-
Frame - 1860g
Forks - 806g
So, my first thought was to repaint it back to red, find whatever 5 speed stuff it should have fitted to it and restore it to so nice I'd never ride it often (not that it seems one can get all the replacement decals this has) This option, I have to add, is a bit out of my price range to achieve it perfectly right and museum spec is not me at all, I would want to use it more than my other bikes, not sit and look at it.
Or, keep the frame as is, it's polished up really nicely and is a wonderful almost Cadburys purple, touch in the chips, restore all the running gear, pop it back together with or without a front derailleur as found (although I think for me to ride it, the rear gearing would need changing, or the front shifter would need re-instating so I can use all the gears) and ride it much as it was.
Or, should I give it a second major overhaul and fit some later and higher quality later 70's parts and make it into what I might have built as a young teenager, say if I had found this in the late 70's/early 80's and ebay was around back then to satisfy my purchasing needs! So, that is, bare with me here - likely to be Shimano 600EX Arabesque shifting, as I am just restoring a well used set and I think they are lovely, polished but patinated, just like the frame is, ditto with the calipers and chainset (or keep the Weinmann and Sakae Ringo stuff on it) a new axle as mines pitted, do have some minty white or black Bluemels full length guards and a Brooks B5N and period stem to match the bar stem, silver or white bar tape and some period accessories.
So, what would you do? Any Paragon experts out there know what year it is? Do you see any other ways to go with this? What other parts/seat and bar tape would be a decent choice?
I'm not sure I want to do what might be the "right" thing, I just fancy doing my thing. I don't think it's ever going to be worth a fortune, it all could be reversed later on, it just could scratch an itch I've had since I was a lad...is that so wrong?
Many Thanks and sorry for the essay!
Peter
I have seen similar posts to this before, just asking for some advice and telling the story -
This bike was found by myself in Dec 2023 - and was described as, and presents as - a 1950s Andy Bone Paragon - and to the best of the sellers knowledge (as he was getting on a bit/lot!) - it was bought by himself, being the 2nd owner, from the original one, another RAF employee, in 1973, when they were both stationed at RAF Wyton, UK, hence the RAF roundel and that's hand painted on.
When I went to fetch this, I wrote down some notes of what the seller was reciting to me, some of his memories and details etc, so I could recall this properly -
My first sight of it was also as he found it in 1973, apart from a newer seat and stem and a lot more miles on it. He continued to tell me some detail - being a bit shorter back in the day than owner one (certainly also much shorter now he's late 80's) he fitted the cut down and drilled seat post, with added nylon shim to take up the wear/wrong size etc. with a Brooks Vitesse 200 and down quite low, clearly not 50's parts, but he couldn't recall what was on it before and apart from maintenance in the base workshops, that's all he did to it.
More pictures hopefully here -
https://postimg.cc/gallery/5V3wjKZ
He bought this from a well known time trialer who also worked on base, going on to also joining the camp cycling club and then getting into competing in the time trials too, usually 4 a year he said. It was used for commuting, leisure and the trials on the airfield and shipped to far flung places when on secondment, it's been up Mount Olympus, as well as many other places where he was stationed. I think the front chainrings could have been selected manually, depending if he was popping into work on it, or competing in trials etc. I can't see any other reason for both front rings and no shifter...
So, I try and research other Paragons and I see this ones headstock decal is "missing", well, under all the time trial competitor sticker adhesive from years back, still visible is the outline of the same type of decal as the downtube one, I can see the little cyclist, his wheels and scalloped detail in and under the glue! It's actually under the purple top coat and primer. Superb.
So I am now the 3rd owner of a fairly rare and nicely made thing and I would really appreciate some help and advice as to what to do with it parts wise. I want to ride it locally for pleasure and exercise, I don't do European or modern stuff, I like the British bikes that were about when I had a crappy hand me down kids racer in the late 70s to mid 80's. I am enjoying building them up and owning them, these are the ones that older lads used, or blokes during my Apprenticeship had, that I admired back before I could ride a moped or drive a car and when the world was a better place, it is not for swift resale, this is not an advert, this would get used, sitting next to my other machines - I have recently overhauled a bike inherited from my late friend - a lovely 1978 Dawes Galaxy tourer in green and have also sorted out a £30 Coffee Bronze eBay 1974 Carlton Criterium, both riding nicely, I dare say there will be more!
Galaxy - https://postimg.cc/gallery/nJZ30Tf
maybe that needs it's own story thread
Criterium - https://postimg.cc/gallery/32jYYG2
The frame on this - yes is repainted and that's part of it's history, but under all the gunge and dirt - its beautiful, seems straight and undamaged, not badly rusty, just a few chips and scrapes (mostly from transporting it around the world the guy said) and a few small rusty spiders under the paint. It is really light. I thought it was badly painted black on the guys pictures, it's not...
So, it's clearly had an overhaul and period "upgrades" by the 1st owner prior to 1973, prior to the 2nd guy, is a lovely metallic red under the "new" dark purple enamel (which I now believe to be RAL4007 - Purple Violet) with crudely applied silver accents to the pretty lugs, the downtube Andy Bone Paragon decal has been kept as it was, that is - it was masked over during this repaint and sits below the newer paintwork, they even masked over and forgot about the tiny pointer at the very top of the decal, which I unmasked when cleaning the frame up, but the italic and swirly style "paragon" decals on each side of the shifter tube are still both intact and visible under the primer and the purple repaint.
Details -
As found, it was fitted with (the swapped parts believed to be prior to 1973) -
Frame:- Andy Bone Paragon #2109 believed to be circa 1953 or 54 (going by the other ones I have found for sale or recently sold) lovely lugwork and with bottom bracket/headstock grease nipples
Fork:- also stamped #2109
Headset:- Paragon engraved detail, looks old, will all clean up and go again, so pretty
Stem:- GB Forged Hiduminium Spearpoint, believed to be period
Handlebar:- Very skinny, with what looks like an fluted shim adaptor with "Cresta Boneville" engraved in it, also looking period and very lightweight
Bar Tape:- Black plasticky and half missing, no plugs present
Brake Levers:- Earlier than my other bikes style - plain and simple Weinmann
Brake Calipers:- Weinmann Type 730 side pull
Brake Pads:- mismatched F/R
Brake Cables:- Silver outers
Shifter/s:- Half of a dual Huret clamp on, no left lever fitted!
Front Derailleur:- none fitted, no clamp damage marks where one was either
Rear Derailleur:- Earlyish Huret Svelto, with plain disc wheels, not 50's I'm sure
Derailleur Cables:- it can have new ones
Cassette:- not counted yet, but very small, high range
Chain:- it think even this will live!
Cranks:- SR Melt Forged "silver" cotterless, surely these are much later
Chainrings:- Two, aint counted the teeth yet, but both have been used and are greasy
Bottom Bracket:- Bayliss Wiley pinhole cups, with a worn out square axle, seemingly well out of place..
Pedals:- Berthet Lyotard with Brooks clips and straps, with AGS hardware from the RAF base stores
Rims:- Alloy Weinmann 27 by 1 1/4, cleaning up well, both straight enough to go again
Hubs:- not been in there yet
Hub Skewers?:- Period "aladdins lamp" style wing nuts, big and heavy for a lightweight time trialler surely! one was broken, one replacement is in the post!
Nipples:- no clues as yet, not been at the wheels yet see
Spokes:- ditto
Tyres:- utterly tired 27 by 1 1/4 tan wall, make unknown, there's that little left of the sidewalls! they will be wall art
Tubes:- Schrader type which surprised me
Saddle:- Brooks Vitesse 300, much too modern, but comfy I guess
Seatpost:- Cut down and drilled Compe 27mm
Seatpost Binder:- AGS Stainless nut and bolt from the RAF base stores!
Bottle Cage:- none
Extras:- came with a nice Alloy Apex Ultralite Pump and he even gave me his tyre tools and puncture kit from back in the day, a lovely bloke.
Weight:-
Frame - 1860g
Forks - 806g
So, my first thought was to repaint it back to red, find whatever 5 speed stuff it should have fitted to it and restore it to so nice I'd never ride it often (not that it seems one can get all the replacement decals this has) This option, I have to add, is a bit out of my price range to achieve it perfectly right and museum spec is not me at all, I would want to use it more than my other bikes, not sit and look at it.
Or, keep the frame as is, it's polished up really nicely and is a wonderful almost Cadburys purple, touch in the chips, restore all the running gear, pop it back together with or without a front derailleur as found (although I think for me to ride it, the rear gearing would need changing, or the front shifter would need re-instating so I can use all the gears) and ride it much as it was.
Or, should I give it a second major overhaul and fit some later and higher quality later 70's parts and make it into what I might have built as a young teenager, say if I had found this in the late 70's/early 80's and ebay was around back then to satisfy my purchasing needs! So, that is, bare with me here - likely to be Shimano 600EX Arabesque shifting, as I am just restoring a well used set and I think they are lovely, polished but patinated, just like the frame is, ditto with the calipers and chainset (or keep the Weinmann and Sakae Ringo stuff on it) a new axle as mines pitted, do have some minty white or black Bluemels full length guards and a Brooks B5N and period stem to match the bar stem, silver or white bar tape and some period accessories.
So, what would you do? Any Paragon experts out there know what year it is? Do you see any other ways to go with this? What other parts/seat and bar tape would be a decent choice?
I'm not sure I want to do what might be the "right" thing, I just fancy doing my thing. I don't think it's ever going to be worth a fortune, it all could be reversed later on, it just could scratch an itch I've had since I was a lad...is that so wrong?
Many Thanks and sorry for the essay!
Peter
