Help identifying old Sun bike, J-frame
- Thread starter cycletothesea
- Start date
cycletothesea
Retro Guru
email him at:
petercowan.47@gmail.com
For decals try Gil who's has a lot of postings here on Retrobike - gil@thecycleshed.co.uk
Although I got mine from eBay.
petercowan.47@gmail.com
For decals try Gil who's has a lot of postings here on Retrobike - gil@thecycleshed.co.uk
Although I got mine from eBay.
Re:
Just saw this. Obviously not a Raleigh/Carlton, but forks look like a replacement, all chrome, later fork rake and cheap crown.
Sun/Parkes built some very good frames for the time, but also mainly fairly ordinary sports bikes, because of the shrinking market, which was the reason so many bike makers disappeared in the late 1950s.
Keith
Just saw this. Obviously not a Raleigh/Carlton, but forks look like a replacement, all chrome, later fork rake and cheap crown.
Sun/Parkes built some very good frames for the time, but also mainly fairly ordinary sports bikes, because of the shrinking market, which was the reason so many bike makers disappeared in the late 1950s.
Keith
cycletothesea
Retro Guru
Re: Re:
Don't know what you mean. Do you mean it wasn't built at Raleigh/Carlton? Or that it isn't a Sun Snipe as Peter Cowan says?
keithglos":1s07rr3u said:
Don't know what you mean. Do you mean it wasn't built at Raleigh/Carlton? Or that it isn't a Sun Snipe as Peter Cowan says?
Your reference to this: viewtopic.php?f=12&t=257059&hilit=sun+prestige is an example of a Raleigh Carlton. Absolutely no resemblance to an original Sun.
Yours has 24 TPI and if you haven't measured it yet is probably at least plain 531.
Sun were desperate by the mid 1950s. I think it was 1956 or 7 that Peter Parkes himself came round to the dealers to try and move a few bikes. They were in a position that they would gladly make any spec to order. I was buying far better frames from Armstrong because Dave Duffield brought in Bill Gameson and allowed him to genuinely hand build with silver brazing any spec for about £10 retail. I used to get 5/8 seat stays, solid wrapover, campagnolo ends, butted 531, nervex pro lugs and crown to retail at £10.10 shillings.
By now you should be able to see why yours is not a Raleigh.
How the model names were applied I have no idea.
Keith
Yours has 24 TPI and if you haven't measured it yet is probably at least plain 531.
Sun were desperate by the mid 1950s. I think it was 1956 or 7 that Peter Parkes himself came round to the dealers to try and move a few bikes. They were in a position that they would gladly make any spec to order. I was buying far better frames from Armstrong because Dave Duffield brought in Bill Gameson and allowed him to genuinely hand build with silver brazing any spec for about £10 retail. I used to get 5/8 seat stays, solid wrapover, campagnolo ends, butted 531, nervex pro lugs and crown to retail at £10.10 shillings.
By now you should be able to see why yours is not a Raleigh.
How the model names were applied I have no idea.
Keith
cycletothesea
Retro Guru
Thanks Keith, but still no wiser – or I'm missing something. You obviously have a lot of experience in the bike building world, but you assume that I will know what you're talking about. Everything you have just written is completely over my head! I have not been under any assumption that it is a Raleigh - it does have a frame number however, which relates to it being built at Worksop and Peter Cowan is experienced enough for me to take his opinion at face value.
Re:
It seems the frame number expert knows more than I do about frame numbers, I just have weakening memories. It just seemed so illogical for someone to get a decent frame made in the early 60s with outdated cyclo imitation forged ends, these were used in the mid 1950s.
Keith
It seems the frame number expert knows more than I do about frame numbers, I just have weakening memories. It just seemed so illogical for someone to get a decent frame made in the early 60s with outdated cyclo imitation forged ends, these were used in the mid 1950s.
Keith
Re: j frame sun
I realise this is an old thread but I've been trying to find information on my (j1982) frame sun Birmingham model 'maillot jaune' .Think mine is a 1961 so yours would be older? Mine has the cyclo dropouts but has chrome Carlton flyer type lugs, chrome head & half tubes. It has been (badly) repainted with green dulux paint, although there is some deep blue translucent paint under the head badge.
I realise this is an old thread but I've been trying to find information on my (j1982) frame sun Birmingham model 'maillot jaune' .Think mine is a 1961 so yours would be older? Mine has the cyclo dropouts but has chrome Carlton flyer type lugs, chrome head & half tubes. It has been (badly) repainted with green dulux paint, although there is some deep blue translucent paint under the head badge.
