Identify the bike challenge!

[tiboltrider]

Ah, not heard of swallow before! Looks like a really nice bike in need of a little tlc. So, what's your plans with the beast now you've found this site? (p.s. it's not too late to turn back and save your money, freedom and relationships!)

 

[doctor-bond]

A Swallow! Superb - how glad I am to have been wrong. A friend had a Griffon BITD and I've hankered after one ever since but they're super rare now.

I think yours is the only example of the breed we have on the site and it shows how inventive a builder they were: most welcome.

What are your plans? I'd say it deserves a full overhaul, some sympathetic components and a trip to Argos cycles for a respray in original red.

 

[crud]

Ah, not heard of swallow before! Looks like a really nice bike in need of a little tlc. So, what's your plans with the beast now you've found this site? (p.s. it's not too late to turn back and save your money, freedom and relationships!)

best known for tandems, i think they were from shropshire? they used to run a frame building course too.

love frame by the way tho, dick

 

[Dick Spanner]

Cheers for the comments guys.

Interestingly the original order sheet lists the address as being in Essex whereas everything else I have seen shows Swallow being based in Shropshire or Wales so maybe they had a satellite office or somesuch.

I will try and take some better piccies tomorrow if I get a chance.

I think I'm only now realising what a rare old beast it is, and it certainly deserves a bit of sympathetic restoration. I've got contacts locally who can shotblast it and also stove enamel or powder coat (any suggestions as to which one is best?) once any filling and / or repair work has been done.

I can't decide on colour though. It probably should go back to as near as dammit the original red (and with the wonders of google and the order sheet I now have contact details for the original owner) but I'm worried it will look a bit ordinary. I've always thought the pink was erm, charismatic.

The other thing I would like to replace is the missing original handlebars, the Brahmas it now wears are ok but the originals were really unusual in that it was a one piece 450mm flat bar (in reynolds 501 I think) with built in bar ends and stubs that allowed the brake levers to be mounted under the bar ends if that makes sense with the thumb shifters mounted at the front of the bar ends. Sounds weird but it was actually very comfortable. I think the chances of finding a set are pretty slim though so I may have to try and get some made....

Plenty to think about anyway.

 

[WD Pro]

If it's a 'keeper', is going to get used and is going in a single solid color I would defo go powder coat - but get a top quality job done

I was very happy and would really recomend 'Windridge Coatings' who did mine. Have a look at the pics on my build thread - link below

WD

 

[Crell]

This is a timely thread. It's a brand I've been looking for for a while. I remember a white fillet brazed swallow, with a blue "flying swallow" headbadge and blue decals - and possibly campag kit that was featured in one of the mags in the late 80's. I think hat was the Griffon.

Is the pink not original? It's just that a mate of mine had a pioneer in exactly that colour in 1989.

Nice find.

 

[Dick Spanner]

Crell - I don't think it's original because the original order states Bright Red as the colour. It does have the Blue Swallow head badge (I edited it out to make identification harder!) and also a swallow motive cast into the fork crown and also the bridge between the seat stays. Interesting to know it may have been an original colour though.

WD - Jesus H Christ! The job you are doing on yours is awesome. That is exactly the kind of job my Swallow deserves, but given my almost total ignorance regarding bicycle oily bits, the chances of it happening are somewhere between slim and none. And Slims left town! I will however do my best and will no doubt be asking lots of stupid questions.
It will definitely be a keeper though so powder coating looks the way to go, especially given the finish you got on yours.

 

[WD Pro]

Thanks for the comments

Defo give Dale a call then if it’s for a keeper !

http://www.windridge.co.uk/content.php/410

He was very helpful / informative during the dealings I had with him. Tell him what you are up to and that you are on retrobike – he is actually a member on here but posts very little / doesn’t use the site to advertise etc.

If you do speak to him tell him I will eventually send him some photos when I finally finish it …

If you are going for red be careful on you ‘shade’ selection. I had some bits done for my car build to RAL3020 (Traffic red) which looks dead nice / deep sat here in the office looking at swatches but when it goes out in sunlight it looks decidedly ‘orangey’. I had them redone in RAL3002 (Carmine red) which looks quite (very :shock: ) dark in office lighting but looks like a ‘proper’ red and is very bright when its out in day / sunlight. Cameras don’t always do colors justice but I can send you some pics of the front suspension I had done if you want.

Dale didn’t do these bits for me but they are done to RAL references which are universal industrial references (My bike was also ordered to RAL numbers). I haven’t needed any for the bike yet (but did on the car) but this means that touchup etc can be ordered as a perfect match (without supplying a sample) from Autopaint or similar just using the RAL ref

WD

 

[Dick Spanner]

Cheers for the info and contact details WD. I'm going to try and get in contact with the original purchaser if I can and find out exactly what colour it was new, then I can hopefully make a decision on whether to take it back to original or stick with the easy pink, as it were.

When I get the frame and forks shotblasted, there is sure to be a fair amount of rust and chainrash damage. How does one ascertain whether this is bad enough to need welding or not, and if it just needs filling, is bog standard body filler good enough?