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Victory Track Bike

Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 5:46 pm
by WyvernRH
A request for assistance! I have been given this sadly neglected track bicycle. It seems to date from the 30's- 50's era and I would like to know more about the maker/shop/brand etc. I really, really like the art deco graphics on the downtube! Fixed wheel and tight angles notwithstanding, from the old lights fitted it looks like some brave person was useing it to commute at some point :shock:

Any help appreciated.

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Cheers
Richard

Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 7:36 pm
by GaryF
That must have been a spectacular bike in its day. Makes you wonder what experiences it had in its life.

I wish I could help with its identity.

Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 8:29 pm
by winona_rider
wow. that's amazing.
i feel like that has inspired me to put decals way up the down tube.... totally

Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2008 8:43 pm
by cludence
Richard,

Victory is a rubbish bike, no good, not worth restoring and the stem is dangerous. The saddle was known to throw people off the bike.

So you better send it to me. :wink:

Could you include some tyres with it please?

Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 9:47 am
by feelthewheel
Cludence is onto something there - I've heard they bit people on the leg when they weren't looking!

Beware ...

Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 10:04 am
by kukamunga
Don't listen to them Richard. Evidently my 'Wentworth' was worthless too! :wink:

(Can't wait for the comments when they see my T.Fletcher built 'Challenge - Special Racer') :o

Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 9:47 pm
by WyvernRH
kukamunga wrote:Don't listen to them Richard. Evidently my 'Wentworth' was worthless too! :wink:

(Can't wait for the comments when they see my T.Fletcher built 'Challenge - Special Racer') :o
Ha! They no not of which they speak!
Not visible in the photos is the left hand side handlebar which is twisted, scarred and damaged beyond any sort of repair from what I would say is a severe fall. Probably what caused the poor bicycle to be cast into the outer darkness. (I would say it has been through at least one flood)
My idea with this bicycle is to restore the original paint as best as possible,treat and neuteralise all the rust and preserve it as is with a new chain, bars :roll: saddle and tyres (thus neutralizing the vicious tendancies :D ) to make it rideable, for the tubing internally is solid. No way could I reproduce the the original paintwork which I must admit is major attraction from my point of view, marred as it is.

cheers

Richard

Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 10:25 pm
by stevendavid75
looks sensational, it will be interesting to see if anyone comes up with any info.

Will look forward to watching it come together.

Cheers
SP

Victory bicycle hits the road!

Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 5:22 pm
by WyvernRH
OK, the 'Victory' bicycle is back on the road!
As I had no way of even coming close to the original paintwork I decided to basically cleanup the frame and wheels the best I could, clean off and treat all the surface rust and stablise the existing paint. This obviously meant loosing some of the paintwork but I attempted to keep as much possible.
All went well with much stress about how much paint I was loosing in the cleanup process. I lost all the paint off the rear stays due to the 'Scocthlite' tapoe someone had applied, and the paint had not stuck well to the underlaying chrome or nickel plating. Still not sure if it was chrome or nickel as where corrosion did get to the plating it had gone green and just came off as dust, leaving the copper underlay exposed. Whatever after much anxiety, most of the remaining paint was saved and cleaned up.
As I was keeping the frame 'as-is' I decided that all the original bits that could be saved and made roadworthy should be re-fitted. The wheels were almost perfect so no troubles there and the stem and seatpost cleaned up well from their green corrosion, even though most of the top layer of the plating vanished. Almost every mechanical part on the bike was made by Bayliss-Wiley, right down to the snail washers on the rear axle.
I found that the right crank was a "Utility' replacement that did not match the much higher class l/h crank. I had a spare BSA r/h crank that matched so that went on with a inch pitch chainring, chain and sprocket I have been dying to use. The bars were straightened, repaired and given a few coats of hard enamel, to try and make them look like the painted bars from the 30's. A bell saddle from the spares box, new tyres and tubes and Voila! One road(track?) worthy veteran bicycle. The pedals are Unions with half clips so cowardly me can ride it. I've taken it for a few rides around the village and I can tell you now, fixed wheel, no brakes makes for an exciting trip! It handles very well even if it is heavy by modern standards. I still need to find out more (anything) about this bicycle! Here's some photos:

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Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 6:27 pm
by GaryF
Wow! You've done a great job getting it back on the road yet retaining its wonderful patina.

Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 10:48 pm
by AUbicycles
I think slicks would do wonders. The knobbly tires give it a MTB or cyclo-cross feel.

Cheers
Christopher

Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:52 pm
by HappyHumber
Kudos Wyvern!

I spose if they're original, or at least period, rims your choices of tyres would be pretty limited?

Find me the slicks!

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 6:30 am
by WyvernRH
AUbicycles wrote:I think slicks would do wonders. The knobbly tires give it a MTB or cyclo-cross feel.

Cheers
Christopher
You find me some 28x1 3/8 slicks and I'll fit them no trouble! :D

From pictures I have seen of road racing in the 30's I think you might find that on a bike of this age racing road tyres actually looked like that. A lot (most?) of the racing was done on dirt roads so they needed traction. No brakes or one brake seemed common too :shock:
I am coming around to the idea this might have been intended for road use as the Victory wheels actually have the wider type of 28" Westwood rim. I would have thought a track racer with a frame of this quality would have used the (less common) narrower 28" Westwood rim which took narrower, lighter tyres. Not sure what they are called, Kid Carbine might know the correct description?

Cheers
Richard

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 8:34 pm
by AUbicycles
You got me though I am not ashamed to admit that most of you know much more about old bikes than me. I can follow your train of thought and could imagine that back in the days the cyclists would also ride to and from events so aside from racing, the bikes had to be all purpose.

Does that get me out of searching for tyres for you or do I still have to look :) Schwalbe Marathon Slicks ?.

37-622 (28x1 3/8 - 700x35C)
TI. Schwalbe MARATHON SLICK Kevlar-MB
37-622 B-SK+RT HS341 DUAL 67EPI

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 8:47 pm
by SAMMA
Looks superb ... the Art Deco graphics are a treat ... happy riding!

Samma :)

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:11 pm
by WyvernRH
AUbicycles wrote:You got me though I am not ashamed to admit that most of you know much more about old bikes than me. I can follow your train of thought and could imagine that back in the days the cyclists would also ride to and from events so aside from racing, the bikes had to be all purpose.

Does that get me out of searching for tyres for you or do I still have to look :)
Oooooh That looks nice! Not period but nice..... I could be tempted.....

On the cycling to events thing, I still remember having 'tub carriers' (thats hooks on the forks that carry a pair of wheels with singles tyres for Oz types) on the front of the race bike to carry the 'race wheels' so you rode to the time trial on the 'road wheels', swapped the wheels (the time keeper kept the road wheels),rode the race, swapped back and rode home (after a few beers!) with the race wheels hanging off the carriers in the evening. Who cares who won......

Cheers

Richard

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:20 pm
by WyvernRH
AUbicycles wrote:You got me "snip"

Does that get me out of searching for tyres for you or do I still have to look :) Schwalbe Marathon Slicks ?.

37-622 (28x1 3/8 - 700x35C)
TI. Schwalbe MARATHON SLICK Kevlar-MB
37-622 B-SK+RT HS341 DUAL 67EPI
Actually, sorry you got caught by the Europeaan idea of 28"! Thats actually a fat 700c tyre that fits a 622mm rim.( weird eh?) I think the 28x 1 3/8 is a 635 rim (check out Harris Cyclery http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/tires/635.html)
A different size altogether sadly

Cheers
Richard

Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:24 pm
by AUbicycles
Easiest thing to do is turn the time back...

Hey, great bike... love the tyres! ;)



Cheers
Christopher

Victory Track Bike.

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:43 pm
by Blockchain
Congratulations on a nice preservation job - so pleased you went this way too many great old machines are lost to two pack paint and shabby stickers.
There are several 28 inch tyre makes on the market mainly ex Asia but if your really keen you can buff the tread and marking off on a linishing belt and it will look the part.
Good Luck and well done.

Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 8:18 pm
by il padrone
Oooh, nice finish! Love those Westwood rims, and they're painted too?

Good to see you've retained the original paint job and decal, or is it hand-painted?

I'm looking at setting up my own frame (Gerald Tate, from Geelong) from the 40s, with period components as much as possible. The frame is painted a boring black, but has nice Nervex No.45 lugs. Parts will be mostly NOS parts to become a road single-speed. Photos will come as it gets finished. My main focus is for it to be a ridable bike, to the point of maybe doing some Audax on it :? The paint job will be retained with all its scratches and scrapes, maintaining the original decals.

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2008 11:58 am
by bommy
Nice frame. I recently acquired a Victory track frame as well. The decal set is quite different to yours and includes a few world champion decals.

About the frame builder, mine has on the seat tube a little emblem. Its a flying horse and has "Pat Smith" above and "Bathurst" below. The bike owner said it was from roughly the 1930's.

It has the same canks and chainring. An interesting note was its BB oiler. The wheels also have a grease nipple, something i have never seen before. Still had a very old brooks saddle.

Am debating preserve vs. respray as rust is pretty bad in spots. Will post some pictures once the new member ban is lifted.

Re: Victory Track Bike

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 5:53 pm
by Dominic.beeson
Hi just by chance do you still have this bike, if so would you mind contacting me at dominicbeeson.db@gmail.com, the reason is that my great grandfather built the Victory bike in Melbourne into the 1930`s and raced them earlier in the late 1890`s.
Dominic

Re: Victory Track Bike

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 11:05 pm
by GaryF
Hi Dominic, I'm just an interested reader of this great thread. The Victory bike reminds me of the bikes my father and uncles had when I was just a youngster. I have always loved this style of bike and the Victory is such a good looking bike.

I must say that your response is quite exciting and, just on my behalf as in interested reader and admirer, thanks for writing in.

Gary.

Re: Victory Track Bike

Posted: Wed Apr 17, 2019 10:19 am
by Dominic.beeson
Hi all yes an interesting history probably time to collate it all, but as a bike the brothers Harry and Fred Beeson they built track , road ladies, tandems and triples at the same shop as Raleigh was built and later Speedwell. This was after 10 years of racing in Victoria.
So will get my thoughts around it all and write up a summary, with the pictures i have found along the way.

Re: Victory Track Bike

Posted: Fri May 31, 2019 11:10 pm
by hiflange
There are likely a few Victory branded bikes. At the turn of the century in Perth there was a Victory Cycles agent on William St, went bust in the early 1900's. Later there was a Victory Cycles in Leederville that ran for many years.