So I've found a new project, bought off eBay where it was advertised as:
"a piece of Australian cycling history. Built by Bates, this bike is in great condition for its age. Unlike bikes of today, this bike was totally hand built. The lug-work is beautiful and all of the pin striping and decals are hand painted, there are no stickers!! a vintage piece of handmade art!! Keep it as a showpiece or with a little bit of TLC you can shine above any other riders."
It really is a beautiful bike:
It has the numbers 2073 on one side and the letter V on the other:
I'm wondering if the 73 means it was built in 73?
So amusingly, I looked at the bottom of my bike tonight for the first time since i brought her home and discovered a bit more information. The photo above was the original blurry pic from the eBay seller. Below is a more recent pic.
I can now see the numbers 60 61 and 20173.
the original paintwork is in superb condition
The guy i bought it from claims he can't remember where he got it. He used to live in Coburg - where one of the Bates’ bike shops was. He reckons it might have been his brothers and he can remember riding it around himself. He claims that he remembers a drink bottle being attached which scratched the top tube. It looks to me like it’s been custom made for someone and had the original rider’s name painted on it. This name has been deliberately scratched off. I’m guessing stolen? given to a family member? Who knows, but damn what a shame.
The mudguards are in beautiful condition (if not a little bit bent)
The rear mudguard and it's stays are so wonky they make me giggle
No comments:
Post a Comment