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Category: decals

This is Sparta

This is Sparta

I’m welcoming a new bicycle to my stable! Well, new to me:

1982 Sparta Windsor step-through with 3 speeds and drum brakes, as purchased from my friend Karen.
1982 Sparta Windsor step-through with 3 speeds and drum brakes, as purchased from my friend Karen.

Karen brought this 1982 Sparta Windsor omafiets to Edmonton with her when she moved from Vancouver – but its place as her daily ride has been supplanted by her Linus, thanks to its lighter weight and ability to attach a trailer for her toddler. I’m well past the toddler stage now, so I jumped at the chance to ride with drum brakes after all the rainy weather we have had this summer.

Sturmey-Archer AB hub with drum brake stamped 82 6
Sturmey-Archer AB hub with drum brake stamped 82 6
Sparta-branded bell
Sparta-branded bell
Headbadge, with a zip tie that has been holding the cables so long it has rubbed off part of the design.
Headbadge, with a zip tie that has been holding the cables so long it has rubbed off part of the design.
Front fork decals and chromed trim.
Front fork decals and chromed trim. The 26 is for the tyre size: 26 x 1 3/8.

It came to me with a Sturmey-Archer AB 3-speed drum brake hub with a 82/6 date stamp, front drum-brake hub with 5/82 date stamp, 80s-style plastic Sturmey-Archer trigger shifter, a full chain case, a chromed Steco front pannier rack with a spring-clamp, a rear rack with a wire basket, a Royal vinyl mattress saddle, a frame lock, Pletscher kickstand, and front and rear lights wired to a plastic bottle generator (currently not working). The paint is a bit scratched up from years of use but it still polishes up nicely. From these photos on Flikr it would appear that originally it would have also had plastic skirtguards (jasbeschermers), bungee straps (snelbinders) for the rear rack, and a chromed bottle generator instead of the plastic dynamo now on it.

Rear fender decals and aluminum badge.
Rear fender decals and aluminum badge.
Downtube decals. The frame lock is stamped "STENMAN PAT.PEND." on one side, and "MADE IN HOLLAND 582" on the other.
Downtube decals. The frame lock is stamped “STENMAN PAT.PEND.” on one side, and “MADE IN HOLLAND 582” on the other.
Decals on the remaining tubes, plus a label from Richmond BC warning would-be thieves that the bike has been engraved. Oh, the innocence of the eighties, thinking that would be a deterrent.
Decals on the remaining tubes, plus a label from Richmond BC warning would-be thieves that the bike has been engraved. Oh, the innocence of the eighties, thinking that would be a deterrent.
The chain case has more pretty decals and a black plastic port for servicing the chain.
The chain case has more pretty decals and a black plastic port for servicing the chain.

I’ve already made a couple of changes: I swapped out the vinyl saddle for my Brooks B67S, and once I had adjusted the saddle to my height, the wire basket no longer fit properly, so I swapped it out for the antique egg crate I’ve been using on the DL-1 (which, in turn, looks handsome with the black wire basket installed). I’ve also installed a mirror to the handlebar (it’s Evo’s clamp-on Canadarm mirror), and removed the water bottle holder. Now to replace the bottle generator and find some bungee straps and skirt guards!

After swapping out the saddle and rear basket.
After swapping out the saddle and rear basket.

How does the ride differ from my Raleigh-built 3-speed roadsters? Well, the posture is a smidgen more upright, because the handlebar stem is longer. The seat position is similar, and the shifting is, of course, identical (although the plastic shifter feels a little different). The braking is reassuringly responsive. There is currently a small pedal rub against the chain case that will need looking at (probably the axle got a smidgen off-centre the last time the bottom bracket was repacked – maybe that has to do with the non-cottered cranks?).

P.S. – For those keeping track, this has precipitated another bicycle switcheroo. Fiona is buying the DL-1 (Eliza) back from me, since the Sparta is taking its’ place. I also will no longer need Trudy (the ’72 Phillips 3-speed), so I am trading it to Nicki and getting Mary Poppins (the ’66 Phillips single-speed loop frame) back from her. Winnie (the ’51 CCM-built loop frame) is also looking for a new home.

Disappointment leads to New Beginnings

Disappointment leads to New Beginnings

**Note this is a pretty old post that I put off until I got better pictures/time to re-write it so it was done well, I’ve given up though, and will just post as is and then maybe work on a follow up post that I can get done sooner than later. It’s nice outside and Ms. Galaxie needs to get out on the road!!**

Remember our Lovely Lady of Raleigh? The gorgeous undated one with the impossible to find 28″ wheels and the GORGEOUS headbadge and chainwheel and and and? Yeah me too. Turns out though that my BARELY 5’5″ self would, in NO WAY, be able to safely or comfortably. Thank goodness for Keith at EBC huh? Saved me lots of money spent on parts that would then do nothing for ME.

But all is not lost dear blog readers, in fact with the help of Deborah I have now PURCHASED (as in she’s mine, ALL MINE!) the lovely CCM Galaxie that we found in the yard a few weeks ago.

Here are hopefully better pictures that I got in the lovely warmth of the EBC shop. I cannot wait to tackle the clean up, especially knowing how well some of our cleaning supplies work!!

So here we go:

Look at the curves!!! BEAUTIFUL!
I’ve done a few hours of research and have yet to find a Galaxie with the same curves. I found one similar (a 1965 Galaxie) but it’s a men’s frame and thus the curves are slightly opposite (still gorgeous though). Other galaxies that I can find pictures of don’t have the same curve on either the stay or the top tube, in fact both are straight as an arrow, regardless of step through frame or not. I’m not sure what this means exactly, and it’s proving hard to find info on Galaxies that haven’t been taken apart and turned into low-rider muscle type steeds of (in my very humble but biased opinion) less awesome (yet still awesome.)
Headbadge & Seattube Decals
 I was a bit (tiny bit) saddened by the fact that the headbadge is literally JUST a decal but at least it’s there right? If I had the knowledge I’d maybe guess that it’s some sign of value or something, but it could just be a sign of the times? Regardless of the “quality” of the headbadge, I’m still glad to know she has one, so there’s no doubt at all of her authenticity.
Pictures of Ms Daisy

Pictures of Ms Daisy

Apologies off the bat for the poor quality of these pictures, I guess our camera is pretty outdated now, and am pretty sure I could get better zoom pictures with my phone (perhaps will try).

A close up of the only indentification I can find, not very helpful in the ways that I’ve searched, but perhaps someone else will have a better idea of WHERE to search or what to search for…Yeah?

The other form of identification on the bike, sadly in actuality it is just an abbreviated form of “Pro Tour” logo. At least you can see my pretty fenders here though, lovely cherry red everywhere 🙂

Out of focus yes, but this is the last version of the logo I have, again nothing specific, and the lack of manufacturer identity has really started to irk me. REALLY. Started. To. Irk. Me. Oh well…

My favourite (ok one of my favourite) parts of my bike is the chain guard. Regardless of whether Daisy is a retro/vintage/whatever type of bicycle, the chain guard gives her this bit of class that I love to bits. Bits and pieces. Plus having the chain covered means more cute biking clothes for me! (and less worry of said things getting AS tangled!)

Upon today’s pictures I discovered the rear fender that rubs against the tire actually has worn the tire a very little, but nothing serious that would need fixing right now vs another day. I forgot to get a picture of the handle bars, but think bmx-style grips from the 80’s that would’ve been on your bike (as a kid):

 Except mine are dirtier and just not pretty at all. I’d love to get some lovely LOVELY ones with intricacies that only I’d notice (or another biker girl who’d actually be up close and personal with daisy and notice them)…anyone have any suggestions?
Those are all the pictures I have for now, I need a better macro type zoomability to be able to show off any of the parts with identification on them…though I’m almost at a point where I hold little hope for much more than my bike having existed (because I know this much!)
More Photos of Mary

More Photos of Mary

I thought I’d put up the best of the other photos I’ve taken of the decals and parts of my 1966 Phillips loop-frame roadster, Mary Poppins. You’ve already seen the headbadge, front mudguard, pedals, and saddle in other posts. Here’s the rest.

Phillips decal on the frame.

Other decals on the curved top post of the bike. The top one, badly damaged, shows a coat of arms and the words “GUARANTEED GENUINE ———–  –IGHT —-GHT”. The green sticker is the repair sticker from a now-departed local bike shop. You can also see the top braze-on for the missing frame pump, and some paint damage on the front mudguard.

Made in England, and some of the pinstriping.

More pinstriping, and a decal that reads, “THE TRUE —-ER  —–E  B——-“. The rear braze-on for the frame pump is hiding under that electrical tape. I guess it was catching on someone’s trouser cuff?

The chainguard, with Phillips decal and some damage from the pedal. This is also a pretty good photo of the pedals and crank. The chain could use cleaning, and I haven’t checked it for wear yet.

A nice shot of the chrome on the pedals and the Pletscher kickstand. I think the part with the red enamel says E56E.

Is this part with the Sturmey-Archer stamp the derailleur?

Best photo I’ve been able to take yet of the Sturmey-Archer SC single coaster brake. The reflective chrome plating makes it tricky!

Rear mudguard with reflector [update: it’s marked BSA.U.40LI(heart)LIC.2628 FAIRYLITES BRITISH MADE I(circle)3224] and a smear of adhesive – I wonder what used to be stuck there (maybe another chrome trim piece?). There is a very badly scratched up decal further up the fender, the one with the lion and the phrase “Reknowned The World Over” that’s modelled on the prewar Phillips headbadge.

These grips are made of the same material as the rear reflector’s casing, so I think they might be rubber, not plastic. They are marked “MADE IN ENGLAND”.