Classic & Vintage - Halfords club bike... how old?

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geordieskin
07-10-09, 11:36 AM
Hi all, i have recently got hold of this

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0803/geordieskinheed/Photo-0004.jpg

it is a Halfords club acording to its paint work, has anyone any idea how old it is?

Thanks for your time.

ozneddy
07-10-09, 12:01 PM
Looks about WW2 to me !
ozneddy
07-10-09, 12:03 PM
BTW, good score !

cybertect
07-10-09, 12:49 PM
Looks about WW2 to me !

I'd agree with that - or at least it went through WWII judging by the rear mudguard.

edit: My gut instinct is that it's 1930s. Is there any chrome plating on it or are the metal parts plain steel painted black (headset, brake levers, etc.)? If not, that might be an indication of wartime production (chromium was a strategic material).

From my knowledge of vintage motorbikes, if there's nickel plate instead, it could push the date back to the 20s or earlier.
geordieskin
07-10-09, 01:09 PM
everything is painted,not checked underneath yet, i believe it was used by itv in the making of the catherine cookson tv dramas.
geordieskin
07-12-09, 10:17 AM
Bumps! Anyone?
Oldpeddaller
07-12-09, 12:08 PM
I thought Halfords started in business in the mid 1960's - then I found this link:

http://www.halfordscompany.com/hal/ah/history/

Turns out I was only "slightly" right - and that Halfords Club bike could well be a lot older!
cybertect
07-13-09, 03:15 AM
Quite. Here's a 1930s frame for sale on Gumtree (http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:pAnXdl9YoL4J:www.gumtree.com/london/77/39287277.html+halfords+bicycle+1930s&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk) and a 1931 catalogue (http://www.cjbalm.com/auto-aero/oitem143.htm).

I believe they actually made their own bicycles at the time. I'm not sure, but it looks like their manufacturing operation was based in Coventry (http://oldbike.wordpress.com/7-bicycles-manufactured-in-coventry/) rather than Birmingham.

edit: Might be worth emailing your question to the owner of that list site I linked to (http://oldbike.wordpress.com/) - he encourages it. :)
Sixty Fiver
07-13-09, 03:27 AM
The all black is usually an indication of wartime production...