Interesting pickup
 

According to their webpage, and apparently guiness, I have a bicycle from the world's oldest cycle manufacturer. It's rough, but it exhibits some nice workmanship. Nothing on it at the CR list, and I don't see anything in our forums either.

The oldest bike shop in the world - We Love Cycling

Pearson, looks like all Reynolds 531.

URL=http://s936.photobucket.com/user/aolk67/media/eBay%20sales/21E57DAA-77AA-419D-8DBC-E631E23DAE6B_zpsyf8g9y0c.jpg.html]http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/a...psyf8g9y0c.jpg[/URL]

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/a...psgqieiryt.jpg

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps8ayhtvob.jpg

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/a...psn2ylmixq.jpg

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/a...pseicae10u.jpg

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/a...psr8rzaoab.jpg

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps74qjx3eo.jpg

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/a...psbxt76wtq.jpg

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/a...psrsvg5kdx.jpg

Very nice!

Who knew that Pearson was the oldest builder - and they are still around! They would likely love to see your new bike and they can probably tell you quite a bit about it.

It almost has a track bike geometry, steep head tube and almost straight fork. Unusual for such an old bike, no?

The angle and poor photography are making the fork look more straight than it really is, but it's definitely a roadie.

You are finding all kinds of interesting stuff these days.

And losing one :(

I might turn this into a townie...I've always wanted to do that with a road bike.

Few British Shops Build the frames they sell in bikes any More, It was More common before ..

M Steel/ Joe Waugh in 91 was still there, Newcastle , they are a seller not a Maker now

Ditto FW Evans .. it seems .. a local may have found some still doing both.

this was what I found different Before the internet, travelling through .. 88 & 91.
and looking for their websites now,

Regional shops are still selling bikes But Taiwan Made, like every where else .

I don't think I have a good eye for seeing quality builds but this bike looks great! The brazing of the seat stay caps to the seat lug is wonderfully done not to mention the cutouts and the fine shoulders.

Like the Patina too! Nice bike!

I agree the picture looks like the head tube angle is steep and the fork is nearly straight!

I think it's mostly the angle...it's also had a head on collision at some point.

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps6dg15h39.jpg

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/a...psqxrfqn40.jpg

Nice find great looking bike. Sorry about your loss.


Are you sure that front end isn't a little funky?

It's very funky. Read the post above ;)

Oh Just call me Miss Obvious. I somehow missed the last part and I think your entire last post before I posted.

No worries. I still think it could be interesting with some cruiser bars.

It's probably too expensive to have repaired, but it is an interesting bike IMO. I didn't pay much and was essentially buying the campy brakes, front wheel, post, cinelli bars/stems/tt clips and the paniers.

Front end collision damage is overrated in my esteemed opinion. I rode a bike last summer, with a fork so badly bent that the front brakes couldn't be made to work. The goody goody bike shop recommended not riding it, but I put many miles on it in the two weeks I was there. And it rode straight as an arrow with no hands. It was one of the nicer rides I've experienced, actually, steel wheels and all. A 74 Araya.

Ouchie. Bummer about the collision.

Ouch, that must have hurt. That seems to happen to a lot of bikes. A couple months ago somebody in Houston was trying to sell an EF Schwinn three-speed that had a noticeable bend in the top tube, corresponding bend in the down tube and a funky fork. I had a couple of those EF Schwinns, but single speed with coaster brakes, as a kid and I don't think I could get it going fast enough to inflict that sort of damage.

Do you think you're going to get it repaired? seems it would be worth the effort.

I don't know...isn't that pricey? Not even counting the needed repaint at that point.

I think you're right. Fixing the damage and then refinishing the frame would probably be a lot of trouble and more expense than is warranted. I apologize if I appeared to be eager to spend your money -- it's a pretty easy trap to fall into.

If the top tube is bent, I'd worry that the fork got bent in the same collision and would have a frame builder check it out. Someone I worked with had both fork blades snap off while riding on a bike that clearly had been in a previous front-ender but had been straightened at some point.

Neat bike, but I agree.

Salvage the parts you may want and hang up the frameset until a trusted framebuilder gives it the a-ok.

While I think you should be careful while riding this bike...I think it should stay as is. Pretty expensive to fix...and repaint...and then it is not original. This, IMHO, is one of those that should stay original...

Regardless...I know you will do good things with...glad it is in your hands...

something like nitto promenade https://www.benscycle.com/p-1279-nit...handlebar.aspx or the ahearn https://www.benscycle.com/p-1244-map...54-silver.aspx

would work nicely also possible the Velo orange postino https://www.benscycle.com/p-1244-map...54-silver.aspx

Y'know...I bought this for parts...if someone is willing to restore this, it's theirs for shipping. I don't need another bike and I don't really want to put in that kind of $$$. It will probably take me a while to break it down.

Probably right on the fork...I thought that would be pretty easy and inexpensive to address if needed.

I thought it was an interesting frame because there was no info on it, other than it being such an old marquee, and the workmanship looked very high quality.

That a boy. :)

Glad you beat me to this one. ;) I contacted the seller Sunday night when it was posted. She is 8 miles from my house. I told her I could stop over and check it out. She called me and told there was "a lot of interest" and that (in a very polite British accent) "Perhaps I would like to increase my offer". I declined. She called me last night as well and I declined again. It is well worth asking for the parts alone.

Like you, I have more than I could ever use so I thought better of n+10000. Good for you passing it along.:thumb:

Pearson made Safety's and Motorcycles beginning around 1860 in the UK, the shop is still around here is the link:

Heritage

Congrats on the find.