Sun Olympic special wasp
02-16-16, 03:42 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 15
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Sun Olympic special wasp
Hi are any Sun experts out there ? I picked up this bike the weekend and have since found out it's a sun Olympic special wasp can anyone throw any light on this model? How many were built , year they where built and spec please.
Thank you
Thank you
02-16-16, 05:01 PM
#2
multimodal commuter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NJ, NYC, LI
Posts: 19,808
Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...
Mentioned: 584 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1908 Post(s)
Liked 574 Times
in
339 Posts
I'm no Sun expert, but I could tell you more with a photo than without. A lot of bicycle model names were used for a relatively long period, while certain details and components will narrow the date to a couple years.
__________________
www.rhmsaddles.com.
www.rhmsaddles.com.
03-10-16, 05:02 AM
#4
Forum Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Kalamazoo MI
Posts: 20,626
Bikes: Fuji SL2.1 Carbon Di2 Cannondale Synapse Alloy 4 Trek Checkpoint ALR-5 Viscount Aerospace Pro Colnago Classic Rabobank Schwinn Waterford PMount Raleigh C50 Cromoly Hybrid Legnano Tipo Roma Pista
Mentioned: 58 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3084 Post(s)
Liked 6,559 Times
in
3,763 Posts
Can you post some pics of the derailleurs, brakes calipers, and cranks?
__________________
03-10-16, 06:30 AM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Near Pottstown, PA: 30 miles NW of Philadelphia
Posts: 2,184
Bikes: 2 Trek Mtn, Cannondale R600 road, 6 vintage road bikes
Mentioned: 83 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 472 Post(s)
Liked 1,028 Times
in
404 Posts
One possibility is a Carlton Sun. Carlton (Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England) had a second line in the shop - Sun Cycles. That head badge looks familiar but I don't have enough info to be sure. Search on that possibility. I think I see those badges n decals on a green Carlton here:
https://www.flickr.com/groups/568400@N24/pool/
https://www.flickr.com/groups/568400@N24/pool/
03-10-16, 06:34 AM
#7
multimodal commuter
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: NJ, NYC, LI
Posts: 19,808
Bikes: 1940s Fothergill, 1959 Allegro Special, 1963? Claud Butler Olympic Sprint, Lambert 'Clubman', 1974 Fuji "the Ace", 1976 Holdsworth 650b conversion rando bike, 1983 Trek 720 tourer, 1984 Counterpoint Opus II, 1993 Basso Gap, 2010 Downtube 8h, and...
Mentioned: 584 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1908 Post(s)
Liked 574 Times
in
339 Posts
Wow! At the moment, I'm thinking it's earlier than ca 1960 (so, before Carlton took over). But I agree with @cb400ill, we need more photos of components. Also, more photos of frame details, especially the dropouts (where the wheels attach). The seat tube decal seems to say "WORLD PROFESSIONAL PURSUIT CHAMPION" but I suspect this is not a pursuit bike.
Here is a similar one:
https://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/sun-wasp-rest.html
I don't think you have a Williams crank; but if you do, there are date codes on both arms.
Here is a similar one:
https://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/sun-wasp-rest.html
I don't think you have a Williams crank; but if you do, there are date codes on both arms.
__________________
www.rhmsaddles.com.
www.rhmsaddles.com.
Last edited by rhm; 03-10-16 at 06:43 AM.
03-10-16, 06:56 AM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 23,223
Mentioned: 654 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4722 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3,036 Times
in
1,874 Posts
This looks a lot like the 1955 Sun Wasp Champion du Monde on Classic Lightweights. We know it's no older than 1952 as the World Pursuit Championship decal is in reference to Sydney Patterson's win for Sun that year. He repeated in 1953. Reportedly, TI bought Sun in 1958 and from 1964 the frames were manufactured by Carlton and carry a Worksop identifier, so it shouldn't be any newer than that.
There should be a double letter prefix for that serial number. Format is reportedly yLxxx, where y is a letter designating the year and T reportedly indicates 1952/1953. L indicates the lightweight division. xxx is the frame number for the year.
This one looks like it has been rebuilt. The rear derailleur looks like a mid-1970s Huret. The brakes are probably replacements too. At least it still has the original badged stem. Those are reportedly worth a lot of money. Some Sun models used Reynolds 531, so I'd be measuring the seat post diameter to determine the tubing.
See Restoring an original classic: Sun Wasp 'Champion du Monde' 1955
There should be a double letter prefix for that serial number. Format is reportedly yLxxx, where y is a letter designating the year and T reportedly indicates 1952/1953. L indicates the lightweight division. xxx is the frame number for the year.
This one looks like it has been rebuilt. The rear derailleur looks like a mid-1970s Huret. The brakes are probably replacements too. At least it still has the original badged stem. Those are reportedly worth a lot of money. Some Sun models used Reynolds 531, so I'd be measuring the seat post diameter to determine the tubing.
See Restoring an original classic: Sun Wasp 'Champion du Monde' 1955
03-10-16, 10:13 AM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Fairplay Co
Posts: 9,512
Bikes: Current 79 Nishiki Custum Sport, Jeunet 620, notable previous bikes P.K. Ripper loop tail, Kawahara Laser Lite, Paramount Track full chrome, Raliegh Internatioanl, Motobecan Super Mirage. 59 Crown royak 3 speed
Mentioned: 26 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 789 Post(s)
Liked 1,739 Times
in
630 Posts
I would agree that is early to mid 50's based on the lugs, crank and what looks like 4 speed setup with a single braze on DT shifter.
03-13-16, 08:38 AM
#10
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 15
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Thanks for all the feed back it has been most useful. I have since been in contact with Peter Cowen who is very up on Sun bikes. He says it's a 1955 champion cu de mond wasp. I just hope I can find all the correct gearing and brakes to put it back how it should be.
Thank you all again.
PS does anybody know anything about sports BSA bikes with russ forks ?
Thank you all again.
PS does anybody know anything about sports BSA bikes with russ forks ?
03-13-16, 09:16 AM
#12
Disco Infiltrator
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Folsom CA
Posts: 13,446
Bikes: Stormchaser, Paramount, Tilt, Samba tandem
Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3126 Post(s)
Liked 2,102 Times
in
1,366 Posts
Fascinating bike, thank you for posting it! I always love seeing pre-boom roadies. Imagine what this one looked like new, with that pearly blue paint and white accents and all the colorful decals
__________________
Genesis 49:16-17
Genesis 49:16-17
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
CSEAVER
Classic and Vintage Bicycles: Whats it Worth? Appraisals.
0
04-02-16 01:09 PM
randyjawa
Classic and Vintage Bicycles: Whats it Worth? Appraisals.
7
11-03-12 04:23 PM
