ornate drop bars
 

interested in finding a really beautiful drop bar (25.4) for a 1960 paramount build. something that has nice engraving and finish. not sure if that even exists, but thought i'd ask what folks have come across over the years that is a stand out.

Lots of GB bars of that era have really nice engraving though they're usually fairly narrow.

Maes Kint Titan stem/bars are pretty sweet.

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the forum had a thread the other day on a machine with one of the GB examples

it is a Dawes Dalesman from the early-to-mid 1950's

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...-dalesman.html

Schwinn employed Titan stems and bars on some Paramounts in the 1950's and 1960's


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GB bars are beautiful.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6191fa0f0c.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...20ad1c2342.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4a1d0fbf6d.jpg

I have both the GB Dawes bar and the GB Map of England bar. Both are in good shape and I can machine polish the pantographed areas that will be visible, once tape is installed.

Map of England...
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...85d8db61e6.jpg

Dawes issue GB bar are the style shown in post #5 .

If interested, I will offer one or the other in the For Sale forum. Be warned, shipping is a pita from me to just about anywhere.

wow, that's nice! i have a GB stem on hand, and an offer made for a set of bars on the bay. i'll let you know either way. and thank to everyone who responded... that thread on the dawes restoration was got me thinking about the handle bars in the first place.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0a4f4e3b0.jpeg
These came on my Medici . They were out of place on that bike so I removed the for the correct pantographed bars that should have been on the bike. I think I will put them on my Raleigh Competition GS that has the GB stem already.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8267072de.jpeg
Now with the correct bar and stem

The Maes-Kint bars are very lovely, but difficult to find. These are on my 1963 Paramount.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7c87f37a9d.jpg

Beautiful bars....Question/s....hand-engraved...if not, rolled, how? :D
Best, Ben

The Peugeot UO-10 that passed through my hands had some nice engraved bars

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c15a40fdbc.jpg

deleted post:D

that is what came to my mind.
perfect, a definite hunt to locate
might be easiest to find a Rickert or other German bike that has them already.
Seiber?

I've seen other 50's-early 60's bikes with them but don't recall makes other than another Schwinn. When I got the Paramount it had a Nitto stem and generic bars, some research indicated the MK bar and Titan stem were OE. Over the good part of a year of searching I found first the stem and then the bars, and finally a set of Weinmann Vainqueuer 999 early gen brakes/levers to complete the set. Luck and circumstance played in my favor on this one - for a change.

As an unexpected bonus I stumbled across a dual-bottle Coloral wire handlebar cage in great condition at the co-op for $10 (!!) early this year. Not quite period correct but I don't care - it looks great..


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...145b37e934.jpg

1957 Vintage Aluminium Road Track Pista Titan Stem Handlebars Combo 39cm / 100mm

https://www.ebay.com/itm/333428498851

another

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Use...o/133437955852

i noticed both (thank you!) but 130mm stem it way too long for me, and the pista set is priced a bit on the holy sh*t side of the fence. Hilary Stone Stems 25.4mm might be a good source.. patiently waiting to hear back from randyjawa for some GB bars he has.

could be lying about the "patiently waiting " part....