What a find!
Well done indeed.

I wonder if the whole hub is Abingdon?
Rather than just the oiler.
I have tried to decipher the words on the actual hub and will try again right after this.


The Oxford connection was a total red herring!!

The curator at CTM said she thought the bicycle was probably made at the Ariel (Motor Cycles also) works in Birmingham, so I've been trying my luck with that one.

Pitcanary I have also tried to decipher the text on the ad you found and with a bit of fiddling in Photoshop I can read most of it. The graphic though looks sure to be the same model.
I will definitely try to win it.

I mailed the seller and he has lots of similar stuff and is checking to see if he has more Swift ads.

Thanks all!!

Splendid, let's hope you get some dates soon.
Is there an English 3 speed/roadster picture thread? I had a quick look but there doesn't seem to be anything. If not, do reckon it's worth starting one? It would be good to access them all in one place.

I started a 3/4 speed thread a while back.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=329641

I've not been following everything just lately, for obvious reasons,
but there are plenty of of 3 speed fans on here.
Me included.
Your Rudge will be well interesting.

By the way I'd like to see your Raleigh, but to be honest a ladys might not suit right now.

It's taken me a while to get used to navigating around the site,
but it's definitely worth it sticking with it.
No UK sites come close.
CTC is a joke in my opinion.

I started another thread, just for a bit of fun, but it got locked yesterday!!

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=356227

I fired off loads of pics to the Swift Registrar this morning and he reckons it's a late-ish one,
so I'm just waiting to see what transpires now!!
That ad you found was a gem I reckon!

Just seen your 3/4 speed thread, that'll do me. That Royal Raleigh of you mates is mint. I'm hoping my axle comes in the next couple of days then the Rudge is out for a spin. I'll post some pics up too. Not sure what to do with my ladies Raleigh. I might even break it down and sell the parts. Not something I'd do normally but the rims are finished and the paint is not to hot. Btw, small virtual world, it was my mate who set the RSW flickr group up.

Talking about your Raleigh....

I had a nice clean 1969 Ladys BSA on ebay (pictured elsewhere on BF) for 17 days at £29.99.
No bids.

So I used the wheels for another project, gave some other parts (excellent mudguards/pedals/saddle = £25) to a friend for his old machine.
Listed the chain-wheel on ebay and got £32 for it.
Sold the brakes/levers etc. to the same guy, in Holland, for another £5.
Bars to someone in Germany for £5.
Got another £8 for the basket that came with it (saved the whole from "recycling").

What does that say about the state of the UK bicycle economy?
Sad stuff, but nobody seems to want lady's machines, even for a reasonable price, and it financed my next project.
Still got the frame if anybody wants it.

On the other hand, people who want certain important parts to keep their machines on the road are happy, and other machines are therefore kept on the road.

So you can double your money on ebay easily, even taking into account their excessive fees.
Lessons there.

And in my case it all helps to keep a cool old Swift on the road for a good while yet!

More hard news on that front follows shortly.
Spent a good part of today cleaning up the chrome which now looks pretty good for an 80 year old.
Got new brake pads, properly adjusted.

But I wonder should I try to straighten the wheels?
Slightly out, and I've dosed the threads with WD40. Inside and out.
Old, old spokes and I'm not keen to break any!

AND there is modest play in the BB.
So, do I try to fix it, and potentially create problems with removing cotter pins?
Or leave as is?

Opinions anyone?

The RSW group is a brilliant thread on Flickr, but how much response does it get?
I saw the Vintage bikes groups pics + I thought to myself WTF is a Vintage Bicycle?
1980s? 1970s?

There are some nice machines admittedly, but they want to see vintage drugstores????
What?
The only place I see proper vintage machines discussed sensibly is on this site.

Here's a thought: What is a vintage bicycle?
How do you define it?

When I was a kid a vintage car was pre 1930.
Veteran was pre 1914 war.
Post vintage thoroughbred (PVT) was 1931 to 1939.
Post war became 'classic' which has a murky dateline ending it.

Now anything bicycle over 5/10 years old is 'vintage' if you look at ebays listings.

I like the definition that Virginia uses for cars. Anything 25 years old or older is considered vintage or antique. The difference is a vintage can be used as a daily driver, and an antique is for show only.

By that definition anything earlier than 1982 is vintage.

OK, I just posted a new thread asking this precise question.
It is an interesting point:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=359048

I would say that vintage means older than a certain date.
Irrespective of usability.
In UK antique means older than 100 years (I think!)

What happens if you have a 100 year old car that you use every day?
That is not an antique?
You leave a 1981 car in your garage most of the time and it is an antique?

I think you need a date cut-off?

Good point on the Raleigh business. I think where you can, it's good to keep a bike in it's original state. But yes as you say, if it's not selling or worth more broken down, so be it. As long as it's for the greater good ie I need some period lights and dynamo for me Rudge this winter. Can't believe yours didn't sell.Well I can. Most people would rather go to Halfords and buy something for £80. Without thinking. BIKE? HALFORDS, BIKE? HALFORDS. (only works speeched slowed down and arms outstretched. Zombie style.)
Don't get me started on the vintage thing, I've seen the thread so I'll not say to much here. It's something I've been thinking myself since I've been on BF. Especially as I'm mostly in the C&V section. And people are saying it doesn't matter. It does when people are listing bikes from 2001 on the premise that it's "a classic." I know it's horses for courses but Christ. It's never been a classsic lad. I'd like to see a separate Vintage section. And vintage is 1973 and prior and that's final.
On the old Swift, my advice would be do it now. If you are planning on riding it, and I presume you are, get any horrors out the way first. At 80 years old it will be worth taking the bb out and greasing the bearings etc. The two biggest repairs on my Rudge were the Sturmey hub which I got fully serviced, and now ticks like a dream and the bb axle needed building up as it had a divot in the metal. I could have restored the bike and left them, but they would have just niggled away at me. Do it for peace of mind if nowt else.

Hi Pitcanary!

Yes, you think as I do.
I'm want to ride it asap.
But also want to know that I won't be making things worse by doing so.

Mailed the previous owner last night and he told me he'd bought it at Prescott (Hill Climb) in the dark, and was pleasantly surprised when he saw it in the morning!!
Says he's done over 1,000 miles on it since.
What more to say?

I meant to ask you if your Rudge had SA gears.
They are so simple when you get the courage to take them apart and look at them.
My 47 one had a brown gunge slowing everything down.
So I dismantled it (hesitantly, I have to say) cleaned it, filed a few bits here and there, put it all back together and it ticked like a clock.
It had a worn clutch, that was all.

The Swift is getting better.
Got the saddle this morning and it is a Wrights Olympic in amazing condition for its age.
According to Browns Catalogue:

http://www.brooksarchives.info/brook...s/39bb292.html

This is an excellent resource for period saddle info.
This Olympic (W57) is very close to correct period I think.

Now I've just got to work out how to recondition mattress saddles!!

Finally, got a Q about your Craft Shop!

Check your PMs.

Viscount,
Nowt doing in me pm box like.

There is now.
Got distracted;)

I have now discovered that the hubs are almost certainly Brampton, and, in the post this morning came this:

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g5...wiftAdvert.jpg

Courtesy of Pitcanary and ebay.
The bicycle pictured is the same model as mine, I'm sure!
Only difference I an see is the saddle.
The one above looks to be leather, whereas mine has a Lycetts mattress.
Probably leather was the best for the Indian climate!

Worth every penny that.

I'm giving this thread two thumbs up!

What a great collaborative effort :D .

East Hill

Been doing a little work on the Swift over the last week.
Some results pictured here:

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g5...fileSaddle.jpg

Found what I believe is a period leather saddle.
A Wrights Olympia, which will replace the believed original Lycetts 'Aero', while it is being reconditioned/repaired. (It has elastic suspension, rather than the more usual coil springs!)
The Wrights saddle is in excellent condition for its age, looks a bit heavy, but very comfortable.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g5...rightsSadd.jpg

Next job is dealing with the missing paint!!
Be interested to hear others experience/opinions on this.

I'm intending to restore, rather than repaint and lose what is left of the decals.
So I'm advised best method is to derust the paintless areas, (rub back to bare metal) apply Kurust, and then a single coat of black lacquer.
Then polish.
Bit fiddly and time consuming but the winter is ahead!

Seems sensible to preserve the remaining paint and decals,
and where the paint is missing there is only surface rust.
No pitting except a little on the down-tube/cross-bar.

Here is an example on the chain-stays:

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g5...bCleaner-1.jpg

Not beyond redemption I think?

Looks a treat and that saddle is just the ticket. Do you know where they sell those little brake lever covers? Could do with some of them on mine. And what did you use to get that hub looking like a gleaming diamond?

WD 40 and a toothbrush, it was clean underneath!

I see from the advertisement that the doodad on the back of the seat tube is a pump peg--don't suppose that the pump came with your bike? How is that peg attached? It doesn't look as if it is brazed on.

Your paint actually looks quite solid for the most part.

East Hill

About the finish on your bike;

Quite a few of us on the "Gentleman cyclist" group just wipe the frame, fenders etc. down with 90 wt gear lube. Sounds like it would leave the bike "greasy feeling" but you wipe off any excess with a dry rag. Makes the paint shine a bit, keeps rust from spreading or forming and darkens any existing rust. But still everything is "Original, Unrestored"

My 1950 Norman is missing as much paint as your Swift and had more rust, especially on the fenders and rack. It looks pretty respectable now. It's been through a couple of rainy rides without having to refresh the 90 wt.

I'd guess that most, if not all, of the unrestored, pre-1960 bikes on the 3 Speed Tour of Lake Pepin have had this treatment.

I agree 100% with your method.
It does prevent deterioration,
it's just that I would like a more permanent job eventually.
It can be ridden as is, and will be!
I just need the time attend to it.

I did ask a smashing, helpful (Yorkshireman, I presume!) guy who restores pre 30s machines and lists them on ebay, and he told me his methods in detail.
I'm sure he wouldn't mind me repeating it here.
He obviously has vast experience, and is meticulous in his work.

Keidals Method:

"Re your Swift - if it's black, relatively simple, if it's a colour I would consider a repaint up to the decals if they're worth keeping. There's a guy in the NW of UK who does transfers. (Lloyds, I think. Viscount)
This is what I do with reasonable black paint. I dismantle the lot, it's easier. I then "paint" it with White Spirits and dry it straight away with Kitchen paper towel or toilet paper.On all good paint I use "Solvol Autosol" chrome cleaner [a tube from motor shops, Halfords etc.] it gives a superb finish to the paint but don't rub hard enough to remove all the paint ! For all surface rust, I carefully remove with small pieces of Aluminium Oxide paper, it's red and buy the finest grade [same sources] Use very little pressure and fold the paper to get a fine [stiffish] edge to work with. Then coat these areas using a fine brush with "Kurust 15 minute" liquid - 2 coats minimum, preferably 3 - it dries in a few minutes. Then wash these areas with warm water and dry immediately as before. Finally, give all the frame, mudguards etc. a coat of "Auto-Glym Resin Polish", same source - it's expensive and in my opinion the best.
It's time consuming and it's well worth the trouble ! If you repaint, use Jap-Lac enamel straight from the tin [from FOCUS]. I remove all paint and give everything a coat of "Kurust 15 minute", wash it off when dry and wash all with warm water and dry thoroughly. Do not use an undercoat or primer.
Use only the 15 minute Kurust, or "Jenolite" liquid if you can find it ! Try and keep these liquids off your hands, if you do get it on fingers etc. rinse in running cold water using your thumb-nail to scrape the stuff off! Wash your brush thoroughly in cold water.
Good luck."

Keidal is his ebay.co.uk moniker and I recommend checking his lovely, sympathetically restored machines.

Thanks East Hill:)
The pegs are not braze-ons as you correctly deduced.
(You must have eagle eyes!)
They are separate, but look original to me.
The top one even has an screw adjuster built in.
Pic here:

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g5...wiftTopPeg.jpg

Turning the lower bit finely adjusts the distance between the two pegs.
Quite sophisticated when you realise.
I did not get a pump with it, but I could find a period one in time, I reckon.

The paint is probably 65% overall with most wear on the chain-stays.
I don't want to lose any of the original, but it deserves treating where it can be.

Here also is a digitally enhanced version (courtesy Photoshop) of the pic in the ad:

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g5...ertGraphic.jpg

Clearly shows the peg is not a braze-on.

Been working on the bicycle since my last report.
Also had a few miles of riding, and it works fine.

However, still waiting for news/updates from researchers and will post when I get it.
More pics following over the weekend, when I get time.

You must have sensed that I was going to ask for an update!

East Hill

Best way to clean a greasy dirty hub without scratching it is Easy Off oven cleaner ;) takes it all off, just be sure to remove the wheel from the frame before spraying as you dont want to damage the paint or any aliminum parts of a bike :) Those braided springs are sick!