My Norman Invader
 

Here is a Norman Invader I got from a friend, he got it from outside a house he bought. It seems to have sat outside for many years. We are in the high desert so it is dry here, not much rust but the sun bakes everything. I have cleaned it up, needs a saddle and cable housing although it is functional. I had never heard of Normans before I got this, that brought me here doing research. I just happen to have a couple other vintage bikes so I am glad I found this site. I posted more pics and info in the appraisal section here. http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...an-Invader-Q-s
Enjoy, Glen

[IMG]http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/IMG_4739.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/IMG_4738.jpg[/IMG]

Thats a fabulous bike. You don't see many of them around here, I think there may only be one more around these forums.

Charming english lightweight! any sign of tubing stickers? and how many gears is the SA hub?

-whoops, saw everything I asked in the other thread. Sorry. Looking forward to seeing pics of the rest of your collection.

With 36 spoke wheels, you can be sure they are not original; so the rear hub isn't original either, though it may be period-correct.

Based on the decals, lugs, trigger shifter and stem, I'm pretty confident this bike dates to 1950-2.

It seems odd to me, that an English bicycle company, would name their product "Norman Invader." Can any one shed any light on the reasons behind such a decision?

The bicycle looks fantastic. Great visual appeal!

Sweet. I'd ride it.

Thanks for the comments, I figured the wheels were not original. I plan to ride it as much as possible, it will be tough as it is very hilly around here.
Glen

"Normal Invader" is about the best name ever for a bicycle. I picture a large pasty white guy with an axe.

Awesome! You don't see enough quality British lightweights from that era or earlier around here. Thanks!

I know I'm repeating myself, but I'll say it again - That's really a special bike, glenmaki.

BTW - Three speeds do reasonably well on hills, and in low gear with a 22T cog, I can climb walls with my SA equipped Armstrong.
(I wonder if the driver is interchangeable with your Herc... If so, a larger cog might be an option for you too.)

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...IMG_470450.jpg

If you get REALLY lucky you'll score a set of white Bluemels for it. (below) They are pretty scarce and expensive lately though.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3648/...ee1374d3_b.jpg

Geez, why can't I find anything that cool? :(

That is one seriously cool machine. Kudos! One of these days I'd like to have a bike older than me...and that would have to be a non Fuji (America) for me. Unless somehow there's some older Fuji's running around Japan somewhere. Hmmmm...

Well, I can tell you the company was started by two brothers named Norman just after WWI, and that they were based in Kent, far from the center of the English cycling industry (Birmingham and Nottingham). Nottingham was of course famous for Sherwood Forest home of Robin Hood and his merry band whose great enemy was, of course, the Normans. So I guess for there was a certain enmity for Norman Cycles marketing department to play up, at least as a joke, though of course that only works with some model names. At one point Norman also offered a bike called the Conquest.

Rudy, thanks for the great explanation. It is sort of an inside British cycling joke. Very clever!

And since Kent is located on the southwest coast of England, at the narrowest part of of the Channel, from there the Norman Invasion would spread across all of Great Britain!

nice.

Beauty. Enjoy.

This is the first bike I have owned thats older than me. Thanks you to everyone for the information and comments. I knew nothing about this bike when I got it but I knew it was something special and I had too take it home.

I had kind of the same experience recently at a yard sale with my other addiction, guitars. It happened to be a guitar built in England and something about it said take it home even though it seemed to be of lesser quality. I gave $35 for it and brought home a white Watkins Rapier, turns out its worth maybe 20 times what I paid for it. It is one of the 1st solid body guitars built in England, known as the English strat. I know this is a bike forum but I have to include a picture.

[IMG]http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/f...r/IMG_4675.jpg[/IMG]

Glen

Auchen, what are bluemels? I can't see them identified in the add. Is that the bag behind the seat? If so that would be very cool and lucky indeed.

Bluemels are classic English mudguards made from plastic. Nice Norman, btw!

Neal

They are celluloid fenders made by a now defunct British company (not the guitar kind).

BTW - there is a Guitar thread in C&V you can post to. You are not alone here in having more than one C&V vice.

Thanks for the info, fenders would be cool for sure. I will post in the guitar thread, never would have thought there would be one.

I notice in the neat catalog page the VG has "Reynolds 531 tubing" and the XG has "Reynolds 531 double butted tubing". So the Rapide is the top of the line. I've never seen or heard of one of them.

I was thinking the same thing. Of course there is a good contingent of ancestors of the Normans in England, so maybe the maker was such a person.

It is about the best name for a bike, I agree, and this one is a nice bike too. I hope you ride the wheels off it.

Nice guitar, no shame in showing that.

GREEN -- Very nice!

David, I am shocked! You mean you never saw this thread?

Nothing like a good pun for a name.

FWIW, Queen Elizabeth II is a direct descendant of William the Conqueror.