Pre-War Stayer Bike Restoration.

You might remember that I posted a few weeks back about an old frame that I reminisced about that suddenly turned up at my father's 90th birthday celebrations. Well, I've seriously started its restoration.

I need help from you guys out there to search for some parts for my Stayer Bike restoration. The frame was used for motor pacing and in Europe were called Stayer  bikes. Did you know We had two Australians who were World Champions at this discipline - Graeme French and Danny Clarke.
My Stayer frame is a pre-war version made by Ideale. Its name has been lost in time somewhere but I'm researching its history.

The part I really need is the head stem which is adjustable - there are other parts.

Note the saddle support - a part I need.
This belonged to "Fatty" Lamb now owned by an American collector that I'm communicating with. He's helping me with advise for my restoration.
Fatty Lamb was one of our very successful pre-war cyclists and joined Hubert Opperman to ride the Tour de France.



Signed postcard by Oppy with his Stayer bike.



Bruce Small, Oppy's Manager was the super Marketing man of the 30/40s. He was Mr Malvern Star.

 

The chain ring, cranks are Stronglight cotterpin style, inch pitch or block chain, cogs and chainring.



Its a retro - rather have an original but Que Sera!!!!



These hubs are Airlite low flange and may be more of the era for the wood rims.
British hubs on Italian rims and French cranks - very international.



I also have these lovely British Airlite high flange hubs but I think I'll save them for a classic 50s track bike resto one day. Anyone have a 50s track frame I can start with????



Pedals are French Lyotard with chrome metal spindles and aluminium rat traps. I'll put chrome brooks toe clips with leather toe straps and front leather protectors to the pedals.

The seat support is another - because the rider sat well over the bracket of the bike, the saddle which was usually a Brooks B17 required the support to stop the saddle from slipping. Although I have a reproduction Brooks lookalike, an original would be nice and they are usually more comfortable when worn in.


Some of you may be aware of Cecil Walker Cycles - This is Cecil in the USA where he made his name as a Stayer, Sprinter and 6 Day trackie in the pre-war era before returning to Australia to establish his shop in Elisabeth Street. I have a vague recollection of meeting him at the shop as a young teenager. Maurie Cramer worked down the back building wheels and doing repairs. After Walker passed away, Maurie took over the shop and then his son followed after Maurie passed away.



Maurie later on in the shop before he passed away.



On this advertisement for the program at the Motordrome, both Roy Johnson and Hubert Opperman were top of the cycling bill. I met Roy Johnson in the late 60s. He had a bike shop in Glen Iris or Glenhuntly, not quite sure. I called in on a regular basis for a chat when I was in the area and on one occasion he loaned me his scrap book. I think this is when I became enthralled by the history of motor pace racing at the Motordrome. My father had told me that his father (my Grand-Father) would take him to watch the stayers behind the big motors. It was during this time (the 70s) I bought this Motor Pace frame. When I bought it, it had the 24" front wheel which had the wood rim.

 Tell me I'm an idiot but I just purchased my second restoration project but if anyone would like to take on the project, I'm happy to give it up for the price I paid. OR, maybe I'll ride it while singing ""Raindrops are falling on my head" from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.