I am not writing this contri as a commission sales director appointed by Hilary to boost the prices of the frames he is currently selling on Ebay, but as a "local" - about 30 miles -to Briggs' bike shop and a frequent visitor to St Ives Works, Otley Road , Shipley,where this frame was built in 1953. I reckon that on this occasion Hilary has undersold the merits of this frame. The "Superbe" was the middle model of a range of three frames, starting with the "All-Rounder" and topping off with the "International". It was the "International" that Ken Russell rode to victory in the 1952 Tour of Britain, not the "Superbe", the simple reason being that the "Superbe " was designed primarily as a fixed=gear time trial bike, with Stallard road ends, 73/71 head and seat angles and an 11" bottom bracket height. On the other hand the "International" was designed as a massed-start road racing frame with 73/71 angles, but a lower bracket at 10.75". The only other difference between the frames except for a fancier finish on the top-end frame, was that the "International" model had some "windows" cut into the lugwork to make them appear fancier. Some twenty years or so ago I was talking to Jack Briggs, one of the two founders of the company, about an "International" frame that had come into my collection ..and we chattered on about the hand-cutting of fancy lugs. He admitted that, in the same way as many of the leading builders of the time ie 1950s, his company fly-pressed out the cut-outs and windows in the lugwork on the "Superbe" and "International" models. A very interesting feature of this frame on Ebay is the headbadge - a fairly massive bronze casting finished with some enamel. This is a very rare find..I have only seen one such badge before and it cost me a lot of money to buy it in for my "International", about 6 months ago. At the time I phoned Peter Briggs one of the sons still running the company to get more info on the badge. As Doug Fantic will probably confirm from his apprenticeship at Briggs', Peter has been with the company for over forty years and he cannot recall when the badges were introduced or finished. There is still one in a showcase in the office..the only one Peter has ever seen, and it is NOT, he stipulates "FOR SALE" . On sunny days Ken Russell can still on occasion be seen riding in the nearby Yorkshire Dales, still using his 1952 Tour of Britain bike, and still using an old Cyclo front mech, so I am told.
Another rider who rode to fame on a similar Ellis-Briggs was none other than Brian Robinson, Britains first T-d-F stage-winner. Brian still has his Briggs too, as has Ken Balmforth, another Ellis-Briggs "Independent".
Perhaps the longevity of these frames is due in part to the "scientific rust-proofing" process to which they were subjected before being sprayed. As I recall it was called "Bonderising".
The transfers were a very unusual design, the stock of which expired in about 1980, by which time the company had moved onto decals printed onto aluminium foil. Just recently a member of the V-CC in the UK has started to reproduce whole sets of the original decals, but just in case he has stopped, I can supply scans in the event of this frame crossing over "the pond" into a CR List members ownership. I also mhave the 1953 catalogue and could provide photo-copies As Ken Russell was a frame-builder at Briggs' in the early 50s, there is a possibility that he built Hilary's eBay frame.
Norris Lockley... Settle ( near Ellis-Briggs) UK