I need a decent picture of an early 1950s Gnutti headset. A catalogue scan would do nicely. All this is because I'm looking for a Gnutti headset, for my 1953 Viking Tour of Britain, serial #484. I have an ad from a 1952 Tour of Britain program booklet, saying these were being used by the Viking Team riders. If you have a headset for sale, that's even better. Stevan Thomas Danville, CA please contact me off list.
Below is the text of the letter I sent to the Viking Marque Enthusiast (thank you for your help locating him!). He got a letter because he doesn't have email. If anyone wants pictures, let me know. They'll eventually be on either wooljersey and/or Dale's site.
It was lovely speaking with you this morning and I appreciate your help in identifying this as a genuine and rare "Tour of Britain" model!
I'm guessing it's a 1953 (?) or a little later, "Tour of Britain" model #484 (Stamped on Left Rear Fork End) based on the transfers having 1952 dates.
I acquired this 24" Tour of Britain framest from an eBay seller in England, called JumeauDoll. She clearly knew nothing about cycles, and everyone watching her auctions was wondering "who died?"as she had a lot of what was clearly high end parts from the 1940s to the 1960s and I would guess she was selling it off for the widow. At least that's what I gather from her lack of knowledge, poor descriptions and talking to Pete Paine and Hilary Stone.
The word I got was essentially: Do not repaint this frame, it has transfers Pete and Hilary had never seen, and it was FAR nicer than the average Viking. The paintwork, while a bit knackered on the stays and faded, once I had a look at it, was in my opinion more suitable for conservation, rather than restoration.
It's obviously Reynolds 531 per the transfer, the unique machine features are: The colour is black with two 50mm white panels on the seat tube, white head tube and white box lining on all black painted tubes, with Nervex lugs and shell. It's got braze on fittings for a bar end shifter front derailleur, with the cable running along the top tube to a Sturmey type wheel at the seat lug, then down to a top pull front gear mechanism. I have a picture of Ian Steel winning his 9th stage (1952 Tour of Britain post race program booklet) that shows the front shifter on the right. The rear mech is controlled by a brazed fitting mounted down-tube lever. The rear fork ends are Cyclo with an offset for the "kink" body Cyclo 4 speed rear gear, mounting directly with no clip. There is a braze on behind and below the seat lug for a CO2 tyre inflator, as well as pump braze ons on the seat tube.
I am wondering if there is any possibility this may be a frame that once belonged to Ian Steel? I more interested in fact than fancy, but I'd like to find out as much as possible and I hear Ian may still be alive. At 6', this could be his size. His profile in the pre-race program booklet for the 1952 Tour of Britain, lists him as a cycle frame builder.
Was he riding a frame he'd built himself with Viking transfers on it, or was he riding cycles built by whoever made the race frames for the Viking team?
How common at that time was the right side bar end shifter with the Sturmey wheel and top pull front gear, on the Viking race frames?
Are there serial number records? Does anyone have the build cards on these?
The 1952 ToB booklet says in the Viking ad that "more finishers rode Viking cycles than any other make." Would these have been similar to my machine of somewhat more pedestrian models?
Is there any way of knowing who actually made these for Viking and how many they made? I'm presuming the really top frames weren't made by the regular factory workers, the question is were they made on premises, or were they farmed out to a specialist(s)? I would guess they were farmed out.
Does the paint scheme help date the period, if it is an official team frame? Were these only made for teams, or were some sold to the public?
Again from the 1952 pre race booklet, there is a Gnutti ad claiming that the Viking team was using: Gnutti cotterless double chainsets, quick release hubs, head fittings, San Giorgio (New Type) Brakes, and Italian rims, tubs and pumps, with Beretta & Penney Ltd of London being the supplier. The riders listed are Ian Steel, Johhny Welch, Ted Jones, Stan Blair and Johnny Pottier. Are any of these fellows still around? I'd love to get their recollections.
What colour would the original brake cables have been?
I know these are a lot of questions that may be difficult to answer with any certainty. As former marque historian, I'm hoping that if you don't already have the answers, we can have a little fun doing the research through your contacts, and add to the lore of the brand. And I might even find out a bit about my cycle. I've got a big interest in history and preserving it, and this is an interesting project so I'd like to get it as right as possible.
I'm enclosing pictures, bear in mind I got it as a bare frame and before I dug up all this information about Ian and the ToB, I was accumulating period correct parts to put it together. I have the proper derailleurs and levers. I've got a period Stronglight chainset, Cyclo pedals and Brampton headset. I've finally found a GB 531 stem. I've got the CO2 inflator (with an empty bottle) just for show. I've fitted Beborex brakes and my other big cheat is a Simplex alloy seat pin (micro adjustable
Best regards and thank you for your help!
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