The trade name "Vindec " was registered by Brown Brothers in 1903, and was their brand name for bicycles supplied by them for the next sixty-plus year s.
Neil Foddering Weymouth, Dorset, England
> Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 02:38:05 -0700
> From: norris.lockley@yahoo.com
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: [CR]Unknown British lightweight frame
>
>
> As soon as I checked out Matt Smith's photos of his unknowm British light
we
> ight frame, I thought that I had instant recognition of the brand. A coup
le
> of seconds later I realised that I hadn't...
>
> The lugs on the head tube resemble Nervex Serie Leger, but aren't, as the
se
> models never had the classic shape on the pipes as Matt's lugs. There ag
ai
> n those top and down tube pipes look very French, but aren't.
>
> The Raleigh/Falcon type tubular wrap-over of the seat-stays appears to be
m
> uch neater than either of those marques..and clearly this frame pre-dates
R
> aleigh's use of that style, as well as Falcon's.
>
> I have certaintly seen this lug set before and even thought that I had it
o
> n an early Merlin fron Goswell Road, but Merlin never used, as far as I k
no
> w that seat cluster.
>
> It's a pity that Matt has not shown a photo of the V-D punched into the f
or
> k as this would have a been as good a clue as anything. Were the letters
> on the steering column or the crown itself...the latter being most unlik
el
> y on a 40s/50s frame. The frame number might well indicate the origin of
th
> e frame..particularly the V stamped in there.
>
> For my 10-Euro cents worth of guess I think it is a VINDEC...a popular an
d
> widely sold brand in the UK right through to the 80s. I've no idea of the
o
> rigin of the name, but presume that it is some form of abbreviation, but
th
> e frames and bikes were sold through a nation-wide chain of cycle and mot
or
> cycle parts wholesalers throughout the UK.
>
> The chain was a major supplier of bike parts to manufacturers and accesso
ri
> es and bikes to retailers. Towards the end of the brand's life the compan
y
> was owned by another large firm called Brown Brothers...and just dealt in
t
> he run-of-the-mill type of cycle parts, the bikes being a small range of
us
> eful models such as a small-wheeled shopper much like the Raleigh Twenty,
a
> nd a couple of "sports" models. I don't think that Vindec actually manufa
ct
> ured any bikes themselves but sourced them from companies such as the Com
ra
> de Cycle Co, who were sub-contractors for very many companies - even Dawe
s.
>
> However in the 50-s VINDEC were major suppliers of frame parts such as lu
g
> sets, brackets, fork-ends etc etc to the lightweight trade, and also lead
> ing stockists of Reynolds tubing..and probably Accles and Pollock as wel
> l. My take on this frame, therefore is that it is a VINDEC..probably top
> of their range..and that it was built for them by someone such as Comrad
e.
> In the 50s most leading bicycle companies had a few lightweight sports a
nd
> club touring type models in their catalogues.
>
> As for tubing I think that the frame is probably built from Reynolds 531
pl
> ain gauge - hence the 26.8 internal seat tube measurement.
>
> In those days VINDEC used to have full-page adverts in "CYCLING" magazine
a
> longside the likes of SUN, WEARWELL, BSA, NORMAN, ELSWICK-HOPPER.
>
> Norris Lockley, Settle UK