1948 Evelyn Hamilton

Cycling history in real steel.

Retro bikes are addictive and leads innocents into bad ways. I only started proper road cycling just 4 years ago, and have covered 10,000 miles, climbed 250,000 feet, burnt off 230,000 calories, participated in PruRide London, Meon Vale 100k, Eroica California Coastal (90 miles, 7,500 ft) and am planning Birmingham Velo 100 and Eroica Britannia later this year.

So why do I have to get another bike?

Its a post war Hamilton, bright and shinny, it fits with my need to have and to ride a bike which is as old as myself, it is the history of bravery in wartime, and a reminder that there are some very special cyclists who should be remembered and appreciated for their endeavours on two wheels.

And it is just the great fun that retro bike owners have when chatting about their bikes, no horrible expensive high technology, no thoughts of one upmanship, its a great life in retroland.

Re:

Hi, nice to see a rare beast indeed, and a name full of history, lovely, keep going its surprising how many will fit in a garage. Terry

Hamiltons was a bike shop in Streatham, London. They did some work with Claud Butler after he was bankrupt.

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/bu ... lders.html

Re:

Thanks for the feedback.

There is a Hollywood film in the making on the life of EH and I have decided to apply for a Blue Plaque for the site of the old cycle shop in Streatham.

We are preparing the application now and are researching the details of her exploits. Please would anybody on the forum have any information on her to send to me, the breakdown of the research is as follow:

1. Early years - EH as record setter for long distance rides - need articles from cycling magazines for the period 1926 -1952.
2. War Years - need any reports of resistance activity in Paris during 1940-1944 from books or magazines. I have requested copies of formal files which are held by the Museum of Liberation and other archives in France.
3. Later years - any information on lectures given by her in the Swaffham area from 1980 - 2005.

With many thanks,

Checking in. The historical aspect interests me greatly. Later.


SOE?

CommanderChuff":g9heua36 said:

Cycling history in real steel.

Retro bikes are addictive and leads innocents into bad ways. I only started proper road cycling just 4 years ago, and have covered 10,000 miles, climbed 250,000 feet, burnt off 230,000 calories, participated in PruRide London, Meon Vale 100k, Eroica California Coastal (90 miles, 7,500 ft) and am planning Birmingham Velo 100 and Eroica Britannia later this year.

So why do I have to get another bike?

Its a post war Hamilton, bright and shinny, it fits with my need to have and to ride a bike which is as old as myself, it is the history of bravery in wartime, and a reminder that there are some very special cyclists who should be remembered and appreciated for their endeavours on two wheels.

And it is just the great fun that retro bike owners have when chatting about their bikes, no horrible expensive high technology, no thoughts of one upmanship, its a great life in retroland.

Click to expand...

Take a look at this from Peter Underwood's Classic Lightweights website, always well researched by knowledgeable contributors:

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/bu ... lders.html

she was clearly a character.

Rk.

What a wonderful resource. Clearly a character.

With the frame in hand now, I can see some options of 'improving' the machine. Let me play out the scenario for your helpful comments and critical feedback.

The objective is to recreate a replica of the 1952 Hamilton bike which she used to reset the 10,000 miles in 100 days record. In 1952 she fitted one of her frames with all British components to demonstrate that these were as good as the French or Italian
gear.

Keeping these features:
Lugged frame with grease points at top steering bearing, and bottom bracket.
GB forged stem and Maes handlebars.
Bayliss Wiley hubs.
Brooks type leather saddle (no name on tag).
Curved alloy seatpost.
Red Buemels Popular mudguards.
GB wingnuts (although I understand that these were intended for Sturmey Archer hubs).

Replacing:
Old nondescript pedals with SR platforms and GB toe clips.
Weinmann 27 inch rims with 700c Constrictor type (probably H Plus new lookalikes).
Weinmann 600 brakes and levers with GB Hiduminium.
Williams chainset with something else.

Adding:
Cyclo-Benelux 4 speed derailleur with band-on lever changer, removing brazed on lever boss.
Large conical front light (for those long nights chasing the miles in a record attempt).
Cycle speedometer -Smiths wheel driven.

Please let me know what you think,

David.

Do you have a frame number for this EH. I ask as I am trying to establish what the frame number sequence was. Mine has 2 numbers on both the bottom bracket and fork tube. I have a suspicion that one was applied by the maker of the frame (maybe Holmes of Welling ? ) the other by the shop

Numbers are : 626 (makers number ?) & 444 (EH number ?) Pure conjecture this but I am aware of another frame of similar date to mine which carries a much higher number (over 1000) which would indicate production of over 250 frames p a which makes no sense. Had there been that many E Hamilton / Lorraine Cycles sold there would be far more still out there.

Re: Evelyn Hamilton

The blurb says she always road a Mansfield saddle