Identify a Viking, anyone?

My mate gave me a 21 1/2" Viking- as a West Midlander, it has some local interest as a Wolverhampton firm, but is it worth restoring?

There is no Reynolds sticker, but it says Nervex under the bb. The rear lugs may say Cyclo. Any suggestions as to age/model/what type of tubes? The number under the Nervex may be F99 306 A9 099 F20, but it is very faint.

It came with nice Weinmann concave rims on Normandy 78 large flange hubs, the rear can take a fixed gear, so I might just build it for fun. I have taken the bars ((Cresta Sackville) for another bike.

The bb cups are Sakae SR-SC, althogh Velobase has no records of SR bb's- is this a rarity?
Photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30004222@N ... 721754148/

PS, How can I load phots direct to the forum?

Hmm, intriguing! The lugs are Nervex Pro which, with the good quality Cyclo rear drop-outs, would seem to lead to a reasonable quality model. I had a 'Grand Sport' in 1962 which had these lugs with 531 main tubes but the 'Severn Valley' model (which I had a year or so later) also had Nervex Pro lugs but 531DB tubing throughout. Is there any evidence of a 531 transfer at the top of the seat tube?

However, I don't recall my frames having the decorative seat stay wrapover.

With the script 'Viking' down tube lettering they also generally had a smaller transfer at the front of the top tube (either side) giving the model name. Is there any remains of this?

I would say that the frame is possibly a 60's one but from the frame number it's possibly someone could give a more accurate guess.

The gears are most probably a much later fitment and not original.

Viking won their fifth Tour of Britain in 1960, so that dates the bike to late 1960 at the earliest:

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Britis ... 60_cat.htm

and they were defunct by 1967:

http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/ ... Viking.htm

Is that another number on the left rear dropout?

More info- I think it's a 1960/61 Conquest

Thanks for responses.
I checked the seat tube very carefully- no evidence of any 531 or other transfer there. No evidence of a name on the top tube. I don't think it has ever had any.

Looking at the Viking site, the Conquest seems very similar, except this doesn't have a lamp lug on the forks. It had a centrepull hanger on the headset.

I have taken the forks off in case there was a number on the stem- nothing!

My daughter has helped re-read the frame number. Could be:

599 306 9022 E38

The other number on the rear lug could be 217 It only seems to say "YCLO", but the C could hace been brazed over.

I weighed the frame and forks at 5lb 10ozs. The frame alone was 4lb 8oz. Seems to compare favourably with my Claud Butler which is butted tubes, forks and stays.

I have uploaded some more detailed photos of the front drop outs which are nice, and the frame has a brazed rear gear change, with pump lugs on the top tube.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30004222@N06/?saved=1

It's rusty but true, with a slight ding in the top tube. It would paint up well, but need to be done carefully, so it would be nice to know its age. I'll put it back together anyway and see how it rides, but it may be too small for me.

There's a good discussions on Viscounts here in the CTC forum...

http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=21010

A driver who collects from our site has just been restoring his Viking, heres a couple of pictures of lugs:





He bought it new as a frame only from Roy Anstee Cycles, Bargoed where he had a Saturday job in 1964. It stayed in the family & had languished in a loft for 30 odd years. The shifters were band on, & the frame no. is just 6 digits. I had to scan these pictures in from prints, I'll see if I can get a shot of the whole bike soon (might take a while!).

Thanks for this. The lugs are the same- the front, which you can't see in your photo are "fishtail".
http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/co ... ervex.html
Having looked at the various catalogues on the net, I reckon it's possibly a "Conquest". I've bought a fixed gear and ridden it a bit. The fork threads are a bit ropey, so they keep coming loose. Can I rethread?

Nearly killed myself trying to coast/jump a pothole within the first half mile of fixed gear after 37 years rest. Good job I didn't go the whole hog and fit the toe clips!