Circa 1950s Nervex lugged fixed gear.

Had a post about this on another site, but lots more info here, so here goes...

I bought it as an unbuilt frame and a box of bits from the original owner, for peanuts. The chap said he got it from Dayton (Cycle Company Ltd, Park Royal Rd, London, NW10) in 1959 an then had it "refinished" in 1965, without the original transfers but with a new (then) Campag headset. Although he never quite got around to building it up!.. (The above also means I havn't got a clue what the model name was?)

I've now got the frame just how I like it, the 3 speed gear shifter boss an rear brake cable guides on the top tube, the 3 speed cable guides on the seat stays and the rear centre pull brake hanger were carefully ground off (far to many brazed on bits for my taste on MY bike) An I've now sorted 99% of the components. I've dropped of NOS Weinmann rims an BHC Airlite hubs off to a wheelbuilder and I've got a few subtle modern lightweight'ish parts ready to fit. I also fancy those Gilles Berthoud S/S mudguards.

I'll post a few more photos as it goes together. I'm not 100% sure what to do re a finishing?

dayton had a race team in the early fifties tour of britain.
if i remember i think their top model was the "ROADMASTER" which was
built with 531 tubing. sure i have some old catalougue copies somewhere
will have to dig them out!
what size is your frame? and does it have a headbadge ?
some of the frames where finished in "flamboyant" colours
but they also built a lot of gas pipe frames too
think t
they called this "amalgam tubing" check out on flickr sure theres a link to their history
bowser

Thanks for the info & reply Bowser.

The frame is 22 1/2" (ctr BB > ctr TT) with Nervex Pro2 lugs & "Cyclo reg design" marked on the rear drop outs.

I've seen a 1947(?) "team bike" on Classic Lightweights, a few RoadMasters & the amalgan advert on Flickr, It seems like I've Googled the life out of it!

But this is different to a RoadMaster? In that it has the Nervex lugs, from what I've seen the RoadMaster has plainer lugs. It also doesn't have a headbadge or rivet holes. Although only one of the RM's I've seen had a lovely metal headtube badge, the others had transfers? The frame number also seems "low", 11495 on frame & forks, for a company that made a fair few bikes? I'm a noob to older bikes an havn't got a clue!?..


I've no reason not to believe the original owners words, he was a keen "enthusiast" who sold it to me for peanuts! He was getting on a bit tho

Full spec sheet to follow!

*Frame: 1959 Dayton with Nervex Pro2 lugs, model name unknown.
*Forks: with matching frame number & Nervex fork crown.
*Headset: Campagnolo, fitted in 1965 but still unused.
*Stem: Holdsworth lugged steel, now drilled for centre pull with a GB cable adjuster.
*Handle bar: Maes, Reynolds aluminium.
*Bar tape: New black Velox cotton with NOS plugs.
*Brake lever: GB SuperHood, I have a pair.
*Brake calliper: Mafac Dural Forge, I have a pair.
*Brake pads: Kool Stop salmon inserts (new).
*Brake cables: NOS textured outers with new inner.
*Cassette: Velosolo 3/32" 7075-T6 alloy fixed cog & lockring (new).
*Chain: Sram PC890 (new).
*Cranks: Williams C1200, date stamped 1958.
*Chainring: TA263 Alloy 3/32", "old pattern" (new).
*Bb: NOS Sake cups, NOS GB axle with loose bearings.
*Pedals: Chater Lea tommy bar.
*Rims: NOS alloy 27" Weinmanns (40&32 hole).
*Hubs: BHC Airlite with new cones.
*Spokes: DT Revolution 14/17g (new).

*Tyres: Panaracer Pasela Tour Guard Compe 27x1 1/8", 28-630. Now changed to wire rimmed 1 1/4" Paselas. Found out the hard way that folding tyres & old style rims really don't work
*Tubes: Schwalbe SV18 x-light 700x28-40 (new).
*Saddle: Brooks Professional, butchered and debadged (C. mid 1960's).
*Seatpost: Reynolds hiduminium "dome top".
*Seatpost pin: Gripfast, Birmingham (NOS).
*Extras: Brittania alloy pump & a drilled "lightweight" dinger bell!

Dieing to know what it weighs.. But I'll have to wait for the wheels to be laced up before it all goes together!

Going to give it a temporary rattle can spray job, so I can ride, tweak & snag it before refinishing the frame. Hopefuly I'll get a model name for some transfers too?

all my catalouge copies are pre 1959 im afraid bit of a mystery
the roadmaster is listed with the lugless "amalgam" frame
funny enough the ladies model is 531 with cut out lugs!
this is dating from 1950.
in 52 the roadmaster is available with "feature cut lugs". butstill listed as amalgam this does have a cyclo benelux gear. these are the finishes:
super gloss yellow with black or red panelling. electric blue with ice blue or red panelling. peacock blue with red panels or white with red or ice blue panels. mudguards beau celluloid to match panelling
so some nice combinations there!
i cant find a higher model than the roadmaster although they list an "elite" model with chromed forks but still amalgam maybe someone has a later catalougue im not sure when they ceased trading
sorry i cant scan copies but if it helps i could fax them from work sometime
cheers bowser

Many thanks again.
It's starting to sound like it may not be a Dayton? But if it isn't a Dayton I havn't got a clue, would really like to put a name too it, if only so I can get some transfers for it.

When did Dayton stop manufacturing frames, especially 'lightweight' ones? I would have thought that 1959 was a bit late?

Ok.. so it isn't a Dayton??

I guess I've got no hope in finding out what it is then, which is a shame

Any suggestions?

Glad to have got the Brooks back from the "butchers" yesterday and I finaly collected my wheels from the wheel-builder this afternoon. An currently learning, the hard way, that you really can't squeeze more than about 75PSI into tyres on those old rims! :?

Now the temperature is a bit higher, I'm hoping to get the temporary rattle-can job done on the frame in the next couple of days.

Fingers crossed it should be rolling again for the 1st time since before I was born fairly shortly now!