my new old Pollard

biggs682

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This is my recent purchase a Pollard of coventry late 1940's or early 50's frame set i have just aquired from Grumpycommuter , sadly i thinks its about an inch or 2, too small for me after putting a set of wheels on it to try for size . i had to have about 5 inch of seat post out , but going to try a set of bars on it along with saddle and have another trial sitting for size.

the other aim of quickly putting wheels on was to see if 27" wheels would fit or not and they seem to fit fine so that backs up original history , but i geuss i could run 26" if i wanted to .

its a 19 1/2" frame from centre of cottered crank to centre of seat pinch bolt and 22 1/4" along the top tube with a 41" wheelbase and from centre of crank to rear most point of rear wheel drop out slot is aprox 18 1/4" , feel nice and light so geussing 531 tubing but no stickers or indication takes a 27.2 seat post along with a 22.2 mm stem .

chrome work is best described as poor but must have looked stunning when new , paintwork is useable if you wanted to but again would look fantastic re finished .

below is what i know about its history

The guy who grumpycommuter got it off had it his garage since the 60's hence the poorish state of the paintwork. The man he had it off had it from new and he remembers the guy going off to tour europe on it post war. He thinks that this was 49 / 50 ish. So could be probably 3 or 4 years either side. It came with 26'' conloy constrictors on harden hubs which certainly makes it very early 50's. Pollard were based in coventry but later had a shop in Bedworth nr Nuneaton. they were still around till the early 80's but sadly gone now. There is a frame no. on the bottom bracket but its been painted over.

https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?ci ... LKLiQHg%24
 

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A little more information for you... It was built to order for the original owner in 1946. He lived in Radford, an area in Coventry. He was a member of Coventry CC apparently but marshalled at TT's rather than raced. It languished amongst some brambles in his garden, propped against a fence for several years until it fell into the hands of his friend Vic, the guy i got it from. During the 70's Vics's daughters used it for several years, the small frame size making it ideal for them. Eventually they realised they were riding a bike for 'boys' and that was it for another 20 or so years, stuck in a garage. I got it earlier this year but it's just too small, which makes me want to weep as its so gorgeous...so there you are, only one proper owner from new :shock: it's been all around the UK and into Europe....hope you get some use from it...Karl
 
just a quick update and also a shout for help or info re this bike/frame

it almost looks certain that it was owned by Vic Clark who was national hill climb champion in 1946,47 & 1948 , just need to try and find out if it was a bike he rode or owned .

i have also found out that this design of frame is called a fastback .

you learn things all and every day
 
Thats a very interesting looking machine, look forward to seeing the rebuild.
 
no more work been done , still hanging in garage .

but have just had a couple of other frames blasted back to bare and powder coated locally and very good results .

so thats good news , just need to try and find somebody who strip chrome now , just in case
 
biggs682":2o1kg6gn said:
i have also found out that this design of frame is called a fastback.

An unusual frameset, and a period build up would be very cool. Don't know where you got the"fastback"stays from...the seat stays are unusual, but not fastback.

Fastback stays are often attributed to the framebuilder Tom Board and are stays that finish tight together under the seat binder bolt.

Shot-in stays are where the stays are tight together and actually in and part of the seat binder bold (a"cluster").

For what it's worth, and they are unusual, they're really dropped stays.

Roadking.
 
i have sold thi to somebody who is going to use it along with his other Pollard just a crying shame it was that inch or so too small for myself
 
I've found a photo of Vic Clark in an old 'Sporting Cyclist' magazine - but you can't see the seatstays!
 
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