Viking track bike with history

I volunteer at a community bike scheme and we were given this frame a few weeks ago by an old gent.

It's a Viking track bike that was raced for Wales in the 1958 Empire Games at Maindy Stadium in Cardiff. It was supplied by Charlie Alexander, a well known rider, bike shop owner and frame builder in the Docks area (Tiger Bay).

Normally we do up and sell on the donated bikes, but in this case we'll probably display it in the workshop/sales area.

I wonder if anyone has any information on who may have ridden this in the Empire Games.

I think those are the Viking Team colours it is painted in if that helps.

for a start here are some of the Welsh cyclists who competed on the track at the Empire & Commonwealth Games 1958, apologies if I've overlooked anybody:

Don Skene (Bronze Medal in 10mile Scratch/1km Time Trial/1000m Scratch Sprint))
G.Humphries (13th in 4000metre Ind.Pursuit/10mile Scratch)
D. Evans (6th in 4000metre Ind.Pursuit/10mile Scratch)
C. Rees (6th 1Km Time Tria/ 1000metre Scratch Sprintl)
WHC Bodman (1Km Time Trial/1000metre Scratch Sprint)
RW Richards (4000metre Ind.Pursuit)

next stop is to find who may have been a Welsh Viking Pro at this time, hopefully this is of help

Thanks for the replies both. It's pointed me in the right direction for some more research.

It's been drilled to take a front brake.......I wonder if that was done later ?

Shaun

If he was a pro he wouldn't have ridden the Commonwealth games. Only amateurs allowed in those days. It looks like around a 22" size which would narrow the riders down slightly. Not sure it is team colours. Later team bikes were Red and White but that was in the 60's. In the 50's I think they may have been Silver and Blue, like this -

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/br ... iders.html

Might have to look through the magazines of the period for photos.