BSA Gold Column Decals

[dvdnwll]

Two? Now that's just greedy...

 

[GregoryB]

Hi all,

I fell in love with a 1950 BSA Gold Column in a junk shop in Lincolnshire. The frame was in pretty rusty, so I've had to strip it back and repaint.

I'd love to get it looking like it used to, but am struggling to get my hands on the correct decals (or, indeed, some hi-res images from which I can get some made up). Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks in advance...

David

Hi David,
I have 4 website links which might be helpful to you. I found them before when I was trying to research the early 50's BSA road bikes, in particular the different models that evolved into the early BSA Tour of Britain bikes (that's my project build). Except none of these following webpages show any real good close-up images of the seat tube decal.

BSA Gold Column

this blog is about vintage bicycles, classic lightweight racing bikes, city bikes, Schwinn paramounts & european touring bikes, 1880s-1980s

bikeville.blogspot.com

(Note the downtube location of the Reynolds 531 decal with the "Made In England" decal just below. This would have been an Export model bike. And the original red pinstripping is a super nice deluxe feature!)

BSA Gold Column

BSA Gold Column

Explore this photo album by oakr90s on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

All the best,
Gregory

 

[dvdnwll]

Many thanks, Gregory! I really like the red pinstripes. I'm tantalisingly close to enough images to be able to recreate something close to the original seat tube decal. It's interesting to see just how much variation there was in different markets.

 

[GregoryB]

Many thanks, Gregory! I really like the red pinstripes. I'm tantalisingly close to enough images to be able to recreate something close to the original seat tube decal. It's interesting to see just how much variation there was in different markets.

Hi David,
More info if you haven't already come across this. Attached are online BSA catalogues I've found for 1950 (the 2nd catalogue posted has just a paragraph for the Gold Column listed at the bottom of a page below the Golden Flash bicycle) ...
What's really fascinating are the high-end components that the bike originally came with plus the optional deluxe frame finish that could be ordered. You could get the frame with optional chrome head lugs, fork ends and chain/seat stay ends.
And the bike came standard with dural (aka duralumin - an early aluminum alloy) chainwheel, handlebar, stem, seatpost, quill pedals with dural cages and lightweight drilled spindles, plus what has now become something super rare is a Brooks B37 saddle with a dural alloy frame.
While those old original BSA cantilever brakes and the 4-star BSA rear derailleur it could have come with have since been generally regarded as very poor for their time of 1949 & 1950, the rest of the bike was a serious racing competitor back then. And some might look down their sharpish noses at this vintage bike as just another factory bike when compared with the pricey artesian hand-built frame bikes of the time, but try comparing this bike to the best of anything being built at that time. It was BSA bicycles crafted just like this that ended up leading to the later BSA team and individual wins in the landmark Tour of Britain races of 1952 and 1953.
Your bike is truly worthy of a full restoration! If you wish, upgrade the brakes and/or rear derailleur to be period correct for the 1950's and all is OK. You'll be doing your part to preserve for future generations a key piece of UK bicycling inovation and craftmanship.
Gregory

 

[keithglos]

When my first one was damaged I replaced it with a black one with chrome lugs and ends.
I still have the scar in my right leg caused by one of the front wing nuts, alloy in the form of a wing.

Keith

 

[GregoryB]

Those original BSA wing nuts are super-cool and must now be super rare. Never seen them before except in pictures. The unique shape was clearly inspired by the winged BSA logo. And it's like BSA decided to make a statement with this top model bike - giving it that final detail touch to finish off what was an elite fine-quality bike!
Gregory

 

[dvdnwll]

Hi David,
More info if you haven't already come across this. Attached are online BSA catalogues I've found for 1950 (the 2nd catalogue posted has just a paragraph for the Gold Column listed at the bottom of a page below the Golden Flash bicycle) ...
What's really fascinating are the high-end components that the bike originally came with plus the optional deluxe frame finish that could be ordered. You could get the frame with optional chrome head lugs, fork ends and chain/seat stay ends.
And the bike came standard with dural (aka duralumin - an early aluminum alloy) chainwheel, handlebar, stem, seatpost, quill pedals with dural cages and lightweight drilled spindles, plus what has now become something super rare is a Brooks B37 saddle with a dural alloy frame.
While those old original BSA cantilever brakes and the 4-star BSA rear derailleur it could have come with have since been generally regarded as very poor for their time of 1949 & 1950, the rest of the bike was a serious racing competitor back then. And some might look down their sharpish noses at this vintage bike as just another factory bike when compared with the pricey artesian hand-built frame bikes of the time, but try comparing this bike to the best of anything being built at that time. It was BSA bicycles crafted just like this that ended up leading to the later BSA team and individual wins in the landmark Tour of Britain races of 1952 and 1953.
Your bike is truly worthy of a full restoration! If you wish, upgrade the brakes and/or rear derailleur to be period correct for the 1950's and all is OK. You'll be doing your part to preserve for future generations a key piece of UK bicycling inovation and craftmanship.
Gregory

Thanks so much for this, Gregory. What began as a chance find outside a Lincolnshire junk shop is evolving into an interesting delve into the past.

I've not been much of a forum user unil now - the combined knowledge of the internet is a powerful thing!

Thanks for info and support!

 

[74Pirate]

Hi David
just came upon your post by chance. There is a fabulous all original Gold Column in the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in Fairfax , CA. I was there recently and took close up pics. Theyre great guys there and I’m sure would be happy to forward you pics of the decals - annoyingly I can’t see one of the seat tube decal in mine. I’ll try to attach the pics but this site hasn’t always allowed me to.more than happy if you pm me or they’re in BSA bicycle fan club Facebook pages.

 

[dvdnwll]

Hi David
just came upon your post by chance. There is a fabulous all original Gold Column in the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in Fairfax , CA. I was there recently and took close up pics. Theyre great guys there and I’m sure would be happy to forward you pics of the decals - annoyingly I can’t see one of the seat tube decal in mine. I’ll try to attach the pics but this site hasn’t always allowed me to.more than happy if you pm me or they’re in BSA bicycle fan club Facebook pages.

Thank you so much! You've just made my day. I was beginning to think the trail had gone cold...

The photos have come through perfectly - it looks to be in amazing condition! I will message the museum and see if they'd be happy to supply some additional images.

I really appreciate you taking the time to pass this on - I'll let you know how I get on!

All best,

David

 

[74Pirate]

No probs David - glad to be able to help. Def let me know how It turns out. There don’t seem to be many of that model around so it’ll get you going on the right track. Atvb M