P.T. Stallard Montlhery

[Airship17]

Re:

I have a 1948 Stallard, and according to my Dad (who bought it new) it was a light blue - like a duck-egg blue, as far as my folks can remember. It's orange at the moment but that was when we had it resprayed in the 70s so I could ride it . .

 

[Big Block]

some information: http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/stallard.html
it seems the production records are available for you,

Fortunately, all Percy’s production records from 1945 onwards survive and are held in the Archives department of Wolverhampton Library. These are available for public viewing. Staff will supply photocopies of original build sheets and other documents for a small fee upon receipt of the frame number. This is always located on the left hand rear dropout and steerer tube.

and another 1948 Stallard http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/Stallard1948.html

the 1948 catalogue
http://veterancycleclublibrary.org.uk/ncl/pics/Stallard%20catalogue%201948%20(V-CC%20Library).pdf

what are your plans for it?
I am interested as I returned my father's Australian built lightweight bike to period correct, also from 1948. It had also been repainted and updated in late 1960s/early 1970s for me to ride.

 

[Airship17]

Re:

Plan is to get it rideable and then maybe have it painted - hence the interest in the colour. Bob Jackson does what looks like a really good deal starting at £100 - but sadly no colours even close to the mythical blue. Sadly it doesn't have the original forks.

The frame number is 732, and I will definitely be checking out the records at Wolverhampton Library.

Another mystery with the bike is the original gear setup. It has a little pulley mounted on top of the BB shell on the right side, which has two grooves. One is obviously for the rear derailleur cable, and the other you would expect would be the front . . . except that would presumably require a double lever with both levers on the right side of the frame. It has one braze-on for a lever on the right side, nothing on the left - and if it did have a left lever there would be no way to get the cable to the pulley.

I've seen some weird double lever on one side things but they seem to be associated with the "Osgear" monstrosity, or maybe Campagnolo but I can't find much on them. I'm pretty sure my Dad never used a "double clanger" as he would call it, but presumably there was a way to do it.

Edit: - thanks for the links to the Stallard catalogue. I found a frame parts list also, which includes "Double Gear Pulleys" for a shilling . . . .

 

[Big Block]

for the gear setup, could the pulley have been a later addition? The Stallard references to the double pulley are from the mid-1950s.

1948 would have had a rod front derailleur, but most likely none at all.

There were later period rear derailleurs which used a tensioning cable as well as the gear changing cable.
One example is the Huret Louison Bobet which the Dancing Chain dates as 1953
another is the Simplex Juy 51, which dates from 1951, or the even later Simplex 543
Does the frame have the twin cable eyes on the chainstay?
If it does not, then the second cable may have been for a, again later, bar end mounted gear lever (Cyclo or Campag) to operate the cable operated front derailleur.

The 1948 Stallard catalogue lists the gears as Simplex model 46, which I assume was the Simplex Champion du Monde 46 in 3 speed variation. This design carried over from before the war. I have one in my spares box.

The production records held may confirm that, as well as the original colour. Mercian have other colours.