Identifying this 1950s Viking

[straightpullspoke3]

This is my late Grandads Viking racing bike from the 1950s. I am looking to restore it into the original colours/spec that he would have raced it with (he won the Tour of the Mendips in 1954 among other accolades). He said he bought it in Feb of 1952 and it was a Viking Tour of Britain model. But there seems to be some differences between how this model is described on the classic Viking cycles website. For instance the serial number is S7110 on the rear dropout despite Tour of Britain models described as having only a numeric serial and that S was supposedly used to designate Ian Steel models. It does have Nervex lugs and cyclo dropouts. The lug shapes, pump peg locations and seat stay type also seem to be different to pictures I’ve seen. Unfortunately the bike was resprayed from its original colour also and the photographs I have of the bike aren’t detailed enough to see the original colour or decals.

 

[bagpuss]

At a punt I reckon it's a Severn Valley frame . Nope it's not .just had look at one on the Web.

 

[bagpuss]

I have a viking catalogue I will have a look .

 

[bagpuss]

Here one I owned a good while ago .

https://flic.kr/p/539kvz

 

[bagpuss]

I am certain it is a Hosteller model .

https://flic.kr/p/2iNnk6P

 

[straightpullspoke3]

Here one I owned a good while ago .

https://flic.kr/p/539kvz

Thank you bagpuss. The lugs here on your frame would appear the same, were you able to identify that one? They seem to be Nervex Serie Legere model 45/159, not Professional ones like Tour of Britain's were all supposed to have. The lugs on the hosteller look different again, and I would be surprised if it was a hosteller he purchased for racing.

 

[juvela]

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thanks very much for sharing Grandad's norseman with the forum

a good looking iron and kitted with nicest fittings of its epoch

you may be able to catch a glimpse o' livery original on steerer or interior of shell when you proceed with disassembly...

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frame bits -

lug pattern NERVEX Ref. 45/159

seat lug NERVEX nozzle cut Ref. 159

bottom bracket shell NERVEX nozzle cut Ref. 159

fork crown Vagner DP

top tube housing stops NERVEX Ref. 871

ex-works rear spacing may well have been under one-twenty as 4V gear blocks very much the norm yet at this time...

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fittings -

at first glance thought headset might be a Thomas D. Cross & Sons Ltd. model "S" but locknut matcheth not this factory illustration -



locknut perchance a replacement

is bottom bracket spindle hollow...possibly a Verot model 34?

Chater Lea chainwheel but am unable to make out marking on crankarm heads

Weinmann DE LUXE brakes quite rare in my experience

have been unsuccessful at pedal identification; the integral kick-up tab eliminates a good many candidates...

cycle certainly kitted with best bits of its birthtime

shall look forward to following along as you get to disassembly and beyond


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[bagpuss]

I shall delve into my archives and see if I can find out which model it was.
This may take me a while .

 

[straightpullspoke3]

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thanks very much for sharing Grandad's norseman with the forum

a good looking iron and kitted with nicest fittings of its epoch

you may be able to catch a glimpse o' livery original on steerer or interior of shell when you proceed with disassembly...

---

frame bits -

lug pattern NERVEX Ref. 45/159

seat lug NERVEX nozzle cut Ref. 159

bottom bracket shell NERVEX nozzle cut Ref. 159

fork crown Vagner DP

top tube housing stops NERVEX Ref. 871

ex-works rear spacing may well have been under one-twenty as 4V gear blocks very much the norm yet at this time...

---

fittings -

at first glance thought headset might be a Thomas D. Cross & Sons Ltd. model "S" but locknut matcheth not this factory illustration -

View attachment 1015361

locknut perchance a replacement

is bottom bracket spindle hollow...possibly a Verot model 34?

Chater Lea chainwheel but am unable to make out marking on crankarm heads

Weinmann DE LUXE brakes quite rare in my experience

have been unsuccessful at pedal identification; the integral kick-up tab eliminates a good many candidates...

cycle certainly kitted with best bits of its birthtime

shall look forward to following along as you get to disassembly and beyond


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Wow, thank you! This is amazing information.

From conversations we had about the bike, he said he built it up with the Charter Lea Chainset and a cyclo Benelux rear mech before later upgrading to a campy gran sport rear mech and rod activated front mech. We had countless discussion about the bike, but I never thought to ask him the original colour! Hopefully as you suggest, I will find some evidence in the disassembly.

The bike went through quite a guises and the respray job isn’t great. In its last job, the bike was used as a fixed gear course measuring bike, fitted with a striker-driven rev counter and used to measure time trial courses for CTT events. Hence the odd cog arrangement on the rear.

I’ve included some more images which show better the crankset, spindle etc. as well as the recounter fitted before I removed it to access the serial number. He always said the pedals were campagnolo but I don’t know if those are the ones still fitted.

 

[bagpuss]

Put in 'History of viking cycles 'into goggle.
It will give you options. Go to classic Viking cycles lots of information.