Looking to identify UK maker of vintage road bike frame from this photo

[jkn]

Hi all - first time poster here...

I'm looking to find out more about the maker of a bike frame. I only have some photos to go on, and I have been unable to identify the maker from this.

Here is the head tube logo (rather deteriorated, I am afraid.



Any clues, or suggestions as to where I might go to find out more?

Thanks a lot, jon N

 

[jkn]

A forum member has kindly DMd me and suggested that this is a PHOENIX badge, which makes sense - I can't see the P, but there is HOEN, and you can probably make out parts of the I and the X.

Even with this big clue I am unable to find out very much more. Was this a badge used by an alternative manufacturer? Part-seriously, I wondered if this was a frame that has somehow 'risen from the ashes'...

Cheers, J^n

 

[LondonClassic]

Welcome to Retrobike.

Phoenix frames were built to sell at the Phoenix cycles shop, Forest Hill, South London. They were built alongside Roberts during the period the shop was alive. Though its no guarantee your Phoenix is built to the same standards as a Roberts its likely to be decent.

This is the AI version of events:


The Phoenix Cycles and Roberts Forest Hill inquiry refers to the history of a bicycle shop founded by frame builder Charlie Roberts and operated in partnership with John Pratt during the 1970s. The original business is no longer in Forest Hill.

History of Roberts Cycles and Phoenix Cycles

• 1973: After selling his interest in Geoffrey Butler Cycles, John Pratt opened
  Phoenix Cycles in Forest Hill. He partnered with Charlie Roberts, a local frame builder, and they operated out of a former funeral director's premises
• Shared shop: Charlie Roberts moved his workshop into the same space and sold frames through
  Phoenix Cycles. Bikes were sold under either the "Phoenix" or "Roberts" names
• Innovative designs: During this time in Forest Hill, the Roberts workshop developed innovative frames, including the use of chunkier seat stays for track frames and a curved split seat tube for time-trial bikes.
• 1976: John Pratt sold Phoenix Cycles. Roberts Cycles then moved to new premises in nearby Penge, where the family business continued.

So as the frame was built in an undertakers, there is some truth in the idea that this frame rose from the ashes.

 

[jkn]

Hi, thanks a lot for your reply - interesting!

I like the comment about rising from the ashes, maybe that was indeed the origin of the name. I am only really thinking of this as a bike for my trainer, but it looked to have a little bit of quality under the grot and I was trying to learn a bit more. I will have a read about Roberts frames as well now ;-)

Best Regards, J^n

 

[LondonClassic]

This thread puts some more light on Phoenix cycles (Forest Hill).

The shop was at 120 Stanstead Road (part of the South Circular) SE23. Heres what it looks like now:

According to the linked post, Phoenix were still trading in 1982. From memory they were there later into the 80s (a bike shop was anyways, I can't remember if it was Phoenix or not). Its amazing how a business can operate in a major city for decades but essentially disappear from view - digitally at least - there are scraps only about this shop. All of the knowledge lives in peoples heads it seems.

 

[jkn]

wow, great detective work - thank a lot!

J

 

[jkn]

PS: I am sure that I wanted a Falcon Super Tourist in around 1982 - as recommended in Richard's Bicycle Book IIRC - but my recollection is that they were a lot more than the £125 listed in that receipt... I ended up with some Peugeot thing from Ribble Cycles, very near where I grew up. It was probably quite a step down from the Falcon but served me well enough until I saved up for a Bob Jackson ;-)

 

[jkn]

^^^ Actually, I have realised that it was a Dawes Super Galaxy I lusted after around that time, not the Falcon Super Tourist, which would have indeed been cheaper.

 

[juvela]

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...whenever the subject of undertakers comes up me mind immediately goes to the opening title sequence for episodes of The Prisoner where the crew which comes to abduct him for transport to The Village be attired as undertakers - priceless humour there


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[RobLoasby]

Do you mean The Prisoner, with Patrick Mcgoohan?