50 year old Stokes Racer - NEW ORANGE PICS!!

Kazunori
Kazunori Posts: 18
edited September 2008 in Road general
Anyone ever heard of a bike made by "Stokes" in the east end of London about 50 years ago. My dad has had one since buying it new probably in the 1950s, its a lovely frame, light as anything, beautifully put together, never dropped or crashed and in excellent condition (I restored it for him about 10 years ago, professional paintjob, load of new parts etc. etc.) My questions are, how strong will it be now (metal fatigue?), is it still useable, is it worth throwing another few hundred pounds at to renovate again or is it best just hung on a wall somewhere to gather dust. He wants me to use it but is a lovely but old frame strong enough to take me tanking up a hill or hammering on the brakes?

Photos to follow, once my dad has dragged it out of the barn, taken some snaps and emailed them to me, its 360 miles away! PHOTO NOW INCLUDED , Not the best but it gives you an idea of the quality (!)

Cheers.

Sorry if the questions should lead this to be in another category but i figured that Special Interests was the best place for a question about such an old bike.

Comments

  • Dickie
    Dickie Posts: 1,489
    Should be fine, I have ridden much older. So long as its not rusted to death. I think PJ had a Stokes a while back.
  • meagain
    meagain Posts: 2,331
    No reason why shouldn't be sound - BUT worth a careful check. Especially in the usual corrosion areas - mainly in and about the bottom shell. Chain stays a weak spot. Flush oil/WD40 down the seat tube and swish it about into the stays and down tube.....and see what comes out of the shell!
    d.j.
    "Cancel my subscription to the resurrection."
  • Kazunori
    Kazunori Posts: 18
    Useful tips thanks.
  • bagpusscp
    bagpusscp Posts: 2,907
    Lets see some pictures please.
    bagpuss
  • peejay78
    peejay78 Posts: 3,378
    Dickie wrote:
    Should be fine, I have ridden much older. So long as its not rusted to death. I think PJ had a Stokes a while back.

    it sounds like it is probably a george stokes of conventry, rather than an east end frame. i had one i bought from a friend who bought it from aidy. i sold it to a japanese guy in the east end of london - it was a path frame.

    one of the other guys on here has one, i'm sure,

    1517339041_384614e5e1.jpg

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/75395133@N00/1175206473

    i'd be very very surprised if the bike isn't rideable. steel is real, after all. and as dickie said, older bikes are everywhere.
    http://traumradfahren.wordpress.com/
  • peejay78
    peejay78 Posts: 3,378
    in fact, bagpuss - is that your picture i linked to?
    http://traumradfahren.wordpress.com/
  • Kazunori
    Kazunori Posts: 18
    edited July 2008
    bike3.jpg
  • peejay78
    peejay78 Posts: 3,378
    from what i can see from here, it's got the same stokes lug on the seat-tube. it's not quite a nervex.

    i'd say for sure that is a coventry frame.
    http://traumradfahren.wordpress.com/
  • Kazunori
    Kazunori Posts: 18
    Frame and forks have been sent off for respraying, some of the bits seem to stll be servicable. one question though, how could i find out what the old stokes logos would have looked like?
  • peejay78
    peejay78 Posts: 3,378
    this is from a guy on the forum, i think it's bagpuss.

    1175206473_7c032371da.jpg
    http://traumradfahren.wordpress.com/
  • bagpusscp
    bagpusscp Posts: 2,907
    :? Nope its not one of mine, peejay.It might be from the classic lightweights flickr group site .
    bagpuss
  • LeighB
    LeighB Posts: 326
    Group set looks like Shimano Exage, I am still useing this on one of my bikes and its ok stuff. In fact it could be classed as the latest thing with the 'Biopace' oval chainrings.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/21286698@N06/
  • Kazunori
    Kazunori Posts: 18
    Don't be fooled by the components, they were all added by me about 10yrs ago. the only original components are probably the Stem and bars.

    "The Speed with Ease" was that the logo?

    I remember it always had a fixed rear wheel 25 years ago when I was alot younger, I used to scare my self silly bombing down a hill on that thing!!
  • Kazunori
    Kazunori Posts: 18
    Here are some better photos now that it has been powder coated. Anyone have any idea what model and year this would be, I want to get some new graphics made up and need some ideas!?

    Thanks.

    sffb.jpg

    dfgn.jpg

    xcbx.jpg

    dfghn.jpg
  • peejay78
    peejay78 Posts: 3,378
    the colour is lovely. the dropouts are really strange, but very cool.

    2 things really spring to mind - i know you said you added the components, but in the picture before that looks very much like a GB, late model spearpoint stem. also, it has a grease nipple on the BB shell. this suggests, roughly, if i was guessing, a mid fifties to mid sixties frame, with the emphasis on earlier.

    i might be completely wrong, and it looks like this might not be the first respray it has had.

    i saw exactly the same lugset on a bike a bought that was alledgedly a bob jackson but actually wasn't.
    http://traumradfahren.wordpress.com/
  • Kazunori
    Kazunori Posts: 18
    You are spot on with the stem, it and the handlebars are probably the only original components on there. The Green in the previous photo wasn't original either . When it was stripped back it seemed to be a turquoise colour in the beginning and I distinctly remember a pale blue at some point many years ago! I have just stripped the handlebars back and they are Reynolds Hidominium(?) and the stem is forged Hidominium as well. Whatever that is!
  • Dickie
    Dickie Posts: 1,489
    Drop outs are Stallard pattern. Google Stallard. Nice to se it coming back to life.
  • peejay78
    peejay78 Posts: 3,378
    hidinium is a trade name used, as far as i know, for aluminium, used by GB and Reynolds.
    http://traumradfahren.wordpress.com/
  • Kazunori
    Kazunori Posts: 18
    Quick photo update.
    sfgh.jpg

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