Look at all that muck on her fork. The gold headbadge is lovely though!
The seat tube decals are what I first noticed about the bike.
I love the Art Nouveau styling of the original pedal blocks.
This two-toned paint scheme would be expensive to reproduce.
Note that the chainring reads "Phillips" (it's hard to see unless you enlarge the photo).
11 comments:
That is a gorgeous bike! Looks like it's probably one of the Raleigh-built ones, as the chaincase looks identical to the older Raleigh chain cases.
I think the painting on the seat tube is the best part. Kind of art-deco-ish. And, it has a rear Sturmey Archer Dynohub. Schnazzy.
I think that might be a pre-Raleigh model, esp. because of the Birmingham head badge. I think maybe 1950s? Really gorgeous, and probably would really clean up well with a fairly minimal amount of work. I've often thought about just randomly going around and washing people's beautiful old dirty bikes. Kind of a public service...
I think Sears sold Phillips bikes back in the late 50s or early 60s. I remember my grandmother had one and when I visited I'd ride it standing up inside the seat and down tube "V" since I was way too small to actually sit on the saddle.
Yes, the Manhattan was a 50s model (with a bit of statistical fudging). It and the Phillips scripted chain ring ended when production moved to Nottingham as bargain basement Raleighs. This is a real Phillips.
In 1960, however, TI had effectively acquired effing everything, but hadn't done the old mergarooney yet. Some sharing of parts between brands for manufacturing efficiency started going on right away though; so a Phillips with a Raleigh chain case indicates a 1960 date of manufacture. Some 61s might have been made as well, but I don't know. There was a factory walkout in January of that year in protest of the shut down.
There are a few Phillips bicycles parked in Cambridge near where I live, but none this old or interesting. Love the pedals!
Looks like 1950's to me. The chain guards are all pretty similar from that era, whether Phillips, Hercules, Raleigh, Humber or Rudge.
Aaron
Thankks for posting this! i have a 60 mens manhattan with rear dyno and full case. pix of manhattans tough to find! i believe mine is a birmingham rather than raleigh.
nterestingly the manhattan decal in your fotos is very deco and beautiful whereas mine is kind of pop art--totally different! mine unfortunately very faded, anyone know how i can reproduce it--maybe fotoshopped then to a sign store? i am going to repaint my very faded beauty myself
what a wonderfull pedal i have 1 pair but,bigger( for man) NOS damn nice pedal
I actually have this bike. I got it for Christmas while living in Germany in the late 50's. I believe it's a 1958. It is still in working condition, even the light. A little faded but I love it still. Can't believe it's been 52 years! It's blue and white.
Phillips was made in England. Not the U.S.A.
AG, that's correct. The Birmingham and Nottingham referred to in these comments is understood to be in England, and as for why they chose to call their bike "Manhattan", who knows? I don't think anyone believes it was made in Manhattan.
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