Fwd: [CR]Viking Severn Valley

(Example: Bike Shops:R.E.W. Reynolds)

Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2006 16:46:12 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Arthur Link" <artlink@flash.net>
Subject: Fwd: [CR]Viking Severn Valley
To: classic rendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>


The" abberation" of a lamp bracket was purely practical. Most folks could only afford one bike for sport and to commute to work. You rode your commuter bike to the races in the morning and then rode home late at night(after the pub) in the evenings. My 1958 Claud Butler with Nervex lugs and 531DB is "defaced" in a similar manner and it is a badge of honor to another era of real cyclists,not pansy boys who worry about the extra 8 grams of weight. Fit a proper light and ride in the evening when the roads are less crowded!! Art Link,San Antonio,TX,USA

Hughethornton@aol.com wrote: From: Hughethornton@aol.com Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2006 17:01:29 EDT To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: [CR]Viking Severn Valley

I have just acquired a Viking Severn Valley which I think is about 1960, maybe a bit earlier but not much later, with original paint and half-chrome forks and stays. I believe that the Severn Valley was Viking's top of the range production bike, only surpassed by the made to order Professional frame, which was otherwise essentially the same specification -- Reynolds 531 butted tubes, forks and stays and Nervex Professional lugs.

Whereas the top, and even second, tier Continental bikes of that time would have high quality groupsets and sprint wheels and sew-ups, the Viking, and most other British production bikes, came with ordinary equipment and 27" wheels. Even worse, many top quality British bikes came with a boss for a lamp bracket on the right hand fork blade. I cannot imagine why anybody would want to deface a bike and spoil its clean lines with one of these things. Is this a peculiarly British aberration? I don't recall seeing it on lightweight bikes from anywhere else.

I would much appreciate it if anyone could help me date my bike. The frame number is 151932 stamped under the bottom bracket and it has Campagnolo dropouts; tubing and lugs as above and a rear bridge cable stop for centre-pull brakes. The 531 decal is the pre-TI type. None of the current equipment is original, so does not help dating.

Hugh Thornton
Cheshire, England