Mystery Elswick

[Rob H]

Hi ive impulse bought this for a club ride.

This may be a big ask but could anyone shed light on the model?

 

[mikeymustard]

going by the rake of those forks and the gorgeous crank, it looks pretty old - even 50s maybe? There's enough tyre clearance to make a cyclocross bike out of that!

 

[Rob H]

ha thanks, its got 26 " wheels, is than an indicator?

 

[ChrisEyles]

No ideas on the model I'm afraid, but it looks fab! Enjoy that ride

 

[raleighnut]

Nice.

 

[Illaveago]

It looks nice and in pretty good condition.

 

[Dogtrousers]

This may not be of any use at all, but it's really just worth reading on its own merits. My Elswick Bicycles by Sheldon Brown.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I've done a bit of poking around. That chainwheel is quite distinctive (to me at least). The same chainwheel was (sometimes) fitted to the Elswick Whirlwind (do a search for images) which was from the 70s. Of course, it could have been a standard chainwheel that was common as muck throughout the 60s and 70s for all I know, in which case this info may not be much use.

If it is from the 70s then the absence of suicide levers could be of interest, making it early 70s.

 

[Rob H]

That's great, thank you!

 

[Rob H]

I've done a bit of poking around. That chainwheel is quite distinctive (to me at least). The same chainwheel was (sometimes) fitted to the Elswick Whirlwind (do a search for images) which was from the 70s. Of course, it could have been a standard chainwheel that was common as muck throughout the 60s and 70s for all I know, in which case this info may not be much use.

If it is from the 70s then the absence of suicide levers could be of interest, making it early 70s.

It also has weinmann brakes if that means anything

 

[Illaveago]

If you have a look at the back of the brakes there are sometimes date stamp marks within a circular Weinmann mark.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

That is a beaut of a bike.

Here is a Whirlwind for comparison, sorry not the best pic of it (incidentally my first roadie style bike)

 

[mikeymustard]

Have a look at this:
Some similarities but still looks more modern than yours!

 

[Dogtrousers]

More Whirlwind pics here https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/129195/
The main difference being that these have WHIRLWIND written in big letters on them, which is a bit of a giveaway. However, your bike has the same chainring and similar dropouts, so could be similar age.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Guess who's got too much time on his hands?

I was wondering if you could date it from the stem. Older GB stems seem to look like the one on your bike, with the horizontal bit continuing past the steerer, rather than being smoothed off at the top. Maybe it's a GB Spearpoint stem?

I think a combination of the shape of the rear dropouts, that unusual chainwheel, the stem, anything stamped on the hubs or brakes, plus of course the frame number (see here for a guide to Elswick Hopper frame numbering) should sort things out.

Now, a life. I must get one.