O'Brien International 'Knight' pub bike

[Dirk]

Just out walking the dog and came across this bike for sale outside an old boys bungalow.
Bit of an impulse buy!
He was asking £20. Haggled him down to £15 and rode it home.
Everything works, tyres look good, paintwork looks good. 22" frame.
I'm thinking 1970 ish?
Any thoughts on the bike? Year?
Thought it might make a decent pub bike.

 

[midlife]

Looks like a 70's catalogue bike. Grattans and Empire Stores etc. Ride it down the pub, leave in the car park and very likely be there at closing time

Shaun

 

[Dirk]

Looks like a 70's catalogue bike. Grattans and Empire Stores etc. Ride it down the pub, leave in the car park and very likely be there at closing time

Shaun

That's the idea.

 

[Dogtrousers]

The dog looks distinctly unimpressed.

 

[Cycleops]

Well at least you can't say you were rooked! I think you may be thinking of Rory O'Brien who was a prominent racer and had a shop in Romford but this doesn't look like one of his, far from it.

I bought a bike once with the O'Brien name on it to find out it was a Dawes. I concur with the above. Still, for the money you can't complain.

 

[Dirk]

Well at least you can't say you were rooked! I think you may be thinking of Rory O'Brien who was a prominent racer and had a shop in Romford but this doesn't look like one of his, far from it.

One look at it told me it wasn't anything special. I seem to recall a bike shop in Coventry called O'Briens many years ago. Maybe it's one of theirs?

Edited to add:
Mate of mine just sent me this.

I thought the name rang a bell.

 

[davidphilips]

£15, Now thats really cheap the mudguards are perhaps worth that on there own. Enjoy it ride it for years and then sell it for many times what you paid well done.

 

[Drago]

Very relaxed geometry! You got a bargain. Looks tidy too.

BTW, how did Mutley get home?

 

[Dirk]

Very relaxed geometry! You got a bargain. Looks tidy too.

BTW, how did Mutley get home?

Draggies....

 

[biggs682]

Looks good to me and well worth £15 of anybody's wonga

 

[mjr]

If the dropouts face forwards, it'd be fairly simple to put a three-speed wheel in there for the real stately experience, possibly with a coaster brake to get rid of both bits of top tube spaghetti and improve the braking.

Oh and it does look suspiciously like one of Universal Cycles's clones. What does it say under "O'Brien" on the head tube logo? Where's the frame number and how long is it?

 

[Dirk]

If the dropouts face forwards, it'd be fairly simple to put a three-speed wheel in there for the real stately experience, possibly with a coaster brake to get rid of both bits of top tube spaghetti and improve the braking.

Oh and it does look suspiciously like one of Universal Cycles's clones. What does it say under "O'Brien" on the head tube logo? Where's the frame number and how long is it?

I don't intend to spend any more than I have to on it.
Main reason I bought it was for a pub bike/ bike for my brother in law to ride when he comes down to stay.

The headstock badge says O'Brien International.
I'll have a look for frame numbers in the morning.

 

[Cycleops]

The headstock badge says O'Brien International.

Maybe they had a branch in Miami as well.

 

[Dirk]

Why does the advertising have the dismembered head of Ken Livingstone in it?

I thought it was Archie Andrews......

 

[Drago]

With those laid back lines that'd be a brilliant base for a Path Racer project.

PS, I love the care and attention with which the sticker has been accurately placed on the head tube!