Author Topic: Elswick BMX? - info appreciated! (Read 8934 times)

2Fresh · « **on:** December 03, 2008, 03:18 PM »

Hello, i just got this today and was wondering if somebody could help me to determine the correct year and possible specific model? I know it's from either late 70's or early 80's. The serial# is DS20802643.

I am very interested in hearing some background info/stories about Elswick as i don't know absolutely anything about it. I see it is Taiwanese made and what looks like stock parts, seem to be more on the generic side. The frame seems/feels like it's made of hi-ten steel (?) rather than chromoly, it has nice welds and an interesting old style bottom bracket gusset and another smaller supoort plate right behind the bottom bracket, under the chainstays.

I understand this is an antry level bike from UK, no? Also would like to know if this came with mags or spoked wheels. Looking at the brake blocks i'm guessing mags.

Either way, any help with the year and model will be much appreciated. This will be my next restoration project for the winter days and i can't wait to get it completed and riding! Thanks for your help in advance!

-Timo

Pics...

sweetbeats · « **Reply #1 on:** December 03, 2008, 03:24 PM »

Elswick is rough part of newcastle,So it was probably built on the scotswood road in the Toon

2Fresh · « **Reply #2 on:** December 03, 2008, 03:44 PM »

Cheers for the geographics

Anything about the bike?

sweetbeats · « **Reply #3 on:** December 03, 2008, 03:48 PM »

Haha no sorry i can send you a google earth link though if you like

Looks a proper retro rider should make a cool resto too

HEYWOOD BMX · « **Reply #4 on:** December 03, 2008, 09:43 PM »

http://www.bikebiz.com/news/21801/Live-in-a-piece-of-bicycle-history

No BMX,but probably the same company,or what`s left.

Gary72 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 03, 2008, 10:02 PM »

One of the youngsters from my local track had a complete in Black and gold, not sure if he still has it. He started racing on it, jumps and everything

I tried it round the track, fook me, short TT, bars about a foot wide and backsweep galore. Should see him on Sunday will ask him if he still has it.
Gary

Broggie · « **Reply #6 on:** December 03, 2008, 10:56 PM »

Elswick were the cheaper end of the market. I think it unlikely that it came with mags, more likely that mags were fitted later. I never heard anything bad about their bikes, but never heard anyone saying how wonderful they were either.

Ray.

2Fresh · « **Reply #7 on:** December 04, 2008, 06:16 AM »

Thanks for the background info all.
Has anyone idea about the model, or was there any specific ones? And more importantly, what year is this? 1980?

Juju · « **Reply #8 on:** December 04, 2008, 10:02 PM »

Elswick isued to be known as Elswick Hopper, really one of the first bike manufacturers. Its also the name of the company who actually purchased the Falcon Company sometime in long ago, i thnk by the late 70's bikes were being branded as "Elswick Falcon".

I suspect as its an untrendy name, Falcon ditched it.

I hope you like your bike, but a bike snob would find its of limited interest and less value to a collector.

When you think about the fantastic bikes that were Claude Butlers, when they were build by hand using finest Reynolds on Wandsworth Common, before they too went bust and the name was bought by Falcon. Claude Butler used to be one of the best brand names in racing, the equal of anything Italian. Now its just another lowish end name for chinese build bikes.

Falcon should be shot for what they did to some of these fine trading names. Manufaturers of boat anchors with wheels, by and large.

Oh,and tedious point of interest. Claude Butler had a younger brother called Geoffrey. Claude used to make em, and Geoffrey used to sell them. The shop is still going strong in Croydon as purveyors of high end Roadie kit - Look, Derosa, Bianchi, Specialised ect.

Bob_Acid · « **Reply #9 on:** December 04, 2008, 10:18 PM »

Excellent first post Juju.

Interesting what you say about Claude Butler, there are many BMX companies of the same ilk. Still riding the waves on a good name but without the product to match. Makes you wonder who'll be next, ten years down the line which of todays quality manufactures will be doing the same?

SteveG · « **Reply #10 on:** December 04, 2008, 10:34 PM »

If it wasn't for the stickers I would have thought that it could be a Tensor "Magnum". My first BMX was one of those and although it didn't have a 1 piece crank (early ones did) the frame is very similar.
Most of the parts are too. Grips and saddle are the same type. My bike came with gold painted steel spoked wheels.
It doesn't really matter what it is as it's all part of BMX history now. I wish I still had my first one now !

2Fresh · « **Reply #11 on:** December 04, 2008, 10:51 PM »

Wow! Cheers for the history! Much appreciated.

JuJu, yes i like this bike very much! As a collector and having appreciation for BMX bikes, especially this old and in original condition (regardless whether desireable/valuable - or not) i am going to keep it as is pretty much, first clean it, wax it, polish it, the whole standard procedure and then hoping to find some proper wheels for it and get a few pedals on it. Generally speaking i'm never too picky about what brand something is if the looks and style works. Bike/frame like this definitely gets me all worked up that's for sure!

A friend from Australia told me today that he used to ride the exact same frame, only with different branding/name on it which was very interestin news. He said he got it around '76-'77 which would make this my oldest bike in collection. However, I would still like to know, if even possible, the exact year of this Elswick. Is there any info that can be read in the serial number regarding this or is just a running number?

The headtube/seatmast decals say "Elswick Cycles", right under it says (this part is basically completely faded off but barely visible if you look very carefully) "EST 1880 Barton-On-Humber. England." and the small sticker on the seatmast says "Specially Made For Elswick In Taiwan - Use In Competition Invalidates Guarantee".

Again, thanks so much!
Timo

Juju · « **Reply #12 on:** December 04, 2008, 11:09 PM »

Thanks for the compliment Bob.

I've been making a pain of myself on the os-db forums and found myself over here by link.

Certainly, in an odd way, and in a specifically english way, this chaps Elswick, whist being a"horrible" bike in many senses of the word, reflect in my view far more accurately, "old school" than the names bandied around today in os-bmx. 79-81 were recession years, and with the pound to dollar ratio, american bikes were twice the price to us Brits than to our SoCal friends. My parents would have struggled to justify a £300 diammond back pro like I fell in love with at the bike shop round the corner. Especially when new min was less than £3000. 10 kids pushbikes or a new small car for the family?

Bikes like this were what we at least started on, because they were in the stores where our parents shopped. The local bike dealer with a range of low budget bikes. Most of us in suburbia lived so far from a quality "bmx specific" bike store. I started with a venerable pirhana myself, and if I saw a decent complete one for sale might not be responsible for my actions!

Certainly as I never went racing, and lived in a village of about 2k people, I never saw the Robinsons, SE's, GT's Redlines, Ku's that everyone has now. As forthe likes of JMC or Hutch - well, that was just a teenage kids bike porn.

If oyu did see a good bike, it was probably a DB or Mongoose as they had arguably the highest profile and the widest distribution round our parts.

This is a long wayround to saying - that Elswick, well, its cheap, its nasty, but its *so* old school, that it should be kept and treasured for what it is -some kids pride and joy that gave a lot of pleasure to its first owner, whilst he did the paper rounds and car washing for the Mongoose or whatever came next.

It was mroe about ramps on building sites scabs on elbows, and days with your mates than "look at this flite crank I had fitted".

(I nearly put jumpers for goalposts in there!).

2Fresh · « **Reply #13 on:** December 04, 2008, 11:32 PM »

Well put JuJu. I can see exactly what you're saying.
Cheers!

Bob_Acid · « **Reply #14 on:** December 05, 2008, 03:32 AM »

It's something to work with 2Fresh. It’s old skool so does it matter that it is a low end bike? I don’t think so.

I do dig those million dollar builds but there's also the odd low end bikes I’d love to add to my small collection such as a blue Pro-Star or an early piranha, both of which I’ve had my eye out for for years but am yet to find.

The difference in peoples opinions as to what constitutes a worthy build or a holy grail is one of my favorite aspects of the site. RADBMX.co.uk is loaded with examples of excellent survivors and lovingly restored low end bikes that are as much a part of bmx history as anything else.

The only advice I'd offer is that you try and keep it as era correct looking as possible, don’t start throwing new skool parts on it.

Keep it Old Skool

2Fresh · « **Reply #15 on:** December 05, 2008, 06:20 AM »

Bob, that was exactly my point! And i said it there earlier, it certainly doesn't matter that it's a low end bike, i'd say it's the other way around, because nobody is usually interested in them although they have lots of potential for beautiful build if you know what you are doing. For the record, i don't own a single new school part let alone a new school bike so you don't have to worry about that.

I feel almost offended for anyone even thinking i would turn that wonderful beauty into some horrible mutation with new school and old school parts mixed? HELL NO!

Like i've said many times, i myself started with a very low end bike, an italian Carraro, so i know what i'm doing even though i haven't posted much on this forum. But I'm not first time around with this kind of project.. Anyway, it's been pleasure and interesting to read everybody's thoughts and background about the Elswick, and believe me, it will be taken good care of in proper way.

Old school is the only "school" for me.

Bob_Acid · « **Reply #16 on:** December 06, 2008, 12:04 AM »

2Fresh · « **Reply #17 on:** February 23, 2009, 03:57 PM »

Done.

bmxbob · « **Reply #18 on:** February 23, 2009, 05:10 PM »

Looks great mate

nice clean resto

QUADROPHENIA · « **Reply #19 on:** February 23, 2009, 07:36 PM »

cool

2Fresh · « **Reply #20 on:** February 27, 2009, 09:25 PM »

Cheers guys.
Here's "better" photos, these'll have to do until i am able to hit outdoors to proper lighting with the camera. Thanks again for all the feedback and replies, i appreciate them.

Gary72 · « **Reply #21 on:** February 27, 2009, 09:30 PM »

Nice. Reminded me to ask the boy.

hunterdubber · « **Reply #22 on:** March 04, 2009, 11:43 PM »

LOVE IT !!!

Great work,,,great choice of bike

hats off to ya

Author Topic: Elswick BMX? - info appreciated! (Read 8934 times)

2Fresh

sweetbeats

2Fresh

sweetbeats

HEYWOOD BMX

Broggie

2Fresh

Juju

2Fresh

Juju

2Fresh

2Fresh

2Fresh

bmxbob

2Fresh