I was trawling eBay for a small part when I came across this:
In spite of its bright blue paint (which, actually, I like), the bike seemed, somehow, almost quintessentially British. I emphasize the "almost".
While its lugwork and fork crown remind me of at least a couple of old-time builders in Albion, this bike comes from the other end of the world.
Yes, it's Australian. The frame--the top-of-the line "Five Star", was built in 1950 by Malvern Star. They're still building bikes today and, in fact, someone named Phil Anderson still rides one. Who is he?, you ask. He's just the first Australian--and non-European--to don the Yellow Jersey in the Tour de France. He would complete le Tour 13 times from 1981 to 1994 and finish as high as fifth (in 1982 and 1985).
What really caught my eye about the bike in the photo, though, was its headtube:
Five stars. Where have you ever seen a head badge like it?
In spite of its bright blue paint (which, actually, I like), the bike seemed, somehow, almost quintessentially British. I emphasize the "almost".
While its lugwork and fork crown remind me of at least a couple of old-time builders in Albion, this bike comes from the other end of the world.
Yes, it's Australian. The frame--the top-of-the line "Five Star", was built in 1950 by Malvern Star. They're still building bikes today and, in fact, someone named Phil Anderson still rides one. Who is he?, you ask. He's just the first Australian--and non-European--to don the Yellow Jersey in the Tour de France. He would complete le Tour 13 times from 1981 to 1994 and finish as high as fifth (in 1982 and 1985).
What really caught my eye about the bike in the photo, though, was its headtube:
Five stars. Where have you ever seen a head badge like it?
Aussies are honorary Europeans.
ReplyDeleteSteve--I think I agree with you.
ReplyDelete