I am in the process of restoring an old bicycle that was once my Grandfather's. It was made by Lance Bell in 1949 and is Reynolds 531 double butted tubing and forks, using Ecla lugs, frame number 269 on the rear left dropout and VE269 on the steerer tube. The frame and fork has chrome plated ends, now a bit worse for wear. It has the original wheels, brakes and drop bars. The wheels are Conloy Constrictor 26 inch, 40 spoke 4 cross on the rear and 32 spoke 3 cross on the front, built on Charter Lea hubs with very narrow double butted spokes (the modern equivalent sizing would be 1.8/1.4/1.8 mm, I'm not sure what gauges these equate to).
The history of the bike is known because it has always been within our family. The bike was repainted about 20 years ago and the original decals were lost at that time. There is an approximation to the decals hand painted on the down tube - the name Lance Bell running along about half the length of the downtube with a lance behind it pointing up towards the head tube. I am trying to find what the original decals would have been so that I can restore them more faithfully after I have the frame and forks repainted. I am told that the original paintwork included a lance and a bell, but have no details of where, and what this looked like. There is currently no marking on the head tube. I would also like to hear if anyone knows if there would have been one originally and what it was.
I have the bike in working order after rebuilding the rear wheel using Sapim Laser spokes to get somewhere close to the originals. Having ridden it for 50 miles to try it out it is a very comfortable and smooth ride.
A bit of searching has uncovered that Lance Bell worked above Bill Beattie's shop in Church Street in Stockton and was also associated with Jack Taylor. Other than that I cannot find out any more about Lance Bell as a frame builder.
Any pointers in the right direction would be appreciated.
Andy
Lance Bell 1949 bicycle restoration
Re: Lance Bell 1949 bicycle restoration
Hi,
I know your post was sometime ago so I'm not sure if you still need the information you were looking for. I have recently acquired a similar sounding bike which has the original decals in place. It has a head badge with 'The Beattie' written within a badge which is painted on and the decals on the downtube say 'The Lancier' and 'Rigid as a Lance' There is also a stylised Lance making up the decal. 'The Lancier' refers to Lance Bell. I'm not at home at the moment and have forgotten what the frame numbers are etc. If you still need more info I could send you some photos and give you some more info about mine. Let me know
Regards
Max
I know your post was sometime ago so I'm not sure if you still need the information you were looking for. I have recently acquired a similar sounding bike which has the original decals in place. It has a head badge with 'The Beattie' written within a badge which is painted on and the decals on the downtube say 'The Lancier' and 'Rigid as a Lance' There is also a stylised Lance making up the decal. 'The Lancier' refers to Lance Bell. I'm not at home at the moment and have forgotten what the frame numbers are etc. If you still need more info I could send you some photos and give you some more info about mine. Let me know
Regards
Max
Re: Lance Bell 1949 bicycle restoration
He hasn't logged onto the board since July, so likely will not see the message. Send him a private message, after you have made a few more posts (brand new users can't do it, due to spam control).
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Maxtarneberg
- Posts: 2
- Joined: 7 Oct 2016, 8:58pm
Re: Lance Bell 1949 bicycle restoration
Guzzi wrote:Hi,
I know your post was sometime ago so I'm not sure if you still need the information you were looking for. I have recently acquired a similar sounding bike which has the original decals in place. It has a head badge with 'The Beattie' written within a badge which is painted on and the decals on the downtube say 'The Lancier' and 'Rigid as a Lance' There is also a stylised Lance making up the decal. 'The Lancier' refers to Lance Bell. I'm not at home at the moment and have forgotten what the frame numbers are etc. If you still need more info I could send you some photos and give you some more info about mine. Let me know
Regards
Max
Hi Max,
I bought a Lance Bell frame a couple of years ago but unfortunately no decals remain at all as it was re-sprayed at some point. If you can provide any images at all it would be greatly appreciated as I am attempting to restore and can find nothing at all on the web.
Many thanks
Max (also)
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Annoying Twit
- Posts: 962
- Joined: 1 Feb 2016, 8:19am
- Location: Leicester
Re: Lance Bell 1949 bicycle restoration
Maxtarneberg, at the risk of becoming repetitive, the other Max has not logged in since 30 Oct 2015 and likely won't see your message. Follow the advice given in my previous post, if you want a higher chance of getting in contact.
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Maxtarneberg
- Posts: 2
- Joined: 7 Oct 2016, 8:58pm
Re: Lance Bell 1949 bicycle restoration
Thanks Freddie, will do
Re: Lance Bell 1949 bicycle restoration
Rigid as a Lance and Sound as a Bell. That was the sound bite of the day in the 1949. I have read with interest the various threads regarding Lance Bell and Bill Beattie at Stockton-on-Tees.
As a young 15yr old I used to watch Lance making his bike frames in the workshop above Beatties shop in Church Rd. As a budding cyclist I was fascinated on all aspects of the sport and to watch these beautiful bikes take shape was too good to miss.
I never managed to own one of his bikes, they were too expensive for me at the time but his decals did feature a lance and a bell. You might try Stockton Wheelers Cycling Club for more info.
I would like to add a bit more information on Lance Bell which I found out some 30 yrs later.
In the late 1960’s I was holidaying In North west Scotland and met up with John Ridgway who was setting up an outward bound enterprise at Ardmore near Rhiconich this is just after his rowing feat with Shay Blyth rowing the Atlantic and his attempt to sale round the world singlehanded.
With my wife and young daughters were invited to Ardmore and were shown round the facilities by John and his wife Marie Christine and baby daughter Rebecca . (who is now running the adventure centre) This was one week before the enterprise opened.
Years later I read that John Ridgeway had appointed Lance Bell as general manager to run the outfit as he was often away sailing around the world on his various adventures. Could this be the Lance Bell that I knew?
The next time we visited North West Scotland we decided to visit him and we met up with Lance and his wife in their small wooden cottage on the side of a loch on the Ardmore Estate. He was retired by then and we spent a lovely afternoon chatting about days at Stockton. Of course he had no idea who I was but accepted that I had visited his workshop.
He started his engineering career as a pattern maker, I think at Head Wrightsons in Thornaby and it turned out he worked alongside my uncle Norman Treeby. He decided he could earn more money if he worked in the foundry so he became a moulder. Then his cycling hobby at sometime became his job.
It was in his workshop I saw the first all chrome bike frame. I seemed to remember all his frames had chrome fork ends. All of his frames were beautifully finished.
If you would like more info on Lance I’m sure the Ridgeway family would help. They are still at Ardmore.
As a young 15yr old I used to watch Lance making his bike frames in the workshop above Beatties shop in Church Rd. As a budding cyclist I was fascinated on all aspects of the sport and to watch these beautiful bikes take shape was too good to miss.
I never managed to own one of his bikes, they were too expensive for me at the time but his decals did feature a lance and a bell. You might try Stockton Wheelers Cycling Club for more info.
I would like to add a bit more information on Lance Bell which I found out some 30 yrs later.
In the late 1960’s I was holidaying In North west Scotland and met up with John Ridgway who was setting up an outward bound enterprise at Ardmore near Rhiconich this is just after his rowing feat with Shay Blyth rowing the Atlantic and his attempt to sale round the world singlehanded.
With my wife and young daughters were invited to Ardmore and were shown round the facilities by John and his wife Marie Christine and baby daughter Rebecca . (who is now running the adventure centre) This was one week before the enterprise opened.
Years later I read that John Ridgeway had appointed Lance Bell as general manager to run the outfit as he was often away sailing around the world on his various adventures. Could this be the Lance Bell that I knew?
The next time we visited North West Scotland we decided to visit him and we met up with Lance and his wife in their small wooden cottage on the side of a loch on the Ardmore Estate. He was retired by then and we spent a lovely afternoon chatting about days at Stockton. Of course he had no idea who I was but accepted that I had visited his workshop.
He started his engineering career as a pattern maker, I think at Head Wrightsons in Thornaby and it turned out he worked alongside my uncle Norman Treeby. He decided he could earn more money if he worked in the foundry so he became a moulder. Then his cycling hobby at sometime became his job.
It was in his workshop I saw the first all chrome bike frame. I seemed to remember all his frames had chrome fork ends. All of his frames were beautifully finished.
If you would like more info on Lance I’m sure the Ridgeway family would help. They are still at Ardmore.