1956 Bol D'or

[siennatrack]

A bit more research and I now think that this bike was probably built in early 1958. David's first race (and first win) was in July 1957. Twelve(!) St George riders were selected to compete for NSW in the national road and track championships in March 1958, where the Empire Games team was decided. Of the eight riders selected for the Empire Games, four were from St George. Three of them, Frank Brazier, Col Wilkinson and Terry Flanagan were selected for the Empire Games road race. Interesting that the club helped to raise the £1600 needed to send the four riders to Cardiff.

So, it looks unlikely that the bike dates from 1956. But it looks highly likely that David's recollection of it being one of a batch of frames built for St George riders is correct. Additionally, Frank Brazier won an Empire Games silver medal on his.

Here are the newspaper articles. They're a good window into amateur cycle racing in the 1950s.

Great bike beautiful lines your very fortunate,if you look one of those clippings mentions my Uncle Ian Chapman and funny enough his track bike that he rode at the Tokyo games was for sale on evilbay recently badged as a Paconi resprayed and made to look modern, ruined IMO but i will ask him about your frame and builder he may have some additional info.By memory he rode to a bronze medal in the 1000m TT.

[wazrus]

I'm a newcomer to these pages, but I noticed the discussion re Bol D'or bicycles. As I've seen, the Bol D'or 'brand' was used by Joe Tait, late of Bexley, New South Wales. I didn't know Joe all THAT well, but well enough for him to build my frame in 1962, or thereabouts. I still have the bike, although the frame suffered a fair bit of damage around 1985 and the top, down and head tubes and forks were replaced by Peter Bundy. Peter couldn't get the Nervex lugs which Joe had incorporated into the original build and that was a pity, but the frame still has its original lugwork on the rear half and bottom bracket and its very short wheelbase angles have been preserved. It's very definitely a frame which one wouldn't want to ride 'no hands'!
Joe and I collaborated on the frame angles and general fitout and we copied another frame of mine, which Joe knew - and which was stolen - as I did like the quick response from the short wheelbase. I'm 185cm., so the frame is fairly large and the front tyre only just clears my foot in the toe-clips. Joe did actually build this frame: Jim Bundy did build some for Joe, onto which he placed his Bol D'or transfers. I recall my first view of the frame in Joe's shop: he still had some detail brazing to finish and did ask what number I'd like on the frame. I thought he made many, many frames, but that wasn't the case and he suggested that he stamp the number 'T7' under the bottom bracket, which he did and the number's still there.
Further down the track, Joe went into building trotting gig frames, largely out of small-section square steel tubing, all brazed. The timber shafts were dome elsewhere, but the paint and lining jobs were works of art, as was the original lining on my own 'T7' frame. Joe used his own name on the trotting frames, calling them "Tait". I think he also built some bike frames which carried the "Tait" transfers.
I don't know how many trotting frames Joe actually built, but as I was a trainee draughtsman at the time, he had me draw up his very detailed, dimensioned design registration sketches of the trotter frames
Sadly, the original paint and lining job on T7 was lost in repainting after the 1985 damage and the machine, being well used, I think is on its third set of wheels, goodness knows how many tyres, its third derailleur and chainset. It presently wears a Brooks leather saddle, Weinmann centre-pull brakes, Sun Tour front and rear derailleurs, Fiamme high-pressure rims and Campagnolo quick-release hubs. Chainset is currently a TA cotterless set, 52T outer and 46T inner, to 14,16,18,20,23 Atom cluster. I used to like big gears!

[empual]

This post is maybe a bit late, but I've only now discovered this site, and read the posts in this thread. I felt that I needed to contribute what I know about the bikes used in the 1958 Empire Games.

I started to race with St. George in 1956, and because Col Wilkinson and I lived close to one another, we became training partners.

Col's Empire Games bike was given to him by Malvern Star. They gave him, and the other road riders who went to the Games two complete bikes each. They were Five Star Malvern Star bikes. I bought both these frames from Col in about 1960, and I sold them in about 1968. The bikes were supplied complete and were set up with Campag ten speed gears and Universal brakes. I forget the chain sets, but these were probably Campag too.

Malvern Star may have given the track team bikes too, I don't know about this, but the road team was given bikes by them.

Incidentally, my first competition bike was built by Jim Bundy, when he was working for Russ Tollis in Mascot.

[bicyclepassion]

Great info, thanks.
What colour were the 5 star frames painted.?
Warren

[Clydesdale Scot]

There is an article "Joe Tait's 'Bol D'Or' cycles" by Bob Tait in the Proceedings of the 14th International Cycling History Conference.
The Proceedings are available to access at the V-CC Library.
There are a few other articles related to Australian cycling history, including Malvern Stars and identifying and dating Australian bikes pre1950.

[Johnj]

There is an article "Joe Tait's 'Bol D'Or' cycles" by Bob Tait in the Proceedings of the 14th International Cycling History Conference.

Thanks Philip, a few little gold nuggets in that article! I knew the article existed, just never tracked a copy down.

I'll have to tidy up the ex-Norm King Bol D'or track bike and do some photos. Danny thought it looked a little tatty at last year's Randwick-Botany show. Still won best pre-1960 bike in the concours (cos it was the only pre-1960 bike there).

[WyvernRH]

Danny thought it looked a little tatty at last year's Randwick-Botany show. Still won best pre-1960 bike in the concours (cos it was the only pre-1960 bike there).

There's a Randwick-Botany show?
News of that that hasn't make it outside the big smoke! (Northward anyway....)

Richard

[Clydesdale Scot]

There's a Randwick-Botany show?
News of that that hasn't make it outside the big smoke! (Northward anyway....)

Richard

event poster
I found it 'on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet, stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying “Beware of the Leopard”.'