Vintage Australian bicycle decals

[LG]

I have (or have had) a number of old bikes over the years with interesting decals. Thought I'd post here as a means to prevent them disappearing from memory. I hope these photos may be of use to somebody someday, and I also hope others will post photos of their bikes decals in this thread.

Start with Tassie Bikes:

Cyril Abel Cycle Works, mens roadster from about the 1950s. From a quick google search they appear to have had a shop in Elizabeth St Hobart.
Down tube decal

Seat tube decal


The King! Seat tube decal indicates they were at 125 Elizabeth St Hobart. This bike is a ladies roadster from about the 40s.
Down tube decal

Seat tube decal

Head tube


Kevin McBain "Maxwell Cycles"Mixte from about the early 80s ish
Seat & head tube decals

Down tube decal


Tassie cycles mens racer from about the 40s (ish). Not sure if this is a respray and later decal.
Head & seat tube decals

Down tube

[LG]

More Tassie bikes!
Kinnane deluxe ladies bike from 50s ish. Somebody resprayed it blue over the top of the decals and this is as well as I could clean them up.
Down tube decal

Seat tube decal


Ken Self early 1980's locally built racer bike. I removed the decals for respraying and forgot to take photos before doing so The round rooster decal is from the head tube, the square on the seat tube.

[P!N20]

Hi LG,

Some interesting bikes you have there. I've got got a soft spot for Tassie frames as I grew up there (now living in Melbourne) and although not directly involved, was certainly aware of Tasmania's proud cycling history. I restored a McBain a few years back and am still riding it regularly - it even won a category at a recent show n shine!

A friend of mine's colleague dug out his old Kinnane Special and rode it to work! There was a whole story to go with it, but in short it was used in the 50's (?) on a turf velodrome. Kinnane was a bike shop in Wellington St, Launceston until quite recently. My Dad seems to think they built frames there back in the day.





Anyway, keeping the decal theme going, these are some shots I took of my McBain just after I bought it and pulled all the components off:





I'd love to see some pics of your Ken Self, do you know much about it? I've come across a couple, but they're so few and far between I've come to the conclusion they are just re-badged something or other.

There must be so many Tassie frames stashed in people's garages down there, if only there was a way to uncover them all!

[cotterpin]

Thanks LG and P!N20. Great thread!
I'll try and jump on board with some decal image's in the next day or so.
Cheers
Peter

[hiflange]

This thread is gunna go ballistic..
coupla Swansea decals for ya

[LG]

Hi LG,

A friend of mine's colleague dug out his old Kinnane Special and rode it to work! There was a whole story to go with it, but in short it was used in the 50's (?) on a turf velodrome. Kinnane was a bike shop in Wellington St, Launceston until quite recently. My Dad seems to think they built frames there back in the day.

Wow, a Kinnane special is very high on my desire list and yes, the special frames were built locally. Very nice piece of Tassie history there.

I'm hoping to get to a fella's house later next week to take some photos of a 1970s Ken Self track bike sitting in his shed, custom made for his father who raced it and has custom decals on it. Maybe I should have called this the 'Vintage Tassie bike decals' thread

I'd love to see some pics of your Ken Self, do you know much about it? I've come across a couple, but they're so few and far between I've come to the conclusion they are just re-badged something or other.

There are some locally built Ken Self road and track frames of a very high quality, but with a whole heap of bought in frames as well. Mine is a locally built road. I'll post a photo or 2 on the forum at some stage (may already be one here, can't recall).

[Kermit TF]

Arrrgh, its frustrating that this website due to some technical thingy, crops 1/4 of pic ....agree awesome thread.

[Clydesdale Scot]

Arrrgh, its frustrating that this website due to some technical thingy, crops 1/4 of pic ....agree awesome thread.

more to do with you looking at it at on a low resolution setting/monitor. All images look fine to me

[P!N20]

Ken Self tandem:



Mischa's (of Bottles & Chains fame) Ken Self, unfortunately came off second best in a collision:



This dude did an amzing resto job on his Ken Self:

[steampunk]

Hi, brand new to this forum.
I'm trying to find out more about the Kinnane Special. i have just received one in my shop to sell on commission - but i'm more interested in knowing the history. I saw there was a comment about turf racing... the local museum speak of him racing on a beach also!
this link will take you to my facebook page?
https://www.facebook.com/andyssalvage/p ... =1&theater


Note the wooden wheels!

[LG]

Not sure if I can add much knowledge to the Kinnane, looks like pre-WWII and largely original. You've already sourced some info via the Queen Victoria museum and some info already presented on Kinnane earlier in this topic. Generally bikes labelled 'special' and better quality than those marketed as 'deluxe'. It seems you're in Lonnie so it makes sense the bike is there.

Nice bike.

[steampunk]

Thanks LG. I'll see if i can message P!N20 to see if he can add more info from his collegue he spoke of. cheers.

[gazo]

Anyone able to ID this bike from the decal?

[LG]

Where are you located? Probably from Bilyards & Kings cycles in Hobart, as per the post earlier. For details Google the name and address above.

[gazo]

I am in QLD. Nothing much to suggest it's from Tassie but who knows.

[LG]

Not sure if the main decal is a generic and possibly used elsewhere, but the headtube decal on this bike refers to the shop in Hobart.

[jacko665]

I know it is a long shot seeing as this thread is a few years old, however I am very interested in those Ken Self bikes. Ken was my grandfather and my family is trying to track down some of his old bikes. I see there you mentioned the tandem- we have been trying to find it for years. My grandfather and grandmother used to ride from Moonah to Lauderdale on it of a weekend. If by chance this post reaches the guy who posted the Ken Self bikes I'd love to get in contact!

[P!N20]

^ Hi Jacko and welcome to the forum.

Regarding the Ken Self tandem, your best bet would be to contact someone behind the Bottles & Chains blog: http://www.bottlesandchains.com/

The image of the tandem above came from the following blog post: http://www.bottlesandchains.com/?p=461 There are some more pictures, too.

Let me know if you have any trouble, I kinda vaguely know a couple of the Bottles & Chains dudes.

So do you have any Ken Self bikes? Do you know if they were built in house or did he have them made elsewhere? There was always a little bit of mystery surrounding the Ken Self bikes.

[LoopyMick]

Anyone able to ID this bike from the decal?

i have just acquired a 16" bmx with the same decals on it

[LG]

So do you have any Ken Self bikes? Do you know if they were built in house or did he have them made elsewhere? There was always a little bit of mystery surrounding the Ken Self bikes.

Missed your post from last year, have a look at this link for some information https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oks7L-Ytumg

Somehow my photobucket lost photos seem to have reappeared in this thread, great.

[P!N20]

Missed your post from last year, have a look at this link for some information https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oks7L-Ytumg

Somehow my photobucket lost photos seem to have reappeared in this thread, great.

Awesome! Some great footage there. Would love to see the whole program.

Between McBain, Self and Kinnane, there must be quite a few frames buried in sheds throughout Tassie. Although I guess a lot just got neglected and taken to the tip.

Re: Photobucket, the third party linking fiasco has been lifted.

[Chivers]

LoopyMick

Any luck on finding some info mate? Just picked one up myself.

[reeva65]

I picked up this old beauty over the weekend in country South Australia in the Adelaide Hills. For the life of me can not establish what brand it is. The decal is mostly faded.
The only letters I can see on the decal are REN on the left side. Other than that it has all faded. It has BSA raised text on the bottom bracket. The chain is a coventry. British or Australian I suspect. The bicycle looks 1930's though the seat is most definitely earlier. I am aware of an early builder called RENSTAR. Could anyone confirm that or suggest something else? I hope to be put out of my misery

Please hit the links below to see the pictures.
Thank you in Advance.




Copy

[hiflange]

Using photobucket is the quickest way to frustrate your public! If it costs you nothing they are most likely selling you. Just pay for flickr and be done with the scammers.
Another poster (Wolly Walters) on another forum (Facebook) was recently asking about a bike stamped HEN. Probably unrelated but you never know.

[Jase28]

Hi. I have recently aqcuired a ken self racer. Salvaged from the skip bin. If u r interested i can get the model number and take some photos.
Kind regards
Jaaon

I know it is a long shot seeing as this thread is a few years old, however I am very interested in those Ken Self bikes. Ken was my grandfather and my family is trying to track down some of his old bikes. I see there you mentioned the tandem- we have been trying to find it for years. My grandfather and grandmother used to ride from Moonah to Lauderdale on it of a weekend. If by chance this post reaches the guy who posted the Ken Self bikes I'd love to get in contact!