JOHNSON BIKE

bog1953
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JOHNSON BIKE

Postby bog1953 » Tue Feb 02, 2016 2:38 pm

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Hi, hoping someone may have knowledge of Johnson Bikes of Sandringham. I beleave this bike was made in 1951, as number 51appears on the rear hub. If not where would I research their history. My knowledge is limited to post 1970.

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Clydesdale Scot
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Re: JOHNSON BIKE

Postby Clydesdale Scot » Tue Feb 02, 2016 5:48 pm

any markings on the chainrings or crankarms?
looks in excellent condition.
any known history?

elfoam
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Re: JOHNSON BIKE

Postby elfoam » Tue Feb 02, 2016 5:59 pm

I'm really liking that frame, looks like it would ride like a dream !.

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WyvernRH
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Re: JOHNSON BIKE

Postby WyvernRH » Tue Feb 02, 2016 8:59 pm

Can't really help I'm afraid but great paintwork! My best offer is that as the hub is laced to a painted rim that matches the bike's paint it would be a good first assumption that the hub and bike are contemporaries. Or maybe just the paint.. I have a just post WWII 'Airframe' ladies bike in complete matching paint, frame, rims and mudguards that I know for a fact was converted from a pre-WWII mens Hercules.

Richard

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Clydesdale Scot
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Re: JOHNSON BIKE

Postby Clydesdale Scot » Tue Feb 02, 2016 9:14 pm

so a 'AN' [1951] or an 'AP' [1952] may be more likely than not on the chainring and cranks.
Williams Component Dating

tedsbikes
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Re: JOHNSON BIKE

Postby tedsbikes » Tue Feb 02, 2016 9:38 pm

There was a Roy Johnson (or maybe Johnston) who had a bike shop in Glenhuntly, not far from Sandringham, and built his own frames under the Glenhuntly name. He built one for my late father in the late 1930s and I guess he was still doing it in late 1960s as I have a bike, not neccesarily one of his builds but renovated by him, from that time. I don't know if he had any connection with the Sandringham shop, though. Roy Johnson was a contemporary of Hubert Opperman and was also a motor paced racer.

David N
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Re: JOHNSON BIKE

Postby David N » Thu Mar 31, 2016 12:13 pm

Hi,

My late father was a butcher in Sandringham from 1948 through to 1986 and he rode a Johnson bike which my brother still has. We called it a butcher's bike (small wheel on the front with wicker basket above) but I think they are generally known as a grocer's bike. My brother is having it restored at the moment. It has Johnson written on the frame the same as your bike. My memory is that there was a bike shop in Waltham St Sandringham run by two brothers where my father went for parts/repairs, and bikes for his sons. In my time (the 1960s) it had bikes called Waltham Star. I can't remember the surnames of the brothers but it could have been Johnson. I note that it seems to say Johnson Bro on the head stem of your bike. I remember where the bike shop was but it is not there now. Hope this is some help to you. Let me know if I can be of any further help.

Cheers, David Nicholds

Kerrie
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Re: JOHNSON BIKE

Postby Kerrie » Thu Jan 12, 2017 6:55 pm

Hi Bog 1953
I think I can answer some of the questions you have regarding the Johnson bike you own. I am the daughter of one of the owners of the bike shop in Waltham Street, Sandringham. My dad was Keith Johnson and with his older brother Alan first set up a motorbike sales and repair shop in Waltham Street, Sandringham from the early 1950's. This business eventually evolved into a bicycle and motor mower sales and repair shop around the early 1960's. My dad retired in the early 1980's. Dad and my Alan used old bike frames to create their own brand of bicycle - the "Waltham Star". I was not aware of the Johnson Bikes, but I assume it was the precursor to the Waltham Stars.

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hazarama
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Re: JOHNSON BIKE

Postby hazarama » Sat Jan 14, 2017 10:19 pm

Some great info about Waltham Star and the Johnson brothers. I have a Waltham Star frame with faded but intact decals. Not quite as fancy as the Johnson bike ;)

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posnerd
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Re: JOHNSON BIKE

Postby posnerd » Sun Mar 18, 2018 2:26 pm

Hi there. I know this is an old thread, but today I bought an old frame off eBay. It's a National Matsushita Electric (think Panasonic - yes, they used to make bicycles). Anyway, on the frame is a sticker saying "Sandringham Cycles ... 22 Waltham Street".

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10speedsemiracer
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Re: JOHNSON BIKE

Postby 10speedsemiracer » Sun Mar 18, 2018 2:42 pm

posnerd wrote:Hi there. I know this is an old thread, but today I bought an old frame off eBay. It's a National Matsushita Electric (think Panasonic - yes, they used to make bicycles). Anyway, on the frame is a sticker saying "Sandringham Cycles ... 22 Waltham Street".
Panasonic made some very nice bikes

Image

I've been keeping an eye open for one of these
Campagnolo for show, SunTour for go

posnerd
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Re: JOHNSON BIKE

Postby posnerd » Tue Mar 20, 2018 8:48 pm

This is the frame I picked up last weekend. I think National bikes were a precursor to Panasonic (both a part of Matsushita Electric).

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I'm planning to create a single speed out of this frame. Bit of an adventure as I've never built a bike from scratch.

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P!N20
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Re: JOHNSON BIKE

Postby P!N20 » Thu Mar 22, 2018 9:39 am

^ I know there are some nice Nationals, but most that I see are low end frames - not saying they wouldn't make perfectly good bikes, just not all that desirable or high quality.

Yours looks to be in good condition; I think a singlespeed would be a good project - do you know what other parts you'll be putting on it?

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uart
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Re: JOHNSON BIKE

Postby uart » Thu Mar 22, 2018 5:03 pm

posnerd wrote:This is the frame I picked up last weekend.
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Just pointing out that photo is webp format (not jpg) and many browsers will not display it.

posnerd
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Re: JOHNSON BIKE

Postby posnerd » Thu Mar 22, 2018 8:35 pm

P!N20 - As you can see, I need pretty much every part there is! I've ordered a BB (hope it's the right size - shell is 70mm and spindle length is 107mm). Also ordered a new headset, similar to the one on there now. I want to keep the bike looking clean and use silver coloured parts (much easier to find black wheels than silver I'm finding out!). I'm not planning to paint the frame or anything - while I've cleaned it up a bit, I like the idea of the frame showing its age. I'll install cranks before wheels and think I'll just have to deal with whatever chainline issues fall my way after I fit the wheels and see how things line up.

The frame has a serial number on one of the dropouts - I'd love to know if there was a way to work out how old it is.

uart - Thanks for pointing that out about the photo. I use Chrome and Microsoft Edge - I can see the image in Chrome, but not Edge. I saved the photo in Google + and have linked to the URL from there.

kermond
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Re: JOHNSON BIKE

Postby kermond » Thu May 25, 2023 6:54 pm

pretty sure this is one of the bikes made by my great grandfather Roy Johnson he cycled professionally in Australia and America for a while with Hubert Offerman and later on opened his own bike shop. please get in touch if you would be interested in parting with it, if not im happy to answer any more questions about the bike.

brumby33
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Re: JOHNSON BIKE

Postby brumby33 » Thu May 25, 2023 7:38 pm

10speedsemiracer wrote:
Sun Mar 18, 2018 2:42 pm
posnerd wrote:Hi there. I know this is an old thread, but today I bought an old frame off eBay. It's a National Matsushita Electric (think Panasonic - yes, they used to make bicycles). Anyway, on the frame is a sticker saying "Sandringham Cycles ... 22 Waltham Street".
Panasonic made some very nice bikes

Image

I've been keeping an eye open for one of these
They still do, very much so, from the low open frame Mamachari bike to full on racers, they also make E-Bikes.

Panasonic also make E-Bikes and less than a half of the price you can buy a similar one here.

https://www.bscycle.co.jp/global/products/index.html

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=br ... RE&first=1

Oh it's in English too :)
"ya gotta hold ya mouth right"

VWR Patagonia 2017
2003 Diamondback Sorrento Sport MTB

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P!N20
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Re: JOHNSON BIKE

Postby P!N20 » Thu May 25, 2023 8:19 pm

bog1953 wrote:
Tue Feb 02, 2016 2:38 pm
Hi, hoping someone may have knowledge of Johnson Bikes of Sandringham. I beleave this bike was made in 1951, as number 51appears on the rear hub. If not where would I research their history. My knowledge is limited to post 1970.
kermond wrote:
Thu May 25, 2023 6:54 pm
pretty sure this is one of the bikes made by my great grandfather Roy Johnson he cycled professionally in Australia and America for a while with Hubert Offerman and later on opened his own bike shop. please get in touch if you would be interested in parting with it, if not im happy to answer any more questions about the bike.
Hi Kermond, please tell us more about your Great Grandfather's bikes and shop. Did he build the frames? Do you own any? Do you have any historic photos of Roy or the shop?

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