How to restore my Coventry Eagle Examplar?

The following photos are of my now much cherished Coventry Eagle Examplar bicycle, just prior to it being dismantled and shipped to the US. I just found these photos after having misplaced them for a couple of years.

Coventry Eagle Examplar Road Bike

 

My father purchased the bike new in the year of Queen Elizabeth's coronation, which was 1954. He gave it to me when I was just fourteen and was tall enough to reach the pedals. That year I rode it on a multi-day tour with a school buddy from where lived in the Midlands to Slimbridge and back. It's hard to believe that our parents let us do that back then.

At one point I tried to sell it. It hung in a bike shop for almost a year as a consignment sale, but had no takers. In the end I decided to retrieve it and bring it home. The next photo shows the ornament on the front of the steering tube.

Coventry Eagle ornament on front of steering tube

 

Check out the ornate lugs, outlined by hand with white paint. They don't make them like this anymore. In spite of numerous web searches I've found little if any information available on the Examplar road bike. I have concluded that the model may be quite rare. As a result I've had no success in finding any decals for it.

While I would love to bring the bike back to its former glory, my brother thinks it would be a mistake to strip the frame of its original paint.

I'd be interested in reading everyone's comments.

 

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mike Bullis 5.5-6.5 miles on September 1, 2010 at 4:32pm
Sweet bike. I must concur with your brother on the paint. The patina would tell stories if it could. I think, and this is just my opinion, you should replace the SunTour components with period correct stuff. I don't know exactly what would have been originally spec'd on this bike, be it a Sturmey FW or a Cyclo 4 speed block with Cyclo mkVII or Simplex Tour de Monde derailleur, but either would lend an air of class to your fine machine.

I'd opt for an FW, but that's just me. 8-)
Permalink Reply by Chris Thornton on September 1, 2010 at 4:45pm
The original deraillier was a 3-speed Cyclo Benelux, but my Dad soon replaced it with a 5-speed deraillier with a Chater Lea crankset. The bike never had more than one chainring. A few months ago I happened to find, and successfully bid on an original piece on e-bay. Later on I managed to find the down-tube lever, which seemed to be even more rare than the deraillier itself. The Cyclo lever fits to the braze on just below the where Suntour one is clamped.

Mike Bullis said:
Sweet bike. I must concur with your brother on the paint. The patina would tell stories if it could. I think, and this is just my opinion, you should replace the SunTour components with period correct stuff. I don't know exactly what would have been originally spec'd on this bike, be it a Sturmey FW or a Cyclo 4 speed block with Cyclo mkVII or Simplex Tour de Monde derailleur, but either would lend an air of class to your fine machine.

I'd opt for an FW, but that's just me. 8-)
Permalink Reply by Mike Bullis 5.5-6.5 miles on September 3, 2010 at 12:34pm
That's good to know.

I've had experience with both the Cyclo Benelux and the MkVII. If you don't expect much out of them, they will do the job. The Simplex versions are 'somewhat' better. If you are expecting SunTour performance, you will be disappointed.

The Cyclo components are one of the reasons I'd suggested a period Sturmey Archer hub. I'd be willing to bet that the Sturmey AM, AC, ASC, FW, FM, or FC hubs may have been offered as an option, even though there is a Cyclo shifter braze on mounted on the frame.

BTW, have you seen this?
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3Tzut&doc_id=3994&v=Ac

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