F W Evans was an editor of Cycling magazine for a couple
of years in the very early 20s before he started his first bike shop in
1922 in Westminster Bridge Road, London.
Very similar to Granby, as recently done research by David Hinds of the Veteran Cycle-Club point out, Evans issued a bicycle desing with his 24 page booklet that explains this new lightweight design (low bottom bracket, brazed up straight and tapered rear stays, 26in wheels and compact frame size) and why it was superior to the old style.
According to those research Granby started building bicycles this way back in 1915 and Evans was the first who published those details and stocked bikes in the new design from builders such as James.
Summing things up F.W. Evans is classified as a pioneer in the use of derailleur gears unsing the Cyclo derailleur gear long before those were imported to the UK and other countries and building geared lightweights with up to 12 gears (triple chainwheel/4-spd freewheel) in the 30´s, owner of some patents of real use to hard riding cyclists, beeing a pioneer in the use of brazed-on fittings and one of the main forces behind the change to the lightweight design of bicycle. Hilary Stones mentioned that Evans build only in very little numbers; therefore the total of F.W. Evans frames, tourers and lightweights is estimated to about 3000 frames during the whole period of the 1930s.
The frame shown was sold with notice that it was dated back to 1948 but due to the fact that F. W. Evans died in 1944 already the frame must be an earlier build. In addition the frame has been renovated back in the 60´s by Holdsworth.
Combination of Major Taylor stem, headset with headclip and oiler, two oilers on BB and the fact that between 1939 and 1945 hardly none lightweight but more likely transportation vehicles and bikes would have been build in UK, I would date it back to 1939 making it a pre war lightweight.
Any and further help in dating this frame is highly appreciated.
Nevertheless this frame might be a good basis for my first renovation using a Sturmey Archer geared rear hub. although I´m collecting, renovating and restoring old lightweights for quite a while it never happend that I stepped into a project that´s looking as created for a Sturmey Archer geared hub. But this one with its rear spacing of 115 mm only is.
.
Very similar to Granby, as recently done research by David Hinds of the Veteran Cycle-Club point out, Evans issued a bicycle desing with his 24 page booklet that explains this new lightweight design (low bottom bracket, brazed up straight and tapered rear stays, 26in wheels and compact frame size) and why it was superior to the old style.
According to those research Granby started building bicycles this way back in 1915 and Evans was the first who published those details and stocked bikes in the new design from builders such as James.
Summing things up F.W. Evans is classified as a pioneer in the use of derailleur gears unsing the Cyclo derailleur gear long before those were imported to the UK and other countries and building geared lightweights with up to 12 gears (triple chainwheel/4-spd freewheel) in the 30´s, owner of some patents of real use to hard riding cyclists, beeing a pioneer in the use of brazed-on fittings and one of the main forces behind the change to the lightweight design of bicycle. Hilary Stones mentioned that Evans build only in very little numbers; therefore the total of F.W. Evans frames, tourers and lightweights is estimated to about 3000 frames during the whole period of the 1930s.
The frame shown was sold with notice that it was dated back to 1948 but due to the fact that F. W. Evans died in 1944 already the frame must be an earlier build. In addition the frame has been renovated back in the 60´s by Holdsworth.
Combination of Major Taylor stem, headset with headclip and oiler, two oilers on BB and the fact that between 1939 and 1945 hardly none lightweight but more likely transportation vehicles and bikes would have been build in UK, I would date it back to 1939 making it a pre war lightweight.
Any and further help in dating this frame is highly appreciated.
Nevertheless this frame might be a good basis for my first renovation using a Sturmey Archer geared rear hub. although I´m collecting, renovating and restoring old lightweights for quite a while it never happend that I stepped into a project that´s looking as created for a Sturmey Archer geared hub. But this one with its rear spacing of 115 mm only is.
.
