Might be worth posting this in the pre-50s thread and I’d definitely ask on Retrobike as well because there are quite a few Claude Butler knowledgeable people on there. Shouldn’t be too hard to date, being as it’s a CB.
It’s quite early. The headclip puts it in late 30s to mid 40s territory. I think the big bulge at the headset bearings says it’s an oversize headclip, i.e. the larger tandem size headclip rather than the usual singleton size. It’s got a general lack of chrome which suggests to me it’s not pre-war. The chromium shortage during the war meant bikes stopped getting chrome plate during and for a period after. But I’m not well up on how common it was to chrome plate the stays, forks, lugs etc on tandems as it was on normal lightweights so that might not be so reliable as a date marker.
Also, can’t be certain yet the green is original, and there appears to be a lot of overspray on the ports. May be some plating lurking underneath. Once I get the other Holdsworth done I’ll make a start on this.
@crossedthread
Might be worth posting this in the pre-50s thread and I’d definitely ask on Retrobike as well because there are quite a few Claude Butler knowledgeable people on there. Shouldn’t be too hard to date, being as it’s a CB.
It’s quite early. The headclip puts it in late 30s to mid 40s territory. I think the big bulge at the headset bearings says it’s an oversize headclip, i.e. the larger tandem size headclip rather than the usual singleton size. It’s got a general lack of chrome which suggests to me it’s not pre-war. The chromium shortage during the war meant bikes stopped getting chrome plate during and for a period after. But I’m not well up on how common it was to chrome plate the stays, forks, lugs etc on tandems as it was on normal lightweights so that might not be so reliable as a date marker.