Viking Cycles

Anyone know much about these ? There have been some nice Viking 6/12 speed bikes for sale recently wanted to know what these were like. THE OLD SCHOOL VIKING not these new double suspension 99.99 mountain bikes ?

My friend has a 531 12 speed viking racer which he bought new in the late 80's for about £500 at that time. Its a nice light bike, with a tight frame.

The Viking Cycle company was started by Mr. A.V. Davies in 1908 as a retail cycle business in Heath Town, a suburb of Wolverhampton. Premises were somewhat primitive, the frames were actually made in a small wooden shed behind the shop with the help of a small boy.

Davies quickly acquired a reputation for building good class machines (in particular lightweights). He also was a renowned builder of sports machines and machines for track racing, and by the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, Viking was a well known name in the “Black Country” around Wolverhampton.

Vikings first catalogue (dated 1908) showed the racing machine “The Whirlwind Viking” which was priced at £6:15:0d cash or £7:10:0d if credit was required. Viking were one of the first companies to offer a gradual payments scheme and also gave a four year guarantee on their frames. Incidentally, the catalogue claimed that the “Whirlwind” machine held the 24 hour cinder track record but unfortunately did not state where!

After just two years in business Viking extended their existing four year guarantee to an everlasting one and in this year, (1910) their range included the “Challenge” path racing machine which weighed only 20 lbs. This machine had a 24 inch frame, 26 inch wooden rims and was available in black enamel with nickel plated fork ends and seat stay tops, price was £7:7:0d cash.

World War 1 and the poor health of Mr. Davies halted production for some eleven years and it was at this time that Mr. Victor Davies, the founders son started to help in the business. He remembered having to build and true a wheel every morning before going to school!

School holidays usually meant helping in the shop or assisting in the frame building.

In 1928, Vikings success meant that bigger premises were needed and a move was made to Broad Street, a year later a shop front was added to the works and finally, in the same year the old works in Heath Town was closed.

Six years later in 1935 another move was made to yet larger premises in Princess Lane. The shop had been moved two years earlier to Princess Street, which was a main shopping road.

In 1939, before the outbreak of the Second World War, a private limited company was formed and had it not been for the war Viking would probably have been more well known than just in the Midlands.

The companys founder A.V. Davies died in 1941 and his son Victor took control, assisted by his two sisters, one of whom was the company secretary.

In 1946 with the war over, Viking started to export cycles for the first time, mainly roadster machines.

Production of lightweights began again in 1947 once the restrictions on steel usage were relaxed and in 1948 Viking introduced its road racing team. Many wins followed with riders such as Bob Thom, Ben Whitmore, Harold Johnson, Bill Allan and Len West (later to ride for the Frejus/Superga team) taking the honours.

Success followed success and Vikings biggest and probably best known road racing win came in 1955 when a 24 year old mechanic called Ian Steel won the inaugural Tour of Britain. He followed this with victory in the 1952 Warsaw-Berlin-Prague race.

Vikings fame was probably at its height.

More success in the Tour of Britain came in 1955 when Viking took the team award, then again in 1958 when the Belgian team took the team award and the stage points award riding Viking “Severn Valley” cycles.

Sales of Vikings were now at an all time high with sales in 1957 42% up on those of 1956.

During the 1950’s, Viking produced some of their best machines, these included the “SS Master”series, the flagship “Tour of Britain” model, the race winning “Severn Valley” and popular more modestly priced models such as the “Mileater” and the “Ian Steel model” which was named after their famous rider.

Around the end of the 50’s and into the early 60’s the demand for lightweight cycles started to decline. The introduction of cheap small cars such as the Mini and the Ford Anglia made motoring possible for many families – the golden years of cycle production were coming to an end. Viking riders such as Albert Hitchen continued to give the company racing success, but sales of cycles were falling sharply.

For Viking, this culminated in 1967 in business closure due to a cash flow problem, Vikings domination of road racing was at an end.

The company was resurrected in various forms in the following years but never regained the reputation that it once enjoyed .

A move to Northern Ireland was made during the 1980’s but since then very little has been heard of the legendary marque.

Just off the top of my head like....

I came across a near perfect condition 12 speed viking at a tip near my parents house in Sussex. On closer inspection i noticed the frame was 531. I enquired as to how much it cost and ended up getting a complete fully working bike for £10. Been using it as my pub bike till some fucker stole both wheels. That will teach me to drunkenly leave my bike locked outside all night in lower clapton

Still was more interested in the frame than anything else.

Thanks Platini I too went to Classic Rendevous and got that much :-}
I was looking more for the personal stories of ice creams, lashings of ginger beer and summer days in the Dorset with the trusty Viking swooshing through dappled sunshine down country lanes. Men with tall blck hats black cloaks and evil moustaches maidens tied to railways lines and heroic rescues.
Anyone ?

bump the viking thread

any more stories to tell of vikings and wonderful days spent with ....

Platini - excellent write up

purchased a severn valley today
very nice looking red paint beautiful lugs not sure how original the bits are but i think it looks nice enough in this photo to warrant a punt

from what i have seen this is a top of the range viking. 531 tubing was used by the viking team in their team machines used to win a whole host of races in the 1950's bit of info below

which model is it do you know ?

green

ahhhh i know the one you mean ;-}

This is my Viking. It was a 10 speed I was given for nowt by a mate cos everything on it was fooked. And it was green.

1 Attachment

would anyone know what type bottom bracket the severn valley used ? standard british threaded ?
the one on mine is a bit fucked and i think it may need replacing .... with historic bits i am not too sure but if the price is right

they made some nice track weapons too

Whilst helping my Father clear the garage we came across his 1952 Viking Mileater Frame and Fork set (been sitting there for 20 odd years waiting for him to restore it back to its former glory when he bought it for £25 with his first months wages).

To my wifes annoyance I am now the proud owner of this with a plan to restore it and use it for the odd run whilst not on my MTB.

Can anyone point me in a few directions on the next steps (re-spray, parts etc etc)

Thanks

Matt

viking fixed your bike is a dream

http://sargentandco.com/files/images/viking%20severn%20valley.jpg[URL="http://sargentandco.com/files/images/viking%20severn%20valley.jpg"][/URL]

check out this beauty viking bros

I really want a Viking, partly because my grandparents live in Wolverhampton.

I read somewhere that after Viking closed in the late 60s the factory was resurrected to produce Viscount bikes.

I have a Viking frame I'm planning to get on the road again (Hosteller, I think, from about 1960), but am stymied by the 92mm front spacing. Can't find a hub to fit, and would like to keep the forks as they have a nice crown on 'em.

http://sargentandco.com/files/images/viking%20severn%20valley.jpg

If only this was mine ;)

British cycling heritage at its best Viking brothers

My first London bike was a gold Viking, bought from a dealer on Kingsland Waste when that was still a viable market. I can still remember the smirk of the policeman when I showed him the remains of the 4mm cable lock - it was a hard lesson.

1 years after buying it finally got some shots of the severn valley
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45408566@N05/4973888168/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45408566@N05/4973888158/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45408566@N05/4973888170/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45408566@N05/4973269003/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45408566@N05/4973888144/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/45408566@N05/4973277933/

my dad had a Viking when I was really young and only cared about bmx's. should find out if he still has it somewhere.

This is my Mileater - it's my main commuting bike and great fun to ride

I got it from Ebay last year and had it powdercoated, changed the brake levers, swapped the 27" front wheel for a 700c with dyamo hub and added lights, but everything else is as it came.