Coventry Eagle Identification Help Please?

[netman]

Any Coventry Eagle aficionados able to help with this please?

I saw this for sale locally and had to buy it after seeing the fork eagles! Then, to my amazement, it came with a rather lovely Eagle chainring too! Would love to know what it is so I can decide whether it's getting a period correct rebuild, or a retro-mod treatment.

 

[Illaveago]

Yes a bit of one .
That looks quite early . I have a Triple Ace Convertible Tandem which has the eagle head badge but doesn't have the eagle heads on the fork crown .
Going from memory they bought the company which Ernie Clements was the workshop manager for . He convinced Coventry Eagle to produce lightweight racing cycles using the Falcon name . It seems as though Ernie Clements cycles were also produced at the same time .
The company moved from Coventry to Birmingham in the 50's that is when they acquired the company that Ernie Clements worked for .
I would guess that your frame is from the 50's.
Is there a name stamped into the crank arm ? Mine has Utility .
The Eagle motif appears on later Falcon cycle transfers instead of a Falcon .

 

[Illaveago]

Coventry Eagle moved to Birmingham in 1957 and production of Coventry Eagle cycles ended in 1959 in favour of Falcon Cycles .

The Art Deco style head badge was introduced in the 50's.

Prior to the 2nd WW Coventry Eagle also made motorcycles, the top of the range model was very similar to the Brough Superior .

 

[Illaveago]

It looks like the underlying paint could be the same as my tandem which was flamboyant magenta .

 

[Illaveago]

I just googled Coventry Eagle 1955 catalogue and found a reference to one which was sold . Although a bit blurry I found pictures and names of men's cycles . Autocrat, Exemplar, Ambler, Vogue, Flight and Golden Eagle . I wonder if yours could be a Golden Eagle as it has those heads on the front fork crowns .

 

[netman]

I just googled Coventry Eagle 1955 catalogue and found a reference to one which was sold . Although a bit blurry I found pictures and names of men's cycles . Autocrat, Exemplar, Ambler, Vogue, Flight and Golden Eagle . I wonder if yours could be a Golden Eagle as it has those heads on the front fork crowns .

That's great - thanks... will have a look at that catalogue

 

[Illaveago]

That's great - thanks... will have a look at that catalogue

You may be able to find one on the Veteran-Cycle Club catalogue site. Not sure if you have to be a member to access it .

 

[Fadenfischfan]

Hello,

my name is Markus and I'm from Germany - so please excuse if my English is not that good.

I am looking for help with this frame. It seems to be nothing special, but I like the colour.

It has got an old Coventry Eagle decal - but is it a CE? And if: What do you think from around which year / decade is it?

Frame no. is H2J41697

Cheers from rainy Germany,

markus.

 

[Illaveago]

Hello,

my name is Markus and I'm from Germany - so please excuse if my English is not that good.

I am looking for help with this frame. It seems to be nothing special, but I like the colour.

It has got an old Coventry Eagle decal - but is it a CE? And if: What do you think from around which year / decade is it?

Frame no. is H2J41697

Cheers from rainy Germany,

markus.

HI,. Your English is good enough for me .
Coventry Eagle were an old company which made motorcycles and cycles including the Flying 8 which was a big V twin similar to the Brough Superior. Motorcycle production ceased post war and they continued making cycles only . In the 1950's the company bought a cycle manufacturer which had Ernie Clements as manager. It was he who convinced Coventry Eagle to concentrate on the manufacture of lightweight racing cycles under the Falcon brand . So at one point it seems as though cycles under the brand names on Ernie Clements , Coventry Eagle and Falcon would have been made . By now the company had moved to Birmingham . Ernie Clements became the manager of the company which became Falcon . The company had a successful racing team . In the late 70's the company moved to the Elswick factory in Barton on Number. At some point Ernie Clements left the company and set up a cycle company in the old Phillips cycle factory in Wales making British Eagle cycles.
Now where your cycle fits in this long history is the question ? It looks like a Falcon to me . The fact that it had a transfer head badge and has braze on cable mounts suggests to me that it is very late 70's at the earliest . Falcons tended not to have braze on fittings but had clip on one's instead .
I have several Falcons , one of which is a Black Diamond , lower down the pecking order but it is still a nice bike to ride .
Some of the information may be a bit out as I am going from memory . There is a Falcon thread which should help .

 

[Fadenfischfan]

HI,. Your English is good enough for me .
Coventry Eagle were an old company which made motorcycles and cycles including the Flying 8 which was a big V twin similar to the Brough Superior. Motorcycle production ceased post war and they continued making cycles only . In the 1950's the company bought a cycle manufacturer which had Ernie Clements as manager. It was he who convinced Coventry Eagle to concentrate on the manufacture of lightweight racing cycles under the Falcon brand . So at one point it seems as though cycles under the brand names on Ernie Clements , Coventry Eagle and Falcon would have been made . By now the company had moved to Birmingham . Ernie Clements became the manager of the company which became Falcon . The company had a successful racing team . In the late 70's the company moved to the Elswick factory in Barton on Number. At some point Ernie Clements left the company and set up a cycle company in the old Phillips cycle factory in Wales making British Eagle cycles.
Now where your cycle fits in this long history is the question ? It looks like a Falcon to me . The fact that it had a transfer head badge and has braze on cable mounts suggests to me that it is very late 70's at the earliest . Falcons tended not to have braze on fittings but had clip on one's instead .
I have several Falcons , one of which is a Black Diamond , lower down the pecking order but it is still a nice bike to ride .
Some of the information may be a bit out as I am going from memory . There is a Falcon thread which should help .

Good morning,

thank you so much for that detailed information. That was really interesting, and I'll go on searching in that Falcon thread.

I've got, except my Raleigh Rapide, no experiences with English road bikes (I have to admit that my favourite brand is Italian Gios), so it really helped me a lot.

But, if the pandemic will allow, I'll come to the Eroica Britannia to fill at least a few of my knowledge gaps 😀👍🏻

 

[Illaveago]

It looks like the bike might be from the 1980's.
Barry Hoban a professional racer and Tour de France stage winner set up the Coventry Eagle cycle factory in Wales . I think he was partnered by Ernie Clements who I think had the rights to the Coventry Eagle name when he left Falcon in Humberside .

 

[Illaveago]

Here is my Coventry Eagle . It is a tandem from 1950. It is a convertible and can be made into a single. It is called a Triple Ace Convertible Tandem.