Soensport or Soens Brothers Name Transfer

[sittingbull]

Finally, as far as I know, the transfers on my frame are the only Soens ones I have seen with the flag and olympic rings. Would this have been a "special" from around the time of the 1960 or 1964 Olympic Games, or some other event, or is that nonsense too?

Here's another

 

[Bill Soens]

Bill,

Many apologies for not responding to this sooner - I have not visited the forum for a while and hence missed this useful note.

I am obviously really pleased my frame is one of yours! What you say about it being a touring frame is interesting - it had never occurred to me before that the gaps would be wider to accommodate mudguards, although I have often wondered why it had eyes. Was it the practice to remove the eyes, or were racing frames generally made without them? I take your point about the saddle position and bar angle - I have never ridden it quite like this, but just popped them back on for the photos having started to loosen everything for dismantling. I must admit though that I have always had to push the seat forward, but should probably get a shorter stem - the frame has always been a shade too big for me, but once I saw it in Twiddle's I wasn't going to let that stop me having it. And thanks for confirming the seat pillar size. I should be able to fix the deformation.

Returning to the original subject of the thread, there is an issue with transfers on which I would welcome your insight. How many Soens logos were there? I have only seen those sold by Hilary Lloyd plus the ones on my frame (copies of which I still haven't managed to source, so the bike is staying as it is for now). I was wondering if there was any pattern to the transfers. For example, if someone bought a frame from you was there a "touring frame" logo, a "race frame" log and a "track frame" logo, or is this just daft wishful thinking on my part?

Finally, as far as I know, the transfers on my frame are the only Soens ones I have seen with the flag and olympic rings. Would this have been a "special" from around the time of the 1960 or 1964 Olympic Games, or some other event, or is that nonsense too?

Many thanks for your contributions on the site - it has been really interesting so far.

Very best wishes,

Rob Elliott

ref mudguards, clearance etc. Campag front and rear ends came with the mudguard eyes in-situ. It was a simple case of cutting them off and smoothing the result so they would appear to have been supplied without. The front forks - and rear ends - would have a closer clearance and much tighter/shorter wheelbase in order to achieve an overall tighter response for a racing bike.

Cannot help ref transfers. The small ones with the flag and olympic rings are from a Jim Soens bike and not an Eddie Soens, so are wrong for this machine - sorry. No, there was no difference in the type of transfer for any specific frame - just which ones I was using at any specific time. A lot of frames had the name hand-written on by C and G finishes who were excellent sign-writers.

If you go onto eBay and type in self-adhesive small signs etc, eventually you will come across someone who will supply almost anything you want in the way of a name, with colour choice and type of font. Last year I got four for £2.95 with my own name to fit on the top tube and chainstay of a basic bike I have and they look very good indeed. Have lost the address - sorry.

 

[biggs682]

just a quick update on my Jim Soens , i have swapped the 3 speed 27" wheels for some nice Mavic 700c rims , swapped the butterfly bars for some drops and swapped the single williams crank for a nice period alloy double chainset so its had a transformation and i have just had a maiden ride and can honestly say very nice indeed

 

[Red Rose]

Hello Bill,
The frame has now been re-painted. The decals came from Lloyds in Penrith - only available in gold - which was handy as it matched the gold lug lining. Managed to preserve the original head tube paint and decals by careful masking.

Hope you approve of the sympathetic restoration,

View attachment 82755 View attachment 82755

 

[biggs682]

@Red Rose who did the paintwork and it does look good

 

[Red Rose]

@Red Rose who did the paintwork and it does look good

Frame painstakingly ,stripped, primed, painted, lacquered and lug lined by myself. Thanks for the appreciative comment. Glad you like it.

 

[biggs682]

Frame painstakingly ,stripped, primed, painted, lacquered and lug lined by myself. Thanks for the appreciative comment. Glad you like it.

you taking bookings ?

 

[Red Rose]

you taking bookings ?

Note the word "painstakingly"..........I lost count of the time it took. It's a hobby (a very satisfying one), and it's staying that way. C & G in Liverpool are the people to talk to if you want a professional job.

 

[biggs682]

this looks nice

http://www.gumtree.com/p/bicycles/jim-soens-racing-bike/1099590442

 

[skinnylegs]

Hi folks, stumbled across this forum whilst trying to get a rough age for a bike I picked up recently: https://goo.gl/photos/QDwDCWgfuqnfZiSy5

Any ideas?

 

[biggs682]

@skinnylegs welcome aboard thats a nice looking machine you have there and if components are original i would suggest early/mid 80's.
Try checking for date stamps on the wheel hubs and brake calipers .

Feel free to come and join us on the facebook page " In Appreciation of Merseyside Bikes " and post a pic or 2 on there its nice to see another Soens

 

[Bill Soens]

The bike that appears in the photo album under Google photos etc from "skinnylegs" with Soens Cycles transfers (decals) on it is, sadly , not a Soens. It is not one that I built and I can confirm that it was not built by my late uncle Jim Soens. It has always been quite common to fit decals of a specialist builder on to a factory built machine, in this case it is almost certainly a Peugeot with internal lugs, giving the impression that it is a welded frame. Nothing wrong with the frame, it does a certain job and will handle OK. Vintage roughly 30 years or so ago.

Best wishes.

Bill Soens. (builder of Eddie Soens Cycles)

 

[skinnylegs]

The bike that appears in the photo album under Google photos etc from "skinnylegs" with Soens Cycles transfers (decals) on it is, sadly , not a Soens. It is not one that I built and I can confirm that it was not built by my late uncle Jim Soens. It has always been quite common to fit decals of a specialist builder on to a factory built machine, in this case it is almost certainly a Peugeot with internal lugs, giving the impression that it is a welded frame. Nothing wrong with the frame, it does a certain job and will handle OK. Vintage roughly 30 years or so ago.

Best wishes.

Bill Soens. (builder of Eddie Soens Cycles)

Thanks for this Bill, I was half expecting that to be the case as it didn't quite match up with anything I'd read in this thread or found elsewhere online.

I'll give it a bit more of a clean and rummage around to see if there are any dates on the parts; there's a bet at work as to whether or not the bike is older than I am (35) :-)

 

[biggs682]

Thanks for this Bill, I was half expecting that to be the case as it didn't quite match up with anything I'd read in this thread or found elsewhere online.

I'll give it a bit more of a clean and rummage around to see if there are any dates on the parts; there's a bet at work as to whether or not the bike is older than I am (35) :-)

i think it will be about the same age

 

[Dean Griffin]

Hi All,
New member from Australia here. Thought you might like to see this. It was given to me by my boss, it was his fathers bike, who was a Doctor involved with a number of top level Australian cyclists, including Hilton Clarke who he obtained the bike from.
It is pretty much original, with campagnolo crankset, gearing and seat pin. 3ttt suede seat, Universal centrepull brakes with wienmann levers. Hubs are a Japanese looking thing with ambrosio 27inch rims. Number 713 on bottom bracket. Minimal brazing, but does have guard mounts.