Established at the dawn of the bicycle era, Elswick was a major British bicycle manufacturer for many decades, providing high quality utility bicycles for the domestic and international market. Cap'n Jonny continued the loving care given to this Elswick Hopper by its donor, to restore the bike for its new home.
You can tell a lot about what kind of care a bike had when you dismantle it. You also get a glimpse into the mind of the designer / builder as you inspect the geometry, materials used, types of fasteners attached, paint applied, kind of metal, and other details.
This bike has had loving care since the donor received it in the late 1960's from her older sister. Built as a commemorative edition celebrating the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953, it was in excellent condition. It only needed a modest amount of TLC and new tires, cables, and grips to get it ready for its photo shoot.
The bike is painted in black stove enamel. It’s tough and cleaned up well and shined beautifully, except for just a few spots. Overall the paint came out looking great. It should hold up well in the future.
The bright work was pretty rusty and this was dealt with in varying positions after a good burnishing with a wire brush chucked into my drill press. Small chrome and aluminum parts were dunked in a large container of white vinegar, usually overnight, then cleaned and burnished or polished as required.
Large items, like steel rims, handlebars, and fenders were cleaned and lightly rubbed with 0000 steel wool to clean off scale and loose rust then painted with Naval jelly. Handlebars and rims were rubbed with crushed aluminum foil and the old stand-by Brasso metal polish.
When warranted (or I just felt like it) a buffing wheel was employed to give aluminum parts a mellow shine.
So here the bike is in all its glory, a 1953 Elswick Hopper, ready for more miles.
