This 23" Experto features a fluted seat tube (hence, Six-Day). It was first sold to the trade on 15th march 1952 for £12.8s.6d. The bike was restored over the winter-spring of 2008-2009 everything was done by the current owner, apart from chroming and wheel building, lug lining was done by the current owner's wife.
The frame bears comparison with the track racer featured here. Grass track racers had wider clearances, brake mount holes, eyelets on the dropouts, and sometimes, as here, a fluted seat tube (which provides clearance to mount mud guards, hence the eyelets, too); whereas track bikes had no brake mount holes, no eyelets, and closer clearance under the fork crown.
The bike is equipped with period components including single speed fixed wheel with six gear options; 48t Chater-lea crankset; wood sprint rims (for grass track racing) built on Racelite large flange hubs; Toni Merkins stem with later Pista track bars; Brooks Swallow saddle with Reynolds seat post.
For road use and time-trialing Racelite hubs on Dunlop LA 27" HP rims are fitted instead, as well as Reynolds bar and stem with a GB front brake.
It is a show bike, but it is also ridden hard, as it was designed to be, and has recorded some respectable time trial results with the Newmarket cycling club.
Photos courtesy of the owner.
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