Classic and Vintage Australian Bicycles

Collectable Cycles

You Wanted To Know

These are your questions answered, in relation to classic and vintage racing bikes and parts, racing cyclists and manufacturers in Australia.

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Answers to Questions/Comments

Q: I see that you have a Bullock track racer in your fine collection.  I have been told that Bullock frames can be dated by their frame number.  Is this correct?  Do you know how their numbering system works? David

 

 

 

Keeping Australian cycling history alive!

A: To the best of my knowledge, I don’t know of anyone having a record of Bullock serial numbers, and information pertaining to those numbers, such as build date, despatch details etc., that the factory would have originally had.

The three early Bullocks I have, (one is a motorpace racing bike with small front wheel & reverse style forks) and another two I have since sold, seem to support that they were numbered sequentially in chronological order, with no letter prefix.   For example, one that I would estimate to be pre-1935 has the serial number 16917, another one I estimate to be pre-1939 has the serial number 17460, and one that would be pre-1945 has the serial number 21984.  All these bikes are top racing models. It would seem to be logical that Bullock would’ve been producing anything from 1000 to 2000 bikes a year,  with lesser numbers during the war years.

All Australian bikes can be dated to post war if they have rounded shoulders on the cup retainers on the head tube.  Prior to this they had square shouldered retainers.  Both have headsets that take the tiny 1/8” ball bearings. By around 1950, (but it can be as early as 1948 or as late as 1952), in Australia, all manufacturers used the Continental style headset with the cup retainers being press fit into the headtube, with the current sized ball bearings.

Bullock bikes were seen as a more prestigious, slightly more up market brand, and were sold at a premium price.

Regards C.C.