Chrome or Nickel ?? what’s correct for a 1929 flyer ?

[chris jones]

1929 Flyer . Should my bike have a Nickel finish or Chrome ? Plated wheels or painted ? Also inverted levers or ‘ normal ‘ ??
I don’t expect that there is a straight forward answer , but would appreciate the thoughts of the wise old birds in the club !

[TedParkin]

😀 😀 Hi Chris FWIW My 29 Flyer has plated reverse handlebar levers.They could be after market new ones of course!! I actually think that they are indeed Nickel..A new German Silver rad (excellent job by Graham Moag).. Otherwise original .. I think!! However.Does it matter that much?? Regards Ted 😀 😀

[NIngram]

Having just been through exactly the same with my 29 Flyer, black bars 1” diam, no chrome (chrome 1930 onwards) I had black rims & spokes, inverted levers, if you get stuck I have all source details but levers are Petes Bikes. Regards Nigel

[chris jones]

Thanks All, Nickel it is with black wheels ! Just what I wanted to hear !

Regards, Chris.

[BRIAN MARSHALL]

1930 is basically the changeover year for nickel to chrome, but on Scotts it was rather piecemeal as they used up nickel plated stuff, Some of their suppliers were using chrome before 1930, especially Webb forks, and the star-shaped damper springs and the top links were chrome on the 1929 Flying Squirrel Tourer, but not on the FS Deluxe as that had Scott forks, not Webb. Andre used chrome on their damper adjusting knobs even in 1928, before they went over to the Bakelite knobs for 1929/30.

[Martin27]

Just started to write about the same as Brian last wednesday, but run away to finnish some work in the middle of the process and didn’t get back to it until today. I would just add one story of one friend who was restoring Ariel, I think it could be back in 70’s, he bought the bike from the first owner and thought it’s weirs the bike is chrome plated, just a handlebars were nickel plated. Buyer wanted different type of the handlebars than were standard, but this was only nickel plated on the stock.
I’m also often trying to find the period pictures or the pictures of the bikes in untouched original condition. I think nice pictures are of this 1929 Tourer sold at bonhams:
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19768/lot/286/
Of course, always could be some parts changed, modernized etc, but still very good source of the informations, I think.
All the best,
Martin

[NIngram]

Indeed that’s a great source of inspiration, I notice the pilgrim pump chain has a guard around it, not seen that before

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