bicycle / Michael Collins

Bicycle said to have belonged to Michael Collins, or used by him in Dublin during the War of Independence. The bicycle is a BSA (Birmingham Small Arms Company) and has a likely date of manufacture from between 1908 and 1926. An oval transfer to the front of the head tube bears the inscription ‘Behold St. Christopher/Republic of Ireland’ with an image of the saint to the centre. 'Gresham Flyer' on the down tube. The bicycle itself is a black gentleman’s roadster, popular throughout the first half of the twentieth century. An oval transfer to the front of the head tube bears the inscription ‘Behold St. Christopher/Republic of Ireland’ with an image of the saint to the centre with decorative scrolling to the top and bottom. This could date to the revolutionary period as much as it could date to the second modern declaration of the Republic in 1949. A metal decal attached with a shoelace below appears to be a St. Christopher medal. Another transfer applied to the down tube, Gresham Flyer, provides a further indication of the machine’s usage into the 1950s. Originally a children’s’ bicycle made by Aberdale Cycles, the name was used by Raleigh for bicycles exported to the USA and has no connection with BSA, although BSA Cycles Ltd. was acquired by Raleigh in 1957. The bicycle is in reasonable condition and has several interesting features including a chrome pump (HH: Temp 2000; 6354.2), a Brookes saddle, Ferodo brake blocks and a dynamo system powering a light to the rear, where a lug to the front would have held a carbide lamp. A simple bell is attached to the left handlebar which is missing its Bakelite grip. The tyres are relatively unworn and were possibly fitted as late as the 1970s. The frame number, a crucial element for securing the bicycle’s date of manufacture, is present though illegible.;