When Art Meets Industry...1960's Clem Eagle.

Here is an 1960's Australian made Clem Eagle

that I lost for a while, but through a series of

strange events, have found again.

As you can see this fully hand painted, sign written

and pin striped frame set is a real stunner.

It appears to be the frameset of the original owner 

of Clem eagle Cycles C.'Dick. Eagle.

The frame is made with Nervex Professional lugs, 

and judging by it's weight, I would assume Reynolds 531 DB.

I haven't been able to find out to much on this maker/shop.

here is a short shop history I found on Australian Cycling forums.

Clem Eagle bikes were produced by Arthur Richard (known as Dick) Eagles. Dick grew up with his family at 36 James Street, Lidcombe. There's a nice little snippet here recounting his fall from a bike in a race in 1935. The earliest reference I can find to Clem Eagle bikes is 1940, when Dick was 22, the same year he married. By 1943 he had a bike shop at 305 Chapel Road Bankstown and lived upstairs with his wife Isabel. He remarried in 1949 and was living with his family at 36 James Street from then until at least 1954.

By 1950 he was in partnership with O.S. Stewart at 301 Chapel Road, Bankstown (don't know whether this might be a renumbering of 305). By 1963 he had sole charge of the Bankstown shop and had expanded to 180 Liverpool Road, Enfield. I believe that both Bankstown and Liverpool shops had closed by 1970. Not much I'm afraid, but information is a little thin on the ground.

So here you have it, that strange quirk in Australian culture, that allowed some
of the finest, delicate and most beautiful pin striping and painting in the world
of vintage cycling to exist alongside one of the most macho sports, in one of the
more macho countries in the West...love it.