1895 Rover Ladies Pneumatic Safety (Australia)

1895 Rover Ladies Pneumatic Safety

J.K Starley & Co Ltd

18.5″ Frame

28″ Front wheel

26″ Rear wheel

Frame no 15611

According to ‘A History of Rover Cycles’ 1895 was a year of change, and two versions of this model were illustrated – one with a single down tube (below) and another with the down tube braced as above.

This is a very rare survivor from J.K Starley & Co Ltd, in wonderful preserved condition and ready to ride.

I bought it from the Farren Collection in Melbourne, Australia. Paul Farren bought it in Tasmania in the 1970s. His notes say:

“Ladies Pneumatic Tyred Safety Bicycle The Rover Company, Coventry This bicycle was produced as a solid tyred machine before being updated to pneumatics in the catalogues. It is a very small frame and John Pinkerton was very keen to buy this bike for his wife Dot. It is in very original order for its age with plunger brake, mudguards and chain guard. The saddle hardware and pedals are also original. The bicycle ceased production in 1895 and they admit in the catalogue that the frame is weak but it allowed for very full skirts to be worn.”

Single tube ladies machines were by now out-of-date, and I think this Rover was the last of them to be built. The Rover Ladies ‘K Frame’ was introduced the same year to replace it. Surviving examples of both styles are rare, but you can see my K Frame at the bottom of this page.