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The Boer War was the first where bicycles were officially used. As you can see in the photo above, this was one of the types used, in this instance being employed by a dispatch rider in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Volunteer Rifles. As cyclists were volunteers at this time, presumably it was the officer’s own machine.
Hundreds of companies purchased BSA fittings to build bicycles for their local customers, and they were also exported extensively throughout the British Colonies. BSA fittings were the best available, so a bicycle built in this way was of similar quality to those made by the leading manufacturers, but at half the price. The supplier usually fitted their own shop transfer (decal) to the steering head. Like the one in the Boer War illustration, the BSA featured here does not have a transfer.
If you compare the Boer War bicycle to this one, you can see the same chainwheel, fork crown and lamp bracket. The front brake has been removed. It’s a sturdy well-built medium-weight bicycle ideally suited for riding over rough terrain under war conditions. Was this green 1898 BSA Fittings Machine used as a Dispatch Rider’s bicycle in the Boer War?
1898/1899 BSA Fittings Machine
Green enamel. Military Dispatch Rider, Boer War
28″ Frame with double top tube
28″ Wheels with 28 x 1 3/4″ tyres (ERTRO 40-622)
BSA ‘No 2’ handlebar
Fixed wheel
(Now sold)
It’s not easy to determine the precise age of a BSA Fittings Machine as the parts were available through the cycle trade even after certain items were updated. However, this example has the BSA patent steering lock which was introduced in 1898 and its chainwheel design was replaced in 1899. So I assume it to be 1898 or 1899.
Probably the most interesting aspect of this machine is its green paintwork. It has had two coats of green in its lifetime: a lighter green which appears to have been applied a very long time ago, and the original dark green which can only be glimpsed in a few places: you can see it below on the seat tube along with the faint remains of its original box lining. The handlebar grips are also green.
The bicycle has been stripped and serviced in our workshops, and the paintwork and brightwork cleaned. The frame is covered in surface rust though is solid throughout. The BSA trademark is stamped on both pedal cranks, and the chainwheel side shows a British patent number 5957/94. There are faded numbers on the handlebar stem and seat post. Once cleaned, we found the front mudguard fitting to be brass. Likewise the pedal spindles, though this was probably the brass coating under the nickel which has worn off. The wheel rims look original to the bike, and are 28 x 1 3/4″ size (622), the size usually used for military bicycles of this era.
It is extremely rare that military provenance can be definitely proven with a Victorian era bicycle. But even without that connection, this 125-year-old BSA is a wonderful survivor, and is ready to ride and display.
1898 BSA FITTINGS CATALOGUE
The entry below for July 1898 mentions the new steering lock.
BSA PATTERN PEDALS & CRANKS
ASHCOMBE WINDMILL, KINGSTON, EAST SUSSEX
Ashcombe Windmill is a six sweep post mill built in 1828 but destroyed during a gale in 1916. It was rebuilt by my friend James. Though viewing is not available to the public, he allowed me to take some photos as a background for my 1898 BSA, and gave me a tour of the mill. Below you can see how the top part can be moved around – by hand – to face the wind.
Though the public is not allowed access to the windmill itself, it can be seen easily as you walk along the public footpath nearby.
You can see pictures of the restoration here – https://sussexmillsgroup.org.uk/ashcombe.htm