Silver Eddie Soens

A big thank you to Rob of Chester, for sending in the photo's and info on his Eddie Soens bicycle.

I have been reading several references to Eddie Soens frames on your site, and also here and elsewhere comments from Mr Bill Soens about the history of the family and frame-making. I have an Eddie Soens, frame number 331, so I presume it was built by Bill. I have had it since 1972, having bought it second hand from Mr Bill Twiddle’s shop on Lawrence Road. I think it’s a beautiful and elegant frame.

A couple of photos are attached of the bike in its current condition. I am talking to C&G Finishes in Liverpool about restoring it, since it is almost certain that they did the original job!  Note the head badge. I am trying to source copies of this, but I suspect that it is hand painted, as is the name on the down tube.

The name ”J Dorian” is sign written on the left side of the top tube. I have failed to discover who he was – perhaps a club cyclist in the Sefton Park or Edge Hill  area. I would like to think that the bike was built and painted especially for him.

The original equipment (or rather, as I bought it) was as follows:

A badly worn Zeus Chainset and rings; Campagnolo Record gears and shifters (still working perfectly after all these years); Fiamme sprint rims on FF Atom hubs, with Wolber Junior tyres; Universal brakes with Wienmann levers; A Wienmann stem; and a Brooks Professional saddle. After several years of neglect, in 1990  I replaced the wheels with Mavic MA2 rims on Shimano 105 hubs, and inexplicably replaced the saddle with something more comfortable. I have regretted that since finding out the cost of replacing it with an original one again.

I don’t know if any of this is of interest, but I thought I would share it anyway.

Certainly a lovely looking bike.

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