1897 Victoria Triumph No 15 for Ladies

Frame No 12873 is the oldest known surviving Triumph safety bicycle. The chaincase is leather. At the time, this was one of the most expensive ladies’ bicycles in the world.

The photos above and below are from 2012 at Brighton Pier, a few months after I bought it. The other photos on this page are from Spring, 2022, after it had been stripped down and serviced.

1897 Victoria Triumph No 15 for Ladies

23″ Frame

26″ Wheels

Frame No 12873

Brown Brothers ‘No 99’ Saddle

THE TRIUMPH OF VENUS

1899 TRIUMPH CATALOGUE EXTRACTS

BROWN BROTHERS No 99 LADY’S SADDLE

1899 TRIUMPH CATALOGUE EXTRACTS

1897 ROYAL TRIUMPH FOR GENTS

I found the Ladies’ Triumph at Beaulieu autojumble in 2012, though it was still in the seller’s van. I was the first to spot it – obviously my vintage bicycle radar was working well. The seller told me that he’d bought it at a French autojumble fifteen years before, along with a Gent’s Triumph of the same age. After a year of negotiations I eventually managed to buy that one too.

In June, 2018, I worked at the International Cycling History Conference in London, and took the 1897 Royal Triumph to ride. I’d recently fitted a new tyre to its 30″ front wheel. However, it was too tall to ride comfortably around London with its usual Victorian saddle. Lowering the seatpost not only made riding it easier, it gave the machine an interesting profile.

TO SEE THE

1897 ROYAL TRIUMPH

PLEASE CLICK HERE

1899 Triumph Catalogue with thanks to Andrew Heaps

LOCATION: Under Brighton Peir