1912 Royal Enfield Standard Girder

1912 Royal Enfield 24 Inch Standard Girder

A Royal Enfield Girder is a very handsome machine. Girder Frame Roadsters were supplied as military bicycles to the War Office (used by the Belgian army). This model was also available in civilian trim when soldiers enlisted, with its price specially reduced.

On enlistment, soldiers were offered the opportunity to buy a bicycle on hire purchase, so many civilian machines were used. You’ll see this distinctive model in various illustrations of the period.

As it was manufactured before WW1 it would have been affected by the war in some way, so I’ve added it to the website as a good example of a civilian machine available for military use.

This one is quite muddy as I’ve been riding it in the rain. Apart from the extra ‘girder’ bar on this model, one of this particular bike’s best features is the superb nickel handlebars.

The cycle was purchased twelve years ago from a Dutch museum. The handlebars had been painted over and, when the previous owner painstakingly removed the paint, he found the nickel had been preserved.

The original paint is showing signs of wear. But it’s not bad for nearly 100 years old! You can see still the original green box lining in places.

The previous owner rode this bicycle a lot. It’s a bit tall for me, but still manageable. I’ve enjoyed using it, as it rides very well.

This illustration is from an earlier catalogue, so there are some differences.