SIX-DAY TRANSFERS
(1937/8 to ca.1974)


The name Six-Day is speculative; we do not know what they were called in the shop.

The transfers were fitted to both track and road bikes, both before and after the war. However, pre-war frames ordered for amateur competition usually had no transfers fitted, as this form of advertizing was forbidden at that time.

The first catalog in which this set of transfers appears is dated 1938, on a Tour de France model. It also appeared on the Trio, Massed Start and Six-Day models in later catalogs. Extant photos from 1938 also show the transfers (see below).

The set consisted of a single transfer which wrapped over both sides of the down tube, a head tube transfer, a choice of seat tube transfers, a top tube transfer, and transfers down the fork blades.

The wrap-over down tube transfer sometimes had 'Hetchins' in clear film so the color of the frame tube showed through. The dimension point-to-point is 354 mm. The wrap-over down tube transfer is seldom seen on original post-war frames. It was probably very tricky to fit, and had no provision for water-bottle mounts. A few such transfers have survived on frames; two unmounted ones are extant.

A head tube transfer is known consisting of a short blue diamond, black and gold lining, and a scroll crest. Head tube transfers were used until 1938 or 9; after that metal badges were more common on the head tube. Several frames are known with original Six-Day ht transfers covered up by a subsequent head badge.

The different seat tube transfers were: a) a tall one, available with red-white, blue-white, or green-white diamond-shaped panels, 229 mm high; b) a medium one, to date known only in blue-white, height unknown, and c) a short one with a white background and horizontal red-blue stripes (for seat tubes interrupted by bottle mounts, and sometimes seen on head tubes), 80 mm high. All three showed the scroll crest in the middle. Many frames, even until the 1970s, were fitted with Six-Day seat tube transfers, but with the standard Fairground down tube transfer.

Surviving original fork blade and top tube transfers are extrememly rare and in poor condition.

Below: The wrap-over down tube transfer (modern reproduction).
Farther below: The seat and down tube transfers (original). Very few extant.





















Below: 1943 Competition model showing the complete original set,
including top tube and fork blade transfers.
















Below: Exemplar of a Six-Day head tube transfer on a 1939 Trio.
This transfer was covered by a badge, so it is still in good condition.

Below: Seat tube transfer variations.











Above: Photo from ca. 1938 showing the
head, seat, and down tube transfers.



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