2 Star on a favourite road

The 2 Star is, I think, an early-postwar New Zealand made frame. I've seen a few of these and own two. It's not a Jones Special and it's not a Cycleworth (Austral Star) frame - both of which also used stars as head badges. Austral Stars used pressed lugs, and these are cast. Pre-war Joneses used clip type 7/8" headsets. I'm also pretty sure it's not an Australian-made Malvern Star. The number of stars on the front of a Malvern Star denoted quality. A "2 Star"was well down the pecking order, but this frame is almost identical to another I have, which features five stars on the head tube. Provenance remains a mystery.

The frame is nicely made and painted flamboyant green with elaborate pinstripes and blocking. It has Cyclo dropouts rather than the older, BSA fork ends which were popular in NZ before the War.

I set the 2 Star up as a classic English club bike - Sturmey FC four speed hub, 27 x 1 3/8 wheels, GB brakes. The front wheel is an old 36 spoke Weinmann rim laced to a Japanese "Chair" brand hub and a set of dodgy aluminium wingnuts.

Tied to the B17 is my trusty Tika (made in Christchurch, NZ) saddlebag. Made tough from Birkmeyer 12oz canvas, it has lasted me 25 years and counting. The saddle looks awful tilted up like that, but for some reason, it's comfortable that way.

I cobbled the guards together from leftovers. They are old Taiwanese alloy guards fitted with Bluemels stays scavenged from busted up Lightweights. That massive mudflap is a beauty. Available from Cycle Trading Co in Christchurch, these truck-dimension flaps really do the work.

The photo is taken on a wee gravel road in Loburn, north of Christchurch. I've been riding that road since I was a kid.