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My daughter has reported that I can get grouchy if I don’t manage to catch Channel 4 News.
When it comes to news and current affairs, C4 News is my touchstone, Jon Snow my oracle of choice.
Many people, however, might not be aware that Jon Snow is also a keen bicyclist who pedals to the office on a daily basis – indeed, he has been President of the CTC for the past couple of years – and he frequently blogs about his encounters.
His latest entry – which I encourage you to read – is a heartwarming reminder that where there’s muck, not only is there brass – occasionally you’ll strike gold!
If only all lorry drivers were as considerate of bicyclists. Sadly, there’s a mountain of evidence to the contrary..1, 2, 3
r:B
I recently stumbled across a video clip which prompted recollection of a curious bicycle uility-cum-security handlebar that was marketed in the late 19th and early part of the twentieth century.
The device was invented by one J. F. Sargeant of Bracknell and comprised a two-part handlebar containing inside it a selection of tools including a bicycle pump, oil-can, cleaning brush, and spanner.
It seems the handlebar was easily detached and solidly reattached with a single rotation of the left half. The removable half was also retained as proof of ownership when checking the bicycle aboard a train, both halves sharing a unique identifying number.
The patented design could be retrospectively fitted to most varieties of bicycle and a service was offered which would convert the customer’s existing handlebars including full nickel re-plating.
It was felt the bicycle was less likely to be stolen when left parked with incomplete or “dismembered” handlebars. If further security was felt necessary, Mr Sargeant had also developed a version which contained a Colt revolver, apparently tested successfully at the Military Tournament. An umbrella might have been more useful…!
From what I can determine, the handlebar was originally manufactured under license by Longhurst and Hitcham of Ascot but a trade advertisement from 1897 suggests a manufactory in Wokingham, nearby but on the opposite (west) side of Bracknell from Ascot…
Now, we both know that the natural laws of the universe would normally ordain that the “patent improved” handlebar part at the most inopportune moment, most likely while negotiating a potholed road under heavy traffic.
However, the video clip below would tend to suggest this is not an entirely unmanageable situation and this contraption of Sargeant’s may not have been the acme of theft deterrence the inventor would have led us to believe…
r:B
Remeber RAMP? Well, it only took six weeks but the men from the Council finally fixed the road. This is actually an interim shot and they’ve now covered it in a fine top coat which makes it a lot smoother. Nice job, chaps!
However, the red and white signs proclaiming “RAMP” remain and prompted me to wonder if this wasn’t perhaps the name of a new, and as yet uninhabited, micro-hamlet and we’d simply missed the planning notice in the local paper. Don’t laugh, it could happen!
Imagine…a terrible homage to the “new town” where the full folly of Le Courbusier arrives at its (il)logical conclusion. All road…and no people! Welcome to Ramp (population: zero…but aren’t the streets clean?)
Then I pulled myself together and remembered that I wanted to repost this old composite snap of happier times on the nicer bits of road around here…
R:B
BEFORE
I’ve been intending to post some photographs of the £10 Chiltern for a while now and have finally decided not to wait until I refit the chainguard…
AFTER (almost!)
Since this bicycle is intended for daily riding around town, I’ve not invested too much time or money into it. Most of the components are reclaimed or recycled. The mudguards, rear rack and wheel reflectors (I managed to resist using the Unholy Spoke Reflectors) came from my project box. The brake calipers, front wheel and both tyres and tubes are reclaimed from the Traveller. I’ll be replacing the (ahem) 30-year-old Raleigh Record tyres with a pair of Schwalbe puncture-proof white-walls soon… The Zefal pump is new – with an adapter to suit the Woods valves – and cost a measly £3.49.
The dental white grips are actually a Shimano 333 3-speed shifter set I picked up as NOS on Ebuy for less than the price of a new cable. Unfortunately I still need a new cable as the Shimano part is a bit short for this frame. However, they shift nicely and adapting the Shimano 333 cable to fit the Sturmey Archer hub only involved snipping off the cable nipple and clamping on a late model SA adjusting barrel.
The saddle – previously on the Superbe – is actually a little low for comfort but I’ve been too lazy to adjust it yet. I’ve got two vintage leather saddles to choose from and haven’t yet decided which suits the bicycle best. The rear luggage is an ancient reclaimed Carradice Club bag. I need to get some white polish on the leather straps…
Total cost? Excluding paint and other workshop consumables? Probably around £30…
OK…£30 and a pair of jeans that I spilled paraffin over. Anyone really know how to get the smell of paraffin out of clothing? They’ve been machine-washed twice and left hanging out on the drying line for a week through two torrential downpours! They still stink…
R:B
I should have some pictures to show tomorrow but I’ve finally started stripping the paintjob-from-hell from the Superbe. In case you can’t recall, when I acquired it, it looked as if it had been attacked by a maniac armed with a floor mop and a bucket of green household paint.
So far I’ve been concentrating on the small mechanical parts – handlebars, brake furniture, bottom bracket and crank – most of which required considerable care to remove, de-paint and polish up. I’ve now started rust-treating and priming the chainguard, the forks and front mudguard.
Normally I would avoid the use of chemicals but I’ve discovered that the cheap Baufix Paint Remover (Lidl, £3.99) seems to remove the unwanted paint but leaves what remains of the original enamel intact.
I’ve also found that the mudguards, which seemed initially quite friable through corrosion, respond well to treatment with Kurust – to the extent that they are now robust enough that I can strip the old paint and prime the top surface before I reinforce them internally with glassfibre tissue and epoxy.
I’ve not decided what colour to finish the Superbe. Apparently the best available colour match for the original Raleigh Green is Rover Brooklands Green, a British Racing Green clone. Since I’m aiming at a sympathetic “revival” rather than a faithful restoration, I can’t decide whether to re-green her or paint her a crisp white. I don’t want to go for black as the Chiltern is already sitting at that end of the spectrum .
Speaking of which, the Chiltern’s almost ready for the road. Pictures real soon now. I’ve just got to top-coat the chainguard and sort out the gears – although I think the problem is the cable sticking. I’ve ridden her ’round the square a number of times now and…ooooooooh what a comfortable ride!
R:B
Today I thought I would use these nice wide, black, alloy mudguards from my project box on the Chiltern. Simple enough…except I was lacking the threaded clevis pins for mounting the mudguard stays to the lugs.
So, I drilled a pair of M6 stainless hex head screws I had lying around. Specifics below…
Unfortunately, the stainless was a bit too brittle and the hole a bit too big and they both (yes, both) snapped when I tightened the nuts on. I think I’ll try again with M6 high tensile shoulder screws which should give me a greater diameter shank to take the hole and then I can just cut off the excess shoulder and head. Now to find some…
R:B
From what I can ascertain, the ratty-looking old Raleigh I picked up last week is most likely a 1951 Superbe Dawn Tourist. This was deduced primarily from the Raleigh/SA DynoFour hub and the fact that the frame is 21″ – the Superbe Tourist is a 24″ machine and the Superbe Sports Tourist has cable-operated caliper brakes. Oh…and the frame serial number seems to fit the 1950/51 period and the hub is most likely date-marked “51″ not “5T” as I previously misread.
I’ve hit one or two snags in my disassembly of the Superbe:
First of all, the handlebar stem seems to be bent and is well and truly jammed into the forks. I’ve given it a good bathe in WD40 but no joy. I’ll have another attempt using a bigger hammer and a wooden plank bracing the bars but I may have to try applying heat instead.
I’ve also uncovered a tiny hole which seems to have rusted through the inside of the drive-side chainstay. This has likely never been cleaned in 50-odd years as the oil-bath chaincase makes access difficult. I don’t think it has caused any structural weakness but I’d like to get it brazed up before I repaint it anyway.
The highlighted area in the photograph above shows a woodscrew (I would reckon a 1″ No. 8 BZP Countersunk, if you really need to know) jammed into the gap between the chainstay and the brake stirrup retaining bracket – presumably to tighten the bracket because the bolts had already rusted solid. I had to cut through them to remove both rear brackets but this one was “soft” and probably corroded beyond repair.
This lack of access is a major flaw in these bicycles. For example, to remove the chaincase, you need to first remove the crank and this can be awkward if the cotter pin is jammed. You can’t get a good swing at it with a hammer without risking the chaincase taking a smack! I used a plank and an old brass electrical conduit bush to support the crank and a long punch/drift and heavy hammer to drive the cotter pin. It finally worked although I may have to replace the cotter pin. The brass bush is soft enough it shouldn’t mark the chromed steel and has a broad hex shoulder that prevents it embedding itself in or splitting the wooden plank. The picture below actually shows the other side of the bottom bracket but you should get the idea.
The rear wheel rim – an original Raleigh stainless steel “Westrick” – has a nasty split along the edge which I only discovered after cleaning the muck off. I seriously doubt this could be welded so I may have to replace it with a chromed steel Westwood…if I can find one. Anyone have a 40-spoke 26″ x 1 3/8″ Westrick or Westwood rim?
Other than that, It seems to be coming apart nicely. Some of the chrome is in incredible condition considering the age of the bicycle and that dodgy paint job is almost falling off all by itself! The best news is that the Sturmey Archer DynoFour components seem to be original and complete!
So, while this looks like being a longer-term project, I’m on the hunt for another old British 3-speed to ride!
rb
