1947 Hobbs of Barbican Clubweight Build and many other old builds

Unfortunately the frame is in three parts after hitting a Vauxhall Astra last summer.

Try reversing the axle. If that works, either leave as is (no one will notice the LH crank is a few mm out) or take time to look for an axle with that spacing on the drive side. Remember to measure before you install as it will be too late when it is assembeld!!

Those look great @Big_Block. I'll probably pm you closer to the time when I need some.

Not sure what it is. I'll need to email Peter to find out. It doesn't have the fluted seat stays like my Clubweight. It was sold as a 'Clubman' though so maybe mislabelled?

Good tip and not one I'd heard of before. Thanks! I do need a new axle however as the old one is ever so slightly bent so might just take the scatter gun approach and find lots of them in different sizes.

So I was looking at eBay during the weekend and bid on these which I got at a good price. Ultra ratty early two-arm Chater-Lea fluted cranks. Unsure what I'm going to do with them yet.
I'd like to build this new as yet unknown 1946 Hobbs up with some sort of super complicated Cyclo Oppy/Osgear style setup. Anyone know what sort of early derailleur systems would have been out in the late 40's? If anyones got any leads on anyone that has one for sale, please let me know!

When I was looking for my 39 Holdsworth, I was going for an Osgear Super Champion, which Hilary has, but at a crazy price.

I had seen that but £695.00 can GTFO!

1946 poses real conflicts. I have been struggling with this for a few weeks. The best I can come up with is it needs to have been designed before the war if you want it correct. So in addition to the Osgear Super Champion, there are the Cyclo's including the Oppy, the Simplex Champion de France /Campione Del Mondo.
Disraeligears designs by decades show the gap from the late 1930s until the late 1940s

After the removal of my freewheel on Monday, the Chater Lea hub is double fixed. The Simplex Campione Del Mondo arrived yesterday.
But, I am now likely to build it up as a time trial bike. Classic Lightweights has a page that I am reading again.

Thanks Big Block Very helpful. I thought as much.

Where did you find the Simplex? pictures?

as jumble sales are very scarce in Australia, most purchases are off ebay.
This one was on the Italian variety. He had NOS pedals for the Ladies Legnano, the next bike to try to get the wife to ride, as she felt the last one I did was too good to ride, so the combined postage was bearable.
The Simplex (as a part of a thread)

So my new cranks arrived today. They're in the most oily ratty condition with no chrome but there's no rust pitting. I think they're just perfect. The camera struggles to capture their awesomeness. They smell of 'oldness' personified.
Mated them up to a massive old 26T inch-pitch chain ring that i purchased for £2.00 for maximum lols.

Picked up the frame today. The cranks look to be Williams, the brakes are GB Sport Mk2 from 1955 and the BB is a nice Bayliss Wiley number. Not sure what the headset is. Definitely not Lytaloy but looks like is might be a combination of several different ones put together. Possibly some Brampton in there.
Have decided to leave the paint in its current state and drape some nice shiny bits on it. I'm about to stump up for a nice Osger Super Champion unless someone convinces me that this is totally period incorrect. There appears to be quite a few even 50's bikes with this type of setup on Classic Lightweights.
Peter Lowry (VCC Hobbs guru) confirms that it's a September 1946 Clubweight.
Fork crown is quite a bit pointier than than my '47.
Sorry to my girlfriend and daughter that my accumulation of bikes and parts is reaching hoarder territory.

Where did you find the Osgear?????

I'll tell you after I've managed to secure it ;)

Damn, you didn't fall into the trick:) might I get a price range?

Have PM'd you.

another one I will enjoy watching. Please keep the project chronicled.

The lugless frame may be one of the earlier ones, as the serial predates the earliest known example on Bruce Robbins web page (although it has been 13 years since it was last updated)
Did Peter Lowry offer any comments?
What size wheels was it built for?

Bottom bracket length: Classic Lightweights has a page Bottom bracket lengths
just been using it and it appears that I will probably need 122mm for the single chainring, no rear derailleur.

I also had to face this issue...is not as straight forward as it seems. Many people I've contacted all said they had to get few of them and try them on.
In fact there was a guy from the US a month ago selling two or three of them on the bay after he found the one he needed.

He didn't unfortunately offer anymore info on the frame. I'm going to hopefully catch up with him at Eroica Britannia again so will ask him them.

Have been on a brake accumulation mission acquiring 3 sets of Hiduminium calipers and 1 set of levers and will use the best parts of each for the build.
If anyone is after some calipers after the dust settles, let me know.

I know a chap in my cycle club that is looking for a pair of calipers for his build.
Let me know what you end up with and I will pass on the info.

Sure, will do.
I've been following @Big_Block 's 1946 build over on Bicycles.net.au and am liking his build so making similar componentry choices.
Here are my latest purchases:
Chater Lea rat trap pedals. Nice condition but have had the barrels painted with enamel as they are worn.

And a nice Chater Lea Lamp bracket.

This thread is rekindling my interest in proper old stuff.
Also helped my identify my mates hubs, Hardens! Sealed bearing versions which I've always admired, but now I know what they are and how much they are worth I think he needs to stop using them for commuting on!