Pre 1950s rides of LFGSS: old bikes, vintage rats, classic lightweights

There are metric and imperial cotters - you'll have to measure yours to see which ones you need.

As per @Big_Block 's link, there are different types and grades. NOS old ones are best. These are the hardest and strongest, in my experience. Even the original ones in a set of cranks will be better than new ones.

New ones are softer and the threads shear off far easier. Originals, I believe, were rolled, while almost all modern ones are machined. Machine cut threads are not as strong as rolled threads and shear easily - end of story. They're rubbish, basically, but you can still use them.

Do not use the nut to pull the cotter into place. You'll shear the thread this way. It needs hammering in to start with and the nut holds it in place. This means it needs to be the right shape and the taper may need filing. Just to pre-warn you, all the modern ones I've used have needed regular attention and often look completely deformed if you take them out.

There is also a good way and a bad way up to put them. Not mechanically, just that one way up your flares will constantly get tangled up on the nut, whereas the other way up they do not. I'll be damned if I can remember which way though...

Step through Hobbs-
Collection in Hampshire.
Ebay 401752293336

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Well, got the paint on. Might be in with a chance of joining the June run if that’s ok (plan for parts coming good that is.)

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Sure is okay, what's the frame?

I hope you can make it.

Just one thing - make sure you've road tested your new build in time to make adjustments.

Neat. 1960 Holdsworth Golden Hurricane :)

Will be touch and go!

I hope this will be my final comment on cotter pins.

I regret having to say this, but cottered cranks are not really ideal for use with fixed.

Why? Because the cotter nearly always makes the chainset slightly oval, since it inevitably pushes the crank away from the spindle. Although the crank may seem to be a good fit on the spindle there is nearly always a bit of slack which is noticeable as a tight spot in the chain.
This doesn't matter with a freewheel since chain slack is more acceptable, but with fixed you really want to get the chain as tight as possible (allowing for free running of course).

As we all know, millions of miles have been done on fixed with cottered cranks, but there must have been many occasions when chains came off because there was too much slack at the slack spot. It has happened to me!

Here is a tip: When adjusting the back wheel for chain tension, set the right hand crank at about
2 o'clock, which will probably be just before the tight spot. If you get the chain right at that point you should be able to get it as near as possible to perfect at the tight spot itself.

Always keep a close eye on the chain and re-adjust when any slack develops - this will happen very quickly with a brand new chain.

It should also be mentioned that not all rear sprockets are as round as they should be. The late TDC sprockets were pretty bad in this respect and there are plenty of those still in circulation.

Noted. I’m buttoning mine up tomorrow night with new cotters, so thanks for the tip!

Thanks. Had a quick read, but I don't plan going fixed at all :))

Probably wise.

Yeah I'm also not used to go fixed at all

Hobbs-Looks like an early Superbe/Blue Riband path but it looks to have non original forks.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F163658062281

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I have this locking Resilion brake lever. The clamp is too big for the drop part of the handlebars but it fits on the 25.4mm part. Additionally, the lever seems to sit way too far forward in the brakes off position. Is this lever supposed to be used on flat bars rather than drop bars? I have another early non-locking Resilion lever and it’s the same.

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The forks appear to be Bates 'Diadrant'. I'm pretty sure it would have had a headclip headset and I wonder how much damage has been done to the steering tube when this bodge up was done.

The chainset is an early C34 double ring, which must be fairly rare although not all that useful.

This is not a bike, but a collection of random spare parts.

You're correct, definitely not intended for drop bars.

Are you intending to use Resilion cantilevers ? As you see above, I've got some, but they have their problems. I have recently had to pay good money for a secondhand cable - and normally I wouldn't fit a secondhand brake parts at all. Some years ago I had a cable 'professionally' made for the back of a tandem I was using with my children. It failed suddenly (the soldered joint where one cable becomes two) fortunately without causing a crash, but I felt distinctly unhappy about it!

I was going to see if either of them worked with a caliper.

I’ve hit a couple of obstacles with the build this weekend. First one was the brake lever, but that’s fine because I’ll use it like a crosstop. Second was my seatpost is too small. I thought it was 26.8mm but the clamp was squashed closed and gave me a false measurement, which I must have not noticed. I’ve opened it back up and it must be 27.0 because a 27.2 is too big. Third is my brake ferrules don’t fit in the Resilion levers so I’m going to spin them down a bit in the drill with a fine file. Fourth is the chainring has a lot of run-out, but I think a good whack with a mallet will bring it back true. I might re-mount it in the other positions in case it’s a bent arm and bent ring combo where one position runs pretty much true. Might get lucky.

If anyhing is worth preserving in the Resilion department it's the bottom end, not the levers.

There are circumstances where Resilion are the only answer, unless you are prepared to make radical alterations which cannot be undone. My bike above in this column would need to be drilled through its fork crown to fit a modern brake; I didn't think that was the right thing to do.

Aside from the levers and the cables, it's necessary to deal with the brake blocks. If you can find original Resilion blocks which have not deteriorated with age, good luck to you!

I have found modern blocks which can be fitted to the Resillion shoes, but unfortunately they do not come to the rim at the right angle and so need a very long 'running in' period before they work as well as they should.

Between keeping the frame and kit original and being able to stop, I see this as a bit of a problem, and I would be grateful to anyone who can offer a satisfactory soluton.

Straightening steel chainrings / arms might be easier with a drift (piece of metal bar) rather than a mallet using it as a lever?

A quick point on cotter pins , it wasn’t unusual to file down the ramp on cotter-pins to get the correct angle

Gillott but listed as Gillot.
£13.90 start or offers.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F183782001155

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Hope it's ok to ask here about bb's?
Will be getting the Durax c/s off of the very nice @knowthejo, so with this single ring set-up in mind (and after some elbow grease to polish it up) should I be on the lookout for a Bayliss Wiley '15' cottered bb?
BB shell on the Holdsworth is an RGF 68mm English thread, have a 5spd block and a Gran Sport r/m dibs to buy at the end of the month.
Have been trying to decipher things from various sites (to do with gear cases, chain clearance, chain lines and bb widths of an extraordinary variety) but any experience / definitely do not's very welcome.

any of you hobbs owners seen these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A-PAIR-OF-HOBBS-LYTALOY-HANDLEBAR-PLUGS-GOOD-USED-CONDITION-RARE-ITEMS/283455272754?hash=item41ff403732:g:NnwAAOSwEDVct3JV

Shhhhhhhhhh :)

Yes I had these in my watch list as well. Are they the real McCoy, cos from the picture it just looks like a Lytaloy sticker?