You are reading a single comment by @veloham and its replies.
Click here to read the full conversation.
London Fixed Gear and Single-Speed is a community of predominantly fixed gear and single-speed cyclists in and around London, UK.
This site is supported almost exclusively by donations. Please consider donating a small amount regularly.
@veloham
Hello all, thanks for well wishes and interest.
Firstly @Big_Block thanks for the steer on the saddle being Motobécane, it does indeed look like this one on velobase http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=34068F1D-4BA8-4861-ACD7-3ABCA6C5DE59&Enum=106&AbsPos=0. I’ll take some more pictures of the rear derailleur tonight.
@clubman fully agree regarding the piecemeal accumulation of components. A cyclist might move a saddle they’d already broken in or nice wheels from a previous bike to a new frame, or make do with their old wheels for a few years before adding flashy new ones. So in my mind that gives me leeway to use components within a few years either side of the year the bike was sold. I enjoy the research and aim to recreate a snapshot of what cyclists would have been riding around the time the bike was sold.
So having been in to Argos the frame requires a new down tube, they can replace with 531 and I am emotionally involved with this frame now so barring any other nasty surprises I will go ahead with the repair. They agreed there had been an earlier repair, although the term used was 'bodge' and that it was dangerous to ride. Really not sure how long ago it was, how many miles done since or where it fits with the chronology of the paint. My guess is it was quite a while ago and can only say for sure that it was before the final matt brown finish.
I've been thinking a lot about the braze-ons - all the agonising about a build is a big part of the fun. I hadn't seen the shifter boss in the ebay pictures and planned to build it fixed with a double sided hub. Finding the boss and cable stops and that indicating the 'Professional Model' was great, but has led to a fair chunk of agonising. Pros for keeping them - originality, part of the identity of the bike, 'fun' restoring with comparable components to when it was sold; cons - without gears the boss on the downtube in particular is an eyesore, with gears I'm stuck with a pernickety old derailleur. [I already have a 1955 Hetchins build ongoing, aka the money pit, with a 53 Benelux, and for me, for now, one is probably enough.] Anyway … on the way in to Argos I made a deal with myself that if the downtube needed replacing, I wouldn’t move the boss and cable stop over and I would have the chain stay stops removed. I will keep all those braze-ons though, they can always be put back on!
The problem with removing braze-ons is where do you stop. I don’t plan to take the rear brake cable stops off - the bridge is already drilled for a brake, I will want two levers when honking up hills and it gives options for the future. [I have a nice Blumfield fixed/free rear hub I’d like to use if I can ever find a front and would also entertain a hub gear in the future.] I considered removing the lamp boss for the reasons @clubman gives, I doubt I will ever fit a lamp. Similarly I would be happy without the pump pegs and am unlikely to ever fit mudguards, but am I going to remove the eyelets? So all that stays, for the pros given above. I wouldn’t add them, but I’m not taking them off. It’s a pretty believable setup I think for 1947, as mentioned elsewhere it would not have been common to have more than one bike. If it didn’t have a rear brake why not track ends? So with forward facing dropouts and a rear brake, i.e. not being a second specialist machine, in my opinion it should have a lamp boss and mudguard eyelets. It could be someone’s pride and joy, and in fixed time trialling trim but the mudguards and lamp can be put back on for the ride home.
The rear spacing is currently 115.5mm, my guess is because it’s had a 5 speed block jammed in there and was originally 114mm (having done a bit of research). The end of the drive-side chainstay has also been ground down to accommodate 5 speed. I’m having the chainstay built up again, so will look as original. I had thought to take the spacing down to 110mm, but re-considering now that 114mm is probably better. I’d appreciate any input on this!
So that’s where I am with it, I’ll get the angles next time I go in to Argos and hopefully no more nasty surprises.
They are also preparing a paint sample of the half a tin they have left of a metallic brown ‘Tobacco’ paint that is the closest they have to the copper brown flam shown at the top of the seat tube. As much as that looks great, I have a slight mental block over a brown bike. They had a lugless Hobbs in dark red flam hanging up that looked very smart.