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

:)
Bit of a bitza but still.

Looks great I love those early Campag rear derailleurs. Play in the BB doesn't sound right though. Without sounding condescending, is the near side BB cone tightened up enough. I'm not sure what make you are using but the old ones always tend to be more awkward than they should be. I always use loose and new quarter inch bearings there not expensive from a good LBS and a ton of grease

Cheers! Not condescending at all, welcome all advice! Tried tightening but don't have a tool thing that fits into the four holes in the face of the cup (it's BW cups and a BW No.15 axle) and there's still some thread spare after fitting the lock ring. Might be a trip to the LBS to borrow the 'spanner' thing.

** Ken Ryall track frame**

Thanks for the thought, Falconvitesse, but I've already got more frames than I can use.

I wonder if this really is a Ken Ryall. I note it has no head badge, which suggests it's been resprayed. As I said, Ken liked to be sure that his frames would be recognisable from the front in case they got into a 'Cycling' photo (preferably on the front cover obvs.). So I suspect this may be a case of some one having a handy set of KR downtube transfers.

However, it looks a perfectly good frame and, as the vendor says, Ken's frames came from various sources so what does it matter? Incidentally I think all Ken's good frames had a frame number hand stamped under the bottom bracket starting 'K' and ending 'R', the number being the date, so they are easy to identify.

Even if this is a Stan Pike, I think the asking price is daft.

The tool you need is known as a'peg spanner'. Naturally there is more than one size - I have what may be described as an 'adjustable' version which is a springy U shaped tool with a peg on each end of the U.

It's usually possible to do this job with the corner of a flat bladed screw driver, but the cup is probably harder than the screwdriver which may get chipped, and it can be tricky to keep the adjustable cup in place while you tighten the lock ring - but Ive done this successfully in the past.

I have been to my local Bike shop and he didn't have any official tools for tightening up these BB cups either and instead used the same process as Clubman suggested above. I myself always put the frame in the corner of a room so as it will not go anywhere and tighten up the cone with a screw driver and hammer until the axle is tighter than it should be.
The lock ring tightens up against the BB which will loosen the axle enough for it to turn smoothly.

Also called a pin wrench. There’s a flexible Park Tool one which does the job. My bb is in ‘ok’ condition - I had to tighten it until it was a little bit notchy to remove all the play, so I think you might struggle to do it by hand.

Thanks all. Will see if I can borrow a pin wrench. Annoying thing now is having seated the cotters (did some filing to shape them to fit nicely) am faced with trying to get them out again without a pin press. Every time I’ve tried in the past (hammer and a drift they end up knackered.)
Sort of hoping the bb shell can be tightened up without having to take off the crank (clearance-wise.)

A little worry about Richardshills BB.

I think you have had this frame resprayed, so presumably it's been shotblasted.

Have you put a liner around the bearings and spindle? I ask because there is usually some shot blast grit left inside the frame tubes which will, almost inevitably, get ito the bearings and ruin them in no time flat.

I had this experience, but a long time ago when you could go to any bike shop and buy a new spindle for 25p. so it was just a nuisance, not a major expense.

There used to be ready made plastic liners for this purpose, but you will be lucky to find one now since sealed bearings have been the norm for such a long time. I recommend improvising with a round plastic bottle and a pair of scissors.

I've just seen your comment about removing cotter pins. Since you've only just put them in they should come out easily. Support the crank, make sure you hit the pin squarely when using the hammer and don't forget to leave the retaining nut just flush with the top of the cotter pin thread. They should fall out with a single blow.

Ah, good call. I hand-sanded the frame, but the liner is a good idea nonetheless as there’s bound to be some crud in there still. Mind you, at the moment all kinds of swarf could rattle out with all that play on it!

As Chris said with the cotters, put an old nut on the thread, undone slightly so it’s flush with the end of the thread and hit that. You can just use the nuts that are on there, but you risk mashing them slightly when you hit them.

Quite a learning curve here!

Indeed! Good work!
If BB feels loose tighten it bit more on the non drive side or check you've got the right size bearing balls.

Quite a learning curve here!

Yes, and whereas when I was learning there were plenty of these standard parts to smash up*,
now there's the risk that something unobtainable gets damaged.

That's partly why I keep posting here on these little problems.

• I did plenty of damage myself!
  

tidy Bates Cantiflex in Middleborough . Currently £225

Probably more early '60s but this Southern Cross is quite lovely. £156 ono

Gillott Road /Path with spear point lugs, Looks to be a lovely frame hidden beneath the current paint work.

Collection from Derbyshire.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F273891387960

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Lovely.

Tiny Higgins trike.

This isn't going to stay cheap: late 50s (?)Cinelli Mod. B

I always enjoy watching old track bikes resurrect.

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Love those forks!

Gloria
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F264369553345

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I wonder how accurate that 1943 date is. It looks later to me, but then Italian design is often at the cutting edge.

What seems most interesting about this (if the date is correct) is that anyone would be working away at fancy lugs when their country was being trampled over by the armies of a number of other nations. Maybe the Milanese just thought the war was somebody else's problem.

This is a 1937 one: http://www.biciclassiche.com/2011/03/gloria-garibaldina-1937.html

As per building them during the war, no idea, could be, possibly...

Could anyone please tell me who made these hubs, I've fried my brains Googling to find out. The only indication is the wording "Milano made in Italy" on the barrel.