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

Picture doesn't work for me

So, as I said - cutting edge!

Fascinating web site - a bit like Ton-Ton Velo. I find the Italian language frustrating - I can nearly understand it, but not quite.

Thanks, I hope this has fixed it.

Works now, Unfortunately can't ID them though.

they look like campag nouvo tipo....if they're not, it's a good place to start searching👍

http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=B30B0713-8C02-47FA-B8D8-8DB2C57D0223&Enum=110&AbsPos=6

Thanks for the input, but I've been through VeloBase many times and no joy.

I believe that someone will actually recognise thes hubs; speculative guesses are not helping.

they look a lot like FB large flange without the secondary hole drilling....so could be early camapagnolo as didn't FB make these. Maybe a measure is in order; https://www.flickr.com/photos/stronglight/6118210741/

Airlite?

Vintage, but not bikes though . . . just the covers to show you! I have complete programmes for three separate years!

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It's surprising how often these dinner souvenirs turn up - it shows how important people felt these functions were.

Only this year I was given a programme for my own first club's 1961 dinner (West Twickenham Road Club). I received a very minor prize (second place, Junior BAR) almost inevitably, at that time, presented by Eileen Sheridan.

I was amazed to see this document - amazed that it should still exist and that some one (not a WTRC member) should still be interested enough to give me a photocopy and keep the original.

I should add that the Junior BAR winner wiped the floor with me, and I don't think a third junior completed the distances.

The decline of these prize presentation dinners goes hand in hand with the decline of domestic racing (i.e. non elite).

Those hubs - I think they are drilled 32/40 (easy for you to check this). If so, you can pretty much guarantee they were intended for the English market. So they may be in some importer's catalogue: possibly the Veteran-Cycle Club library could help.

They do look very much like Airlite hubs. The pre-Campagnolo FB hubs had FB logos engraved in the middle of the barrels, replaced by a Campagnolo logo in the same place when they became Campagnolo hubs. You’d see them very clearly with the chrome in good condition like that. Same design with the chrome barrel and alloy flanges pressed on though.

Looks like there were quite a few barrel and flange options with Airlites: http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/airlites.html

The July /Aug 19 edition of Lightweight news -
http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/news.html
Has an advert for a large sale of classic bikes taking place in Scotland on 14th July.

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To save you-all having to type out the email addy it's: robertmartin0708@yahoo.co.uk

Ha funny! I was just about to take a screen shot as well. Thanks

It's going to be a scrum, only go if you are 6'4" and fit. Curly Hetchins at £650 - In your best Scottish brogue say "It's madness I tell yee, it's utterrrr madness"

Those hubs: canted flanges, and ‘Milano’ on them means (stating the bleeding obvious) they’re not BHC Airlites. Airlite flanges are straight, not canted. I’d say this detail means they’re top quality gear. The only canted high flange hubs I know are Duralites and Phils. Basically the DBs.

If they’re not FB I’d be surprised, though I’ve never seen a Hi-flange pair up close so I’m not helping much there. Who are the other classic Italian mozzi makers? Gnutti... erm ...

Ah I’m looking harder, maybe the flanges aren’t canted. Are they?

Then I remembered: there was a ‘brand’ called Milano that maybe had something to do with Holdsworthy (I had a chromed steel stem branded ‘Milano’, came as OEM on a Claud Butler just after Holdsworthy started producing under that marque).

FB certainly made hubs for other companies / stamped with other companies logos.

As clubman said 32/40 suggests UK market.

Thanks for the input. sorry for the ambiguous pic's, the flanges are slighty canted.

I think the Holdsworthy associated brand was Milremo - back in the day when the UK was trying to copy the European style in so many ways (from Lambretta scooters to Tuti-Frutti Ice-ed-a-creama).

I've had FB, Gnutti, Airlite, Way Assauto, Brit Hub Co, in the past; these are similar but not from the same moulds IMHO. The worst news it that I've got 2 sets of the buggers which I aquired on different bikes - just my luck ;-)

My latest theory is that they are a cheaper variation of the FB made for Simplex Italy - but without the branding. Mine only have a single row of flange holes and the axles are not drilled. This link shows a single sided rear hub, which has elements of my front and rear hubs where the barrel presses into the flanges.
http://www.undergroundbicycleshop.com/19401960/fb-simplex-rear-hub

I hear what you’re saying, seems like you know all the obvious suggestions.

However, the stem I remembered wasn’t badged ‘milremo’, it was ‘Il Milano’, i.e. The Milanese.

So not exactly the same ‘brand’. But close enough to wonder if there’s a connexion.

Happy hunting.

'Milremo' was a Ron Kitching invention, not Holdsworth: I don't think it's anything to do with these hubs. If Ron had happened to get hold of this type of hub to import, I'm sure he wouldn't have hesitated to have them badged as Milremo!

You mean Il Primo. Not Il Milano.

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I messaged someone who knows a lot about vintage hubs. His reply was

The air hole/spoke hole pattern looks like B.H. Airlite The "dust
cap" looks like F.B./Campy And it turns out that I don't know where
F.B.s were manufactured. Gnutti is still in business, using the same
logo, 80km from Milano.
Measurements and better photos of the stampings would help.

Any chance of the requested "Measurements and better photos of the stampings" ?

Cheers Jeff, I think you were pretty much on the money 24hrs ago, but I hope you enjoyed playing along with the game.

To all involved, or who just took an interest, by way of thanks I've written you one of my, very bad, poems.... It's not easy I know, but try and make it scan ;-)

Milano, Milremo, Il Primo
Now I think that we've run out of steam-o.

Regina, Ofmega, Way Assauto
It's a much harder game than we a-thought-o.

Gran Sport, Nuovo Tipo, Frateli Brivio
There's no way it would be Campagnolo.

GB, BHC, Costrictor and Harden
Were left out, but I'm sure that you'll pardon

Airlite, Brampton and then Bayliss-Wiley
Good work team, we should end with a smiley ;-)

True! Ganja addled memory is not good

Lovely poetry!^