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

You are reading a single comment by @nankatsu and its replies. Click here to read the full conversation.

•

clubman in reply to @nankatsu

If this frame is Charlie McCoy's track frame you can be pretty well certain it was built for sprints, not 27's.

Gillot's would have been embarrassed if a rider of his class were seen at the track on a gappy frame with their name on it! Also, if you look at the pics of his geared TT bikes you will notice they have short reach brakes, implying he was a man who liked close clearances.

•

nankatsu in reply to @clubman

Thanks @clubman
I did speak to Charly a couple of years back on the phone. He said he'd got the Gillott when he was pretty young and - from memory - he said he'd bought it off a clubmate.
I think his first sponsor was Soens.
I'll try and dig out my notes from what he said.

•

clubman in reply to @nankatsu

So if he bought it second hand as a beginner it could possibly be a 27" wheel frame.

There certainly were frames which were 'dual purpose' as winter bikes (I note yours has mudguard eyes, although even Anquetil's bike had them, back then) and track/ tt machines in the summer.

It's not easy now to understand just how short money was in the fifties.

About

Avatar for nankatsu @nankatsu started