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Another view:
I thought you might like to see this machine. The kit is eclectic, but I hope you can see some distinctly old components among the more modern bits like the saddle and the concealed brake cables.
An observant observer will have noticed the number '4' on the Sturmey trigger - the hub is an FM which gives a 33% decrease from direct drive. I find this very useful since the area is hilly.
Gearing is 48 x 18 which gives just under 71" direct and a bottom of 49".Front hub is an Airlite QR which I bought new in 1977. The shopkeeper didn't know what to charge for it, so he looked up the price in the latest British Hub Co. catalogue he had. This dated from 1962, so the price seemed reasonable!
The frame is believed to be an Aussie Hurlen, a Liverpool builder and I'm fairly sure it is pre-war. It has round fork blades and what look like hand cut lugs. As can be seen, the clearances are close with 700 rims (the brake stirrups are Weinmann 500's), so it was either intended for 26's or for racing. The headset is a headclip type and the bottom bearing has larger than standard balls ( I think they are 1/4") which was not uncommon on quality frames in the 1930's. The seat tube is 20" which has shown me the limit of my personal move to smaller frames - this is the absolute minimum I can manage.
When I first got this frame I intended to use it with fixed, but for some reason I never felt at ease with it in that form, whereas with the Sturmey it makes a comfortable and useful machine.
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Very nice @clubman, the frame geometry certainly doesn't give away its age, however the lugs being Chater Lea certainly do as they were not so common after the war.
27" wheels were also more unusual., It is also lacking a lamp boss lug so it could have been used for time trial or possibly track work.
I love those Stronglight cranks which were around definitely post war albeit in very small numbers.
Talking of practical classics I have fitted my first ever pair of mudguards to one of my own bikes. Im usually not a fan but I have had trouble with water ingress in my BB on my commuter bike, so I thought fitting mudguards might alleviate the problem. We shall see. -
O.k how to remove stuck cotters. The spider gets in the way of mounting my press. Bashing is just bending the cotter. Any bright ideas. I hate cotters. I might get a strong light 47d for this bike.
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Jonny69's method should work fine (as with all his techniques) . You might try some penetrating oil and heat as well if you're not confident.
It's important that the blow with the hammer should be straight on, not an angle, which will bend the threaded part of the pin.
As for hating cotter pins, I can honestly say that in recent years I've had to deal with far more problems relating to square taper cranks than with cotter pins.These have been mostly relatives and friends who have failed to notice slight movement on their cotterless crank and only asked me about it after causing irrepairable damage. Even if a cotter pin does come loose, it's usually only the pin itself that suffers, and this is easy to replace.
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Aussie Hurlen Frame
I've no reason to think the lugs are Chater Lea. When I referred to the 'bottom bearing' I meant the bottom of the headset, not the bottom bracket.
The oversize bottom headset bearing was a fairly common feature pre 1939. I think most Selbachs had one, as did Sunbeams. I don't know who made them, and I've got a feeling that Sunbeam made their own. It certainly seems a good idea since it is always the bottom end of a headset which gets damaged, so beefing it up ought to help.
Mudguards
Riding without mudguards can often cause water to get into the seat tube and from there it may well ruin the BB bearing or, worse still, sit in the tube until it rusts through.
Possible remedies include:
- sealing the bearing and drilling the underside of the BB shell to allow the water to get out.
- sealing the top of the seat tube, especially where the seat pin clamp has become distorted.
- buying a new frame!
-fitting a back mudguard.
- sealing the bearing and drilling the underside of the BB shell to allow the water to get out.
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a couple of nice pre-WWII tandems in Wolverhampton, both with original paint and parts (mostly):
R.O. Harrison looks about 22" front and back.
MacLean 21 1/2" captain, 20" stoker?
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Drop my cotter pin press of to a shop today for modification do it fits over the cranks. Another cra k at it tomorrow. The Benetto will be on the road soon.
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Does anyone have a steel quill stem, the older the better that's 120mm long.
Or an old alloy one like GB.
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I thought the lugs looked very Chapter Lea like, particularly the rear drop outs and the fork crown. I could of course be mistaken.
My local LBS suggested I buy a modern sealed BB unit, to alleviate the problem of water ingress in the BB shell, but I feel that would be cheating somewhat, so i will see how the mudguards work out.
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You could be right about those lugs - I don't know what they are, but the bottom bracket is standard size, so that's not much help for indentification.
Sealing your BB bearing might be ok for the bearing, but it's not a solution for the problem - perhaps your LBS is hoping to sell you a new frame after yours has rusted through!
I think this problem is almost always caused by lack of a back mudguard, but you might take the extra precaution of silicon sealer around the seat bolt area.
It used to be normal practice (towards the end of the unsealed BB era in the 70's and 80's) to fit a plastic seal between the BB cups. You may still be able to find these at cycle jumbles, but if not it's possible to make one from a plastic bottle.
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cheap Hobbs in Ilford for collection. I would get it myself but I really don't have space for another bike https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hobbs-Blue-riband-bicycle/193168191268?hash=item2cf9b8af24:g:WHcAAOSwY8tdrNNc
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this has similar lugs and seat stay tops too:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/56cm-ITALIAN-MONDIAL-ROAD-FRAME-FIXIE-SINGLE-SPEED-CAMPAGNOLO-DROPOUTS-c1960s/303349991441?hash=item46a1118811:g:BP8AAOSwLPpdwY3A -
Got it out. I modified my press to extract it. Shame the bb axle is shot.
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Hi guys
I'm after a decent set of Bluemels mudguards if anybody has a set for sale. There are a couple of options on Ebay but I'm after a set with the wing nuts and long stays.
The mudguards also need to be for 27 1 1/4 wheels and black if possible. -
Excel Cycles of Woolwich in original paint:
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It's not obvious from the photo, but on the Aussie Hurlen the back mudguard lower stays are made up from wire coat hangers - with the mounting on the seat stay in that position you need very long stays and I couldn't find any. My effort is not quite as good as the originals since the wire is slightly thinner and less rigid, but they've kept the mudguard in place for some years now.
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Heads straight for the wardrobe. I have a set but the stays are just to short and to buy them new on line with the wing nuts you may as well buy a new set.
It's a great idea love it. -
That Excel is nice.
Hobbs in Enfield 22"(?) . Same seller has an interesting path/track bike with chrome ends/lugs.
Shame about the price of this Hurlow built 24" Condor barn find in Totnes.
clubman
falconvitesse
cycleclinic
jeff80
Jonny69
nonowt
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Pre 1950s rides of LFGSS: old bikes, vintage rats, classic lightweights
Posted by
@luckyskull
Head tube lugs remind me of a Boeris, compare to the closeup of the lugs on this one on the bay, not identical but definitely similar, although I think I've seen similar on others as well but this one was fresh in my mind.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-classic-gents-bicycle-Ciclosport-Boeris-Torino-1960s-eroica/323899095043