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

I couldn’t get it loose so I ran a MIG weld round it and used my big chain whip. That, plus the heat from the weld makes them come off pretty easily.

I had a go, but the outer plate on the Suntour had shallow slots that I couldn’t get anything in. It was quite wobbly anyway, I don’t think it was worth saving.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114197375697
Don't get me wrong it's a lovely frame, apart from the obligatory dent on the top tube, but still a Staggering price for a Holdsworth....?

That seller did very well

Crazy. It's also true that Whirlwind frames are rare.

Lockdown project inflation?

Could well be a factor.

Bates - Looks very good.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/202980771888

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Large 50s Claud Butler -
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/283867876711

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Early Mal Rees -
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324155961534

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Oh my

If only it were my size 😁

Did this ride ever happen? I came across it during a search, and a year/50 pages of posts ago…

Anyway, apparently Bill Leach had a workshop that was somewhere near where Stratford station is now, and a shop at 187 Leytonstone High Rd, which is now a post office. Ref: http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/builders/leach-marathon.html

I live near there, and renovated a Leach Marathon my neighbour had built for him in the early 50s—fixed wheel, pics here https://www.flickr.com/gp/rsstephenson/tT550m

Up for a ride once lockdown is less locked down.

Oily rag clean and spin in the sun, I'd forgotten what a superb cycle this is -

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Such delicate seat stays and a lovely rake on the forks. Wonderful bike.

I'm going to make a real effort to get out on it as it's great to ride.

Felt like an APB went out today warning everyone that soon it’s back to back to ‘(ab)normal’ for bikes being given short shrift by drivers - passed 40+ cyclists in about 3 miles on the lane out from Reading (CS4?) was wonderful! Did some uphills on the Holdsworth, felt good.

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Large Claud Butler and collection in Bristol.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/202983851281

Looks like it's a Bi-laminate and some decent parts.

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Oh, that's nice and a decent size. Shame about the location.

Bit of a mechanical question to you all....Whilst setting up my Sturmey ASC rear wheel earlier I noticed that the Conloy Sprint rim on the rear wheel has a crack around 2 of the spoke holes-just on one side of each hole not both but one is quite long and a little open-around 8-9mm I'd say long. The wheels have only just been built up so I guess this has happened when the spokes were tightened up by the builder (I assume there must have been a weakness already as I did not see it when I picked them up but only noticed it now the tubs are fitted and inflated on closer inspection. My question is it safe to ride these rims for a bit if I keep an eye on it?-I am not particularly heavy -maybe 69 kilos (11 stone in old money) give or take, and I never really ride the bike in anger as such, more pootle around generally. I just don't want to totally destroy the rim as It took me an age to find these and quite a bit of cost to get built up (Especially as the other set of wheels I has built at the same time round a Sturmey AC hub are out of action as the AC Hub has stuck fast and failed-, so needs fixing, but that's a different story), but equally I don't want to have to rip off the newly fitted tub to try and strengthen the rim straight away as I am desperate to try this hub....

At some point I will of course remove the tubulars and was planning to araldite a washer or a strip of steel around each split spoke hole and over the crack inside, as I think this will hold it long term for the relatively light use it gets (Maybe I am wrong here but I can't think of what else to do and I really want to keep this wheelset in use)

Any advice, thoughts, anyone with a similar experience?

@jeff80 I feel your pain and frustration having a bike so close to completion and yet not road worthy. I personally don't think it's worth the risk, even if you are mega careful and the rim doesn't disintegrate you will have the problem in the back of your mind every time you take the bike out, consequently your riding experience will be impaired and anything but enjoyable.

The 1950's lugless Claud Butler (some way above)

This frame is the same model as the one I was riding on the original Hard Day in January ride in 1959 - mine was a bit smaller, but still too big for me at the time (it still would be).

By chance in the past few days someone mentioned that he had enjoyed reading my article on that original ride (it was in Fellowship News fairly recently) and this caused me to wonder whether it had ever been on this forum. I think the article was originally written for the proposed LFGSS coffee table book which, I believe, never got beyond the discussion stage.

It surprises me that I have never posted it, but I've searched and I can't find it. I don't want to post the same thing twice so I'll leave it a day or so and if no one else finds it I'll post it in the HDiJ thread.

I'm sorry to hear about your crack problem, but I'm afraid I've come to see rims as expendable - just like tyres and chains.

The good news is that there should still be plenty of secondhand 40 hole sprint rims around, just not too many Constrictors. For me, when it comes to old kit, I use what's available and what will work - for this reason I don't bother too much about having things in pairs, especially if it's something I can't see or feel when I'm riding.

When 700's came in a lot of hubs that had been used with sprint rims were converted to the new wired on formula, and since many old cyclists hate throwing things away, I think there will still be many of these rims around.

It's not that difficult to change a rim, as long as the spokes are the right length, and I doubt if there would be much difference between a Conloy and a Fiamme. I recommend taping all the spoke crossovers together before dismantling - this will save getting in a muddle.

It sounds like it would be a good read.

Well it's a 1947 benneto that got exported to Argentinawhere it got the argentian chainset and brake levers from hell.

I really need to find some universal brake levers. I do have a stronglight square taper from the 60s which could go on. To be honest while the andel chainset is not period it looks fine and the modern bb makes it rideable. I do ride it regularly about once a week now.
I have a hatred of cotterpins and I was around in 1947 I would have fitted a square taper crank as soon as I could. My hatred of cotter pins extends to before I was born. Anyway I gave the old chainset axles and cups away to a russian. No use for them so hopefully he has.

I just like riding it. Oh the other thing I need is bottle cages.