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

sadly the one I have is the fatter version, 15mm at the neck. Never mind

I know that the camera can lie, but looking at your photo of the two right hand cranks together I find it hard to believe they are both the same length - the new one looks distinctly longer.

I think you should check the measurement before looking for another l.h. crank.

Yer... that's the cheating camera angle they are definitely the same size.
I have a feeling finding a left hand crank for this will be very difficult, it might be worth me joining the VCC and putting it in there classifieds section of the club magazine, if they still do it.

I certainly think you should join the V-CC. I've been a member for a very long time and I've gained a lot of pleasure from the club. All the users of this column would find membership, which isn't expensive, worthwhile.

The club's 'News and Views' does have a lively classified section, but although I know it's a good medium for selling, I don't have any knowledge about how effective the wanted section is. N & V generally is a good read anyway.

I sometimes go on V-CC rides, which can be fun but I'm afraid, Falconvitesse, you may find the pace a bit pedestrian.

So far as the crank is concerned, I'm a bit surprised you're comfortable with six and a half inch cranks - I much prefer six and threequarter myself although probably shorter in the leg than you are. I rather wish I didn't care, but as it is - I know what like.

On the other hand I don't much care whether my cranks are a perfect match (they have to be the same length, obvs).

Holdsworth La Quelda in need of some TLC

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174352642896

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"some" tlc :)

I'm a member too, but as @clubman says I also can't tell how effective that wanted section can be .

It's worth registering anyway.

Stored in a canal?

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Feel free to send me any details you may have, I'll have a look on some French forums for you. It's most definitely not from 1900 though.

I think that’s more 30s or 40s. It’s got very slack angles but everything else is too conventional for it to be 20s or earlier. I’d expect to see things like forward sloping top tube and non-standard looking headset, bottom bracket, dropouts and lugs, where they were still having to make that stuff themselves from scratch in-house.

I have cancelled the transaction as that what I have realised too. It not quite as described.

I have used the wanted classifieds before when I was on the hunt for a set of forks I think for a Holdsworth Zephyr. It came to no avail but it might be worth trying, this is definitely going to be a slow burner, it's fine though as @clubman says I can still ride the bike with odd cranks of the same length while I'm looking for this illusive narrow Chater Crank arm.
You are right 6 3/4 length would probably have been better but I was just replacing like for like, however This is the bike I rode on the Hard Day in January ride for 90 miles and i don't remember thinking I wish the cranks were longer.
I was a VCC member for two years and didn't participate in any of their rides, not sure why, at some point though i intend to join the Mark Stevens Scottish Gillott ride.

I've got these you can have if any use?
I've kind of lost where you're up to.

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This is the bike I rode on the Hard Day in January ride for 90 miles and i don't remember thinking I wish the cranks were longer.

I doubt whether anyone thinks - 'my cranks feel too long/short'. However, by experimenting you may well find that one length seems to suit better than another. I can't offer a formula to decide what would be best for any individual, although I believe this has been tried in the past.

I hope we are all aware that the crank length (CL) has an effect on gearing, in the sense that long cranks have a similar effect to reducing the gear - your foot on the pedal goes further for each unit of distance you travel, and it has even been suggested that a long CL will help to get a big gear over; an idea that doesn't really make sense. On the other hand ordinaries (penny farthings) used cranks of about four to five inches, which explains how people managed to go so fast on them with such low gearing (about 50" to a maximum of 60")

There was a trend in the early years of the twentieth century to use 8 or even 9 inch cranks combined with enormous gears, but this was clearly a failed experiment. It's worth noting that Nick Bowdler won the BBAR in 2008 and 9 using 165 cranks (six and a half inches) combined with very high gears - and he's not particularly short.

So I think the moral is that each individual needs to experiment to find what suits them best, and it's their ideal CL which should decide what they use, rather than any particular brand - and that applies to both sides of the machine!

Thanks for the offer @7ven. However I'm looking for a narrower left hand crank arm. I will persevere as there is no rush, anyway im sure you will need these at some point. Do you have any bike related projects on the go or are you swamped with home schooling?

Ah, cool, couldn't keep track of what you were after :)
School's out for the summer so one less thing to worry about.
Only a Pearson to build up for commuting duties. Should try and get out for a short ride into Kent in Autumn.

Totally agree, I'm sure your paint will have hardened by then @anidel....?

Ah! Indeed :)

Maybe this should be this years pre 50's ride?

ah, my bad-misread what you'd put. Seem's like you meant this should be this years pre-50's ride

I'm definitely up for a pre 50's ride in Kent in Autumn and to be honest I'm fairly flexible on dates. How about from Bromley/Hayes in September.

sounds good to me, although I will have to suggest someone else takes route planning duties as I am a terrible route planner, have no starva etc or smartphone and don't know the area....

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174352642896
I know it's seen better days but I'm sure that's a Lytaloy headset and GB levers and Calipers for 40 quid. I bet that frame would buff out too?

I would take the cranks if they are available! :)