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

A Photograph

Which may be a coda for the cotter pin discussion.........at least for the time being.

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Permanent marker can often be used as an alternative to engineers' blue as a way of finding the contact points - easier to control and much easier to clean off hands clothes dogs and carpets.
+1 for Richard's Bicycle Book - it might be an age thing but I still find a book better on a work bench than a laptop or phone, especially when things are being made to fit with a hammer.

Bring out your cottered steads.
This was yesterday, Well hill near Shoreham Kent.
The BSA outfit is an interim until I find a square taper BB for my 49d's. It's all I had lying around, embarrassing really as in 1954 when this frame was new I don't think any like-minded cyclist would have been seen dead with BSA cranks , tapered or otherwise. I could be wrong of course?

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What are those bottle cage mounts?

Cotter Pins

Thanks @clubman and @Jonny69 all great stuff, although I can't say it fills me with enthusiasm for fitting cotters! I have a BSA set to fit to a 1948 Hobbs so it's in my future nonetheless and I'm sure that'll all be helpful.

Reynolds Stem

I've recently got hold of a Reynolds 2 bolt stem, it looks like a really early one to me, wanting to share details and pick anyone's brain that cares to pitch in. I've not seen markings like this before, only the version with "Reynolds" in the recessed bit of the projection. I guess the patent number 1121-36 means a 1936 patent date, which makes sense with the advert I found on Graces Guides from July of that year. [I hadn't realised that R.R. 56 was the Hiduminium alloy rather than a Reynolds model name - details here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiduminium.] I have no clue what the markings on the non-drive-side of the clamp mean.

Got a worrying feeling this means I need a 1930s bike to go with it.

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Some detail shots

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Here's my 1st cotter pin fitting and it's turned out OK, Easier than I expected -
Many thanks to @clubman, @Jonny69 for the pointers /advice.

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Wrong way round - you'll regret it when the turn-ups on your tweeds get caught on those threads !

Got a worrying feeling this means I need a 1930s bike to go with it.

I think it does :)

Apart from the risk to your tweeds, I take my hat off, well done. [Gauntlet thrown down 😬]

It's the correct way for an English bike. We are (or were )expected to wear:

1. Shorts
   
2. Tights (to go with our Alpaca jackets)
   
3. Plusses
   
4. Trouser clips (for 'business' riding)
   
   

No loon pants in this list!

Cotter pin fitting looks perfect - well done!

Now for something completely different

Sunbeam

Would anyone here like this?

I thought I'd offer it here first - it's not really a sale - I'd just like some one to have it and make a small donation to charity.

It's a BSA built Sunbeam, almost certainly 1940's. Its has two possible good points:

1. It's unusual - the right hand chainstay is formed by the chaincase (there is a bracing strut concealed inside the case).
   
2. It's great if you happen to do a lot of riding during rainstorms - your chain will remain perfectly lubricated.
   
   

Bad points:

1. Heavy.
   
2. Not very rigid.
   
   

It's a 21" frame, the wheels (which are original) are 26 x 1 and three eighths. The black stripe in the centre of the rims was a Sunbeam feature. The 3 speed hub is BSA.

Available for collection from Willesden.

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I think your Wikipedia link is broken. This one should (lol, will it?) go to the Hiduminium alloys: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiduminium

I just got completely sucked into reading all of that and then got onto Duralumin and Y Alloy. Had to stop! Interesting stuff, so it’s a casting alloy and needs heat treatment, followed by age-hardening at room temperature for a week. Strikes me that it’s not very stable and I’d wonder about its physical properties being the same after 80 years! I’d wager that many failures might have happened as a result of this or incorrect heat treating. It’s not exactly the strongest stuff to start with either. State of the art at the time though!

Your stem there, check the stem diameter because it’s an early one. Earlier stems for head clip headsets are 22mm compared to the usual 22.2mm and you won’t be able to use it in a fork with a conventional headset. Apologies if you already knew that!

Many thanks.

It has an expander bolt and as far as I can tell that is original. Diameter is between 22mm and 22.2mm depending on where I measure it :D Clamp a little over 25.4 but untightened.

I do wonder about older alloy components failing, specifically handlebars. I searched the internet a lot on the topic a few years ago and found plenty of people saying they wouldn't risk it, but very few reports of it actually happening. One considered write-up I read said they would be very unlikely to fail catastrophically, more like warp and bend.

No problem being told stuff I know. There's plenty of stuff I don't know, so better to risk it!

Pretty much everything about that advert is great. I'm not sure if many would pack 'shaving tackle' or a fountain pen for a cycling holiday these days. Also interesting to read cyclists were covering their steel components with vaseline in the winter!

Hiduminium was a real favourite of G Burgess who made bars, stems seatposts etc. as you probably know. I've not heard of those breaking. BUT I would question the "I" beam stem that you have where deterioration along the edges could easily lead to fractures !?

Have a pair Altenburger Synchron callipers going spare if anyone is interested, just cover postage and they are yours.

C.1940s CLIFF PRATT 58CM VINTAGE REYNOLDS 531 STEEL ROAD BICYCLE FRAME, OSGEAR
£175 BiN
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/C-1940s-CLIFF-PRATT-58CM-VINTAGE-REYNOLDS-531-STEEL-ROAD-BICYCLE-FRAME-OSGEAR/293978684453?hash=item44727ebc25:g:w14AAOSw1uBgEq24

A Pair of Stronglight 49D 170mm Alloy Bicycle Cranks & a Steel 52t Ring
BiN £28
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A-Pair-of-Stronglight-49D-170mm-Alloy-Bicycle-Cranks-a-Steel-52t-Ring/203262929537?hash=item2f536a2a81:g:YRcAAOSw9axgE-Qs

Rather nice Rotrax
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/193864222199

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I've been meaning to ask, why specifically a down tube cage? I have a couple, of I think later, wire Coloral ones and you're welcome to one. I've been keeping an eye out for earlier and handlebar mounted, but have never had a handlebar mounted bottle. I've ruined a paint job with a shifter band that wasn't tight enough, I don't feel great about band-on downtube cages. Keen to get advice, hear of other's experience? I'm looking for the French Vito made ones http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?id=11d0415c-aa44-4d0e-aa00-e4e5afadaa49 or the clasp operated Colaral, VW, etc. But all a bit rare / $$.

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This version in particular seems like a neat design, although I'm not sure if you're just making a choice between scratching paintwork, handlebars and stem.

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I think I might have one of these if you're interested.

It's a fair point @veloham.
However I have good reason for a downtube mounted cage.
it's for my commuter, so I will have lights and a Garmin mounted on the handlebars already, so adding a water bottle cage could be tricky particularly as the bars in question are of the South of France variety.
It doesn't matter now anyway as I have acquired a handlebar style cage so I will have to make room.

Ooo yes please