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

I’ll take a pic next time I’m with them anyway. You can have it for postage if you want it :)

Down Tube H/Bar Bottle Cages

This seems to have been a 'generational ' choice.

Pre-war and well into the fifties handlebar mounted cages were the norm but, for some reason unknown to me there was a change, probably complete by the early sixties, so that no 'gen' cyclist would be seen dead without a down tube bottle cage. Much the same thing, although somewhat later, happened with handlebar gear controls.

There's nothing wrong with either arangement, but it seems that there comes a time when the new kids on the block decide to disassociate themselves from the previous generation.

I'll PM you thanks Tom

Gillott spearpoint https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/383929266405

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Good infos Clubman.
Was there also an equipment difference between the League and Union cyclists?
Aside from obvious massed start vs time trialist gear.

I’m thinking of putting these on my Gillott - but they’re a bit over the top maybe.

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I'm certain there were differences between the League and the others, but I'm not quite old enough to be expert on this.

I think generally the BLRC supporters would try to look 'continental' and would laugh at fixed wheel time triallists riding out to events with mudguards and saddlebags.

Two of them have told me that they would travel up to the West End to buy Miroir Sprint and But et Club even though they couldn't read a word of French.

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!

This is a problem I have noticed (the size difference). I guess this may be another of those metric to imperial cock ups.

I suspect the difference may cause a potential danger, because If you use a 22mm stem in a steerer intended for 22.2mm you may cause undue stress on the steerer by overtightening the headclip bolt and crushing the steerer slot down onto the stem.

I have had a steerer fail (see photo below) and I feel very lucky to have escaped without injury - I was going uphill rather slowly when there was a click and suddenly no connection between the handlebars and the front wheel. Ninon at Bicycle Workshop told me that when headclips were common this type of failure wasn't all that rare.

I'd be most interested to hear what others think about this

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Ha.
That would make you properly ancient! I didn’t mean to imply ...

to buy Miroir Sprint and But et Club even though they couldn't read a word of French.

Les poseurs!

To be honest, I used to roll Gauloise tobacco in liquorice papers cause I thought it made me look cool.

Pretentious, moi‽

Ninon at Bicycle Workshop

🥰
That was such a great shop, and she was awesome.

22mm is the metric standard for stems, I had to sand down a Cinelli to use in a French Vitus frame.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ultra-rare-Coloral-bottle-bidon-handlebar-cage-stamped-clamps-1940-50s-/164678693615?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49292
Talking of bottle cages.!

Bloody hell!
I wonder what mine would fetch.

I haven’t seen one of those food canteens before.

I have a headclip stem that wouldn't fit a 1933 Holdsworth steerer at all.

Thanks @clubman, my suspicions from idly browsing these things is that the move to downtube happened earlier on the continent - so 40s to 50s. Maybe part of the spread to Britain was tied in with the increasing popularity of massed start, your pals reading Miroir Sprint, etc. Any tips on keeping band-on clamps from slipping? I have tried Peter Underwood's tip about using contact adhesive, but maybe I just didn't have the band tight enough.

Clamps, etc – To stop band clamps (cable clips, gear lever bands, front mechs, handlebar bottle-cage clips, pump-peg bands, etc.) from moving and/or causing marks. Coating the inner surface of the band with a thin layer of petroleum-rubber contact adhesive (Evo-Stik in the UK) works brilliantly. The glue must be allowed thoroughly to dry before fitting. Bands treated in this way are much more solid and less likely to move or mark the surface.

Those bottles to go on your 1952 Gillott with Simplex TdF etc? Works for me! 2 bottles for a long stage.

I've got a TdF planned for my 1948 Hobbs but it's a pretty small spread of teeth. 16 total I think with 26 biggest rear. I've got the T.A. double I posted previously with 44/50, looking out for a suitable 14-24 freewheel. I know @clubman will think I'm a wuss but I don't think I could tackle an Alpine stage with that setup. Not without the second bottle full of amphetamine laced porridge.

If you're a VCC member, have a read of the Wally Summers article starting on page A2 of 'Cycling, Second Series, 1947 01 08 Jan'. I really enjoyed that. Gives a flavour of the time. There's another article in reminiscences on classiclightweights where the writer remembers senior club members going across to France and Belgium to race and coming back with rims and spokes (I think). It's a little later in the 50s if I remember, but even if Mavic sprints, TA rings, etc. weren't available in Britain directly I can imagine them coming back in suitcases and being drooled over.

Found it, although this is early 60s ...

I had two sets of wheels, one with lightweight road tyres and the other with ‘Tubs’, I think the wheels were Mavic, but again, not sure. A few of the Actonia riders would go to Ghent, in Belgium, every year and try their luck at racing against the continentals. One of them, Johnny Willis, would always bring back (if ordered and paid for up front), sets of chrome wheel spokes. Quite a few of us had them and when the wheels were built they really did look good but unfortunately didn’t make you go any faster.

https://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/reminiscences/cycling-with-the-actonia/

Yes on my Simplex equipped’52 Connoisseur 🤓
I’m actually using a Juy 51 (Juy 53 up front) which has a bigger capacity than the TdF

I’ve got this baby to operate both derailleurs.

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So nice!

Lovely.

I've got a rod operated Simplex Competition front and single shifter for the rear. Nice setup for a Tour of Norfolk.

Juy 53
Pretty scarce derailleur.
I got this stuff 10-15 years ago when you could still get for not stupid money

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Anyone read the article in the latest VCC news & views on restoring period lights (page 36) for use now?
I'm not technically minded and may well give it a go.

If I were going Alpine pass storming I probably wouldn't take a bike with a Simplex TdF, but if you use 44 x 24, that will give a gear (700's) of about 48.6", which would get me up most passes since the roads are now so well engineered that a lot of the difficulties have been removed. How they managed on the poor surfaces which existed into the 1950's I can't understand - I rode L'Eroica (Italian version) in 2012 with a TdF, 43 x 22 bottom and found it nothing like low enough because the 'white road' surface was so loose that attempting to climb out of the saddle just caused wheelspin.

You should be aware that the TdF was never great at engaging the bottom sprocket, and 24 teeth is its extreme limit. It's essential to have the chain tight enough to pull the jockey cage almost horizontal, otherwise it fouls on the sprocket and won't engage.

You might be better off, if you need to achieve a lower bottom, by using TA Cyclotourist rings with a smaller inner and perhaps a 14-22 block. It's quite possible this may mean you can't use the big ring with the bottom sprocket (not enough chain) but that wouldn't be a great loss. N.B. I haven't tried this - I don't guarantee how well it would work.

Attitudes to gearing were different in the heroic era of the fifties- I was amused to read in an article about Charly Gaul that "he span his low 45x23 up to the top of the pass"!

Im finally a member of the VCC after an absence of 8 years so im looking forward to taking a gander through the magazine myself.
Adam pride the club secretary is very friendly he remembered me and I got to keep my old club member number.

Adam is a true gent indeed. Welcome back!

Just got N&V no 401 in the post

You might be better off, if you need to achieve a lower bottom, by using TA Cyclotourist rings with a smaller inner

I knew you’d call me a wuss :) No I’m ok with 44/24 if I can get it to work. That’s one more inch than my modern bike in big dog bottom sprocket which can get up most hills around me.

N.B. You told me I needed that adapter to stop my chainrings flexing when I’m pumping my guns.

Also the TdF is going on quite a showy build, so unlikely to tackle the alps on it :)

But yes totally agree re the heroic era and gearing, I do not know how they did it with these gears. That is a fantastic quote.