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Yeah it’s great isn’t it? Those are modern tubs - without looking weren’t they FMB? Either way they’re cool. $$ but if I win the large flange Blumfield hubs and get to build the sprints I’ve been dreaming about for a couple of years I might get some :)
Agree the hubs are Airlite, I think it was common to put in Campag or Gnutti hollow axles and skewers. They fit in the older 5/16” barrel front Airlites - I had one I serviced to find a Campag axle and ‘53 date stamped locknuts. The stem is a nice touch. Could all have been put together last week obviously but certainly tells a romantic story.
I’m probably spending a year in Switzerland from August and have been debating what bikes to take. Pretty sure the R O Harrison is going so maybe at some point someone will wonder how that got so far from home :)
veloham-
Agree it could have been assembled at any point over the last 70 years - it sort of feels right though somehow. If it’s been living out in Italy for decades it would have been primo exotic.
‘What is this Chater Lea?’
😂
Didn’t know those Dugast tyres were being made still/again (FMB?) they’re pretty cool.Now you mention it, I remember hearing that about retrofitting QRs in Airlites, I wonder if Brits started doing that before BHC started making them.
I’ve been looking at Gnutti or FB hubs and wondering how early their (under license from Campag) QRs appeared over here.Having been out of the buying/selling old bike toot game for some years I’ve noticed there seems to have been a big L’Eroica effect in Italy - certainly in the optimistic pricing on eBay anyway.
absurdbird
That ‘Cloud’ Butler is really lovely.
Chainstay mounted derailleur is unusual on a 40’s British lightweight no?
It’s got some European parts that it probably picked up on its travels - posh Dugast tubs, Italian brakes and French stem, are those Lefol levers?
Hubs look like Airlites but have QRs, I guess the wheels are later?
I’d love to know the history of this bike, it hangs together really well and looks legit and like it’s been loved over time.