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

Someone buy this, so I can't please.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2684257568373783/

Expensive, but lovely!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Gillott-Fleur-de-Lis-Rd-Path-Track-Ends-52-Original-Ron-Cooper-Chater-/195431693453?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

An attractive frame - but you're not getting much more than that for your money, not even toe clips!

I'm puzzled by the word 'Chater' (after Ron Cooper). I can't see anything Chater about it-I did wonder if it was the bottom bracket, but that looks standard to me (a good thing).

I expect you've noticed this is a 'Road/Path' frame - that is, it's not pure track with clearances for road use and mudguard eyes.

Old free shit here

Nice!

Just around the corner from me.

I was gifted this 'clock' but the clock bit has failed. As a chainring, it might be useful. Anyone want? Free, but you pay postage!

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Surely you can buy a tyical clock movement for under £5 and fix it?

Eg

Well i had intended to ride out this morning, however rain has stopped play.

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Dave Davey came back from Rikki's shop with those cotter pins removed. Had a full polish and wax treatment yesterday :) Couple of questions for the more informed folk on here than me:

• Cotter pins seem to be french 9mm, yet bottom bracket is TDC No2, the 9.5mm won't fit the crankset (Milremo). This combination is OK? Shall I reuse old ones or get new 9mm replacements?
  
• Bottom bracket looks in VGC, do I replace loose balls with cages or loose balls again?
  
  • cranks are EDIT: 165mm, front ring is 48t and rear ss cog is 18t, would that be a hard ride, e.g. shall I swap to 20t at rear?
    
    

Cheers

Cotter Pins

The cotters have to fit into the cranks - your milremo cranks must be drilled for the smaller continental 9mm size. There's no problem using them with an English spindle (axle).

There's no reason not to reuse the old ones. If they are marked where they've been up against the flat of the spindle it's worth filing them just to remove the burrs and get them flat again.

I oil the cotter pins when I fit them. As described elsewhere here support the crank so that when you hammer the pins in (not too violently!) you don't damage the BB bearing. After fitting ride a few miles and then give a few light taps on the pins and retighten the nuts. Should be fine after that, although you could check the nuts for tightness after, say, a hundred or so miles.

Bearings

I can't see any advantage in using cages, except it makes assembly easier. But you're not a production line so time saving isn't critical. My method is to put enough 'medium' grease into the cups to hold the balls in place, add some oil (engine oil is OK, but gearbox oil is probably better). Grease the bearing faces on the spindle. Put the balls in the fixed cup (already in the frame) with the frame on lying on its right hand side and insert the spindle making sure you have the longer end of the spindle on the right. You can now use the spindle to hold the balls in place while you screw in the left hand cup which you've already greased, oiled and filled with balls. Adjust and recheck after about a hundred miles.

Gearing

Most people would find 48x18 (72" on 27's) too high, especially with short cranks.

A 19 sprocket is the popular choice - possibly no longer available as a single free. There are plenty of 19 fixed sprockets.

48 x 20 - a bit low for most. 50 x 20 (67" with 27's) is nearly the same as 48x19.

Good luck - I hope you do many miles on this bike.

Cheers for all the info, much appreciated.

Anyone with spare 26.6mm open top seat pin, or would a modern alloy such as this one be OK to use for Davey as original is too small hence was distorted ?

Is anyone able to identify this frame please. It's reputed to be a T J Quick in 753, but the paint is obv's non-original. The frame number is 0018, and it has been converted form canti brakes. I'll measure the tube and seatpost diameters later to hopefully provide some clues.

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Scrape off a bit of paint and see if it's brass or silver braze, should give a clue as to if it's 753..

Got this nice 650b 1950's Griffon, build same as a Peugeot PLX40.

really want to put a hub dynamo on though...

That front brake it quite a piece of work!

Bebolux Brakes! Quite a sight indeed, also brakes, given the steel rims, exceptionally good

That's a very attractive machine!

The brakes - do they work in the rain?

I have ridden a bike with a similar (probably identical) derailleur. It did change, but I couldn't get it to work well, probably my fault, but it did seem disappointing. That long arm should give scope for a small inner chain ring, which might make the bike a practical tourer without doing away with the three speed block.

Before you bother with a hub dynamo, get hold of one and try turning it by hand - I think you will find there's quite a lot of resistance, and that's there all the time whether the lights are on or not. Then there's the weight to consider.

The top sprocket looks a bit worn. If it's any good to you I have got what I believe to be a French threaded 3 speed block. You are welcome to have it, if you want to come and collect it from London NW10.

In the rain it brakes, just takes a little longer to stop ;-) probably also partly the fault of brake pads, which I will replace in due time.

It actually only has 1 chainring and, though it might look bad on the photos, the sprockets are in a really good condition!

When I picked it up, it wouldn't really shift, but setting it up is quite easy. Only the strange sizes threw me off a bit, must be a 33 on the headset.

I love hub dynamos, the resistance is not something you feel while riding. I really want to use it as a commuter and modern lights are just so much better. I also fear shredding through the tire with the side running dynamo..

First few miles on Davey - couldn't wait on Weinman 605 brake levers I bought to arrive to match the calipers (the original ones were bent) so I put some 80s SR low risers on for the mo.
Open dome seat pin ordered, will also fit black Bluemels on to get me through the winter. Found a pair of unused 28mm Michelins in the shed, surprisingly smooth ride for such dirt cheap tyres.
And 48/18 ratio looks to be just fine for the mostly flat area round here, so may persevere for a while before ordering a 19t SA cog.
Annoyingly threads on (new) NDS cotter pin shredded without me really trying, so secured with a bit of Loctite until replacement arrives, no arm movement noticed after 30k though 🚴‍♂️

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70 miles today lucky to make it back to be honest as half way through the ride i noticed that three of my chainring bolts had sheered off.
I had to take out the cotter pin to get the chainring bolt off.
Turns out that the bolts hadnt sheered off luckily, it was just glue residue left in the bolt holes.
Even with the glue the bilts had come loose and fallen out. Need to hunt qround for spares, any suggestions on ensuring they dont come loose next time.?

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Did you fit this chainring to the crank?

I ask because it seems to me that once something has remained bolted together for many years, the chances of it undoing itself are remote. When anything has recently been assembled, even though you've done your best to get it right, this sort of problem can happen. The only solution I can suggest is to keep checking anything newly assembled - if after a few hundred miles of riding and checking everything is still tight, you can be pretty sure it will stay that way for ever.

I expect you know this, but your excellent BSA cranks would take a TA ring (slight fettling needed) TA bolts are probably easier to come by than the BSA 'pins' which have been lost. I'd guess Johnny Dennis himself would have favoured this solution!

I bought the cranks years ago, it was a total fluke that they are double fluted and with the chamfered top edge. A superb set of cranks thats for sure.
I have used them on various bikes over the years and the chainring has been separated many times.
Johnny dennis's bike is the first frame i have had, that the cranks have suited so i will definitely persevere until they are right.
This time i will use locktight. Im confident that will hold them. Hopefully see you with the bike on Saturday if the bolt i have ordered arrives on time.