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

Hobbs which looks nice and original
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/364111789227

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Shame it's had a big front-end crash; don't touch it !

Yes ,can see it now on DT and TT 👍

Harry Rensch TDF
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/185740686223?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-

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Picked up this lovely 1930's ride at the w/end. Few questions to ask a community on here as my first pre-war purchase:

• Wheels are 26 1 1/4 with some heavy Schwable tyres on, any other options to consider? Also reasons not to use 700c instead, seems to be ample space to fit them, toe overlap?
  
• Brake levers are (as well as not period IMO) impossible to operate and with lots of nuts&bolts sticking out to hurt your hands. Any recommendations for something that will work well and be easier to operate on those shallow Marsh bars? Perhaps other type of bars to consider?
  
• those 'cuts' on top of Birmalux seat pin- should I be concerned or is this just the way steel cuts into (am I correct?) alloy?
  
  

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The seatpost is just as you suspect, the clamp drags some alloy down with it. We have to remember that most alloys were cack until the 70's, at the earliest, either too hard to work and brittle, a prime example is Duralumin, or the non-structurall, soft but okay, as in the Birmabright family.

Thanks, you would suggest OK to use it or best to replace as in better safe than sorry?

Perfectly fine to use. You might want to file down the ridge, just for cosmetic reasons.

Might be a bit too young for this threat really but lovely Mercian Barn find non the less. Think it's a superlight.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/275652454645?

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Birmalux Seatpin

I had one of these break underneath me just where yours looks weak. I was riding a crit at the time and I was lucky to finish as a simple DNF rather than in hospital. Throw it away - seat pins are not hard to find.

26 x 1.25" wheels

I've said this many times here: 700's will almost certainly fit your frame and improve the riding quality of the bike.

Don't throw away the old wheels - some one in the future might want the experience of riding the bike as it was and, you never know, perhaps one day in time to come decent tyres for this size might yet be produced. At the moment I think the only modern tyres that are worth bothering with are are Schwalbes which will take 85psi, but are essentially roadster tyres. If you've got a nice vintage lighweight, it doesn't make sense to use heavy tyres. The original owner certainly would not have done so.

Yep.. that all makes sense.

Thanks, all good advice and much appreciated. You're right, it is a nice lightweight deserving a nice wheel/tyre set. I'll check how it rides with 700 and keep 26 1.25 for a while - I also suspect they are of some value - FB hubs on Constrictor rims, all in VGC?

Another question if I may please - rather than persevering with the current hadlebars (Marsh?)/brake levers (impossible to operate) combo, what would be a recommended alternative that would a) not look too out of place on bike of that era and b) be of better comfort for someone like me, with multiple hand surgeries, carpal tunnel issues and 0% of one of three thenar muscles left? Yes, I like bike to look of a period, but not so much that I can't ride it.

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Bikes like your Russ (it is a Russ, isn't it?) can either be treated as museum pieces where the originality is the prime consideration, or bikes to be ridden; yours seems to be in the second category.

Your hand problem obviously must be treated with respect, so the first things to go must be those horrible brake levers. Apart from anything else, they were never intended for use with drop bars - they're meant for straight or north road bars. For the same reason you will have to find bars that are comfortable first and period second.

You've probably noticed that the handlebar stem is non original - a head clip headset would not normally have a stem with an expander bolt. In the same way you will have noticed that a pre-war bike made in London would almost certainly not have started life with Italian hubs. These parts are desirable bits of kit, but you don't have to worry that you're messing up something that should be in that museum piece category.

You will just have to experiment to find what's right for you - in the end I'm confident this will be an excellent machine which should give you many enjoyable miles.

My work colleague’s grandfather would have made that Russ. He was EF Russ.

Here is his Russ that he raced on through the 70s and 80s, which I think was originally made for his father.

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Oh that's a beauty. Something about those path racers screams perfect bike.
Aggressive but able to take mudguards, simple. And this one looks very fast, your colleague must have good core muscles.

Amazing bike and how neat to have that lovely connection:)

Yes, you are correct about the Russ and about that stem too, it did occur to me strange to have an expander one with the headeset on the bike. And you also are correct, I'm not that bothered about having a museum piece, so once polished may go back on, if the size fits. Bars will also be sourced if those are impractical, have not tested them yet. Bits that are of value will fund other bits needed, wheels as want single speed and not a fixed gear. May need to get them built as it seems 95mm front and 115mm rear. But in no rush currently as hand op prevents me riding for at least another month or so.

Thanks again for your help.

Lovely.

wheels as want single speed and not a fixed gear. May need to get them built

You don't need to rebuild the wheel to change from fixed to single free - just remove fixed sprocket and fit single freewheel - it's the same thread!

Now for something different.

I've decided to offer this frame to readers of this thread, since I think you are the only people here who might be interested.

The frame has no history and no maker is known, but it's obviously a classy job - of its day, which I think must be 1920's. I have never seen another surviving track frame from this period, although there must have been plenty of them since track was a big thing then. I'm pretty sure this was intended for track since, apart from the rear ends it has round fork blades.

It has a Chater Lea bottom bracket shell, but sadly no bearing. The seat tube is 21".

I had intended to build it, but now I'm afraid I'll never get round to the job and I feel I ought to pass it on to some one who will use it. I'd like some money for it, but this is not a big issue and is negotiable.

If no one here wants it, I'll put it in the V-CC magazine.

Pics will follow shortly

Here we are, the ancient track frame.

It's in NW10. PM if you're interested.

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Looks fab. And 👏 for a great gesture, someone will be really happy.

Is the organic soup included?

Already eaten, I'm afraid.

But you would get the headset and those rare brake stirrup guides for round fork blades.

Hub on the wheel I had in mind is 126mm OLD and the frame is 118, probably even 110mm originally. The FB rear hub is in fact flip/flop allowing to fit freewheel on one side, but that would meant keeping same 26" wheels, rather than 700c, unless rebuilt with new rims.
Might look for some 'new' wheels with boxed silver rims instead trying to re-space and re-dish ^...which is not my forte.