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

I do have ocd

ugh, thanks, issue is the eyes on dropouts. it won't be elegant but I'm gonna try treating them as unthreaded & using M4 nuts & bolts... hope they don't rattle...!

First draft

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I picked up a new set of mudguard bolts from condor cycles last weeek, they screwed in perfectly.

Well, that looks splendid already
Rather envious, in a good way :)

let me put it another way - I have set of bolts from some SKS mudguards that are a year or two old - the bolts screw in perfectly to a bunch of frames I have to hand (Dave Yates, Condor, Orange) but are physically to big to fit in the holes on my undated maybe 1960s Freddie Grubb frame. It's not by much, but there's really no way they're going in. Hence why I'm thinking they're some old imperial size. So I'm not really sure what I'm going to achieve by getting a new set of bolts in the modern standard size (which I think is M5), they'll just be the same as the bolts I already have, no? Unless Condor stock imperial sized bolts, in which case that's really useful info!

Why not just drill out the existing holes so that the standard metric bolt fits through, then use a nut to secure everything. Probably neatest to put the head of the bolt on the inside of the fork end. A star washer (or similar) will help to keep it tight.

Your Holdsworth looks promising!

Do you plan to use it? What sort of riding do you have in mind?

It's turning into a bit of a show bike.
I'd wanted a fixie for my commute, and this had been scrapped. The whole thing cost me a tenner.
So it'll probably be a fairweather bike. I do have all the parts to build it back.

In reply to ibob, your mudguard fittings are probably 3/16 British Standard Cycle threads, use 2BA or 3/16 UNF.
Could also be 1/4 British Standard Cycle, use 1/4 BSF.

I used to get mine from the Engineering dept. at work,but sadly they are no more.
Seem to be available from here

https://www.gwr-fasteners.co.uk/2ba-hexagon-bolts---stainless-steel-38585-p.asp

Lovely bike

oooh that link looks promising, thanks, will try some of them.

Um, how about just running an M5 tap through them...? Whole problem goes away entirely.

Pants. The old Holdsworth I've just had painted came with old GB Hidinium brakes.
Sadly they're way to long for the 1950s sprints I've fitted.
It must have run 26" wheels with brakes, it is a 1930s frame.
So full on fixed or non period calipers with the old GB brake levers?

Mafac or Weinmann centre-pulls?

Think it'll have to be weinmann 500s

I've always found Weinmann 500's perfectly satisfactory. The earlier type with the domed nut at the front of the spindle would be less noticeably anachronistic than the later type with the plastic 'shroud'.

You'll be in good company - I'm pretty sure Alf's sub 50 minute bike used them.

I think that's my best bet.
It looks like my bike was offered with 26" wheels and brakes. Or 27" wheels on which were supplied grass track tyres!....I'm guessing brakes weren't used on the grass.

Yep, fixed gear and nothing sharp or pointy on grass track....

Hate to say it, I've never ridden fixed only ss. Think I'll go one 500 up front.....and learn some new skills!

Hated grass track, probably the lowest point of my 70's racing career was York Rally grass track. !

BITD we all went fixed for winter with mudguards and unfeasibly small gears for twiddling lol. Looking back was probably to save the very expensive derailleur stuff for fair weather summer use.

Track standing is a neat skill :)

It's really perfectly OK to have two brakes and fixed - I certainly wouldn't be happy with only a front brake.

Why?

1. Slowing down by pushing back on the pedals is extra and unnecessary effort
   
2. Any brake may fail - usually it's a broken cable, but just tonight I've come across a completely different failure.
   
3. The most difficult problem with fixed is descending - assuming your gear is low enough to climb, you will be spinning like mad going down. I don't think it's possible to slow down with your fixed at high revs, so that leaves you with one brake just when you may well need two!
   
   

I certainly don't think a single brake for a fixed wheel novice is a great idea.

Of course, if you only use the bike for flat TT courses or riding round the Heathrow perimeter road, one brake should be fine.

Agreed. Two brakes - especially with skinnier tires - makes absolut sense for descending with a fixxed bike. And there is a difference between urban style fixed gear riding/racing and using some classic touring bikes while touring (load on the bike, maybe some rougher roads).

I realised a real difference when using my modern monstercross as fixxed bike, the traction of the wider tires is helping quite a lot when going down...

Agreement, Clubman. Attempting to decelerate by back pedalling is a guaranteed way to knackered and sore knees.

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