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

I like the oil can shape ones

Like this? If I run across another one when I'm going through the rest of dad's parts bins, I'll let you know

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Yeah that’s the shape.

I think the symmetrical ones will be a good look though.

I’m not sure how old the bike is actually going to look. I need to think about handlebars as I’m intending to build it with the top tube and top of the headtube much lower than the original design.

Anachronisms

If you look at my post in this thread #5098 you will see that I'm no kind of purist when it comes to 'in period' kit, and I note that you say you're not sure about how old the bike will look.

However, it seems to me that starting with an 1890's design and using something essentially 1950's like that BW hub (which is elegant and excellent in the right place) is pushing things a bit far.

I have a little more info on the Giraffe for you, but it involves some copying and this will have to wait a couple of hours.

The Giraffe

Quite by chance I recently came across a mention of this machine in a copy of Cycling for March 7th 1906.

It's a bit surprising they saw fit to mention it because it was twelve years since it came to the market and seems to have been an instant failure. Anyway here is the magazine's comment (the paragraph beginning "When the safety....)

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Reproduction Projects

Are quite a thing in the old bike world. The most recent oddity I know of is a Dursley Pedersen made entirely of wood. Surprisingly, it can be ridden but I can't imagine there's much pleasure in it.

The Giraffe seems a brave choice, since it seems to have been an instant failure. Presumably its benefit was that the rider could see over hedges, like an Ordinary, but also just like an Ordinary, you would need to find a suitable low wall to dismount.

'I admire your courage and determination' as someone once said.

I haven't got the skill or energy to build a replica from scratch, but if I had I would consider a Centaur cross frame. Working on one of these was my first experience of the world of veteran bikes, and I was immediately impressed by the quality and the design. It was a good early try at a rigid lightweight and I'm sure they would ride well. The Veteran -Cycle club has one in its custodianship scheme and I'm confident that the current custodian would want to co-operate with a replica builder. As far as I know there aren't many surviving examples, perhaps because they were good enough to get ridden into the ground!

The picture attached below (from the same article) isn't great. If anyone is interested I will try to find something better.

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A poor follow up to @clubman bieks that are A Hundred Years Young, but I finally have a f&f project that fulfills the Criteria of This Thread…
…1949 Hobbs, thanks to @Foreigner65
Collected today, plans for this to follow

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and seems to have been an instant failure.

Haha, I wondered why information about the Giraffe was so thin on the ground, I never considred that it was simply because it wasn't well received!

I hear what you're saying about the hub but the period correctness boat has long since sailed with this project, it has a 1 1/8" headtube, takes an integrated sealed bearing headset, and the build will be full of modern parts.

I've also built the front triangle now and have completely forgone the square-ness element.

I think it piqued my interest because of it's semi tall bike nature rather than it's vintage but then, I have gone for the parallel style stays as a nod to the era.

Ah well, a true mash up!

I saw that over on RB. Good scoop.

Am well chuffed
Will get a headset on it this weekend

I saw that on Retrobike too, nice price and top seller.

My era is the 70's as is my kit so have nothing matching to hang onto it.

Am pondering what to do, will have a parts bin rummage later

Will ask here as well, anyone have a seat tube collar like the one in the picture for my Hobbs?

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Do you think this may work? What's diameter needed? These are 25.4
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404030738693?hash=item5e121bd105:g:4HYAAOSwby5jf1Qr&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA0AIsQD6Dmt8B1c47IlLv08YHA9fKmaEncVfnMshtQvyUalnldeMVd94vwvsf3Y%2FR9w9hUYjXG3vogoQ01Nd64vx0YD2cZ8NyL9eRb00%2FTBbWQM%2F6JJwRR4tWWXtYVWdgbmIgzHyyxxwT7dGUjgTehepga%2FQyd%2F5RB1w4pE9lvxHbplw7mM2mCM83N8A3UiBpR21ZAfYtb%2F9WP0uwPsJAxAR3WM4AWMvi%2FvC53nYq7b5qbsqc%2FH%2FQ%2FXnjn8Gwp9GEeE%2BNT1Sa6zI2pHWRwaIIt5Q%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR97tgNyxYw

or this

That one might, the lever is a bit, eh-hmm, agricultural lol
But it’s at least £50 cheaper than the Campagnolo versions also on evilBay :(

Will check the overall dims in a bit, but give it’s a 26.8 seat pin I think I’m looking at the c.32mm clamp

You can swap lever with nut & bolt version if collar fits :) I have few old ones if needed

Anybody riding a Curry?

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Anyone have a wheelset for sale - 116OLN rear, ideally with a four speed block - not fussed about spoke counts or flange heights / styles etc.

I've got a front wheel - a constrictor conloy 27 1 1/4 rim on a large flange Powell hub I could sell and maybe some rear hub options, but no matching rear Powell hub or conloy rim to go with it if things get desperate...Wheelsets seem to have go quite pricey lately!

Seems like everyone is hanging on to ‘wintage’ wheelsets :(
That’s a kind offer, will hold off for now if you don’t mind
Might try and get to the Chalfont jumble if I can

The Giraffe

I had got the impression the the Giraffe existed only for a brief period in 1894, was a failure, and since then has only existed in the form of the two repro builds mentioned here.

But it seems there was at least one person determined to get his money's worth out of a Giraffe.
I wonder how many times he toppled off it in 47 years?

Presumably this drawing was made about 1941, which seems quite possible since Patterson was
still working at that time.

I've borrowed this picture from Fellowship News where I came across it quite by chance.

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Seller has some nice bikes but prices are very "optimistic"
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/335304616016?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-

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Blimey, that’s a bit of a collection!

Keep meaning to post up my René Herse updates here but I’m so far behind now I think I’ll just pick up from where I am at the moment. I stripped the bike down and amazingly it all came apart quite easily, bar one screw in the back of the mudguard. I bought a set of early Mafac cantis so I could have a kind-of matching rear set to put in place of the missing rear RH ones. I’ve yet to fit them but I measured up and I think they’ll fit.

The cranks are scrap, unfortunately. I could see the pedal NDS spindle was at the wrong angle and once I got it out I could see it was the crank that was bent, not the pedal spindle. I also found a couple of cracks in the crank arm and decided not to risk using them. 100% certain that they’ll break if I try to straighten them or ride on them, so since they’re so rare I’m going to stash them away and/or put them in a frame on display.

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