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• #5452
I assume you're talking about the 'Stokes of London'.
It looks a great find - if I were buying any more bikes I might have wanted it.
One small point (which you probably know already): The Benelux rear mech - a key bit of originalty on this bike. They can be made to work but they are a bit fragile.
It is very easy for the cage to end up in the spokes with terminal results, so make sure there's enough clearance and keep in mind that if the bike falls over on its right hand side the gear can get bent. It certainly happened in the past that bikes were knocked over (when the owner wasn't present), picked up with nothing said but with the derailleur disastrously bent.
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• #5453
Ah, noted, will check that (and thank you)!
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• #5454
Selbach
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/276788760305?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-
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• #5455
Sold for 800 notes!
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• #5456
That was quick
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• #5457
Amazing.
It looks like a genuine Selbach frame which is desirable, certainly, but apart from the saddle and the Sturmey, all the kit looks later than the frame or poor quality.
It must have been another completist!
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• #5458
BuildRestore thread for the Stokes of London is over here (apologies all :(
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/totally-stoked-stokes-of-london.488459/
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• #5459
BB is stamped 03907… August 1939?
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• #5460
03907… August 1939
July would make more sense
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• #5461
Ha ha! Doh.
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• #5462
Saxon twin tube
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/326389327939?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-
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• #5463
Same seller as above,with a Baines Flying Gate
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/326389351691?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-
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• #5464
I can't be certain, but I think the Saxon has a Chater bottom bracket. That's fine - if you've got the bearing to fit, but you cannot use any other BB since it's oversize.
These bearings are difficult, if not impossible, to find.
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• #5465
Good to know and could then be difficult to get it built up.
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• #5466
Are they not just 5/16ths? You can get these online I think. I'm sure I had some that I bought online for a Carlton Flyer
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• #5467
Are they not just 5/16ths?
The ones with 5/16" balls use 1.45" cups. Yes, if the cups are good it's easy to get new balls, but if the cups are worn out you need to think of a way to get some sort of available BB into the 1.45" shell. It's possible if you have a lathe 🙂
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• #5468
https://philwood.com/products/square-taper-bottom-bracket-cups include Chater Lea threading. I have used them with a UN-71 BB in the past. No doubt other BBs would also fit. Phil BBs can be purchased with asymmetric axle positioning to match old cup and cone BB dimensions, if you like that sort of thing.
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• #5469
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• #5470
1939 Bates
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/335753265923?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-
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• #5471
I got that yellow Hobbs that was on eBay the other week. I paid a bit over the odds for it but I was looking for a straightforward build and this one fitted the bill for a geared beater commuter: brazed-on shifter bosses, derailleur mount on the dropout, has its headset and a set of Mafac cantis with all the fittings.
I didn’t say anything at the time because after I BINned it, I had a second look at the pics in the listing and it looked like the toptube and downtube were bent like it had been in a front-ender. Thankfully it’s not the case and it looks straight. Pretty sure it’s been repainted at some point but the lug lining and striping on the seat stays is to a far higher standard than the yellow paint or the positioning of the waterslide decals. I think the frame is probably 1960s but it’s wearing what I think are later Reynolds decals. And then slightly odd is on the headtube it has a Hobbs waterslide decal with a brass Hobbs badge riveted over the top. Lovely thin pencil stays and the tubes all make a nice thin tink tink if you tap them.
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• #5472
That’s really nice, I must get on with my Hobbs build :(
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• #5473
Would you say mine looks like it is actually a Hobbs? My hunch is it might not be a Hobbs Blue Riband, but it’s a good enough quality frame and I’m happy with it. There are some numbers under the paint on the bottom of the bottom bracket, but I’m a bit reluctant to scrape it all off to find out.
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• #5474
Stamps on the steerer tube? Bit less destructive than scraping
And I’m increasing all for enjoying bicycles for what they do for me as for what they might appear (or not) to be for observers :)
Said the bloke stressing about the whether his last buy was pre or post war lol -
• #5475
Its a lovely frame and will be great fun to ride im sure.
Excellent, lots of photos please