'60s Gillott project bike - ideas and history, please!

I picked up this Gillott years ago - it was in pretty terrible condition and has been languishing in the garage ever since, waiting for me to restore it. But since discovering fixed-gear riding (yesterday - seriously!) I now know what I need to do with it!

I don't know much about Gillott, other than they were made near me somewhere in south London. This one has some of its original Campag stuff left (seatpost, headset, fr mech and chainset), Mavic rims with Racelite hubs, Simplex rear mech and Mafac centre pull brakes. Some kit has obviously been replaced - Shim 600 downtube levers, 105 brake levers, etc. Frame is 531 with horizontal dropouts and adjusters, no braze-ons for guards or racks.

I'd love to know a bit more about the make, or this particular bike. Also, reassure me that I'm not destroying some valuable museum piece before I turn it into a fixie! And any recommendations for getting the paintwork touched up by an expert, rather than going for a full respray?

Click on the pix to upsize them. Thanks in advance for any help...

i like it. no idea about pedigree.

danger joel has a gillott, seems ron cooper made their bikes.
left this link in another thread

its not custom for me because it was made in 1967 and i wasnt born then, but it fits pretty nicley.
http://www.veloworks.com/roncooper/

joel has a nice one from the 60s i think, that is has balham CC decalled on it.

I would try and find a similar style track hub for the rear and as similar rim as you can find. build up a new rear wheel with fixed sprocket, remove one of the front chainrings and get a new chain on. remove the gear deraileurs and cables (and shifters if you like). That way you have not actually done anything irreversible to the bike if you are bothered about it. you can remove the brakes (or leave just the front) if you like.

I like it

looks great, clean it up and keep it like it is!

think i agree with winston at this stage. flip your rear wheel on your langster and try riding around fixed and see if you like it first?

swap the wheels and crankset to gillot. sell wrongster frame on ebay!

the wrongster is three minutes old i believe. according to the white horror thread. bit early to flip it.

there are messengers buying em cheap from mates at bike stores and floggin them on ebay and making a few notes?!

not quite, more that fatbloke said he bought his pretty recently.

on that note though, yesterday i saw a messenger on a london wrongster, he had grey trackie bottoms on, white t-shirt, off white cap, and pedalling furiously along old street. i didn't know where to look.

yeah, i have a gillott, my one seems nice enough, and im sure urs will turn out rather nicely, just do as they have said,

First post here so hello all...

I was down at Barry Witcombs shop last Sat and he was telling me that Gillotts had a shop in Camberwell on Southampton Way (179 - now a cottage chicken joint :-( He seemed v knowlegable about them as he seems to know eveyone from that era... He may be able to tell you more if you go seem him in Deptford!

here's a load of info on them if you're interested http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/gillott5.html
Martin :-)

that is interesting ...

just had a look at your bike, you have the same seat post wrap around lug as mine and the transfers look the same as mine as well. have you figuered out what year yours was made yet? mines 67.

My flatmate, John, restored a 50's Gillot path frame and rode it in L'Eroica last year. He posts here sometimes but I can't remember his username... I'll show him this thread, I'm sure he'll love to educate you.

er. thats me. and. er. tramp? Dont forget the '53 track gillott in the shed, as well as the 1950 upstairs...As for the gillotts, it looks like most of the good links about gillott have been posted already. The ClassicLightweights column by mark stevens is about as good as it gets. Mark's a really helpful guy, incidentally, if you have any more specific questions.

Barrie Witcomb (and ernie, if you run into him) is a great person to just go listen to. Most of the south london shops knew each other, and more than a few framebuilders workedd their way around the circuit back in the day.

as for "valuable museum piece",Gillott are pretty collectible, particularly the earlier ones, or the Ron Cooper built ones (yep. im secretly coveting dangerjoels. except I think he knows..), but there's enough of them around that it souldnt stop you riding it. Converting it to fixed wheel was not unusual.. Just dont hack bits off it :) Colourtech are probably the best local people to touch up the colour. I dont have the number offhand, but if youre stopping by witcomb barrie'll sort you out, or mail me and Ill find it.

jon

I've bought the Wrongster, but haven't taken delivery yet...

Awesome set of suggestions. You lot seem to know what you're talking about - rare on t'internet. Will email Mark and visit Barry - maybe get him to build me the wheels...will look into the Colourtech people for the paint - great bunch of links too - thanks to all. Like the idea of getting a fixed hub to match the exiting front...

Haven't checked the serial number/year as I'm spending the weekend with the girlfriend's Mum - it's only the thought of getting stuck into this next week that's keeping me going...

Wondering if it's significant that it's badged Gillott rather than AS Gillott?

Fatbloke

Cor, its like LIME green, how cool is that ...it would look nice with a white supercorsa saddle and white cables

comme ca :

that's that Australian bike innit, looks sweet that green & chrome

yeah you know it, too nice.

that looks like rg's ride :)

myne is kind of the scabby cousin of that bike..

when i first got it i wanted to get it painted, and have thought about doing it a number of times, but wasn't sure if it would look to "new" considering id be looking to replace the transfers, what do you guys think? would it look all tacky and new considering it is an old bike, or would it give it a lease of new life?