Tyre Clearance

I have an interesting issue. The A F Mills frame I bought on Friday was believed to be a 60s one by the seller. I thought I would bung a 700c (with 23 tyre) wheel in just to have a look how it sat and there is bugger all clearance on the fork. Seeing as this is drilled for a brake and has eyelets for guards am I right in thinking this is actually made for 26 inch wheels? If so wouldn't that make it 50s rather than 60s?

Welcome to my hell.
Or purgatory: I'm not really that emotional about it…

I'll sneek a snap later on (or if you spot my red (d)ribble down at the Slamb this evening, have a lookee for yourself). The clearance is not so much of an issue (though those new foldable Armadillos were much deeper than any 23 I've run before), except for the fact that I can't find a brake to fit that small a space between hole and tyre.

Occasionally I wonder how that happened. 26s might be the answer. Or maybe someone drilled a fork that wasn't meant to be drilled?

Oops. Just read the eyelets note.
Hmm…

Is it a track frame? Looks perfect to me ;-)
Perhaps it was drilled afterwards.
That kinda clearance is typically found on track forks (undrilled).

Otherwise, if it's a road bike, there shouldn't be any probs putting a brake on whilst keeping the 700c.
Let's see the whole bike...

I can't find a brake to fit that small a space between hole and tyre.

You might need an older brake model.The campy one on my old witcomb fits into a tiny gap.

the hole looks off centre.

pj (pj) the hole looks off centre.

So you think it may have came afterwards? I would agree if the eyelets weren't there. I think it's just the angle of the picture as the tyre was definitely in the middle in real life and isn't in the pic :)

Here is the rest of the frame with a 700c wheel in the back for reference.

wierd.

no clearance on brake bridge, tons of room betwixt wheel and seat tube. ask dogsballs. or DT.

With the 700c pushed all the way toward the front there is about 1 cm clearence between tyre and seat tube and a couple of mm from the bridge (undrilled).

No real clearance issues there, it's just tight as a ducks arse.

If I was running 700s on it there would be no issue. If I want to build it up with period bits 27s aren't going to fit (they are bigger than 70c right?) so it has to be 26s.

Anyone heard of a 60s lightweight using 26s before?

pj (pj) the hole looks off centre.
British engineering?

lovely frame there! that's deffo a track fork that got drilled (blasphemy!). the fork tubes are round not oval, that should explain it.

and i'm sure it's meant to take 700c

Even with the eyelets?

So you think it was made for Tubulars and no brakes or guards?

It's a track bike.. usually made for 20mm-ish tubs on 700c wheels. No shit on the track so don't require clearance.
Maybe a fork swap? Maybe it's one of those road/path bikes I hear about a bit? Looks a bit like the hole was drilled post-fork build but that doesn't explain away the eyelets.. unless they were added later too?

That looks like it takes 700c, not 26 to me, just bastard tight clearances. I reckon you could find a brake to fit on there.

Could be a non-original fork?

It's the original fork for sure. The eyelets are original. I couldn't say about the drilling it is centred though.

The clearance at the back is the same as the front. The angles are pretty slack.

I'll build up a cheap set of riding wheels while I search for decent parts and old school tubs.
Thanks again for all the help, it's very much appreciated.

actually i think the angles don't look too slack for a bike this size and this period. and it's as hippy said, probably one of those 'path' bikes.

maye the eyelets are for mounting wheel carriers?

Good thinking, but they are front and rear. It really is a mystery.

Looking at the lugs, it could be a 50's frame. In that case some clever b might have had it built to take 26 pressures with guards etc for winter and for riding to the start of TT's. He would have carried sprints to the start which would then have given a very neat short wb bike to race on. Still a problem with which front brake though, unless it was only raced on the track.
Just an idea, but I do remember seeing such a method used by a lady rider.
M

Should have added that A F Mills shop at Welling, Kent was there from war-time until at least mid-60's. They were also agents for Claud Butler.
M

A girls bike??? :D

It has a short top tube which suits my mutant form quite well. My dad remembers the shop and confirmed it was definitely there in 67.

Thanks for the info

You should be able to get a brake on there - some old ones (i.e. not dual-pivot ones) from the seventies and back should have quite tight clearances so would be OK. If you want to put on a modern dual-pivot brake like a Shimano 105 you'll have to do some 'modifications' to get it to fit (grind off a few mm from the knuckle, file out the slots that hold the brake-block carriers). Wheels look just the right size to me.