Single Speed Triumph Porteur

So I just started messing with this project I picked up from the forum for 50 quid last week so as to give my GF something to ride to the park. Best bit being the marvellous Wrights saddle. Threw on some blumels I had sitting around, flipchopped the bars and bought a porteur rack to which I have now affixed a wine box I had floating around on my shelves. Needs to be able to hold her 500000 pound handbag ;)

The major troubles I have been having are that the clearance for the blumels is mm, the brakes dont get on well with the as yet un trued wheels, the porteur rack bottom screws werent long enough for both mudguard supports to go on and the BB is fairly close to buggered (still spins fine, just has that pre disintegration wobble).

Have experimented with some hockey tape to give a sort of white striped effect to match the original triumph one on the seattube. Only downside of the wine box is that you cannot now see the headtube badge which was in amazing condition.

I have no idea what year the frame is (SN is 21438 D) so if anyone happens to know how to date a triumph I would be most grateful. Weighing in about just under 300 tonnes this is definitely a stove-pipe wonder, but seems to be pretty solid and will certainly do for getting to the park :)

Looks a whole lotta fun. I can't help but think it'd look a bit better with the bars flipped so the points are down. That and blue tyres/white chain can gtfo.
Other than that it's rad.

yeah well as far as tyres go I agree...had it lying around and couldnt make the 32C whitewall fit on the front without constant rubbing....white chains, however, FTW ;)

oh and re: bars...that is an excellent idea! Hadnt really thought of it as an option but I do agree it would probably look snazzy...will see what the GF thinks when we test later on...

We're making very similar projects, you and I.
I need to get the rack at some point, and went for a S2C rear wheel for a bit of added fun!

Your bike is prettier than mine though so I'm a teeny bit jealous.
I am especially jealous of the matching mudguards.

I want to porteur up Lady Liz's hhsb fixte mixte with a front rack and mudguards. She's got a set of hammered honjos that I've failed to get round to fitting for the last 2 years. Waiting to get the front rack as well so the guard can be anchored to the rack.
She has a Gitane mixte beater as well which would make more sense to mess around with as it's already got guards and a rear rack, just needs a front rack and novelty chrome lamp. Wine box does appeal as well as opposed to massively overpriced hipster rack.

We're making very similar projects, you and I.
I need to get the rack at some point, and went for a S2C rear wheel for a bit of added fun!

Your bike is prettier than mine though so I'm a teeny bit jealous.
I am especially jealous of the matching mudguards.

Oooh, going to go belt drive? Apparently the S2C can come with that too....would die of jealousy :) Mine will be perhaps slightly more pretty, but at least you will be able to stop!

I want to porteur up Lady Liz's hhsb fixte mixte with a front rack and mudguards. She's got a set of hammered honjos that I've failed to get round to fitting for the last 2 years. Waiting to get the front rack as well so the guard can be anchored to the rack.
She has a Gitane mixte beater as well which would make more sense to mess around with as it's already got guards and a rear rack, just needs a front rack and novelty chrome lamp. Wine box does appeal as well as opposed to massively overpriced hipster rack.

Someone (?saxby) had a front rack in silver going cheap when I posted a wanted ad a week or so ago....if you are looking :) Wine boxes are excellent as well because they are easy to make fixing holes in (nice soft wood)...can also be varnished/oiled if you want to make them last longer/not warp....

I could make a much nicer quality box out of the off-cut bin at work in my lunchbreak. :) In fact, I might just do that tomorrow. Can presumably omit the front rack and just make some struts that mount directly to the box, fork crown and eyelets.

@ aidan- No belt drive here, its an old dawes frame that looks like a proper beater.
I have lacquered a wine box up already, so will be drilling holes in that at some point when I get the rack...
What did you use to bolt on to the rack?

@ ed- You could but the additional benefit of having the rack means you can take the box off when you need to carry a larger/ differently shaped load.

@ aidan- No belt drive here, its an old dawes frame that looks like a proper beater.
I have lacquered a wine box up already, so will be drilling holes in that at some point when I get the rack...
What did you use to bolt on to the rack?

The rack I have has two screw holes used to mount the top to the fork bracket, all I did was use one of them to go through the box first and then the bracket. (The rack came with a bunch of bolts for variations of fitting to the forks that I didnt need as I just attached to brake etc.)

I may at some point put another one near the front to stop rotation, but with the current large washer it doesnt seem to move easily at all....

Which rack is it?

This one:

http://store.somafab.com/gaporakc.html

Ahh the gamoh- same one I'll be getting too.
Good good.

nice and solid and comes with good quality screws/teflon bolts etc. Apparently the front bracket support can be a bit shite, but other than that seems to get good reviews....

I could make a much nicer quality box out of the off-cut bin at work in my lunchbreak. :) In fact, I might just do that tomorrow. Can presumably omit the front rack and just make some struts that mount directly to the box, fork crown and eyelets.

Besides what already has been mentioned about the benefits of a rack, if you could make a slightly wider box that wasn't so deep I bet that would look excellent....(esp if your place of work happens to have walnut cutoffs and you have a dovetailing router :)

The box would definitely be sized to match the bike, both her mixtes have v short headtubes which only leaves about 8" between top of mudguard and top of handlebars. Would shape a channel in the base of the box so the mudguard can be nestled/mounted there for additional support. A front rack would raise it up a small amount which wouldn't really be an issue but would like to keep it neat. Looking at the bike the dimensions would be 16x10x8 which would be fine for handbag, locks, wine etc.
Box will probably be made from 12mm waterproof birch ply. It has really thin layers so tends not to warp and the endgrain is quite attractive. I can cut blind dovetails by hand but unless I end up using proper timber I'll just go for something quick and strong. Struts will be pretty straightforward as well I'm sure.
Obviously mounting a box to a rack is the ideal but cost is an issue, and Liz simply doesn't ever need to carry anything that large on her bike! I might treat myself to a big front rack for my Long haul trucker but I'm in no rush.

Diggin' that winebox

thanks cptblubear! I sharpied the top of it to the same blue as the frame etc and am pretty happy with the result. Even as it fades if should look alright (time will tell :)

I got bored so I made my own rack out of the wine box and some parts found at B+Q.
http://www.lfgss.com/post2838091-60447.html

Nice. What did you use for the struts? Was out on deliveries all day so couldn't make one today :(

U- shaped shelf supports, and then a right angle brace at the top, locked in by the two sides.
It was as basic as I could make it for as low a budget.
Fingers crossed it works.

Nice. Looks sturdy enough.

Aidan, looks great!

When I was given the frame it had a faded label on, the kind that used to be put on bikes when trains still had luggage cars, with 'from Leicester' and some ones details on it. I agree, that headbadge is the best bit. Must have been all the muck I cleaned off it that kept it nice ey.

Looking forward to seeing it finished!

I must sat the bike looks great!

sorry say