Unknown 50s/60s track bicycle

Yesterday I had the chance to dig around in the attic of an old cyclist. Among some other stuff I brought home this track bicycle.

There are no traces of decals left, so I have no idea about brand/builder of the frame. It's rusty, but came with some nice parts. The Nervex lugs make me think it's 50s/60s area.

This will be my first track bicycle build.

Basically, I have two ways to go from here:

1) Repaint and build it up with a vintage low rim wheelset with gum wall tyres and an old looking crankset (and bb).
I don't have any of those and I think I won't be able to pay for those, budgetwise.

2) Mix it up a bit. I have a Gipiemme wheelset (white, high rims) but have no clue about the crankset/bb. Doing this would limit my choices of the repaint to white, because I don't think those white wheels will look good on any other color.

So please, let me know what you think and help me out!

If you could help me with an old wheelset with a rear track hub and a crankset, please let me know! I appreciate all input.

Lovely patina. Don't spoil it. Sell it to me.

Have you tried cleaning up the original cranks? They're beautiful! I'm sure they're not particularly lightweight but it's got to be worth a shot, right? Try the ol' vinegar and aluminium foil trick. Same goes for the stem and headset.

make a nice rust rocket

Option 1 with as many of the original bits as possible, I personally wouldn't even paint, just linseed oil.

Kurust/linseed, chrome polish, elbow grease, S/H rear wheel, front brake: nice bike.

Do not paint this, honestly don't. Most of the stuff with a clean and polish will come up nicely. Maybe rebuild the wheels if they are particularly rusty.

Option 1, no question...

Whereabouts are you, I might have some 50's tubs you could use?

I think you have your answer. No more puppy killings.

Have you tried cleaning up the original cranks? They're beautiful! I'm sure they're not particularly lightweight but it's got to be worth a shot, right? Try the ol' vinegar and aluminium foil trick. Same goes for the stem and headset.

I haven't tried anything yet. The crank arms are really rusty on the inside. I'm going to check if the chainwheel can be removed, and then I should be able to clean them. Keeping the original cranks would save me from a lot of hassle, and they are indeed beautiful.

The thing is, however, I would prefer not removing the cranks to clean them. I have zero experience with those cluttered cranks..

The stem is no problem, I have multiples of those old Titans laying around here.

Option 1 with as many of the original bits as possible, I personally wouldn't even paint, just linseed oil.

Kurust/linseed, chrome polish, elbow grease, S/H rear wheel, front brake: nice bike.

I didn't know about Kurust or anything like it, looks great! I'm going to check my local shop for a product like that (I'm located in Belgium).

Here's a question: the bottom of the bottom bracket is really rusty, there's no paint left there. Can I use a steel brush to get most of the rust away (and get a smooth surface) and use Kurust after that?

Do not paint this, honestly don't. Most of the stuff with a clean and polish will come up nicely. Maybe rebuild the wheels if they are particularly rusty.

The wheels are 70s I think, and not so nice. The front hub is really rusty, and the rear wheel doesn't have a hub for a fixed cog. So I am on the lookout for a vintage wheelset (Mavic or something in the likes) with a fixed rear hub (brand doesn't really mather, just nothing too new).

Option 1, no question...
Whereabouts are you, I might have some 50's tubs you could use?

Option 1 it is!
I'm located in Belgium though.. I won't really look for vintage tubs, just regulars with a gum wall tire will be great. I still want to ride the thing :-)

I think you have your answer. No more puppy killings.

Yes, I have my answer. The hunt for a vintage wheelset with fixed rear hub is opened.

Thanks for the input everyone!

What everyone else has said. I would even change the tape, just remove the breaks and the quick release seat post clamp, slam the stem, make it rideable and you're off (with pedals).

Question:

I've found a wheelset and had already contact with the seller. Just about now I saw on the pictures that the hubs in the wheels have a quick release axle, instead of a nutted axle.

Is this bad? Can this be changed? Do I have to stay away from that?

large chance thats a converted road wheelset with a bb lockring as lockring for the thread of the freewheel. this is also called a suicide hub since when pedalling backwards the lockring can unthread because the thread is not reversed like proper track hubs.

Lovely bike as it is, that chainset is definitely top quality,(Durax, Gnutti, etc) and a drilled BB, very nice, if there is no play and it turns smoothly leave it alone.

Nice bike, i wouldn't paint it either. I love the crankset. From where in Belgium are you?

Nice bike, i wouldn't paint it either. I love the crankset. From where in Belgium are you?

I'm from Wingene, West-Vlaanderen.

Today is "clean up the frame and cranks" day. I have a Fiamme wheelset and a vintage track hub of which I'll get a rear wheel build in the upcoming weeks.

The set I linked above turned out to be a suicide hub set, as Radolfo said.

Falconvitesse - the chainset is Nervax. I'm going to leave it where it is!

This is just lovely. Definitely look for the right period bits and keep as original as possible. Best of luck with the build.

This is just lovely. Definitely look for the right period bits and keep as original as possible. Best of luck with the build.

Thanks!

This took an unexpecting turn today, I'll post some pictures in a bit.

So yesterday I went to my local shop to buy a product that could protect the paint and keep the rust stable, as I decided to keep the frame as it is.

The spraycan said that it could be possible that the product interacts with the paint, in a bad way. I didn't pay much attention to that and started using it. Big was my suprise to see it interacting almost instantly with the blue/greenish paint.

I took my steel brush and started removing that paint, only to discover gold paint underneath!

I was really hoping to discover a brand, or a name from a shop or anything like that, but I discovered nothing. Well, not nothing, I did discover lines. White and blue ones, like this. It's definitely a pattern, anyone who recognizes it?

I cleaned the crank too, came out nice!

And this is what I have at the moment. A frame with a nice mix of blue/green and gold.

So where do I go from here?

• use paint stripper and remove it fast (almost instantly), so only the blue/green paint gets removed
  
• use more of that protection product and see if it interacts on the other parts too
  
• leave it like this
  
  

Thanks!

Looks really good! No idea how to help but looks great

This gets better. Keep cleaning...

if you have facebook then you could ask at stalen ros after stripping the blue stuff,
i think those characteristic double lines will probably be recognized by someone there:)
https://www.facebook.com/stalen.ros

if you have facebook then you could ask at stalen ros after stripping the blue stuff,
i think those characteristic double lines will probably be recognized by someone there:)
https://www.facebook.com/stalen.ros

Thanks for the tip, will do!

The stripes^^

They're just 'champion' stripes. Not exactly distinctive. Lots of not-champion people have sported these in the past, myself included on my shit nylon clothing.

The blue paint is, evidently, rattlecanned on - the gold paint is older. It's carefully box-lined too. See if you can remove all the blue (and the stripes too) to leave the gold, and touch up the rusted bits. That's what would sense to me, now that you've started removing the blue.

The stripes^^

They're just 'champion' stripes. Not exactly distinctive. Lots of not-champion people have sported these in the past, myself included on my shit nylon clothing.

The blue paint is, evidently, rattlecanned on - the gold paint is older. It's carefully box-lined too. See if you can remove all the blue (and the stripes too) to leave the gold, and touch up the rusted bits. That's what would sense to me, now that you've started removing the blue.

Yes, removed all the blue (well, as good as all) today. I won't even start touching up the gold, way too many rust.

I like how it looks now.