Vintage Humber Path Racer Build

Built from a 1975 Raleigh DL-1 Tourist, this machine uses a Sturmey Archer three speed coaster brake, a Williams 42-tooth chainwheel and crank arms, and a 'bobby-dodger' front brake. I added a Brooks B-17 saddle and Raleigh Gran Prix quill stem with dropped North Road-style bars. It shifts using a top-bar-mounted Sturmey gear selector. The 28" stock rims were powder-coated black, with crème Schwalbe Delta Cruiser tires.

I think there may be a typo here. That chainring is never a 42 - it looks to me like a *fifty *two. Probably originally intended for a Moulton.

Combined with the 28" wheels and a rear sprocket that looks to me like a 16, this machine will need a massively powerful rider to go anywhere without a good tailwind.

This raises the question - what are these attractive roadster based machines to be used for? Certainly not for path racing; 'path' in the era of these machines meant 'track', or what is now referred to as a 'velodrome'. It seems to me that these machines are not suited to any sort of competitive riding, but, given the right set up, they can be quite rewarding for touring: in fact if you want to recapture the idyll of pre 1914 travel ( think Wind in the Willows) this is *the *way to go.

And I suppose this is why I'm reading this thread. I have a project to build an imitation Edwardian roadster, but this has been temporarily halted by the discovery (recently referred to in this forum) that the New Hudson frame I was intending to use cannot be modified to suit my requirements. Having been frustrated there, I'm now working on a 1940 Silver Sunbeam frame which originally belonged to my Dad. It's not wonderful quality, but I think I have enough to build a passable thirties style tourer which should be efficient enough to carry me over fairly long distances.

I don't believe there's much point in building a bike which isn't going to be ridden, and be a pleasure to ride.

I'll post here about the Sunbeam here in the near future.