It's a hard knock life: My vintage lightweight Tweed Run steed.

well spotted.....off to the run..... and maybe some sun......

I remember that bike, did the guy have a moustache and wear glasses? (I forget his name).

its working! put a new bulb in...... took a bit of hunting to find one.
i really want it to be as authentic as possible. putting a light inside the lamp just wouldn't cut it for me.

Do you only have a front lamp?

If so and you havent used a higher capacity bulb there's a good chance that the it will blow.

Also a neat option for wire routing is to coil it into a spring like a telephone cord - if that makes sense?

Great photos luckyskull. I'm quite envious of your new/old bike. And as for that Walrus... But there were so many lovely bikes on the ride.

Do you only have a front lamp?

If so and you havent used a higher capacity bulb there's a good chance that the it will blow.

Yup, I was going to say this - those old bottle dynamos put out 3w 6v; front bulbs are usually 2.4w and rears are .6w, but if you're running a front bulb only you'll need a 3.0w one to stop it blowing.

Is it just me or has all the text on the site just gone really small?

Thought this bike looked tip top, admittedly viewed through a haze of Comsoplitan and lager. Also liked that flying gate.

Stedlocks mate - you're in danger of being out-blinged - Gold brake cables are required....

@Luckyskull - excellent photo's - I can just imagine this feast of the senses, the hum of spokes, the flash of chrome, and the stench of damp wool!

Brilliant thread too - quick, sympathetic build but very individual...
Great story, good craftskills and lots of goodwill/encouragement from the armchair-builders too - everything a decent build thread should be.

Thanks, I've enjoyed it immensely!

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it was a great day. amazing people united around a love of vintage bikes. i saw some stunning cycles... i loved seeing builds sympathetic to their age and many that had not been altered since they were first assembled, still having all original components.

it rained at the end. very happy i packed my wax jacked.... luckily the tools were not needed. Pat purred. really glad plan 2 was put into motion.

off out into the sun. amazing day for a ride! is this the start of spring i can smell??

@rik.... Mine is old bling though! :0)

Loving that stem....... Some great photography. Thanks for entertaining me with this thread..... A great example of when less is more. You could try many times to replicate this build, but it has just fallen together, seamlessly.
Good work!

few details of the finished bike. i want to add a pump, get the chainset arm position sorted...... other than that its done. may not get a re-spray. loving the way it looks with the ratty paint.

Nice..... Maybe some hemp twine to finish the end of the wrap off?

I'm experimenting with it myself on the mercian......I'll post pics later, when I've finished helping my son with his DT project 'Bauhaus' table!

would really like to see hemp twine bar end wrap......

Bauhaus, is my favorite movement..... interested to see your take on that also......

+1 for the bauhaus fanclub. I used to live about 20min by bike from the Weissenhof siedlung (below) - presumably your table is being assembled in the batcave as we speak

would really like to see hemp twine bar end wrap......

Bauhaus, is my favorite movement..... interested to see your take on that also......

I've only just finished helping him for tonight... Bike fettling time is now, and I'll put some pictures on of that tomorrow. I need to help him put the finishing touches to it too.... I think he's done really well, as all I've contributed is the 'brushing' of the steel.

+1 for the bauhaus fanclub. I used to live about 20min by bike from the Weissenhof siedlung (below) - presumably your table is being assembled in the batcave as we speak

You and your brother have had some really interesting life experiences :0) you've lived everywhere! We're your parents international globe trotting spies or something? :0)
I've utilised the patcave annex this time..... Just in case my wife came out to see us and saw what I have in there!

There's an older brother out in Kenya and a little sister in Moscow too!

Ha!
Family get togethers must be expensive!

The furthest mine got, was Northampton!

I did look for your bike, but did not see it / you... Shame!

I had technical problems with the tandem that made me miss about 1 hour of the ride at the beginning, but I managed to eventually catch-up at parliament square... Tyres issues, bloody hookless rims... Ultimately, super-low pressure (and a new tyre from a bike shop who had the size in stock...) was the solution... We managed to finish the ride, but I need to sort that out... May decide to re-buid with a modern rim, which may be a shame... Or if I could eventually manage to repair the original wheel, that would be even better... (Sturmey Archer problems on that front... I don't trust any "specialists" on that subject anymore)

Hope to meet you at the tandem ride!!

Loic

That looks bloody low pressure and all!

Chainring arms should be equal either side of crank. Only one position on 5-pin fixing will give this. I will check it out on Saturday - Chief Constable S P

having seen you and your amazing Mercian (turquoise with pink barber pole featured in above picture) in the flesh this weekend, i indeed know you are the style police. i will in endeavor to sort out my chainset arms ASAP..... it was great to see one of my all time favorite bikes rolling down the road.

shame we did not get to meet Vello, sounds like you had quite an epic mission....... quite an amazing day.......... see you on the tandem ride.

+1 for the bauhaus fanclub.

@rik.... Mine is old bling though! :0)

Loving that stem....... Some great photography. Thanks for entertaining me with this thread..... A great example of when less is more. You could try many times to replicate this build, but it has just fallen together, seamlessly.
Good work!

thanks buddy. really kind....putting it together in 5 days was quite a challenge..... i will spend the next year tweaking and sorting out the finer details for next years run.... and i will put a little more than half a day sorting out my outfit.....

At one point i had to stop taking pictures of everyone bikes and snap a couple of people.........i looked like such a bike pervert!