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

Good luck finishing it on time for the Tweed Run, looking forward to seing it in the flesh!

i was going to get your army bike for the tweed run. such a great bike. alas my short arse..... see you on the run?

Yes in principle... I did not get ticket but my friend got two in the lottery, going with him on my tandem... If I manage to make work that rear tambour brake, all functionnal but I need to sort out a connection part, too complicated to explain... otherwise we'll be on two bikes, and I will be on my witcomb which shares the same lugs than your bike!

can i see the tandem?

..a Simplex mech can still be fitted (if desired) and no-one will be any the wiser, but at least you can use the superior (IMHO) NR rear mech.

I think the older all metal Simplex to have a wider range and greater change reliability than early campagnolo, but each to their own. They don't half fetch a pemium on teh bay though :(

bit the bullet. i think i have just given this puppy a flu shot.

masked off and ready to paint.

you should feed your dogs

don't think i would like to meet a dog with a skull that size!

Did you find those in a Findus lasagne?

ha ha, not far off......

couple of my lucky skulls

First coat is on. The paint matches really closely with the original satin finish. It shows all the imperfections, i kind of like it, its honest.

I have no doubt in my mind that you'll do it with the sensitivity it deserves.

Excellent work - definitely doing it justice

@rive - you may well be right - I've only ever had ghastly plastic ones - those Tom Simpson Prestige jobbies look rather nice though!

ghastly plastic

I just don't understand what Simplex were thinking for a really long period of time for most of their components.

Thanks RVL, i'm trying my hardest to do justice to the frame, whilst making it usable and practical for actual use.

I agree with both of you regarding Simplex.... The early metal mechs look really nice and have a simple clean design. unfortunately they are hard to find and quite expensive. The later plastic coated numbers look cheap and nasty. I would not want one of those on my build.

but it makes it even worse that every now and then they got it so right

can i see the tandem?

Sorry I don't have any... this was a long refurbishment and I have no recent pictures of it. Need to make some for co-owner of the tandem to see (Serk on here, who is now on the other side of the great ocean)

When you do take some please let me see. my girlfriend and i own a Mercian tandem and it brings us so much joy....
do you have any of the witcomb? Would be nice to see another tweed run bike.

The frame also has "Pat Skeates" on it. It's a much later decal than the Andy Bone. I have no idea who he was. Can anyone shed some light?

Pat Skeates was a London based builder in the early 50's noted for his use of Nervex Mk1 Pro (aka International Series) Lugs - other features common to Skeates' frames include wrap-over seat stays and curved bridges on chain- & seatstays.

Here's one that may interest you http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=230862

oh, the plot thickens! have you a link to this info. i can not find anything on him.

ah, just see you added a link! thanks buddy...... looking now.

thats it! wow, thanks. Really happy. Who would have thought that the name written on the frame was the builder? ha ha. Its strange it has very early Andy Bone decal on it........that's what through me off the scent.

Yep - it's a definite match
Stickers can often be red-herrings! I bought a Lo Pro and was told it was a Bob Badger - it had Bob Jackson Stickers, but turned out to be a Barry Chick!
I've got a Bob Jackson that I was told was a Claud Butler even though it had Gazelle Stickers.

^Like my Mercian with Dave Russell stickers. That the bloke selling to me claimed was a Cinelli.

whats up with people rebadging frames? flipping annoying.