1947 Hobbs of Barbican Clubweight Build and many other old builds

Carpenter track frame in background 😊

1 Attachment

That looks to be a fantastic collection of lovely old bicycles right there Nigel. Your dad has great taste and an eye for quality, it looks like. And my god, yes, now THAT is a chainring...

So my bits arrived today from the wonderful @elgato and they're in amzaing condition for 60+ y/o bike parts with a lovely patina.
I reckon the droopy Merkens stem and Cinellli deep drop bar combo looks teh sex!

Saddle is lovely and the tubs are amazing too.
I've had a tip-off about a shop that stocks 15/17 gauge spokes so may be able to get the wheels built up in the next week or so by Joel.

Anyone have any inch-pitch chainrings and suitable cranks that they'd like to sell me?

Some great parts for the build there, looking forward to seeing it finish.
Vintage NOS tubs do something funny to me for some reason....

JUST. BLOODY. LOVELY.

Superb

Few more bits ordered and on the way. Some Chater Lea Cranks, 25T Chainring and some Chater Lea sprint pedals.
Not too much more to go now.

What canvas tape have you used there? I've got some for mine but it's not got that nice dull matte look like yours.

It came on the bars that I got from @ElGato so not 100% sure but it certainly looks like the Velox Tressorex that I have on my other Hobbs'.

Huh, I think mine is Velox. Maybe it'll look different once on and used a few times.

pleased to read your article re 1947 Hobbs Clubweight - looks identical to fillet brazed Sportsweight as per c. 1950 catalogue - I've got 2, one is built up and in regular use, still a very nice bike/frame. Regards, Peter Hunt

Hi Peter,
Welcome to the forum!
I agree, they ride wonderfully. Would like to see some pictures of yours if you have some.

Here's the Chater Lea cranks, chainring and pedals roughly thrown together.
I've ordered a 7t rear sprocket which, according to the classic lightweight site, should give me 96.4 GI.

Still missing a chain if anyone has a nice one. They seem to be comparatively expensive!

Is that not a bit tall?

Not for a wall hanger :)

The hunt for a chain is over. This is coming in from Canada. The final piece!

Saw this (the Hobbs with the Simplex derailleur, click on "in reply to") in the flesh yesterday. Lovely to meet you @7ven and thanks for the stuff!

Glad to have given you reason to ride it again :-p

Very nice machine.

Nice to meet you too. We'll have to plan a Classic Lightweights ride soon!

Inch pitch chain has arrived from Canada and it's so so nice.
25/7 - Ratio of the gods.

Nice! And yes, we shall do the ride once I've put the Cyclo Ace on my Holdsworth

and we will need a video of that in use with a well placed mike to capture the sweet sound.

Sounds like a good plan. I'll bring along my Raleigh Record Ace with it'a 1950 Sturmey FM hub gear.

Some double coloral bottle cage action incoming courtesy of @Ecobeard. This will probably go on a future build. Have wanted one for ages.

Ever since I've had the Blue Riband, I've always wondered who the previous owner 'BJ Herring from the Eagle Road Club' was but never actively did anything more about it. Last week, I noticed that forum member @Eagle_Glenn was associated with the Eagle RC so I dropped him a message asking him if the name was familiar to him and got the following reply:

Hi Pete

We've only got two members old enough but one of them remembers Brian
Herring. Apparently he was more of a touring rider than a racer
(probably explains the mudguard eyes on the frame, but then lots of
riders in those days rode to events with mudguards & race wheels on
sprint carriers, took the mudguards off to race and then re-fitted
them for the ride home) but was a member and did go out on Eagle club
runs.

I've been a member since 1976 but don't remember him so guess he had
stopped riding by then. There's certainly no connection now.

Anyway looks a lovely frame - look forward to see how you build it
up."

I reckon it's great that someone remembers him. Would be great to find out more about the man but where would you start?

Ancestry sites?

Is there a Club historian, or are there old paper records held by the club?

Or could you ask @Eagle_Glenn if you could put him in touch direct with his club member?