Armstrong 1953 Restored FIRST RIDE Page 7

The History Man

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Just got back with the bikes and have posted pictures All Help and advice as to where to start and how far to go etc gratefully received.

I really don't want to cock this up so please be brutally honest about the bike/restoration propects and what to put on it or not as the case may be.

Thanks in anticipation THM


My first post in the road section.

Went out on my first retro road ride on saturday and very much brought a knife to a gunfight as i turned up on an MTB on slicks. :facepalm:

Seeing the lovely old bikes it got me thinking back to a conversation I had had a while ago with my father-in-law. Apparently in about 1953, when he was in the army, he and a friend bought an Armstrong frame as a base for a bike as they were both into cycling. Well to cut a long story short, I have just spoken to him and he has agreed to my restoring the bike as it has been in his shed for possibly 40+ years. He said he also has another frame that he bought around that time to strip for parts to swap onto the completed Armstrong.

I have no idea of the condition of the bike(s) and am going up there on Sunday to help him uncover them. Interesting eh?

To his recollection it could be a 21/22inch frame so hopefully might just squeeze onto it. In any case, would be nice to get it on the road.

I am not interested in price/value as it's going nowhere. Are Armstrongs rare and should this be a 'period as possible' build or a 'reliable respectful' one? I'm open to persuasion either way.

Will keep you posted and would be grateful for any advice as to which specialised tools I will need to get/borrow, imperial?, anything weird? to carefully and properly strip and rebuild this.

Of course this could all be academic if all we find is rust and dust :roll:

No sleep till Sunday! :) THM
 
Re: Unseen Armstrong

I have done some googling in search of industrial history.

http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Armstrong_Cycles

http://www.oldbike.eu/museum/1930s/1930 ... -roadster/

It seems to have been a private company which had become part of TI by the 60s. No relation to Armstrong-Siddley as far as I can tell.

It's possible their Sampson Street works might survive. Google street view reveals some handsome old workshops.

You might find you've got something quite exciting here. Brace yourself for Benelux gears!

Ken
 
Re: Unseen Armstrong

Thanks for that. nice links Will post some pics of what I find on Sunday. Time Trial or Time Team? Place your bets!
 
Re: Unseen Armstrong

It'll be good! Stuff tended to be fairly well engineered back then. As long as the shed wasn't too damp! Hope it has some of the cool features like the stem still on it like the one on the link.

Do you mean if you google "Armstrong" it doesn't have the bike at the top of the list?
 
Re: Unseen Armstrong

A few bits but lots of lance Armstrong stuff gets in the way of google searches.
 
Re: Unseen Armstrong

Based on the bike seen on Classic Rendezvous it looks like a very nice bike indeed. I for one would attempt to leave it as original as possible assuming that the march of time has not been too harsh
 
Re: Unseen Armstrong

Off to eat a very polite patient Sunday lunch for Father's Day before getting into that shed!!!!

Been a loooong week :LOL:
 
Re: Armstrong 1953? Help/Advice Requested Please

Well as far as i can see this is in remarkably good condition considering the length of time stored. I shall let the pictures speak for themselves.

A couple of questions:

Are the wheels later? What is going on with that rear mech? - not like anything ive ever seen and is it worth restoring or should i just replace it?

Loving the choice of cranks!
 

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Re: Armstrong 1953? Help/Advice Requested Please

More pics. Seat tube moves a little so all good. Stem solid inc quill bolt. Soaking at present.

note the reversible rear wheel for fixed or gears! Is this unusual? Should i aim to run it like this? (geared setup but just for show)

Tyres and tubes perished, Brakes look to original
 

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