Gillott

I'm rebuilding a 1952 lugless Gillott frame. The only wheels I can get to fit are 26" on the front and 27" on the back. Have I got something wrong or did Gillott make a frame which took different sized wheels front and rear?
Pics here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brieflives ... hotostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brieflives ... otostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brieflives ... otostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brieflives ... otostream/

The forks and frame have not been mixed up at all?

Some nice period details on the machine, love the rod front changer.

Frame numbers match so I'm guessing no.

Well, 26" isn't a particularly helpful way to describe that front wheel!

26 x 1 1/4 = 597mm
26 x 1 3/8 = 590mm
26x 1.75 (etc) = 559mm

I guess it's unlikely to be the first, but there's a big difference between the other two.

If it's a 559 you've fitted, then that is indeed very odd - there's a lot less clearance on the front than the rear. The forks *look* original, though.

If it's 26 x 1 3/8, then looking at that clearance (both brake and frame) I'd say that 700C should fit (they'd need the brake blocks to be 16mm higher, and it looks as though you've just about got that). Most British frames of that period were built to take both sprints (same size as 700c) and 27", so it's still a bit odd that a 27 won't fit, but I can see that it would be on the limits, at least with those brakes.

The wheel fitted is a 590. I've offered up 27" and 700C and they don't quite fit with the GB hiduminiums or Weinmann 730s or a Lytaloy front caliper. Any suggestions for a brake with a very long adjustment?

Oh, sorry. I'd have thought that would work - it looks as though those blocks will go up 16mm from the photo.

You obviously need a brake calliper with a short reach, which won't be hard to find, BUT may well be hard to match to that frame, period-wise. I take it those brakes were not on there when you acquired the frame?

Its been suggested to me that the bike was built for sprints and that I need a brake with a very short drop like a weinmann 500. Any suggestions for such a brake from the early 50s?

I would have thought it much more likely that the frame was built for 26 x 1 1/4, which would be 597mm. These were still in fairly widespread use in the early 50s.

It's difficult to tell from the photos but it looks as though you've got enough adjustment on both front and rear calipers to fit them, that's assuming you haven't already tried 597s.

Lovely bike, by the way. I had a Gillott as a teenager but didn't appreciate at the time just how good they were. It would make a great basis for a period restoration.

I've built it with modern wheels 26x1 3/8 on the front and 27 x 1 1/4 on the back.