1950's advice

dave_spike

Retro Newbie
Hello,

This is my Grandads ~1953 claud butler. I have the original 3 speed rear wheel and groupset and well as the 5 speed that is currently fitted. The original alloy rims wore out and the current chrome ones were a 70's replacement by my dad.

THe bike is still in excellent condition, I did 28miles on it today in training for a charity bike ride next year. However it could do with a bit of fettling before that. Mainly getting some gears on.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, rear drop out is 120mm, current wheels are 26" x 1 1/4"

Once that ride is over I intend to put the bike back to original three speed configuration

Thanks

Dave
 

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Very nice, more images please.

One word of advice - I wouldn't lie it on the ground like that! :)
 
Need some more pics really, but if its 1953 and fillet brazed it will be a Claud Butler Jubilee.

A nice bike with Reynolds 531 frame and would have originally had a Benelux 3 speed rear derailleur, or there was an upgrade to 4 or 5. 27" Dunlop rims, GB Calipers and a Brooks B15 saddle.

Green was one of the colour options but has your been resprayed? You seem to be missing the Jubilee decals.

Some close up pics would be good :)
 
Well I've spoken to my Dad and he recalls the bike being a made to measure one off but he was very young at the time. I has always been british racing green and was last stripped and repainted by my Dad in the early 90's, he doesn't recall any decals so my have been repainted before his earliest memories

The frame has 931415 stamped into the bottom bracket. It currently has Wenmann Type 810 brakes, and the cranks have NG or NC 8 on them, other than that I have no other information to go on.

Yes I have the original Benelux 3 speed rear derailleur and the original rear wheel, the original front wheel has been replace when it ran out of rim in the 70's, curretly on some crome'd rims.

I would love to now the original spec of the bike so I can return it to as close as possible after the charity ride next year.

More pics to follow
 

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Looking at the clearances I think you could get some 27" wheels in there.

Pictures of lug and seat cluster would help.
 
Ok here's some additional photos and some additional information, apparently the shifter was mounted in the end of the bar originally, i have checked the down tude and there was either never a brazed mount or it has been very nicely removed and smoothed over at some point.

Priority is sorting out the cable routing as the current cable ties look naff and are rubbing.
 

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Looks like a Claude Butler, one of them lugless ones (name escapes me).

It would have had band on guides or gear levers where you normally expect to see braze on shifters.
 
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