Was even thinking it may be me being a bit of a moron / too OCD / too precise, but looking at French vintage forums it drives everyone nuts. They also have to deal with inches and fractions which is not a strong point since Mr. Decimal Napoleon Bonapart changed the education curriculum.
French Barn Find - Buckets of Patina!
- Thread starter Woz
- Start date
The History Man":35mz0gct said:
Measuring the external rim diameter, I get 653mm which puts me between 700A and rim 700B according to the French table above.
From 1912 table, and measuring in old money I get 25 10/16". The first rim profile get's me
very close and I fall with a 28 x 1 1/2" = 700B. The second profile I fall closest to 28 x 1 3/8" which is 700A.
700A means tyres from one supplier in France or one supplier Australia. 700B means better availability.
Started to think to take a plunge with the 700B; better too tight than too floppy, lots of oil to get
it to fit?????
....and then started to have doubts. Many many older bikes and some Dion - Boutons were built with 700A,
some are lucky that a riveted badge is on the rim to indicate the size.
Source: https://forum.tontonvelo.com/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=12369 - an utterly lovely restoration which I could never attain.
some are lucky that a riveted badge is on the rim to indicate the size.
Source: https://forum.tontonvelo.com/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=12369 - an utterly lovely restoration which I could never attain.
Attachments
Crambie":3ajsnb89 said:
Actually if I've understood a few things right, it's not chrome, that came around the 30s. It's nickel.
I spent 20mins with a wire brush on an angle grinder to find the De Dion - Bouton engraving on the cranks,
it's there and faint but it definitely looks like all exposed steel is way too far gone to even dream of a shine.
It will be a clean, but rusty coloured rat if that makes any sense
Update on the damn tyre size problem:
Found on off-chance a very retro NOS, French, narrow and true 700B tyre; a Michelin World Tour 700 X 35B
Paid reasonable money, but sadly they only had one and not a pair. Should arrive by the end of the week. Fingers crossed it will be the right size and I can close the size issue and get 50% of the wheels rolling.
I feel lucky already judging by how much these rare tyres are advertised for.....
Found on off-chance a very retro NOS, French, narrow and true 700B tyre; a Michelin World Tour 700 X 35B
Paid reasonable money, but sadly they only had one and not a pair. Should arrive by the end of the week. Fingers crossed it will be the right size and I can close the size issue and get 50% of the wheels rolling.
I feel lucky already judging by how much these rare tyres are advertised for.....
Useless Weightweenie Fact #1
Did a front wheel weight comparison (actual +/- 5g) just out of curiosity to see if road bike technology actually
did advance since the dark ages:
80s NISI Moncalieri tubular rim (still with dried glue
), Campag Record hub (inc. QR), straight gauge spokes = 1 Kg.
20s Unidentified steel rim, unidentified steel hub (inc. butterfly nuts), straight gauge spokes = 1.44 Kg.
Or put another way, in approx. 60 years a 30% weight saving largely due to material change, rather than design change.
With this in mind, looks like I may lag behind a little out of the starting blocks.
Did a front wheel weight comparison (actual +/- 5g) just out of curiosity to see if road bike technology actually
did advance since the dark ages:
80s NISI Moncalieri tubular rim (still with dried glue
), Campag Record hub (inc. QR), straight gauge spokes = 1 Kg.20s Unidentified steel rim, unidentified steel hub (inc. butterfly nuts), straight gauge spokes = 1.44 Kg.
Or put another way, in approx. 60 years a 30% weight saving largely due to material change, rather than design change.
With this in mind, looks like I may lag behind a little out of the starting blocks.
26er
GT Fan
99,99 eurofukcs for a 35-635 :shock: :shock: :roll: jeeesus
You can get them at BT for cheaper than chips...
:facepalm:
Goddammit, this makes me think of Nena and her neun und neunzig luftballons.
Makes me think of Heartland and My Dominion, too...
My eyes are tearing with nostalgia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvoiHjZju5I
:cry: :cry: :cry:
You can get them at BT for cheaper than chips...
:facepalm:
Goddammit, this makes me think of Nena and her neun und neunzig luftballons.
Makes me think of Heartland and My Dominion, too...
My eyes are tearing with nostalgia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvoiHjZju5I
:cry: :cry: :cry:
