Any idea what this is? - 1920s Radior

[PhillB]

So, I stripped the paint off over the weekend ( I usually keep what I can of the original paint, but...there was nothing really to keep, it is going to get a respray...). These revealed a few interesting things.

A filled in dent on the top tube, a small hole in one of the chain stays - which I repaired. and some small traces of lilac/mauve paint on the head tube... OK so that wasn't that exciting.

What was confirmed is that this thing is 99% French - measuring the tubes for one thing and the headset is French threaded.

The spacing on the rear is 110mm and on the front and 98mm on the front - to fit the later front hub, someone had just the cones, with no retaining/locking nuts - so am going to have to find a solution for that!

I am going with the Radior - unless I get a better offer Plus - I have managed to track down a Radior chainset in France...

 

[bikeworkshop]

...and 98mm on the front - to fit the later front hub, someone had just the cones, with no retaining/locking nuts - so am going to have to find a solution for that!

Y

Before the 1950s, a lot of front hubs had no locknuts
- the cones I've seen often have a tiny step on the outside face to fit into the fork dropout

 

[PhillB]

Before the 1950s, a lot of front hubs had no locknuts
- the cones I've seen often have a tiny step on the outside face to fit into the fork dropout

That interesting - I'll have a look!

 

[jim haseltine]

Even after the 1950s too. One cone (the righthand I think) usually had no spanner flats and was screwed down to butt against a step on the axle, the other cone had spanner flats for adjustment. Fitment method was to lock up the right track nut, nip up the left track nut with fingers, adjust the bearing clearance then fully tighten the left nut. Sometimes it would take multiple attempts to find the best adjustment.

 

[PhillB]

Even after the 1950s too. One cone (the righthand I think) usually had no spanner flats and was screwed down to butt against a step on the axle, the other cone had spanner flats for adjustment. Fitment method was to lock up the right track nut, nip up the left track nut with fingers, adjust the bearing clearance then fully tighten the left nut. Sometimes it would take multiple attempts to find the best adjustment.

Yes mine is exactly like this - I noticed the step in the axle. The hubs are a later addition to the bike than the frame and are probably 1940's or later. I thought it might have been a bodge to facilitate the narrower OLD...but seems they are meant to be like this Thanks for the info!

 

[juvela]

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thanks for the updates

whenst ye disassembled headset didst thee find any markings upon steerer?


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[PhillB]

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thanks for the updates

whenst ye disassembled headset didst thee find any markings upon steerer?


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Alas, I did not. Not a thing

I can confirm it has a 25mm steerer with French threading though

Also top and Seat tube diameter is 26mm and Down tube 28mm

 

[PhillB]

 

[PhillB]

It's probably fair to say that I am going to have a bit of fun with this one. I know many people would advise preserving the original finish, and if there had been one, I would have done, but someone had repainted it with green (lead ) paint at some point which was also in poor condition.

It took a while to remove this safely without breathing it in and reducing my already struggling IQ any further.

I used paint remover. Since the banned the sale of the old formula paint strippers - you know the GOOD but DEADLY ones, most paint strippers I've tried have been next to useless. But this one was recommended to me by a friend who restores furniture. It is by far the best I've used in a long time and almost as good as the old days!!!

In a nod to originality once I had it back to bare metal and removed a small amount of rust - I've painted it black - I used spray.bike Black Friars over a frame builders primer. Before I clear coat it I have to decide whether to add decals - there's not many of these on google to reference and those that are there have long since lost their decals. However, after rapidly re-accessing my A-level French, I managed to find some content on French sites. I suspect that this is a 1920's Radior and I've found some Radior Iconography from this period :



It's actually quite hard to discern between logos they used on Motocycles, bicycles and Sewing Machines, and which logos they used when - plus they also seemed to redesign their logos quite a bit. These two are the ones I can pin down most likely to the 1920s. Some of their bikes had sewing machines in the badge, which is novel, but I rather like the idea of having a blue winged nymph on the front of my bike so I'm considering that at the moment.

The also used an R emblem seemingly before the early 1920's



and again in the 1940s



I think I am going with the fairy - I'll only be making a decal - so it can be removed in the future if I get more info.

...and then there is the wheels, I'm trying something new with them...but waiting for them to arrive from Italy.

 

[Woz]

Fully supporting you on this. This will be a project. Feel free to PM me if I could help out the other side of "La Manche".