PhillB
GT Fan
Ah yes, I think they are called 'saddle supports', I've seen them on some old bikes, there is one for sale on eBay at the moment. Expensive though.
Any idea what this is? - 1920s Radior
- Thread starter PhillB
- Start date
Frankenorange
Orange 🍊 Fan
How about making one. Something like a rigging screw from a chandlers maybe and make/adapt something to attach to the nose and top tube?
PhillB
GT Fan
Progress on the Radior has been a little slow, as I am searching for some parts that are hard to find. I did get some pedals and fitted a freewheel and chain, but have to sort brakes.
I have a Phillco brake for the front which came with the bike and I am going to re-use after working out how to clean it up....I need to find a way to mount the cork pads for the wooden rims ....
It came with a more modern 40's/50's rear brake that had a Heath Robinson style bracket that enabled it to fit with the vertical drilling in the stay bridge... I didn't want to use that and as the front brake was attached by clamps to the fork blades, I have been looking for something to clamp to the stays - I found a couple of Philcos, but without clamps, then I found this...
I have no idea who manufactured them, but it looks about the right period. It's now fitted... but I forgot to take a picture!
I have a Phillco brake for the front which came with the bike and I am going to re-use after working out how to clean it up....I need to find a way to mount the cork pads for the wooden rims ....
It came with a more modern 40's/50's rear brake that had a Heath Robinson style bracket that enabled it to fit with the vertical drilling in the stay bridge... I didn't want to use that and as the front brake was attached by clamps to the fork blades, I have been looking for something to clamp to the stays - I found a couple of Philcos, but without clamps, then I found this...
I have no idea who manufactured them, but it looks about the right period. It's now fitted... but I forgot to take a picture!
Probably will not be necessary depending on the rider weight. Should be good to around 85 kg or a little more no problem.
Those old seat-posts would be thick walled. The gallows are welded and smooth filed.
IMHO though the saddle clamp is about right on the seat-post but the saddle itself could be shoved back a good couple of centimetres.
The low hanging part of the saddle leather sides "should" align roughly vertical to the saddle clamp.
The position right now is "too over the BB" and is defeating somewhat the mega slack angles for a comfortable ride. The forward reach will potentially be another headache to sort out. Often bikes of this period can be very cramped up, but with those drops it will probably work out.
Great work. It's a winner this is!
PhillB
GT Fan
Thanks Woz!
I did find a seat support on eBay, for £100 (!) I guess they are rare now... Thankfully I am (considerably!) under 85kg.
I've kinda just 'plonked' the saddle on for now, but I'll move it back and when I set it up to ride. The back brake is on but needs cabling up and the front brake is in parts after having rust treatment...I'm debating whether to leave it as it is or to strip and repaint it... leaning towards leaving it... I may just re constuct it and fit it and see. I also need to find a way to fit the cork brake pads to it, the calipers are looking for a pad with posts!!
juvela
Retro Guru
-----
plusieurs pedales, encore une fois...
avertissement de mars mcmxxxvi:
[A. Raimond = Cyclo]
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saddle support -
followed with interest a discussion of these on another vintage cycle forum
the consensus of the experts seemed to be that the market was too small for them to be offered commercially
so they tended to be done by a local to the user cycle mechanic, for example at a velodrome
cycles most commonly seen exhibiting them are stayers, which is indeed a very specialised market...
-----
plusieurs pedales, encore une fois...
avertissement de mars mcmxxxvi:
[A. Raimond = Cyclo]
---
saddle support -
followed with interest a discussion of these on another vintage cycle forum
the consensus of the experts seemed to be that the market was too small for them to be offered commercially
so they tended to be done by a local to the user cycle mechanic, for example at a velodrome
cycles most commonly seen exhibiting them are stayers, which is indeed a very specialised market...
-----
Frankenorange
Orange 🍊 Fan
I bet @Nabeaquam has got a bucket full of them.
Nabeaquam
BoTM Winner
I don’t have a bucket of them but I have a few. Real vintage ones are rare and expensive. I put a real one on the late 1920s Gloria frame I built up as a gift for my sons birthday.
You can make a reasonable facsimile thereof with a steering strut for an RC vehicle, around $6 each. I drill out the ball joints. Once you start drilling the ball joints just fall out.
I got a vintage brass airplane wire tensioner but it was too bulky to make a faux seat support. Most of them are too long. All regular turnbuckles are too big and clearly are fakes.
My Claud Butler track bike didn’t have one. If you look closely you can see where one was originally mounted, just behind the one made from an RC car component. I replaced two I made from a brass airplane component with the RC part.
You can make a reasonable facsimile thereof with a steering strut for an RC vehicle, around $6 each. I drill out the ball joints. Once you start drilling the ball joints just fall out.
I got a vintage brass airplane wire tensioner but it was too bulky to make a faux seat support. Most of them are too long. All regular turnbuckles are too big and clearly are fakes.
My Claud Butler track bike didn’t have one. If you look closely you can see where one was originally mounted, just behind the one made from an RC car component. I replaced two I made from a brass airplane component with the RC part.
Nabeaquam
BoTM Winner
Those Phillips brakes work well. Better than a lot of modern rim brakes.
