New to old road bikes
- Thread starter Uncle Monty
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Ok all joking aside this is a pretty amazing find. Like I said above keeping it original will be the best plan. Looks to be mostly original the only exception being the rear mech which was replaced in the '70s to '80s. Looks like the shifters were replaced as well and clearly the front mech is missing. If you wanted to go with Campagnolo then appropriate equipment might look like this:
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Uncle Monty
Retrobike Rider
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I thought the mech and lever were 70s. Those early Simplex ones look the part but I don't think I would want to ride with them. The Gran Sport is nice and I was thinking of trying those. There is a single braze on for a lever. No sign of any front mech ever having been fitted. The Simplex double is a 50-48 or 47, not sure if I lost count. The rivets for this have been just kissing the chainstay for a long time, just cutting through the paint. Would this be a stop and change it or a reach down and try not to cut your fingers off move? There is no deraillieur hanger on this frame but the base of the dropout looks as if it has been fettled in some way. Would a 50s deraillieur like the Simplex have mounted with an adaptor or directly to a braze on or an integral part of the dropout? Colour is odd - Its blue again in my garage but looked purple at work!
bugloss
Retrobike Rider
If you look at it under fluorescent light the colour will change as they have a green cast due to the colour temperature of the light source, likewise tungsten will have an orange cast and daylight will be blue if the sky is clear and the object is in shadow. So colours change depending on the light source under which you are looking at them.
As for the gears, I don't know but I have a couple of Gran Sport rear mechs and they are very nice.
As for the gears, I don't know but I have a couple of Gran Sport rear mechs and they are very nice.
Uncle Monty
Retrobike Rider
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My colour sense is not good, but yes the lights at home are cheapys where as we have HF daylighters at work. It looks good out in the sun. There are marks and bands where the paint may have been covered. The colour is much richer and darker there. Lining and accents are in pale blue.
Basic things - 27x 1 1/4 tyres. Is there much available that is any good as well as looking the part? Cables, I am probably going to have to chop these due to fraying. Are they easily obtaiable or do I need an unusual size? The rear looks pretty heavy guage. Are five speed chains easy to replace?
A bit more involved- the wheels need a rebuild. I like a bit of patina, but they are just horrible. Can the aluminium flanges usually be separated from the steel body or are they a permanently rivetted up assembly?
Basic things - 27x 1 1/4 tyres. Is there much available that is any good as well as looking the part? Cables, I am probably going to have to chop these due to fraying. Are they easily obtaiable or do I need an unusual size? The rear looks pretty heavy guage. Are five speed chains easy to replace?
A bit more involved- the wheels need a rebuild. I like a bit of patina, but they are just horrible. Can the aluminium flanges usually be separated from the steel body or are they a permanently rivetted up assembly?
I guess early to mid 1950s. Probably 47 x 50 Simplex chainrings, this would give 10 evenly spaced gears. Nothing wrong or dangerous with the early front changers. Simplex made one that I could change up with the inside of my leg.
Somehow the hubs look like the Powell hubs mentioned recently.
I would suggest a shot blast is far too harsh for this.
When I sold Hetchins I preferred the straight stays, so here is a pic from 1958.
Somehow the hubs look like the Powell hubs mentioned recently.
I would suggest a shot blast is far too harsh for this.
When I sold Hetchins I preferred the straight stays, so here is a pic from 1958.
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bugloss
Retrobike Rider
Chain
www.wiggle.co.uk/wippermann-intrax-708- ... eed-chain/
I bought Continental gatorskins in27" x 1 1/4 from Evans online. I like Conti Gatorskins and I'm not fussed about tan sidewalls, I like them to stick and wear well.
I don't think you can easily take the flanges off and put them on again, Keith may help.
Here you are.
www.wiggle.co.uk/wippermann-intrax-708- ... eed-chain/
I bought Continental gatorskins in27" x 1 1/4 from Evans online. I like Conti Gatorskins and I'm not fussed about tan sidewalls, I like them to stick and wear well.
I don't think you can easily take the flanges off and put them on again, Keith may help.
Here you are.
Uncle Monty
Retrobike Rider
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Thanks Bugloss thats great info. Dont' worry Keith, I'm not about to have it blasted, we are just joking around. I forgot to say what information I have. It is a Hetchins Magnum Bonum from I am told 1953 but I have yet to confirm this. The frame number is very hard to read on the dropout. Once I have the headset apart I should have the number from the fork. It has had only one owner and I have the Hetchins sales pamphlet and the little book from Tommy Braund cycles in Gateshead showing the weekly payments. I have only found one glimpse of the cycle shop in an old photo. It can be seen in the background of a pub. If anyone has some information on Tommy Braunds or even better a photo, I would really like to see it. Nice little bit of history.
Old Ned
Old School Grand Master
Uncle Monty":2x0kgdfy said:
If the rear ends have been 'fettled' then in all probability they are Simplex ones which were quite specific for fitting early Simplex mechs. This is possibly why they have had the hanger part cut off, a common thing done to 'improve' the frame BITD. As I said above, if this is the case then the gear lever boss will also be a Simplex one which again is quite specific for a Simplex lever. With no left hand lever boss the front changer - if fitted - would have been a rod operated one like this -
http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx? ... 3&AbsPos=1
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