Hi all. I should like to present myself and my latest acquisition : a 1953 Claud Butler in largely original but rather poor condition. I found the beast on EBay and probably paid more than I should, but it is the genuine article -- the ''bilaminated'' lugs seems to suggest a ''New All-Rounder'' or ''Avant Coureur', I can't determine which precisely. I live in the South of France and have in recent times reverted to an adolescent obsession with classic steel racing or semi-racing bikes. This is my first Claud Butler in nearly 60 years -- I had a much-loved all-welded superlight model with cantilever brakes which I still miss -- all the rest of my current mounts being of various French makes.
It almost certainly originally had a rear derailleur gear but this was swapped out for a 60s Sturmey Archer 3-speed hub a long time ago, as the rear chromed steel wheel is as rusty as the original Dunlop front wheel. The brakes are the original GB Hiduminium with the early style hooded levers, the handlebars are a rather nice aluminium with a ferule engraved with the names Kint, Steenbergen etc, the badly rusted chrome steel steel stem is a Titan which I shall try to get rechromed, but the seat post is in aluminiumn, closed at the top. I'm not sure of the chainset, which doesn't look like the Williams models of the period. I'm not yet sure what to use in its place as I think I need à 3/32'' item to accomodate a Regina-type 3, 4 or 5-speed derailleur free-wheel in place of the present 3/8'' chain arrangement.
The biggest challenge will certainly be restoring the frame, as the original paint is very far gone, and also rechroming the front and rear forkends which are badly blistered and peeling. I'm having a pair of 27'' wheels made up for it, consisting of Conloy Constrictor Asps with Resilion large-flange hubs, all found on Ebay, but I may also go for a pair or modern alloys with small-flange hubs of suspected Chinese-origin which are to be had relatively cheaply. The original Brooks saddle, apparently a B17, is too far shot to be used, but can obviously be replaced at a price. For CB specialists, the numbers stamped on the bottom bracket are : 4334 above 537. I interpret this to mean a frame built in July '53 and the 4334th of the series.
All comment and advice welcome. Leachim
It almost certainly originally had a rear derailleur gear but this was swapped out for a 60s Sturmey Archer 3-speed hub a long time ago, as the rear chromed steel wheel is as rusty as the original Dunlop front wheel. The brakes are the original GB Hiduminium with the early style hooded levers, the handlebars are a rather nice aluminium with a ferule engraved with the names Kint, Steenbergen etc, the badly rusted chrome steel steel stem is a Titan which I shall try to get rechromed, but the seat post is in aluminiumn, closed at the top. I'm not sure of the chainset, which doesn't look like the Williams models of the period. I'm not yet sure what to use in its place as I think I need à 3/32'' item to accomodate a Regina-type 3, 4 or 5-speed derailleur free-wheel in place of the present 3/8'' chain arrangement.
The biggest challenge will certainly be restoring the frame, as the original paint is very far gone, and also rechroming the front and rear forkends which are badly blistered and peeling. I'm having a pair of 27'' wheels made up for it, consisting of Conloy Constrictor Asps with Resilion large-flange hubs, all found on Ebay, but I may also go for a pair or modern alloys with small-flange hubs of suspected Chinese-origin which are to be had relatively cheaply. The original Brooks saddle, apparently a B17, is too far shot to be used, but can obviously be replaced at a price. For CB specialists, the numbers stamped on the bottom bracket are : 4334 above 537. I interpret this to mean a frame built in July '53 and the 4334th of the series.
All comment and advice welcome. Leachim
