Jonny69
Senior Retro Guru
They’re Michelin World Tour 650B x 35
Late 40s / Early 50s René Herse tip find
- Thread starter Jonny69
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Jonny69
Senior Retro Guru
Back to the derailleur restoration project, I had some round aluminium bar stock which would have made an ideal shim material. I started by drawing round it onto some paper and then transposing the shapes of the worn derailleur and the pivot. I planned to bore into the end with a 19mm cutter (same diameter as the pivot), part it off and finish it by hand. The idea being I was going use the paper template to work out where the bore needed to go, then do the rest by hand with a file.
But I had a lab clear out a few weeks ago and without thinking threw out the bit of material I wanted to use
The reason I haven’t just bought another secondhand derailleur is these early Cyclo derailleurs seem to go for a lot of money for what they are. However, I spotted a very filthy similar model on eBay which I think might use the same arm. I put in a low but not-too-cheeky offer and it’s on its way. So, fingers crossed 1) it fits; and fingers crossed 2) it’s not too worn.
But I had a lab clear out a few weeks ago and without thinking threw out the bit of material I wanted to use
The reason I haven’t just bought another secondhand derailleur is these early Cyclo derailleurs seem to go for a lot of money for what they are. However, I spotted a very filthy similar model on eBay which I think might use the same arm. I put in a low but not-too-cheeky offer and it’s on its way. So, fingers crossed 1) it fits; and fingers crossed 2) it’s not too worn.
Jonny69
Senior Retro Guru
Filthy Cyclo has arrived:
It is indeed filthy and a bit gummed up. I haven’t got the original with me so I can’t do a direct comparison, but this looks like an all-steel version of the one that was on the bike. So it’s got a steel arm, steel nuts and a steel lower jockey wheel instead of an alloy guide pulley. Still a bit of a fingers crossed job, but it’s looking hopeful.
Side by side pics for comparison:
It is indeed filthy and a bit gummed up. I haven’t got the original with me so I can’t do a direct comparison, but this looks like an all-steel version of the one that was on the bike. So it’s got a steel arm, steel nuts and a steel lower jockey wheel instead of an alloy guide pulley. Still a bit of a fingers crossed job, but it’s looking hopeful.
Side by side pics for comparison:
Jonny69
Senior Retro Guru
Potentially yes to all of that. We know that early on English riders weren’t keen on alloy components because they could be fragile compared to steel counterparts. The steel Cyclo could either have been a cheaper model or it could have been the same thing but destined for the UK market?
There’s probably a perfectly reasonable explanation but I haven’t looked into it yet
