Anyone know what this beauty is?

[mdvineng]

Re: Re:

Asking anyone ...
On the rear dropout pic, what is the vertical part at the front of the dropout that goes down? What purpose is it for?

To facilitate quick accurate wheel changes

 

[Midlife]

As above, to spin the wheel around and get it back in place as quickly as possible as way back the only way of changing gear was to have two sprockets on the rear wheel.

If that makes sense lol

Takes me back to the days when I followed the bunch in a Falcon car ready to change wheels, only this time it was wheel guides on the brakes that helped....

Sorry, enough reminiscing. Back on topic

 

[pigman]

Re:

Yeh, that makes sense, thanks. But that opens a further question. Why was the idea dropped in the 60s onwards? Aesthetics? Weight?

 

[pohnjiper]

Re:

I’m loving all this info and reminiscing.
I’m very mechanically skilled but don’t be surprised if I start asking about restoration and cleaning techniques.

 

[Old Ned]

I thought these were ends for Osgears and the like to protect the hanging arm shifting 'prong' from damage by a clumsily removed wheel. I think Percy Stallard had his own version that he sold to the trade.

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/stallard.html

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/osgear.html

 

[mdvineng]

I thought these were ends for Osgears and the like to protect the hanging arm shifting 'prong' from damage by a clumsily removed wheel. I think Percy Stallard had his own version that he sold to the trade.

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/stallard.html

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/osgear.html

Correct but not exclusively
http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/de ... ar-hs.html

 

[pohnjiper]

Re:

I thought I knew a bit about bikes but Wow, I’ve never seen that set up before.
Every days a school day!!!

 

[Old Ned]

I thought these were ends for Osgears and the like to protect the hanging arm shifting 'prong' from damage by a clumsily removed wheel. I think Percy Stallard had his own version that he sold to the trade.

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/stallard.html

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/osgear.html

Correct but not exclusively
http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/de ... ar-hs.html

A friend of mine (who sadly passed away recently) had a bike with a Vittoria Margherita gear (possibly a Bianchi but not certain) and he reckoned it wasn't the easiest mech to use. Bending down once to change gear he ended up almost in the hedge! Finger-chopping good I reckon!

 

[keithglos]

Not Osgear ends. the prong is just to help wheel replacement.
Osgear ends have a cut out to take the hub spindle in a fixed forward position. This is better for getting the changing arm close to the cogs.

As possibly the last person alive to have used a Paris Roubaix gear in a real road race there was nothing dangerous about undoing the rear wheel and changing gear on both at once.

Like some refer to "suicide" front changers, really no different than using a down tube bottle cage.

And if you have never had to stick a foot behind the fork crown to slow down....

Keith

 

[nammonk]

Re:

OK, so I can't give any help on the bike itself, but my dad knew Bill Oldham well. In fact, he used to spray and bake the frames for them in the 50s, in the big oven at the Geigy Chemical Company, where he worked... So, your frame may well have been sprayed by my dad. Bill was also an AA patrolman, on a motorbike and sidecar. My dad bought his first bike from Bill Oldham, a Chrome Carlton.

I didn't expect that much in response to asking if he remembered W Oldham!

Nick