Claud Butler - Carpenter - Vintage Bike - Wheel Help

[Woz]

Poor OP. Coming here wanting a bike fixed up ..... with such a simple thing as a wheel and bloody tyre question to ride an old bike

Just came off the phone with my Dad and asked a few questions thinking of this thread:

- My father was the first member of Congleton CC who bought Italian Fiamme sprint rims in a time period 1956 - 1958.
- They were so expensive to quote "cleaned me out".
- He thinks that the Italian bike industry had a bit more edge than the French sprint rim industry.
- He reckons the rich southern Londoners may have had sprint rims as early as 1952.
- He can't recall that the British ever made a tubular for a sprint rim.

We already know the CB is around 1953. I'm more than ever convinced now the CB was bought as a serious starter by a young chap, re-purposed from catalogue spec to have some fun and have a crack at hill climb races with a lightweight wheel set.

The Carpenter was his main daily rider sometime later.

 

[WhtANightmare]

I can safely say I am equal parts educated and confused lol.

The bit I'm struggling to get my head round is that my wife's grandad was someone who never threw away anything. Yet if the bike was made for 26" wheelset he doesn't have a single 26" rim, and none of the rims he does have fit the brake caliper length (but only the front)

I'm going to have to move my focus onto the carpenter as the hopefully simpler, cheaper first one.

is there anything I need to consider to work out what the correct rear wheel would have been for the carpenter? Number of gears? Size of cassette? The crank appears to have 2 x crankset with a double gear lever on the downtube.

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

I can safely say I am equal parts educated and confused lol.

The bit I'm struggling to get my head round is that my wife's grandad was someone who never threw away anything. Yet if the bike was made for 26" wheelset he doesn't have a single 26" rim, and none of the rims he does have fit the brake caliper length (but only the front)

I'm going to have to move my focus onto the carpenter as the hopefully simpler, cheaper first one.

is there anything I need to consider to work out what the correct rear wheel would have been for the carpenter? Number of gears? Size of cassette? The crank appears to have 2 x crankset with a double gear lever on the downtube.

What is the rear spacing of the Carpenter? Do you have a matching pair of 27"s? Take some pictures of the rim so we can see what profile, there may be a name on the rim under the crud. Take pics of both hubs with any names or markings. Do they both fit in the Carpenter? If so take a side view of both sides, and a fork crown/brake bridge pic so we can see the clearance.
It would have been a screw on freewheel and could have been 3,4,5 speeds. If the chainset has 1/8" teeth it will be 3 speed. 4 (I think) and 5 use 3/32". The spacing will affect how many speeds too.
Old bikes are a pain in the a*se but we love them. We'll talk about cotter pins later...
Everything @Woz has said makes sense.

 

[Jonny69]

The number of gears might be stamped on the derailleur somewhere. Example here on my Benelux, 4 sp 3/32 - 3 sp 1/8.

 

[vcballbat]

I can safely say I am equal parts educated and confused lol.

The bit I'm struggling to get my head round is that my wife's grandad was someone who never threw away anything. Yet if the bike was made for 26" wheelset he doesn't have a single 26" rim, and none of the rims he does have fit the brake caliper length (but only the front)

I'm going to have to move my focus onto the carpenter as the hopefully simpler, cheaper first one.

is there anything I need to consider to work out what the correct rear wheel would have been for the carpenter? Number of gears? Size of cassette? The crank appears to have 2 x crankset with a double gear lever on the downtube.

If you find some 26 inch (597mm) wheels tyres are still available

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tyres-26-597/
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/18535618...iIhcVWxQfO&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[WhtANightmare]

What is the rear spacing of the Carpenter? Do you have a matching pair of 27"s? Take some pictures of the rim so we can see what profile, there may be a name on the rim under the crud. Take pics of both hubs with any names or markings. Do they both fit in the Carpenter? If so take a side view of both sides, and a fork crown/brake bridge pic so we can see the clearance.
It would have been a screw on freewheel and could have been 3,4,5 speeds. If the chainset has 1/8" teeth it will be 3 speed. 4 (I think) and 5 use 3/32". The spacing will affect how many speeds too.
Old bikes are a pain in the a*se but we love them. We'll talk about cotter pins later...
Everything @Woz has said makes sense.

I'm gonna have to make sure the saddle is in a good condition with how much of a pain in the arse the bike has been so far

hopefully over the weekend i can have a proper look at the wheels/chainset/clearances etc of the carpenter and hopefully no more surprises to come in store to hamper my hopes and dreams

 

[WhtANightmare]

The number of gears might be stamped on the derailleur somewhere. Example here on my Benelux, 4 sp 3/32 - 3 sp 1/8.

View attachment 732595

Thank you good tip, i'll try and clean up the derailleur enough to see if any engraving is hidden away.

 

[WhtANightmare]

If you find some 26 inch (597mm) wheels tyres are still available

https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/tyres-26-597/
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/18535618...iIhcVWxQfO&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Thanks @vcballbat i'll save those links for when i regain the mental capacity to cope with the Claud Butler again

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

The number of gears might be stamped on the derailleur somewhere. Example here on my Benelux, 4 sp 3/32 - 3 sp 1/8.

View attachment 732595

We can hope

 

[Woz]

The number of gears might be stamped on the derailleur somewhere. Example here on my Benelux, 4 sp 3/32 - 3 sp 1/8.

View attachment 732595

Wished I had known about this last year.

Tore my hair out figuring what speed (with help) only to find later removing grime this was printed on the back of the rear mech:

Since the Carpenter has a double ring up front, I'm guessing it would be 3/32" chain, 4 or 5 speed freewheel.