I picked up a Claud Butler Majestique for my girlfriend off ebay recently with the aim of restoring it over the next few months.
The ebay seller didn't respond to any questions to so I took a punt on the bike and frame hoping I didn't find a frame which was too knackered.
Once collected, it was clear this poor old bike had been sat in the rain for a LONG time. The gear shifters, cables and rear derailleur needed the help of a hack saw and drill to come off and most of the other components (aside from the brakes, handlebars and stem)
were rusty and pretty finished. The frame however has only got surface rust and will soon be booked into Armourtex in Hackney for a new powder coat now I've stripped it.
A few questions I have at the moment that I wondered whether anyone could help with...
I think this bike came with 650c wheels although when I compare them to standard 700c wheels they look the same size - is the difference usually noticeable? The rims that were in the claud are the original Wolber 58s.
If I want to upgrade to 700c wheels is this likely to be a problem? What do I need to look out for? The brakes are centre pull Weinmann and I think they'd be adjustable enough for a sightly larger wheel.
I'd also like to fit mudguards but have never bought any and don't know the rules on mudguard sizing. Are mudguards fairly standard size and can anyone recommend some aluminium ones which will stand up to being powder coated too?
I think the rear spacing on the bike is 126mm - how many gears can I fit on the rear sprocket usually on a 126mm wheel? I'd like to get six on the back if possible.
I think that's it for now - thanks in advance...
The ebay seller didn't respond to any questions to so I took a punt on the bike and frame hoping I didn't find a frame which was too knackered.
Once collected, it was clear this poor old bike had been sat in the rain for a LONG time. The gear shifters, cables and rear derailleur needed the help of a hack saw and drill to come off and most of the other components (aside from the brakes, handlebars and stem)
were rusty and pretty finished. The frame however has only got surface rust and will soon be booked into Armourtex in Hackney for a new powder coat now I've stripped it.
A few questions I have at the moment that I wondered whether anyone could help with...
I think this bike came with 650c wheels although when I compare them to standard 700c wheels they look the same size - is the difference usually noticeable? The rims that were in the claud are the original Wolber 58s.
If I want to upgrade to 700c wheels is this likely to be a problem? What do I need to look out for? The brakes are centre pull Weinmann and I think they'd be adjustable enough for a sightly larger wheel.
I'd also like to fit mudguards but have never bought any and don't know the rules on mudguard sizing. Are mudguards fairly standard size and can anyone recommend some aluminium ones which will stand up to being powder coated too?
I think the rear spacing on the bike is 126mm - how many gears can I fit on the rear sprocket usually on a 126mm wheel? I'd like to get six on the back if possible.
I think that's it for now - thanks in advance...
