Fixing a Victorian

[Nabeaquam]

Man alive, this whole project has been one giant defuckel. My latest endeavor is working on the head badge, which doesn’t want to conform to the head tube circumference so I’m using extremely fast drying epoxy and clamps. I love this stuff, it’s cheap and really does dry in 20 minutes. The chain is not seating well on the chainring, which is odd as the chain and ring are original. It works but is noisy. Perhaps removing the rust and lubing everything up made for a misfit. The rear spacing is as original. Oh well, ride it until it grinds together. The drop bars bang on the top tube and cause dents so instead of using a modern track frame top tube protector I made one out of cork gasket material and red twine. I’m still planning on a shake down cruise tomorrow. They usually don’t go well as all my errors show up with a vengeance.

 

[Mickeyspinn]

Oh yes
Enjoy the shakedown!

 

[Nabeaquam]

I rode it a little tonight. My usual 32 inch pedal to seat top is way too high to be comfortable. Too high a bottom bracket, very scary. I cant jump off, too tall. The bars are so weird. I’m not use to something that is so bad, cramped, bent, scary, unbalanced and uncomfortable ride. My knees are close to the drops. What were they thinking? I’m taking it to Marquette, Michigan tomorrow, 130 mile round trip, but the Lake Superior bike path is worth the drive. I’m also bringing in my 30s Claud Butler wood wheeled track bike for my son to ride with me. He said he is looking forward to a suicide ride. I’m going to get the tires dirty.

 

[Nabeaquam]

My track cog lock ring spinner is too big so I can’t get it tight. I’m taking it to the bike shop to see if they have one. I hate to use locking pliers on it.

 

[Mickeyspinn]

Damn that looks good

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

What an epic effort.

 

[M_Chavez]

Epic indeed.
Enjoy the ride!

 

[Nabeaquam]

Typical of my shake down rides, it broke three times. I kept tightening the collet, really reefed on it but the seat turned and the post pistons down from bumps. Too worn and the post is smaller with the gone nickel plating. I’m cleaning the grease out with a spray solvent and epoxying it in place. The next guy can use a torch to remove it. The chain is very noisy so I’m going to reverse it, it might be on backwards from original. It’s not unusual for old inch pitch chains to be noisy as they are old and worn and changing rings or cogs seems to make it so things don’t quite fit as they should. After about 6 miles the pedal with the nylon race froze up and the pedal kept coming off. This pedal had no grove cut for a lock ring, instead it had a spindle flat spot and a “D” washer that was missing. I made a“D” washer and that obviously let go at the 6 mile mark. Tiny “D” washers are not available. I’ll put on my new old stock pedals. So, epoxy, new pedals, chain reverse and crank arm tightening and I should be good. Even though the narrow bars were hard on the arms and shoulder and the riding position was pretty bad I did enjoy the ride. I’ll ride it more and keep improving weak spots until I’m happy. It’s actually pretty close.

 

[keithglos]

Inch pitch block chains were always noisy even when new.

Keith

 

[Mickeyspinn]

Typical of my shake down rides, it broke three times. I kept tightening the collet, really reefed on it but the seat turned and the post pistons down from bumps. Too worn and the post is smaller with the gone nickel plating. I’m cleaning the grease out with a spray solvent and epoxying it in place. The next guy can use a torch to remove it. The chain is very noisy so I’m going to reverse it, it might be on backwards from original. It’s not unusual for old inch pitch chains to be noisy as they are old and worn and changing rings or cogs seems to make it so things don’t quite fit as they should. After about 6 miles the pedal with the nylon race froze up and the pedal kept coming off. This pedal had no grove cut for a lock ring, instead it had a spindle flat spot and a “D” washer that was missing. I made a“D” washer and that obviously let go at the 6 mile mark. Tiny “D” washers are not available. I’ll put on my new old stock pedals. So, epoxy, new pedals, chain reverse and crank arm tightening and I should be good. Even though the narrow bars were hard on the arms and shoulder and the riding position was pretty bad I did enjoy the ride. I’ll ride it more and keep improving weak spots until I’m happy. It’s actually pretty close.

3 ...not so bad! All mechanics..all fixable !
Frames and fork held up....that's the important stuff
I'm just wondering about the seat collet....you don't think the thread of the collet is bottoming out inside the nut? Maybe a thin washer under nut might just give that little extra you need to account for post not having the plating on!