Mickeyspinn
rBotM Winner
Ahhh yes the ribbed version for extra gripping sensation !
Nocim....my Edwardian hotrod speed machine!
- Thread starter Mickeyspinn
- Start date
Mickeyspinn
rBotM Winner
Thank you,very kind!
Nabeaquam
BoTM Winner
In my experience your bike was in typical condition for its age. I expect things like tubing bends, dents, bent fork, cracked races, bent handle bars, rust pitted brindled races, frozen parts, rusted to wire spokes, rotted wood rims etc. All to be expected. As you said, they are a challenge. Congratulations on the fine work, lots of fussing around there.Well where to begin!
I've lost just about all of the build photos with tech devices going kaput..
But I've salvaged a few ...they'll give an idea to the extent I've been through to save this old boy.
Many many hours have gone into this....it is not really for the purists as it's not a restoration more like a resurrection!
So as you do....wine in one hand perusing eBay for the next challenge and I stumbled upon it.
Love at first site! Ooh slack head angle lots of rake....rear facing dropouts....and patina ... lots!
Say hello to my eldest..Nocim! A small known maker circa 1905 to beginning of ww1... That's about all I've ever found other than there might be another in a private collection somewhere in the north of France!
View attachment 627812
Must refit this!
View attachment 627776
Looks ok don't it?
Well somewhere between that pic on eBay and it arriving at my door this had happened...
View attachment 627777
Mix in a little bit of this.....I was expecting this btw
View attachment 627778
So challenge accepted!
What a challenge it was getting it straight...
3 big attempts to get it good.twice it checked out fairly good on my huge jig I'd built on my lathe bed but until I'd built it up and tried to ride it...
Clown bike springs to mind!
But I done it...it's possible to ride no hands now so as far I'm concerned that'll do!
Next job one completely fubard BB shell...the weld hadn't really got hold of that cup but sure had the frame! Shell was out of round ...and threads? Pah who needs threads when sunrace make a push fit cottered BB! So an ugly problem was fixed in a rather ugly fashion.... grinding filing, diamond blocking you name it whatever it took to get it somewhere near something! It's now a 63mm shell
Much fettling with the bottom bracket later and some hefty push fitting it was in....
Now this is about where things started to get fun..
As you do I was sinking a few ales in a local watering hole and the sound of a big thumping single turned up outside...I could smell hot oil in the pub... obviously I wandered out!
Nice chap .. complete klepto of old and weird motorcycles...this one certainly was..a homebuilt beast. Anyway more beer later and it seemed like a good idea to try a bit of vintage drafting behind a vintage motorbike....one with exposed valve gear just for the flavour of oil and grit! yup why not!
So we're gonna need a bigger ring...
Got lucky with this...
View attachment 627797
Now although "round" it certainly wasn't flat!
The only way I could figure how to do something about that seemed really dangerous..
So I went ahead and done it anyway
Still here so that's good!
How'd I do it?
Spun it...fast ...real fast and rubbed it back into shape with a bit of smoking oak! The stuff my lathe gets asked to do!
So the little puppy has teeth... 64 in total... Hhmm should be able to find some gear inches with that!
Now I like bikes to ride I see no point in having a bike you can't use ....right your thinking ...you just got a 64 tooth chainring and you want to use it ...duh
Ok so things got more kinky from here...
I received for free a horrendous abomination of a girl's bike ... It had a nexus three speed with an automatic shift system .... It took batteries....
The batteries were flat ....the gears therefore didn't work...the bike got parked.
Lovely...one low usage 700c wheelset for free
That'll do
Now the nexus is a petite little thing and steel so didn't seem to stick out like a sore thumb...
But the actuator...
Nope ...can't do that....
So I made some bits ...cos i like making "stuff"
One fettled by hand brassy classy nexus hacktuator!
View attachment 627804
And to make it work I needed a shifter!
I bought a quadrant shifter but it didn't have that feel I was after...that built special one off thing that any self respecting demon of speed should have upon their steed!
Now this bit took an age to file...we have a gated shift...well kinda! Three notches more like and the lever is sprung from the faceplate. So far it hasn't missed a shift or done a rattling ghost shift! Faceplate will be changed ....
View attachment 627811
Think this coin will jazz it up nice,don't know which side yet! What do you reckon?
View attachment 627806
View attachment 627807
Think this side is quite apt!
Well it's Sunday which is usually the day this old boy gets taken out for walkies...but it's piddling down....as soon as it's a sunny day I'll take it out and gets some complete pics in all its rusty corroded and cranky charm! If I get real lucky I'll find me some mamils to chase down.
Nabeaquam
BoTM Winner
I’ve straightened quite a few bent bicycle tubes using a homemade jig and a small hydrologic jack. I ruined one by trying to straighten a top tube that was bent like yours. That’s my only failure, I wasn’t patient enough, too heavy handed. Your bb fix is very impressive.Well where to begin!
I've lost just about all of the build photos with tech devices going kaput..
But I've salvaged a few ...they'll give an idea to the extent I've been through to save this old boy.
Many many hours have gone into this....it is not really for the purists as it's not a restoration more like a resurrection!
So as you do....wine in one hand perusing eBay for the next challenge and I stumbled upon it.
Love at first site! Ooh slack head angle lots of rake....rear facing dropouts....and patina ... lots!
Say hello to my eldest..Nocim! A small known maker circa 1905 to beginning of ww1... That's about all I've ever found other than there might be another in a private collection somewhere in the north of France!
View attachment 627812
Must refit this!
View attachment 627776
Looks ok don't it?
Well somewhere between that pic on eBay and it arriving at my door this had happened...
View attachment 627777
Mix in a little bit of this.....I was expecting this btw
View attachment 627778
So challenge accepted!
What a challenge it was getting it straight...
3 big attempts to get it good.twice it checked out fairly good on my huge jig I'd built on my lathe bed but until I'd built it up and tried to ride it...
Clown bike springs to mind!
But I done it...it's possible to ride no hands now so as far I'm concerned that'll do!
Next job one completely fubard BB shell...the weld hadn't really got hold of that cup but sure had the frame! Shell was out of round ...and threads? Pah who needs threads when sunrace make a push fit cottered BB! So an ugly problem was fixed in a rather ugly fashion.... grinding filing, diamond blocking you name it whatever it took to get it somewhere near something! It's now a 63mm shell
Much fettling with the bottom bracket later and some hefty push fitting it was in....
Now this is about where things started to get fun..
As you do I was sinking a few ales in a local watering hole and the sound of a big thumping single turned up outside...I could smell hot oil in the pub... obviously I wandered out!
Nice chap .. complete klepto of old and weird motorcycles...this one certainly was..a homebuilt beast. Anyway more beer later and it seemed like a good idea to try a bit of vintage drafting behind a vintage motorbike....one with exposed valve gear just for the flavour of oil and grit! yup why not!
So we're gonna need a bigger ring...
Got lucky with this...
View attachment 627797
Now although "round" it certainly wasn't flat!
The only way I could figure how to do something about that seemed really dangerous..
So I went ahead and done it anyway
Still here so that's good!
How'd I do it?
Spun it...fast ...real fast and rubbed it back into shape with a bit of smoking oak! The stuff my lathe gets asked to do!
So the little puppy has teeth... 64 in total... Hhmm should be able to find some gear inches with that!
Now I like bikes to ride I see no point in having a bike you can't use ....right your thinking ...you just got a 64 tooth chainring and you want to use it ...duh
Ok so things got more kinky from here...
I received for free a horrendous abomination of a girl's bike ... It had a nexus three speed with an automatic shift system .... It took batteries....
The batteries were flat ....the gears therefore didn't work...the bike got parked.
Lovely...one low usage 700c wheelset for free
That'll do
Now the nexus is a petite little thing and steel so didn't seem to stick out like a sore thumb...
But the actuator...
Nope ...can't do that....
So I made some bits ...cos i like making "stuff"
One fettled by hand brassy classy nexus hacktuator!
View attachment 627804
And to make it work I needed a shifter!
I bought a quadrant shifter but it didn't have that feel I was after...that built special one off thing that any self respecting demon of speed should have upon their steed!
Now this bit took an age to file...we have a gated shift...well kinda! Three notches more like and the lever is sprung from the faceplate. So far it hasn't missed a shift or done a rattling ghost shift! Faceplate will be changed ....
View attachment 627811
Think this coin will jazz it up nice,don't know which side yet! What do you reckon?
View attachment 627806
View attachment 627807
Think this side is quite apt!
Well it's Sunday which is usually the day this old boy gets taken out for walkies...but it's piddling down....as soon as it's a sunny day I'll take it out and gets some complete pics in all its rusty corroded and cranky charm! If I get real lucky I'll find me some mamils to chase down.
Mickeyspinn
rBotM Winner
Cheers Nabeaquam ! I've seen some of your bikes and projects..you do have fine taste
Id happily take your rbotm offering for a spin 
would find it hard to return it too!Although I've done some restoration work this one has definitely been the most involving and challenging to date.starting with so little originality bar frame ,fork and I think a bit of the original headset has I guess made life easier as it's allowed a bit of licence to do as I please!
After the second attempt at straightening the frame building it up and then riding it only to find it still rode like a possessed banana I actually parked it in the shed for a year.
But now It definitely feels I'm in the closing stages a few more bolts and fixings to change out for something more in keeping and some more little custom home brew bits to make and it'll be done.....well I gues untill something breaks or falls off
Mickeyspinn
rBotM Winner
Haha at one point I did try a trolley jack thankfully it broke what it was pushing off....I think at that point I realised that the tender touch of
was probably more delicate an approach....well that and a 6 foot scaffold pole! Must admit I was shocked at just how much force was needed!BB still doesn't make me happy....it's got plastic in it....that's so not right! However it's smooth and true and you can't win em all...maybe one day I'll have a cunning idea to do something a bit more original!
Nabeaquam
BoTM Winner
Yes, that bike you referred to has first generation new old stock campy telephone dial track hubs and a new old stock campy cottered bottom bracket. It has a Wipperman block chain that was still in the box. All new never used drivetrain. TA chainring and new campy skip tooth cog. It’s as smooth as butter. When I got it for $300 on eBay the seller didn’t know what type of frame it was. Best deal for everyone, he thought he ripped us off but I know we got a heck of a deal, old large track frames are rare. He had made it into a fixie using junk parts that were no good. The frame was dented, bent and worn so a frame builder installed a new fork tube, new head tube, new track rear fork ends, did a track alignment and removed dents. This was a project that got way out of hand. It’s been ridden 60 to 100 miles a crack five times and is used on balance rollers several times a week.Cheers Nabeaquam ! I've seen some of your bikes and projects..you do have fine taste
Although I've done some restoration work this one has definitely been the most involving and challenging to date.starting with so little originality bar frame ,fork and I think a bit of the original headset has I guess made life easier as it's allowed a bit of licence to do as I please!
After the second attempt at straightening the frame building it up and then riding it only to find it still rode like a possessed banana I actually parked it in the shed for a year.
But now It definitely feels I'm in the closing stages a few more bolts and fixings to change out for something more in keeping and some more little custom home brew bits to make and it'll be done.....well I gues untill something breaks or falls off
Last edited:
Mickeyspinn
rBotM Winner
Braking news!!!
Hopefully braking and not erm.... breaking
The slow and steady progress of getting rid of little bits n bobs and bolts that just aren't right means .....
I gotta make some bits
I like making bits !
Yup seen em you say...well actually there not what you were thinking....they're smaller therefore lighter popped a wee hole through and filed some 8mm flats....happy with that .... my crapilers don't lie!! Often 
Make some snug slots.....and they fit a treat
Then get rid of most of the slot leaving a nice little raised bump ....lovely...
2 little piggies
Bit of hacking a bit of filing and some beer swilling later and we have some rather light straddle cable puller uppers....and another huge weight saving!!... oh yes....about 3 grams
Tomorrow I'll do the edge details,thin out the back and then distress them to look a bit more used!
Hopefully braking and not erm.... breaking
The slow and steady progress of getting rid of little bits n bobs and bolts that just aren't right means .....
I gotta make some bits
I like making bits !
Yup seen em you say...well actually there not what you were thinking....they're smaller therefore lighter
popped a wee hole through and filed some 8mm flats....happy with that .... my crapilers don't lie!! Often Make some snug slots.....and they fit a treat
Then get rid of most of the slot leaving a nice little raised bump ....lovely...
2 little piggies
Bit of hacking a bit of filing and some beer swilling later and we have some rather light straddle cable puller uppers....and another huge weight saving!!... oh yes....about 3 grams
Tomorrow I'll do the edge details,thin out the back and then distress them to look a bit more used!
Nabeaquam
BoTM Winner
Very nice.Braking news!!!
Hopefully braking and not erm.... breaking
The slow and steady progress of getting rid of little bits n bobs and bolts that just aren't right means .....
I gotta make some bits
I like making bits !
View attachment 631832
Yup seen em you say...well actually there not what you were thinking....they're smaller therefore lighter
Make some snug slots.....and they fit a treat
View attachment 631833
Then get rid of most of the slot leaving a nice little raised bump ....lovely...
View attachment 631834
2 little piggies
Bit of hacking a bit of filing and some beer swilling later and we have some rather light straddle cable puller uppers....and another huge weight saving!!... oh yes....about 3 grams
View attachment 631836
Tomorrow I'll do the edge details,thin out the back and then distress them to look a bit more used!
