Period correct components for early 60s Soen

[Cefnbikie]

I started to use handlebar control gear change in the mid-60s, and still used them on my road bikes until I started using a Rockhopper MTB as a road bike a few years back.

When I eventually get my RO Harrison and Condor back on the road they will be fitted with handlebar controls again. I did try going back to down tube changers in the early 80s, but I didn’t get on with them, and after a couple of weeks I reverted back to the h/bar controls.

I, too, used a wide variety of different makes of components BITD. Fortunately, I still have a lot of components for my rebuilds, including Stronglight 49D cotterless and Stronglight 45 steel cottered cranks that I used with TA adaptors and rings. The 60s and 70s is great era to build bikes to, as anything goes as far as component choice goes.

 

[AlHodkinson]

Re: Re:

That bike spec. virtually duplicates mine! You're right about no 'group sets'. People bought parts when they were needed and got the one they could afford. It didn't have to match any of the others! If a new frame was bought then more often than not all the bits from the old one were re-used.

Must have been the popular choice at the time Dad says he chose the Simplex rear gear as it was the lightest around, but of course it was made of Delrin plastic so it is long gone!

 

[AlHodkinson]

I started to use handlebar control gear change in the mid-60s, and still used them on my road bikes until I started using a Rockhopper MTB as a road bike a few years back.

When I eventually get my RO Harrison and Condor back on the road they will be fitted with handlebar controls again. I did try going back to down tube changers in the early 80s, but I didn’t get on with them, and after a couple of weeks I reverted back to the h/bar controls.

I, too, used a wide variety of different makes of components BITD. Fortunately, I still have a lot of components for my rebuilds, including Stronglight 49D cotterless and Stronglight 45 steel cottered cranks that I used with TA adaptors and rings. The 60s and 70s is great era to build bikes to, as anything goes as far as component choice goes.

I've been getting some miles in on the Walvale recently, it is a joy to ride, very smooth and different to my carbon & alu bikes, and it's always fun to pass other riders on modern bikes and see the look on their faces I found the bar end shifter much easier to use than the downtube shifter, you can keep always control of the bars while shifting. The GB Ventoux bars are only about 38cm wide so much narrower than modern bars which can make it feel a bit twitchy with one hand off the bars! My regular bikes both have STI shifters so I am used to having control at all times.