Show us what you did today, thread
- Thread starter clockworkgazz
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Finished off Saturday's half-done job... broken spoke in the roadster's front wheel replaced, wheel trued up (well - more true than it was, at least), new rim tape & tube & tyre to match the back one. For the first time in several decades it has a matching pair of tyres - the whitewalls are already showing multiple oil stains, not the most practical colour for a bike like this!
Then out for a few miles of a test ride, terrible headwind all the way out but had an easy time of it coming home, just the way I like it.
Finished off Saturday's half-done job... broken spoke in the roadster's front wheel replaced, wheel trued up (well - more true than it was, at least), new rim tape & tube & tyre to match the back one. For the first time in several decades it has a matching pair of tyres - the whitewalls are already showing multiple oil stains, not the most practical colour for a bike like this!
Then out for a few miles of a test ride, terrible headwind all the way out but had an easy time of it coming home, just the way I like it.
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Looks lovely. How practical is an old thing like that and what does it weigh? (Hills?))
Re:
Thanks HM, it's definitely rough around the edges but I kind of like it that way! Not sure what it weighs as I don't own any scales... it's no lightweight but not massively heavy and surprisingly practical; I'd say it's somewhere between my modern road bike and my wife's modern Cinder Cone for road jaunts. Have a look at some of Epicyclo's pics on here for inspiration - not sure I'd manage such big mileages on mine but for local jaunts of an hour or so I'm really enjoying it.
I thought the three gears would be a serious limitation and I suspect that in a very hilly area you might want slightly lower gearing but for my area the three gears are quite well chosen; I find that 2nd is perfect for riding on the flat, 1st handy for crawling into headwinds or very steep hills and 3rd keeps you bowling along when the wind is behind you. The riding position is obviously less aerodynamic than the road bike but much better than the Cinder Cone.
My biggest practicality concern was the lack of bottle cage so have riveted jubilee clips to a side-entry cage to mount on the handlebars - a nice Carradice saddlebag like Epicyclo's would be prettier but ten times the price... I'll maybe put one on my wishlist as a birthday present idea!
The one place where this bike beats pretty much anything modern for practicality is the completely enclosed drivetrain - despite having sat unused in a garage and shed for 30 years and more, the original chain is still in perfect condition, having sat in it's oil bath all that time. Having spent this morning putting yet another chain onto my '94 Fire Mountain (its 9th or 10th by my reckoning) and yet another set of dérailleur jockey wheels I think properly retro is the way forward!
Thanks HM, it's definitely rough around the edges but I kind of like it that way! Not sure what it weighs as I don't own any scales... it's no lightweight but not massively heavy and surprisingly practical; I'd say it's somewhere between my modern road bike and my wife's modern Cinder Cone for road jaunts. Have a look at some of Epicyclo's pics on here for inspiration - not sure I'd manage such big mileages on mine but for local jaunts of an hour or so I'm really enjoying it.
I thought the three gears would be a serious limitation and I suspect that in a very hilly area you might want slightly lower gearing but for my area the three gears are quite well chosen; I find that 2nd is perfect for riding on the flat, 1st handy for crawling into headwinds or very steep hills and 3rd keeps you bowling along when the wind is behind you. The riding position is obviously less aerodynamic than the road bike but much better than the Cinder Cone.
My biggest practicality concern was the lack of bottle cage so have riveted jubilee clips to a side-entry cage to mount on the handlebars - a nice Carradice saddlebag like Epicyclo's would be prettier but ten times the price... I'll maybe put one on my wishlist as a birthday present idea!
The one place where this bike beats pretty much anything modern for practicality is the completely enclosed drivetrain - despite having sat unused in a garage and shed for 30 years and more, the original chain is still in perfect condition, having sat in it's oil bath all that time. Having spent this morning putting yet another chain onto my '94 Fire Mountain (its 9th or 10th by my reckoning) and yet another set of dérailleur jockey wheels I think properly retro is the way forward!
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Thanks for such an extensive and useful insight. Could you explain the oil bath and do all enclosed chains have one?
Got me thinking now.........
Got me thinking now.........
Re:
I honestly don't know much about these bikes but on this there's a knurled brass screw on top of the lower part of the chaincase which caps a port for your oilcan spout (there's a similar port on top of the bottom bracket though the cap screw is missing) and of course there's an oil port in both hubs.
It was Epicyclo's post here ( viewtopic.php?f=29&t=289100 ) that got me thinking... I'm glad I did, there's something about this style of bike which makes it perfect for those nice afternoons where you just fancy going out for a spin in the sunshine without feeling like you ought to be going flat out the whole time. The ease of maintenance definitely doesn't hurt!
I honestly don't know much about these bikes but on this there's a knurled brass screw on top of the lower part of the chaincase which caps a port for your oilcan spout (there's a similar port on top of the bottom bracket though the cap screw is missing) and of course there's an oil port in both hubs.
It was Epicyclo's post here ( viewtopic.php?f=29&t=289100 ) that got me thinking... I'm glad I did, there's something about this style of bike which makes it perfect for those nice afternoons where you just fancy going out for a spin in the sunshine without feeling like you ought to be going flat out the whole time. The ease of maintenance definitely doesn't hurt!
epicyclo
Senior Retro Guru
Improving my 1x1 by finally putting the rims on it that I got for it about 14 years ago (they've been on loads of other bikes in the meantime)
Sturmey-Archer XL-FD 90mm drum brake on Dice TwoSix 40mm rim. It spreads a 2.35" Nobby Nic 6mm wider than the narrow Mavic rim I used previously.
It's going to the SSEC in NI this month.
Sturmey-Archer XL-FD 90mm drum brake on Dice TwoSix 40mm rim. It spreads a 2.35" Nobby Nic 6mm wider than the narrow Mavic rim I used previously.
It's going to the SSEC in NI this month.
epicyclo
Senior Retro Guru
Went out for a Retro ride with Steve from Square Wheels. I figured it's about time he pulled out one of his collection and actually rode it, and I wanted an easy ride to check out my new wheel.
I was hoping to see his Proflex, but at the last minute he pulled out this very nice Raleigh Bomber (he's got an even better NOS one)
We did a short single track loop from Silver Bridge to Black Water Bridge and then headed up another loop of forestry road.
And ended up back on Silver Bridge
And then we topped it off with a burger from the van at Garve. That's a Little Wyvis burger. I couldn't finish it. Thank god I didn't try the Big Wyvis Burger! I can heartily recommend it. Stop off and try one.
I was hoping to see his Proflex, but at the last minute he pulled out this very nice Raleigh Bomber (he's got an even better NOS one)
We did a short single track loop from Silver Bridge to Black Water Bridge and then headed up another loop of forestry road.
And ended up back on Silver Bridge
And then we topped it off with a burger from the van at Garve. That's a Little Wyvis burger. I couldn't finish it. Thank god I didn't try the Big Wyvis Burger! I can heartily recommend it. Stop off and try one.
