Jonny69
Senior Retro Guru
Someone on the pre-50s thread on LFGSS posted about a yellow Hobbs that was on eBay the other week and I nabbed it. I paid a bit over the odds for it but I was looking for a straightforward build and this one fitted the bill for a geared beater commuter for my new commute: ratty, brazed-on shifter bosses, derailleur mount on the dropout, has its headset and a set of Mafac cantis with all the fittings.
I didn’t say anything at the time because, after I BINned it, I had a second look at the pics in the listing and it looked like the toptube and downtube were bent like it had been in a front-ender. Thankfully that’s not the case and it looks straight. Pretty sure it’s been repainted at some point but the lug lining and striping on the seat stays is to a far higher standard than the yellow paint or the positioning of the waterslide decals. I think the frame is probably 1960s but it’s wearing what I think are later Reynolds decals. And then slightly odd is on the headtube it has a Hobbs waterslide decal with a brass Hobbs badge riveted over the top. Lovely thin pencil stays and the tubes all make a nice thin tink tink if you tap them. So I don’t know if it’s actually a Hobbs Blue Riband, but it’s a good enough quality frame and I’m happy with it.
Current build plans look a bit like this:
-Gears. This is going to be my geared commuter. It doesn’t need a massive range, but it’s for the days and rides when I don’t want to ride fixed. So it basically needs my daily 48-16 plus a bit to get up hills plus a bit to stretch out down hill. It has 120mm rear spacing. I think I might be able to squeeze 8 gears off a 10-speed cassette on a 6-7-speed hub on a 90s wheel with a spacer taken out and slightly re-dished. No cold setting needed. I have 10-speed downtube shifters but it looks like the shifter bosses might need modifying to suit. I have a black 10-speed Shimano 105 derailleur which will need stripping back so it doesn’t look out of place, or I’ve also got a silver 90s 6-7-speed Exage derailleur which will also pull across that range as long as it clears the biggest cog.
-Wheels. Already got these, they’re early 90s 700c with a 7-speed Uniglide/Hyperglide hub I grafted on. They’re 126mm spaced, but I think there’s a spacer I can take out on the nds and reduce it down a bit.
-Mudguards. I expect so. I have some stainless ones.
-Brakes. Mafac cantis came with the frame, which I plan to use. I have some Mafac levers already, or Shimano SLR aero levers. Probably the Mafacs.
-Cranks. I have some 90s Shimano cranks but I think it probably wants some Stronglights so they don’t look out of place. 2x or 1x up front will depend on what I use, but it’ll be square taper and English pedal thread.
-Sundries. I expect it’ll be the usual Unicanitor saddle, SPD pedals and black cork tape on the bars.
I didn’t say anything at the time because, after I BINned it, I had a second look at the pics in the listing and it looked like the toptube and downtube were bent like it had been in a front-ender. Thankfully that’s not the case and it looks straight. Pretty sure it’s been repainted at some point but the lug lining and striping on the seat stays is to a far higher standard than the yellow paint or the positioning of the waterslide decals. I think the frame is probably 1960s but it’s wearing what I think are later Reynolds decals. And then slightly odd is on the headtube it has a Hobbs waterslide decal with a brass Hobbs badge riveted over the top. Lovely thin pencil stays and the tubes all make a nice thin tink tink if you tap them. So I don’t know if it’s actually a Hobbs Blue Riband, but it’s a good enough quality frame and I’m happy with it.
Current build plans look a bit like this:
-Gears. This is going to be my geared commuter. It doesn’t need a massive range, but it’s for the days and rides when I don’t want to ride fixed. So it basically needs my daily 48-16 plus a bit to get up hills plus a bit to stretch out down hill. It has 120mm rear spacing. I think I might be able to squeeze 8 gears off a 10-speed cassette on a 6-7-speed hub on a 90s wheel with a spacer taken out and slightly re-dished. No cold setting needed. I have 10-speed downtube shifters but it looks like the shifter bosses might need modifying to suit. I have a black 10-speed Shimano 105 derailleur which will need stripping back so it doesn’t look out of place, or I’ve also got a silver 90s 6-7-speed Exage derailleur which will also pull across that range as long as it clears the biggest cog.
-Wheels. Already got these, they’re early 90s 700c with a 7-speed Uniglide/Hyperglide hub I grafted on. They’re 126mm spaced, but I think there’s a spacer I can take out on the nds and reduce it down a bit.
-Mudguards. I expect so. I have some stainless ones.
-Brakes. Mafac cantis came with the frame, which I plan to use. I have some Mafac levers already, or Shimano SLR aero levers. Probably the Mafacs.
-Cranks. I have some 90s Shimano cranks but I think it probably wants some Stronglights so they don’t look out of place. 2x or 1x up front will depend on what I use, but it’ll be square taper and English pedal thread.
-Sundries. I expect it’ll be the usual Unicanitor saddle, SPD pedals and black cork tape on the bars.
