tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54585192941351572682024-03-13T08:47:35.585-07:00bicycles refurbishedpphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173389276293429052noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458519294135157268.post-57707290529731144352017-10-07T13:06:00.008-07:002021-05-04T06:39:18.216-07:00ORBIT ProMy first racing bicycle was an Orbit America. I bought it new in 2002.<br />
<br />Time flies. I bought this Orbit on ebay in July 2009 for £35 collection only! Bargain. Eventually I got around to bringing the frame and forks back to life. I created an album on Flickr to log some of the work. Here, see for yourself: https://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/albums/72157658854259136<div><div><br /></div><div>"531 frame and forks, probably an Audax design due to the four point rack mountings at rear, bought on ebay in 2009. It was listed with a stuck seatpost, actually this came out pretty easily BUT I had to fight with the stem (machining a drift to remove it) after that it was time spent with a wire wheel on an angle grinder, my beloved mordant solution and metal paint from Aldi. </div><div>(In one of the photos those wheels are MTB with 1.5 tyres and BMX brakes to reach all the way to the rim. The short cockpit was unpleasant and it looks stupid. Bits were transferred in 2016 and it waited a few more years.)"</div></div><div>In 2020 I eventually finished it and used it during the first lockdown to put some miles in. It is a lovely ride but I have too many bikes (though you wouldn't think it) and decided to sell it later in the year. 20 watchers and lots of views at £75 but collection only meant it didn't sell. I have posted three bikes, the Raleigh and the first Orbit and I hate it, takes forever. Anyway I am ripping it to bits again and transferring the bits, I will sell the frame and forks only and this is less trouble to post. 22/11/2020</div><div>I can't find the photos, looks like I deleted them after it failed to sell and ebay deleted the draft photos from the resale I didn't get round to. I will photograph it before it comes apart and update the album.</div><div><br /></div><div>It went back on the road again in 2021 until I cleaned it then broke a spoke while truing a wheel, I replaced two spokes but it's still off the road in May 2021.</div>pphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173389276293429052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458519294135157268.post-56141550800121465682016-02-14T09:58:00.003-08:002017-09-25T05:22:27.617-07:00BSA probably, 30's probably, old certainly<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I bought this on ebay long after I should have stopped buying bikes. It was a gamble just like anything on there. On 11/10/2015 I </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">paid about £30 + £22 postage and it arrived promptly and well packed. It seemed quite small when unwrapped, the short headstock surprised me but the measurement centre to centre was on a frame with relaxed angles, the vertical measurement is a fair bit less.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is no indication that it is a BSA, why then did the seller suggest it might be? Looking at his other items, there were a couple of large flange chromed steel hubs engraved with BSA and which probably came off this bike. The number 69224 isn't really a lot of use, it seems Raleigh and Sunbeam can be dated easily but not Dawes or BSA.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once I had examined the frame and forks, and impressed by what I had bought, I had a hunt round for which bits could be used to turn them into a bicycle. I had taken a Dawes down the tip; 500 CroMo is actually quite a heavy frame, the tube is quite thick-walled - and the frame was far too large for me. However I had kept the wheels and the calipers. This BSA probably took 26 by 1 1/4 wheels, whereas the wheels that came out of the Dawes were 700C. I offered the front wheel to the forks and it fitted, the axle was 8mm and the hub narrow! It was the only hub in my garage that would fit the forks; it gets better, the caliper's drop was perfect for the 700C wheel and the drop at the back matched too, both with room for mudguards. In many cases modern bikes are built with wheel clearances far too close.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The seat tube clamp bolt was seized so I cut through it and could see that the seat post entry was not circular, gentle persuasion with a lever and the seat tube opened up <strike>to 27.2 mm! The bike was described as a lightweight in the listing and I only know one tube which takes that size seat post, 531</strike>. No it's not. </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">14-02-2016 More later...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">30/06/2016 I've done a bit more work on the frame and discovered damage to the left hand seatstay, looks to be filled with lead. Never mind, I don't think the seller knew, and it will still work - <a href="http://refurbishforfun.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/mike-mullet-pig-in-poke.html">after all the bottom bracket threads are undamaged</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">25/09/2017 The seat tube is actually 27.0 mm and I have a correct seat post fitted. I have removed the drive side LH bearing cup and cleaned out the crud. An aluminium sleeve was fitted to keep out dirt etc. but which restricted the new bearing cup, I removed it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Also I had no idea the steering head bearings were so different, they have proved impossible to find on ebay but I bought a frame and forks with a full set. I prefer the BSA so it will get the set and I am considering machining a set from steel (and hardening them) for the other frame and forks. But we will see.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/albums/72157657641507173" target="_blank">Album here</a></span>pphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173389276293429052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458519294135157268.post-15835372914951791672016-02-14T08:02:00.001-08:002016-12-30T09:08:36.553-08:00Mike Mullett #pig in a poke<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I don't know how I do it! The frame and forks looked good on eBay, the seller had a high number, it was priced to sell at £59 + £15 postage. Mine was the only bid, which I've often noticed is a bad sign. It arrived promptly but not very well packed. I took it to my garage and unwrapped it, alarm bells went off immediately, the bottom bracket was showing damage on the drive side, the internal threads didn't look healthy. I photographed it and <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/24996743266/in/album-72157632649770490/" target="_blank">uploaded</a> the photos (on to a different Flickr account) then contacted the seller.<br /><br />He said: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I stripped the frame myself and removed the bottom bracket. The bike rode absolutely perfectly before I stripped it. I wanted all the parts and I have reused them all. The frame is way too small for me.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Please return the frame and I will refund all costs including postage.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Thanks</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />Good start, does it end well? We will see.<br /><br />Then he said: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I am a bit puzzled. The bottom bracket was absolutely fine. I myself removed the components form the whole frame as I said. can you explain what the issue is more clearly. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Have you tried to put a bottom bracket in?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />I had not at this stage, I didn't want to touch it, anyone with an ounce of mechanical sensibility could see it was dodgy, thoughts flickered through my brain regarding liability. I went ahead and tried it. What could happen next?<br /><br />I told him: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I just tried to put the bearing shell in the bottom bracket, the threads are so worn that it is possible to wiggle it past that ding, at this point there is not enough metal for the threads to get a proper grip and turning it to tighten it is not enough it needs to be pushed, right at the last with about 4 mm gap between the bottom bracket and the bearing shoulder the threads get some purchase and it is possible to screw it home. This would have held it in place for you to use but you must have noticed some unusual activity as you removed it. To repair this someone would have to fill the damaged thread area with braze and re-tap the thread. This is not suitable for use as it stands.<br /><br />I hope this is clear enough.<br /><br />He replied: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Really clear thank you</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I am just very very surprised I did not notice this. As far as I am concerned the bottom bracket came out as normal. That amount of damage I would clearly notice.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I have 1343 positive feedback score I have never had a returned item. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I am happy to accept the return but this is now costing me the postage on top and it seems I have a knackered frame. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I want to believe you, but who is to say you didn't cross thread the bearing cup yourself. I hope you understand.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Simply I will accept the return but you will have to pay the return postage. I am not bothered how long it takes so you can do it cheaply but it will need to be tracked.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I hope you understand.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So in his head I am the sort of person who would unpack a frame, immediately and incompetently cross thread a bottom bracket then lie that it was like that anyway, presumably I photo-shopped the photos I posted on Flickr immediately too? Why would anyone reach that conclusion, why would they think like that? Obviously because he has a feedback of 1343 he is infallible. He didn't do it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I replied: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I did not cross thread the bearing, I have worked in engineering environments since I was 16 and I am 54 now, I responded to you within minutes of receiving the frame, photographed the threads to the best of my ability and at that time I did not put anything into the bottom bracket, I could see the external damage and photographed the threads and identified to you I thought they showed signs of cross threading. I tried to insert a bearing as you suggested and was amazed at how damaged the threads were, and amazed someone would not notice this. To use your thinking, who is to say that you didn't try to pass off a damaged frame and put the blame on the buyer, that side of the frame was not photographed where the dent would have been visible. You removed it, and I have only your word for this, the black gunk was pretty thick all over the inside of the bottom bracket so it must have been a while ago, and you forgot how bad it was when you took it out. I hope you understand.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If I had to suggest what happened, a previous owner dropped the frame, dented the bottom bracket on the sprocket side (which is visible in your photos) and forced a bearing in there cross-threaded, damaging the threads in the process, tried again and got it in square with the few that were left, which were enough to retain the bearing for you to ride it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I will send it via Hermes tracked insured to the value of £75 to save your postage costs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You will be getting the frame back in the same condition I received it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He replied: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Thanks for your quick reply. I do understand. I am wondering, maybe the frame was dropped whilst in transit at some point and my packaging was not good enough to protect the frame. I honestly check over all the frames I sell meticulously, so I guess I am disappointed I missed this because it is so obvious.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I am very sorry for the inconvenience. I would never knowingly sell a damaged item. I will make my own assessment when the frame is returned. I will have a go at putting the old bearing cup back in and see for myself. As a result, I may well refund your return postage costs fully.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Thanks for your time</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At this stage I thought that maybe one side could have been damaged and perhaps was re-threaded to an Italian size and maybe he had the original that he removed. But I see from <a href="http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_bo-z.html" target="_blank">Sheldon</a> that this would be a right hand thread.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So eventually he received it, (packed much better than I received it) he refunded the purchase and after another push he refunded my return postage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And here is the punchline: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I can se </i>[sic]<i> what has happened to the frame. I took the right hand bearing cup out with a vice, so I can see that it pinched the bottom bracket slightly.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>I had no problem putting a shimano sealed unit in, nice and tight. To be honest not sure what all the fuss was about, but hey.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So this is this is the person who says </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I honestly check over all the frames I sell meticulously" and "</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have 1343 positive feedback score I have never had a returned item" (BTW only 488 of that 1343 is as a seller).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He relisted the item immediately and it sold for more than I paid for it to some poor sod who will remove the sealed unit which is "</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">nice and tight" on the last 4 mm of good thread, be confronted with the damaged bottom bracket and most likely be pretty angry about it, but wouldn't think that the seller had knowingly sold a damaged frame.<span style="color: #cc0000;"> "</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">I took the right hand bearing cup out with a vice, so I can see that it pinched the bottom bracket slightly"</span>.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> It must have been like that, surely? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course the buyer could have built it into a bike as received, not removed the bottom bracket, and be none the wiser.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I notice that no feedback has been left for that sale.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But hey.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And who built that gorgeous, damaged frame I owned briefly? Who is Mike Mullett?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The <a href="http://www.cyclingworldmag.ie/bicycles-of-fire/" target="_blank">design of the frame is crucial....</a> That’s where the knowledge of unit boss Gerald O’Donovan came in. Formerly the chief of Carlton Cycles, a revered British name, he brought his knowledge and ideas to Ilkeston. Mike Mullett, a qualified engineer and former international cycle racing team mechanic who joined the team in 1978 also raised the bar at Raleigh. Because he’d worked first hand with leading riders of the day, he knew what worked in a frame and what didn’t. He’d also become interested in the application of computer technology to frame design using key measurements of a rider’s body, and developed a program to calculate the required frame dimensions.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Because of the demands which would be placed on them, the frames were built with extreme patience and care – but don’t think that because these lightweight jewels were built for racing, they were delicate and fragile. Quite the reverse – bear in mind that the SBDU Raleighs were built to be pounded relentlessly and mercilessly by the most powerful cyclists on planet Earth, generating more watts than you or I could ever dream of. Over the Alps and Pyrenees they rode, across the awful cobbles of Paris-Roubaix and the wind-swept flat lands of Holland en route to classic race wins in Milan San-Remo, Paris-Roubaix, Ghent-Wevelgem, The Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold, The Tour of Switzerland, world road race and track championships and many more, including the Tour de France.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">- From my point of view, it was a beautifully made frame, the attention to detail spot on, no forming for clearance for wheels or sprockets, and a lovely little touch, the mounting point for a race number under the top tube.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Raleigh! I have saved the photos in <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/sets/72157632649770490" target="_blank">Trouble with Raleighs</a>.</span><br />
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pphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173389276293429052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458519294135157268.post-47319312958322414442014-03-11T13:22:00.002-07:002016-01-02T14:30:01.942-08:00RICHMOND 531I bought the frame and forks on eBay, late 2013 for £75 including postage. It was sold with a stuck seatpost, but this came out easily when held in the vice and the frame twisted off it. The bottom bracket was very tricky, I have to clamp the frame to the vice using a bolt through the bottom bracket so the bearing doesn't jump out of the vice when it is held by the jaws; rotate the frame a quarter of a turn clockwise then slacken the clamp and repeat.<br />
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The dimensions, frame angles, wheelbase, brake drop were all identical to the REW Reynolds. And I had a new Tange Passage headset on the shelf, the sizes given on box 30.2 diameter 26.4 diameter and it fitted. (I have had problems in the past which are best described elsewhere). I transferred all the items from the REW and renewed the cables. I finished it on 9th March 2014 and took it for a test ride. Very nice, it wasn't my imagination about how harsh the REW ride was, this is lovely and lively with a great feel. (Interestingly two REW frames came up on eBay last week, quality examples of his work). Looking for Richmond online brings up the Raleigh Richmond, a bicycle shop that isn't related to this Richmond and <a href="http://richmondcycles.co.uk/" target="_blank">one that may well be.</a><br />
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What's good and what's bad? Well listing bad first - it takes 27 x 1 1/4 so that's another wheel size I have to buy tyres for, there is a bit of toe overlap (it's not fixed so I can get round that), the gear cables run above the bottom bracket so the lines aren't as clean as underneath, the standard frame spacing is 126 and it's a five-speed so there are bent rear axles to come in future, the brazing for the bottle mounts is angled to the left a good five degrees, the pip for the derailleur lever band was a bit big (I had to file it down) and it too is offset. And the good bits: the chainstays are not formed at all either inside for tyres or outside for the front sprocket and there is loads of clearance, the frame gives a comfortable and lively ride, it's as light as a 531 frame should be, all the tubes make that beautiful ringing sound (this is <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/sets/72157638701162253/" target="_blank">531 frame tubes, forks and stays</a>).<br />
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Other things to note, that paint I used is metal paint from Aldi. I imagine it is similar to Hammerite or Smoothrite, having an acidic base so it etches the metal and prevents corrosion. These days powder coating is too expensive for me, it's also pretty final; once it is on it doesn't come off easily. The rear derailleur is a lovely Suntour item with only 1 full side plate so it is breathtakingly easy and convenient to unravel the chain for maintenance. The front sprockets are a 48 / 28 combination, by the time I need to change to the lower ring I am so tired that spinning in such a low gear is bliss. A double gives a low Q factor and if I'm going fast enough to spin out of 48 / 13 I can coast thank you very much. The front and rear MAFAC centre-pull callipers match, including the cable hanger off the seat bolt. I was cleaning the calipers and lost the plastic washers behind the springs but it turns out that milk bottle plastic is exactly the right thickness, drill an 8mm hole and spend some time with scissors and you are sorted. Also the straddle wire is new, manufactured by turning brass rod (from an old ballcock arm) down to just under 6mm, drilling a 1.2mm hole through the centre, countersinking one side, pushing gear cable through and unravelling and spreading the strands into the countersink then using a lot of flux and a heavy duty heat gun and solder. A trick I picked up from Malcolm in Vale Onslow's (Birmingham) back in the 70's. The second nipple is held in place at the right distance using a wooden jig with two 6mm holes at fixed spacing. The saddle you see is a Brooks frame recovered with two thicknesses of leather from a welding apron from Aldi. It feels a bit like a hammock.<br />
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It should be ideal for light touring with a saddle bag and handlebar bag.<br />
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More playing, 14/08/2014 I fitted a new chain. The one from the REW was worn out and the Linklyfe I used created a world of pain when cleaning up for the new one. I also ended up with the leather saddle from the Archie Wilkinson, (an Australian leather saddle bought from Spa Cycles). It's pretty good.<br />
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Now I love it! 01/10/2014 After discovering the 4mm difference between 27" and 700C could be taken up by the slot in the front caliper, I fitted a 700C wheel in the front with a 32mm tyre already on there. After a week with good handling, I fitted the matching rear and a new 7-speed cluster, 12 - 34 from the shelf. Incredibly the brake blocks in the rear caliper didn't need changing. I didn't bother setting the frame, it spread quite easily; I'll wait for Summer 2015 before doing that. Two days later I changed the rear derailleur for one with a longer cage and I can get all the gears. It rides beautifully, the cushion from tyres at only 60 psi complementing the frame flex is a joy. (This is what Grant at Rivendell is always banging on about). I can get all the gears, I have a wider range and a larger selection. I have retained the double up front as I think this will do everything I could ask. The chain skipping has stopped, which makes me think the rear 5-speed was worn. AND I get the strength of a freehub with its minimal bearing overhang. I have uploaded more photos to <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/sets/72157638701162253/" target="_blank">Flickr</a>. Of course I like it so much now it's too good to be ruined by the winter crud.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #d8d3ff; color: saddlebrown;"><a href="http://www.antenna-theory.com/basics/main.php"> Visit Antenna - Theory .com's Antenna Fundamentals Page </a></span>pphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173389276293429052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458519294135157268.post-85712805705920754582014-01-04T11:19:00.002-08:002020-11-22T12:39:08.159-08:00GENESIS LATITUDEOK, what am I doing writing about refurbishing such a new bike? Well I just bought it on ebay for £500, my most expensive purchase ever, and it had tubeless tyres. Cars and trucks drive on tubeless, that is a mature technology. It is more recent for motorcycles, but even more recently the early adopters are using them on bicycles.<br />
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On delivery the tubeless tyres on the LATITUDE were flat. I pumped them up and they went down; I pumped them up a lot and went around the block on a test ride. They were deflating as I rode. The next day they were flat. I went on to youtube and watched some bloke who loved the things, spend a long time in a clean garage doing everything exactly right with all new equipment. He went out for a ride the next day in a downhill stylie and then showed the camera where the air leaks had happened around the rim - but didn't think this was a problem.<br />
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The arguments for tubeless are weight saving, avoidance of snake bite flats and better performance at low pressures. If you still puncture, the advice is to put a tube in.<br />
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I wasn't convinced and because they wouldn't stay up, I removed the tyres, peeled away 64g of damp latex from the inside of each tyre (<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/sets/72157639404182584/" target="_blank">disgusting - and the smell!</a>) and discarded the tyre valve weighing 10g, totalling 74g (obviously) and fitted 172g of innertube. A total weight gain of 100g per wheel. And guess what? A week later they are still hard. When replacing tubeless tyres you have to remove and throw away latex or goop whereas an innertube which costs the same plus 100g is repairable with a patch or replaceable without worrying about what it will be like when it is removed from a tyre full of goop (which weighs extra). In my years of cycling (my first bike was in 1965) I have had almost every puncture caused by something sharp rather than snakebite flats. Until tubeless tyres are as easy to fit on bikes as they are on cars, for me it's not worth it.<br />
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The LATITUDE is a lovely bike but my other rant is MTB bars. They are awful and seem designed to induce RSI symptoms in riders. More than 100 years of development resulted in handlebars which kept the hands inline with the frame, placing no stress on the wrists, was abandoned back in the 80's. With the invention of the mountain bike came the <i>new look</i> which was straight bars. I think form should follow function not fashion. But tribal thinking makes clever, rational people say that drop bars should only be fitted below saddle height and that if you want otherwise then you should fit straight bars. Why? We all got used to sloping top tubes when we saw them enough.<br />
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<a href="http://g-tedproductions.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/musings-on-drop-bars.html" target="_blank">http://g-tedproductions.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/musings-on-drop-bars.html</a><br />
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I seem to remember in the old days a top-of-the-range mountain bike did indeed have drop bars but it's not in my NEW BICYCLE BOOK by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Ballantine" target="_blank">Richard Ballantine</a> but may be in a later version or in a similar book. Anyway I fitted some bar-inners (rather than bar-ends) to allow me to protect my wrists during the road ride from my house to the trail. Having finally taken it offroad on the red runs of Cannock Chase, they work well but slip under force, being plastic. I will try and source some alloy ones for a better grip. I recall cylocross in the days before the MTB was invented when they rode off-road with drop bars. Perhaps full-tilt mountain biking doesn't suit, but the trickle-down effect means people riding mountain bikes on road wouldn't apply common sense to their choice of bars. The benefits that may accrue are no wrist pain and, when set higher, the option to actually use the drop and get out of the wind. You could use moustache bars or French Coureur bars or Dutch Grandmother-style bars for a comfortable wrist position, but that only gives one handlebar height position. Why copy the racing cyclist and then be unable to use the drops because they are too low to reach without strain, because the majority of people aren't that fit or flexible. And to do it because someone told you it looks right is basing your choices on their opinions instead of responding to twinges in your back or wrists.<br />
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I also seem to remember when they first came out that the first thing people bought after buying a mountain bike was a pair of bar-ends. 14/08/2014 Well, I bought some bar-ends via eBay. Unfortunately the correspondent for eBay user name bankrupt_bike_parts suffers from bankrupt thinking: "I am amazed to read your email , we have sold over 100 of these without
any complaints and we have fitted them ourselves to 22.2mm handlebars,
so maybe yours were slightly undersized but thats really unusaul [sic] as they
are always made with the same tubing." Maybe they failed to note that the packaging is in French, French bicycles use different diameter <a href="http://www.sheldonbrown.com/velos.html" target="_blank">everything</a>. These bar-ends may fit French bicycles' 22.0 mm diameter handlebars but do not fit everyone else's 22.2 mm diameter handlebars. So >100 non-complaints means they can't be wrong. And mine are a black swan? No I suggest it's far more likely that >100 people can't be arsed to complain, and put up with the fact they had to use a screwdriver to persuade the bar-ends on to the end of their bar. How about some of the >100 people bought them and didn't get around to fitting them before discovering the problem? How about the mechanics who fit the 22.0 bar ends on to 22.2 default standard handlebars at your establishment didn't know they should slide on easily and be held in place with the clamping force from the screw? Why am I so annoyed? Well, as noted above I don't want bar-ends, I want bar-inners and it's one thing to bodge some mis-sold thing on to the end of a bar and it's another to have to persuade the same item to slide the length of a handgrip along the bar: twice.<br />
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bankrupt_bike_parts go to the bottom of the class.<br />
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More latest news: the carbon seatpost is the wrong size! The person that
fitted it fitted a 27.0 one when the seat tube i.d. is 27.2. I fitted
an alloy post and transferred the Team Ritchey one to my Archie
Wilkinson fixed gear. I was pleased that I managed to open the seat tube to accept the 27.2 by using a broom handle down it and since the fulcrum was down near the bottom bracket - no seat tubes were harmed in the restoration of this diameter.pphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173389276293429052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458519294135157268.post-68871806838366814322013-12-07T11:56:00.002-08:002020-11-22T12:39:29.282-08:00ARCHIE WILKINSON (scrapped)I got this from my brother around 1996 (free), someone had given it to him and he wasn't interested. I left it at his house so I could ride it when I visited Birmingham. However when I wanted to adjust the seat height the frame broke at the bolt mounting, it looked like a fatigue fracture. The frame is fillet brazed and very light, way below 4lbs it is lighter than the 653 John Fern frame I have. I took the bike home and set about it. It came with solid aluminium forks and I knew that aluminium has a fatigue limit, the bike was old and a typical catastrophic failure would have likely killed me. I removed them, cut them up and took them down the tip. I stripped the frame and took it in to work. I was working for a company which trained young people in engineering. A handy place to work if you like mucking around with bicycles. It seemed out of true on the surface table, and I deduced it had an offset rear triangle (produced by some framebuilders to reduce or eliminate dishing of the rear wheel). It was probably just out. I addressed the broken seat clamp by removing the other side and filing the frame down at an angle then milling a slot the seat tube below the top joints, this would allow me to clamp it using a split clamp. I prepared the frame and had it blasted and powder coated in Digbeth <a href="http://www.bournespowdercoating.co.uk/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://archie-wilkinson.co.uk/" target="_blank">Archie Wilkinson</a> are famous for bicycle speedway, and I only recently discovered them online. Already originality has gone out of the window so what happened next is excusable.<br />
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People learn from their mistakes, so never again will I cut off mudguard mounting lugs to save weight! Or remove a stupid amount of metal from the bottom bracket to save weight. I needed a set of forks, and some 531 forks from a scrapped Raleigh would have matched the frame but for the missing mudguard mountings so I took a set from another scrapped Raleigh and a Campag headset from the same bike. The chainset was from a Peugeot Carbolite special 101 (that's French marketing for Hi-Ten). I removed the inner 48 from a double using a burr in an electric drill. With a 108 mm axle this 52T sprocket lined up perfectly with a 21T fixed sprocket giving me about 67". It is my lightest bike, weighing in at just over 20lbs.<br />
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Photos of this bike maybe found <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/sets/72157638700191755/" target="_blank">here</a>. Today 23/03/2014 I went for my first fixed ride this year, the cockpit is very short with the short and high stem and I found it uncomfortable. Also today I changed the stem for a longer one (Profile cro-mo, very light bought on eBay for a song) due to the maximum height line it is a lot lower than previous one and a little bit lower than the saddle. Up the road and back and it is a big improvement. The steering head bearings had been causing me problems, there was a lot of play at the lower race, it seems that I had fitted a caged set of bearings from a smaller headset. I fitted a larger diameter cage which improved things but if this is not the solution I will have to fit loose balls. Another thing I changed was the handlebars, the previous ones had oxidised inside the stem and took some removing also I spotted a nasty gouge in the aluminium. This is a stress raiser and the last thing anyone needs is the handlebars to break. I like the new set up and hope it will serve me well for getting into shape in the spring.<br />
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24/08/2014 I have been using this once a week in good weather for distances varying from 21 to 30 miles and it is a nice ride. I have a black Brooks B17N on there along with the carbon fibre 27.0 seatpost from the Genesis. Problems with over inflating the rear tyre caused a sidewall failure. I'm on Michelin World Tour 700C x 28 now, it has a nicer feel. The front one will be replaced with the same when it wears, as the Michelin Transworld City ones were squirrelly on corners and picked up flints in the tread. I will hang it up when the wet weather arrives and dust it off spring 2015.<br />
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25/09/2017 Well, earlier this year I stripped this down and stopped riding fixed. Much later in the year I had the <a href="http://refurbishforfun.blogspot.co.uk/2009/08/r-t-shayler.html">R T Shayler</a> back from Jason and transferred all the bits from this on to that. So I am back on fixed but this Archie Wilkinson will never be ridden again, the frame was out by 6 mm at the rear, now I can be bothered to measure it and I believe there is a twist in the frame. On a good note I sold the Campagnolo headset on ebay for £27!<div><br /></div><div>It went down the tip. <br />
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<br /></div>pphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173389276293429052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458519294135157268.post-24130940476396746582012-09-23T07:01:00.004-07:002021-05-04T06:36:36.911-07:00MARIN MUIRWOODS (one sold, other in use)I have two of these, one stored at my brother's house and one I now use to commute. I bought a third, frame only, on ebay too but then relisted it, paid £29 sold it for £10. However the other two I still have are success stories. The second one is <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/sets/72157631603176743/" target="_blank">here.</a> Making the seatpost for first one took some doing see <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/sets/72157632847348400/" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
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The second one has done me stirling service for two years now, replacing my REW Reynolds as a commuter bicycle. The fat tyres give me some comfort when compared to the REW and the riding position is more upright, a boon in traffic but a pain over longer distances. The chainset is an Ofmega triple which came from my new Orbit racing bike when I replaced it with a Stronglight, it had sat on the shelf for years. The outer sprockets of 50 and 40 are steel and came off the Raleigh Zenith, the inner sprocket had unusual fixings and is the original 28 although mostly I ride in one gear.<br />
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The handlebars, brake levers, grips, cantilevers, mudguards, chain and bottom bracket came off the Rusty Bike (originally mostly off the Raleigh 531 MTB). The saddle is the one from Pete Coulston all those years ago; thanks again!<br />
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I bought it on ebay for £22, the wheel was shown out of line with the forks and it looked like a bent fork. When I picked it up, the wheel had been fitted into one fork dropout only. I ripped it to bits and fitted the parts described above. The frame is gorgeous and delicious, slightly heavy at just over 5lbs but it is cromoly and has a good feel. The forks are only Hi-Ten and feel dead, the tyres compensate but upgrading to 531 forks with lowrider mounts would make this a top-notch tourer; after all there are four-point fixings for a rear rack.<br />
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Ironic that I changed my bars on the Archie Wilkinson fixed to avoid a stress-riser-induced failure caused by the corrosion, only to have the bars on this Marin fail. What was the cause? Could it have been when I was doored with these bars fitted at the time to my Raleigh 531 MTB? Who knows, I survived which is what matters to me. A photo of the failed bars is now in the <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/albums/72157631603176743" target="_blank">album</a>, I fitted steel pullback bars as a replacement. I believe they will outlast the time I have left with this bike.<br />
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Yes they did and I still have them. 25/09/2017 I sold the bike on ebay for £16.05 collection only. I wanted to change the pedals, one was clicking. After buying a new pair the old ones were seized into the aluminium cranks and the threads came out with the pedals. I fitted a new bottom bracket and a 52/42 from the Dawes that gave me wheels for the BSA, removed the pull backs and fitted straight mountain bike bars. I needed the space and couldn't justify buying replacement cranks and keeping this bike. It was a great bike and will be missed.<br />
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https://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm Muir Woods, I had been calling it Muirwoods.<div><br /></div><div>First one used regularly by my son when we go for a ride around Milton Keynes on a Sunday afternoon.</div><div>04/05/2020 UK date.</div>pphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173389276293429052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458519294135157268.post-11977979372380343782012-07-05T13:48:00.002-07:002020-11-22T12:12:34.152-08:00The trouble with RaleighsI have never had any luck with Raleighs. My first was a Raleigh Chopper Mk1 back in the 70's. It was rubbish but I rode to Tamworth and Halesowen from Sheldon on it, later while at secondary school I heard about others who had bought their bikes at component level, the concept was lost on me. I knew I wanted bigger gears but was told they weren't available and that I should learn to pedal faster - another reference to real cycling. My next bike was 26" wheel racer bought from my brother's girlfriend (she was tall) it wasn't very good but when eventually I moved my daily commute from 8 miles there and back to 12 and 14 miles and then graduated to riding to Birmingham to visit family (45 miles each way) I knew I wanted something better. At this point I had picked up various bits of cycling information from work, I was surrounded by hard cyclists (Peter Coulson among them) and the values seeped in as well. I bought a second hand Dawes Galaxy from a workmate and put some miles on it, enough to know this was streets ahead of anything I had come across before. It was too big for me but after considering having a frame built, I found that a new Dawes Galaxy with a triple front chainring and caliper brakes would fit the bill; >22 years later I still have it and tour on it. However Oakley Cycles of Northampton tried to push a Raleigh Royal or something similar on me, but I wanted the Dawes. I too was made in Birmingham. That was 1988. And so it remained until I started to fancy a change and looked at other bicycles, what I ended up with was random and governed by circumstances rather than intention. I bought a £10 bike from the local tip badged as a Raleigh Scirocco, turned it into a fixed gear in 2004 it was a harsh ride and heavy, the frame alone weighed 6 pounds. I bought another Raleigh, a hybrid, another £10 but with a 531 sticker. When I got it home and stripped it, it must have been sitting in a river - the internals of the frame were the rustiest I have ever seen. Most of the frame was returned to the tip but the forks were surprisingly good; 531! I used them on the fixed gear and it made a vast improvement. I bought another Raleigh, 531 again, this time for £5 it had beed driven over or crashed. The forks were chromed and rusty, after blasting and powder coating they ended up on the <a href="http://refurbishforfun.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/archie-wilkinson.html" target="_blank">Archie Wilkinson</a>. The crankset was sold on ebay for £2.50 and the tubes are on my shelf for the day I get the oxygen bottle filled and can start brazing them into something unusual. The next Raleigh was a mountain bike, 531 frame tubes and probably plain gauge, £10 from the tip; the stays and forks were only cromoly but it was a nice bike and used regularly until some twat opened his door without looking. I went up in the air and landed on my right elbow. It hurt for 18 months, the damage done to my trapped hand and other bruises on my leg and hip went away much more quickly. However when the bike hit the road it landed on the rear left hand cantilever and broke the braze joint from the pivot to the bracket, I hadn't noticed and only claimed for bent bars. I advise everyone go with the ambulance chasers, dealing with that insurance company was a most unpleasant experience and in particular one obnoxious, aggressive person. I wish I could remember his name, I could lambast him from the safety of my keyboard but blogs weren't invented then; "Was the jacket new? We don't replace worn jackets". Also <b>report the accident to the police</b>, you have been injured and there is a requirement under UK law to do so. In this case after initially admitting liability to me, he changed his story to his insurance company. The police involvement persuaded him to change it back. That broken cantilever pivot and the dings where his door edge hit the bike frame meant I only got £10 for it on ebay, I still have the wheels, they went in the rusty bike and are now intended for the John Fern. Raleigh trouble doesn't end there, if you refer to the <a href="http://refurbishforfun.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/s-gillott.html" target="_blank">A S Gillot</a> entry, that was a sheep in wolf's clothing, another 6 pound (heavy) frame, and a lot of money wasted. One Raleigh wasn't trouble; I bought a Raleigh Zenith, a ladies' framed bicycle with 27" wheels and very low mileage - again for £10 down the tip. It was a 501 frame and in contrast to a different situation, I had no qualms about gutting it. The wheels went into the R. E. W. Reynolds and were a perfect fit. I have yet to reuse the chainset but most of the other bits will go onto the Clubman - but before I get to that let me tell you about the Raleigh Record Ace. I spotted this on ebay, it was my size 21", with a £120 starting bid or buy it now for £150. No choice really, why save £30 and lose it - so I bought it. The seller said he had had lots of calls querying the frame number or this finicky detail or that finicky detail you know what people are like. There were no stickers and that's what threw them. Were they blind? It jumped out at you! I bought it and was delighted. At last a deal! I rode it round the block, but wanted to change some bits that didn't suit me, the stem, saddle and gearing. Here's the dilemma, it was a low mileage, immaculate (some surface rust under the paint - I notice a lot of 80's bikes have this rust problem, even my Dawes Galaxy and that Zenith I mentioned earlier) - but more importantly 100% original! I was torn, what was I supposed to do? I chose to sell it on ebay and let someone else benefit rather than muck it around. How stupid am I? Where did I get this philosophy? Years of looking at restored bicycles while others are changing theirs willy-nilly and stripping them for parts. I could have made money selling it for parts, or if I had kept it and made the changes I wanted I would have a lovely bike now which suits me. This will not happen again. Another Raleigh I bought was a very old one, it was striking when I saw it and bought it even though I could see problems. I had it blasted and powder coated in matt black, rode it round for about a year and sold it due to the harsh ride. It had borrowed wheels from a donor bike in Birmingham, (which is still hanging there), a Wrights saddle I paid £4 for at the tip, and some leather-faced brake blocks recovered from the Shayler, I think (they are the only way to stop a bike with steel rims). It went on ebay collection only for £40; the powder coating cost £25. I'm glad to be rid of it. The Raleigh Clubman frame and forks came off ebay for around £65 and had been restored although not professionally, the transfers are nice, it's from around 1959 but (there is always a but with Raleighs) the rear mudguard mounting brackets are broken both sides. I will do it up as a fixed gear, but I am pretty sure I will sell the Clubman. (Sold it 2015 for £85 having rebuilt a pair of wheels, bought new tyres, restored original pedals and cranks and other sundries), Finally and I hope I have learned my lesson, though I doubt it, I bought another Record Ace, this time with no emotional baggage or anything else, a frame and forks only for £29 plus postage. The forks weren't 531 and the frame when I examined it had been in a front end smash, hence the non-matching forks. And it was too big for me. I sold it for £19 but kept some bits, I can reuse the leather Brooks handlebar tape and maybe the front derailleur. I just remembered have bought and sold two Raleigh Stowaways on ebay, I didn't lose on either, in fact I made money on the second. I was inspired by the Sheldon Brown <a href="http://www.sheldonbrown.com/raleigh-twenty.html" target="_blank">article</a> on them and wanted to do something similar, but didn't; they gave a harsh ride and I didn't want to waste time and still be left with a harsh ride. (I remember advertising the first one and an objectionable ebayer with a number of 0 (that's zero, he only registered to raise objections and has not bought or sold anything), called bromptonbicycle messaged me and threatened to have my listing removed because of keyword spamming. I had used those two words in the ad saying if you can't afford one of those consider this it's really cheap. Since it was not in the title it's not spamming but I was not going to argue I just wanted to sell this folding bicycle. However it did create a bad taste in my mouth and soured my opinion of Brompton enough for me to avoid their products entirely; I suspect that whoever gave him that task has also done their company's image no good at all with others).<br />
So in conclusion, I really should avoid Raleighs (and Bromptons) completely in future. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/sets/72157632649770490/" target="_blank">See here.</a>pphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173389276293429052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458519294135157268.post-15269816341084578302011-11-07T13:32:00.001-08:002020-11-22T12:14:10.335-08:00John Fern 653I bought this on eBay, I think I got it for a good price (£65) it was one of those listings that I came across by accident and it seemed to have been overlooked by others judging by the low page views. I bought it first on the basis of the photo and then looked for more information. I found this on <a href="http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/help-re-john-fern-cycles.49328/">cyclechat</a> from Feb 2010 in response to an enquiry:<br />
"<i>Sadly no, John took is own life three or four years ago and the shop has gone. I have a couple of his bikes in my collection. John ran his shop alone so I'm not aware of anyone you could contact. Both my bikes are 70's custom builds for people in the local area who have passed them on to on to me for my Leicestershire built bikes collection. Both are 531 Reynolds frames and forks. However, I'm not sure how much frame building John did, they could have been made locally by Barry Bond who retired from the cycling business years ago but I still see occasionally. An elderly chap we know just called in for a cup of tea and I found out the following. John didn't make any frames but bought most of his from Melor Clarke - a long since gone cycle wholesaler in Leicester. They had all their frames made by various factories in Birmingham. My two bikes, being one off specials, had hand made frames by Barry Bond</i>."<br />
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It is partly chromed, which I don't like (a hydrogen embrittlement risk I read) and there is some rust on both frame and forks since chrome plating is porous. I have also found as the result of using electrolysis to remove rust from old steel items that you must not use this method to remove chrome plating as it produces hexavalent chrome in the electrolyte. To remove the chrome plating use <a href="http://www.finishing.com/148/93.shtml">sulphuric acid</a>, or <a href="http://www.finishing.com/120/44.shtml">hydrochloric acid</a>.<br />
The frame and forks are a close fit for 700C (obviously being a competition bike but looking at my pile of bits I find that the MTB wheels from my rusty bike (now down the tip) will fit nicely, coupled with some BMX brakes and I have an alternative hybrid!*<br />
I have discovered that a wire wheel on a 1200W angle grinder removes paint, rust and leaves behind frame tubes. I have finished the front forks with Smoothrite. More later 31/11/2012<br />
uploaded a photo or two 15/07/2012 <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/sets/72157631602875770/" target="_blank">See here.</a><br />
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30/06/2016 *Fear not, I have abandoned the 26" MTB wheels idea for this bike, I tried them out on the Orbit which I finished first and didn't like them. They are now on an unbranded Reynolds 525 frame and forks, the Orbit will have 700C and so will this John Fern, I have decided to brush paint the frame black and then flat it with Scotchbrite, I got the idea from Build or Bust. I hope more progress n 2016.<br />
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30/12/2016 Domestic tasks distracted me this year, I started but didn't finish. Watch out for progress in 2017!<br />
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25/09/2017 Things are not looking good for free time. I will update in 2018.<div><br /></div><div>22/11/2020 Things still not looking good for free time, bringing new bikes in and jumping the queue. I still have hopes.</div>pphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173389276293429052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458519294135157268.post-86930123108070953622011-07-19T22:20:00.000-07:002011-08-27T12:47:48.680-07:00Typing<a href="http://speedtest.10-fast-fingers.com" style="display: block; width: 300px; height: 100px; background: url('http://speedtest.10-fast-fingers.com/img/badge1.png') no-repeat; padding-top: 50px; padding-left: 60px; color: #009933; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; font-family: Times New Roman, Arial, serif; font-size: 40px;">45 words</a><p><a href="http://speedtest.10-fast-fingers.com">free online typing test</a></p>pphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173389276293429052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458519294135157268.post-77704067751016255742011-04-24T13:05:00.001-07:002020-11-22T12:40:01.879-08:00A S GILLOTT (scrapped)or not.. I bought the frame and forks on ebay and discovered why there were only two bids. I couldn't get the frame numbers to match the numbering system online. The lugs were not at all fancy, it weighed in at six pounds, had machine-formed ends internal to the tubes, and old Raleigh bottom bracket and steering head threads at 26 TPI. I couldn't even put it on the road, (I had a matching Raleigh frame which lacks bottom bracket bearings). To make it worse the rear chainstay dropout had somehow been spread and the stamping (no cast lugs here) had broken and been repaired at an earlier time. The purchase price and postage costs were wasted as the frame and forks are now down the tip. I will try and sell the head badge on ebay. <br />
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"The cracks started to show when some less than deserving frames came in for part-exchange and Harry saw them re-appear from the enamellers with Gillott badges and transfers on them." <a href="http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/gillott5.html">http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/gillott5.html</a> I found the A S Gillot name on the frame under a coat of paint and until I read the above, this was the one bit I couldn't explain.<br />
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I have learned a lesson and from now on will thin out the pile of stuff I have collected over the years. The most frustrating thing about all of this is that I was seduced by a name. It had a high starting price which suggested some intrinsic value. The description was all about the memories of the bike which he said was a present. However it was neither an A S Gillot nor was it a lightweight. Worse things have happened but I am still annoyed with myself for falling for this.<br />
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I found some photos which I have posted in the Trouble With Raleighs album in Flickr. By the way, the headbadge sold for £24 plus postage. There is something wrong with the world, my problem was caused by Gillot's standards dropping and me ending up with a rebadged raleigh. Others remove headbadges to collect which end up for sale on eBay. People buy headbadges on eBay to restore their Gillot which had its headbadge removed. So yes, I am part of the problem, perhaps I should have destroyed it like so much ivory but I didn't. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/sets/72157632649770490/" target="_blank">https://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/sets/72157632649770490/</a> Sorry. pphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173389276293429052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458519294135157268.post-75929821081608247892011-01-22T12:13:00.001-08:002020-11-22T12:40:54.616-08:00R. E. W. REYNOLDS (scrapped)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMAtbeLqJpNYBQDqveClwHAp-BVpoRMbIGkOGIVCTUI3p6mbkGTofXWcOgHnihC1glSrxyvERX9BmKTVzQbBMZg_N-o8R8Ky5XWcLPtn1z6tq92Mzi0Dhv0fSwYCP2TgRbkt7IDnX-k5MN/s1600/REW+after+winter.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599241926962409394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMAtbeLqJpNYBQDqveClwHAp-BVpoRMbIGkOGIVCTUI3p6mbkGTofXWcOgHnihC1glSrxyvERX9BmKTVzQbBMZg_N-o8R8Ky5XWcLPtn1z6tq92Mzi0Dhv0fSwYCP2TgRbkt7IDnX-k5MN/s320/REW+after+winter.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 240px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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This bike ended up being ridden the most last year (2010). I bought it as a frame and forks only from ebay for a small sum, local pickup in Northampton (yes, we have one in the UK too). Unusually, I didn't immediately rip it to bits, have it blasted and build it into a new one.<br />
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more later 22/01/2011<br />
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this photograph is the state of it after riding through the winter.<br />
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07/11/2011 Doesn't time fly, I've had a really busy year and not done much cycling. I stripped the REW part way and made it serviceable, replacing the front derailleur which failed to fit the R T Shayler, rubbing back the induced rust to bare metal and touching up with Smoothrite, fitting some bottle cages, a saddlebag, a new seatpost (it's 26.4 diameter) and cleaning off the crud. It looks functional now and is ready for my massive daily commute of 4 x 0.9 miles (I come home for lunch). I have to say that it is not 531, because of the seat tube diameter (and it being hand built there is probably some chrome and molybdenum in the steel). As a kid, a guy at work went to see Mr Reynolds and was measured up for a bike there. I read an article in the <a href="http://www.a5rangerscyclingclub.org.uk/" target="_blank">A5 Rangers</a>' newsletter about a tandem modification using Mr Reynolds' old brazing jig, also the life president of the A5 Rangers and his wife have REW Reynolds touring bicycles - which is where I first heard of him and why I bought the frame and forks on eBay for the princely sum of £5. I am a big fan of 531 which this is not and the forks give quite a harsh ride but it protects a nicer bike from the winter crud. I have a set of forks which would fit, they would improve the ride but then the conflicts of originality vs function act on my guilt. We will see. Some photos <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/sets/72157631603206317/" target="_blank">here.</a><br />
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That said the lugs are fairly decorative and I have had worse, heavier, harsher bikes in the past so I know when not to complain too much. Interestingly I am getting quite a few hits on this site with people searching for info on REW Reynolds.<br />
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I will add more in future, perhaps adding what history I can find.<br />
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Latest news, since buying my latest <a href="http://refurbishforfun.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/marin-muirwoods.html">Marin Muirwoods </a>I have no need for this bike. I also bought a <a href="http://refurbishforfun.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/richmond-531.html">Richmond</a> frame and forks from ebay with exactly the same geometry and am currently transferring components from the REW to the Richmond. Considering the poor ride quality (harsh), the weight (frame 5lbs or 2265g forks 828g these are really the problem) and the lack of space (I'm a cycleholic) it has to go. In my defence there are quite a few REWs out there and the ones that survive are the good ones and if you don't want to hate me, think of me as a wolf and this frame and forks as a weak caribou. Perhaps it's high caribou steel? Anyway taking it to bits to recover components for the Richmond, I found stones in the bottom bracket compartment (the bb itself was protected by a plastic sleeve but the stones came from my young son dropping them in through the seat tube; he can be seen in one of the <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/7573516096/in/album-72157631603206317/">photos</a>).<br />
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FYI the number on both frame and forks is 1791.pphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173389276293429052noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458519294135157268.post-67462502073185928682010-08-20T14:25:00.014-07:002021-05-04T06:32:07.576-07:00RUSTY BIKE (scrapped)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zQ26sIJsmiQzsU9BpkMIXwEES9h0XKARe0LJAaNDa_PU-Userle0P3zXNlJFJ50OSpexEwIQp6UhEL2nsqa6TxlH5MrJkZULybLfNnSoJ2G-tP6cwe_QiVZ4MQ7jKxe27jmdNrZxHvHj/s1600/see+the+magnetite+2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><br />
I saw a Build or Bust episode where Joe Magliato finished his frame with rust. He used a welding torch to heat the frame and then wiped it with something, I suspect it was hydrogen peroxide.<br />
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<a href="http://bigironart.com/mpc/docs/Site/Home.html"><strike>/http://bigironart.com/mpc/docs/Site/Home.html/</strike></a></div>
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I had no available torch or peroxide but I had read this article <br />
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<a href="http://www.corrosion-doctors.org/Experiments/iron-products.htm">http://www.corrosion-doctors.org/Experiments/iron-products.htm/</a></div>
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....and inherited some mordant solution from my Dad left over from a contract he had to paint a load of galvanized streetlights back in the 60's. <br />
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<a href="http://www.tecpaints.com/userfiles/file/X85%20New.pdf">https://www.teamac.co.uk/uploads/files/MORDANT_SOLUTION_TDS_TM.pdf</a></div>
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I had a spare MTB frame, forks, stem and a pair of unchromed north road bars all blasted (by Bournes Powder Coaters in Birmingham) <br />
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<a href="http://www.bournespowdercoating.co.uk/">http://www.bournespowdercoating.co.uk/index.htm</a></div>
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then I painted all the bits with several coats of mordant solution and left them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLBnIiFvq5QBxFuFMXjXAwy-FlAwapHArMvD4ukbrXx_HmR0OGboDb8WfWtXaMgjvGU6ZhrESsRs8K0fyEyQa7YnF7CVyruDaDyGxyTTOr4MHyM2ak-qDeSqiBE17JRs5EsgONZiF7rIWS/s1600/several+coats.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507945247278892962" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLBnIiFvq5QBxFuFMXjXAwy-FlAwapHArMvD4ukbrXx_HmR0OGboDb8WfWtXaMgjvGU6ZhrESsRs8K0fyEyQa7YnF7CVyruDaDyGxyTTOr4MHyM2ak-qDeSqiBE17JRs5EsgONZiF7rIWS/s320/several+coats.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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Now I needed it to rust and further searching on the net turned up that the trick was to wipe the surface with warm salty water, this done the finish was perfect.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0F7UJRfZyhBX8auz2UrBZVitkzCJeD3Utlerh7Ckrjzs3uqCBZ2QZIk4DLUL6Cw3tS9pwbpcXbYhPg26c1aULd33RWKk3YV_hjEWnrWcmI3e1Vy7TCai19MdD61_C8p6Ljj3iYHyj29i/s1600/8544823294_4311efe619_h.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0F7UJRfZyhBX8auz2UrBZVitkzCJeD3Utlerh7Ckrjzs3uqCBZ2QZIk4DLUL6Cw3tS9pwbpcXbYhPg26c1aULd33RWKk3YV_hjEWnrWcmI3e1Vy7TCai19MdD61_C8p6Ljj3iYHyj29i/s320/8544823294_4311efe619_h.jpg" width="240" ya="true" /></a></div>
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However I should have washed it with distilled water (rainwater would have done) but didn't. The frame began to revert from the dark protective magnetite to fluffy soft red rust, haematite.<br />
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By this time I had finished and was riding it. I remembered something else I read and used aluminium foil with the mordant solution to scrub the frame tubes and then wash off the residue with rainwater. That seems to have done the trick, it has lasted weeks and I now have to apply similar treatment to other parts of the frame when time allows.<br />
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Decomber 25th 2010 since that time the frame rust has developed in an interesting way. Red rust colonized the frame but then over time flaked off like a scab to reveal the proper finish I sought underneath. A further complication is that where I spaced the front derailleur with 1 mm thick lead, I created an electrochemical cell which has caused the seat tube (only) to continue to corrode in a spectacular fashion. I intend to change the spacer for a plastic one when time permits. I will also paste additional photos.<br />
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Other inspiration came my Dad's steel shovel which formed a firm oxide surface even though it's been outside in my garden for over 20 years, chains on kids' swings in playgrounds which never seemed to go red rusty. But for intentional rust, "rust is not a crime" Mike Burroughs' rusty BMW<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/spasticdwarf/3517162529/in/set-72157604909642291"> here </a><a href="http://lolwat.net/"></a> really was the tipping point. <br />
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Which leads me to a man with a similar name, Mike Burrows, his book Bicycle Design, describes using shorter cranks - down to 120 mm - so I've been using 150 mm steel cranks (taken from a neighbours kid's bike - after he chucked it) and I can confirm they are good fun, although your knees notice the difference.<br />
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And I just came across a whole house based on rusty steel (28/05/2011)<br />
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<a href="http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/14728/endo-shuhei-architect-institute-looptecture-f.html">http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/14728/endo-shuhei-architect-institute-looptecture-f.html/</a></div>
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I had some favourable comments about the bike, which is interesting as my other bikes are better (more expensive) and conventionally prettier (painted or chromed).<br />
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I've created a Flickr page for this and other bikes<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVRy16z-MRp20Otvwy-tOnJ7NRL6UgvV9jFIeAkKvOiEtCPy4qMHd9_WGS2AWgsmtpJEZpY8_XywpPgnKeKq9fMqlnlVNG9fX8wtgq1FiOLPenRZG-j-w229kWc-S2rdM5jclXCaVn1ua/s1600/zoomed.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507960324156256626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVRy16z-MRp20Otvwy-tOnJ7NRL6UgvV9jFIeAkKvOiEtCPy4qMHd9_WGS2AWgsmtpJEZpY8_XywpPgnKeKq9fMqlnlVNG9fX8wtgq1FiOLPenRZG-j-w229kWc-S2rdM5jclXCaVn1ua/s320/zoomed.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 198px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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The experiment is ended, I dismantled the bike and took it to the tip for recycling. I felt slightly guilty as it was a working bike which rode well and had I the inclination I could have removed the rust, used some of that new-fangled<span style="font-weight: bold;"> paint </span>and made it good. Sadly I am aware of my mortality and I have a huge number of unfinished tasks, I don't want this so I will have to repress the guilt and move on. Maybe I should rewrite this post in the style of a scientific experiment from school, equipment, method, results, conclusions (another task - see!) but not tonight. More later 07/11/2011<br />
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I can say in conclusion that although it was possible to get quite a nice patina, it was difficult to maintain it in a British environment. I can also say that the things that I found most frustrating were the way rust would eat away wherever water was trapped and that parts would weld together. I didn't like the way it spread, rusty water would drip and colonize areas that wouldn't rust on a normal bicycle. Sacrificial corrosion of plated items occurred which meant those parts had to be scrapped when the bicycle was dismantled. Some people reading this may think of COR-TEN steel which doesn't behave like this but it does, if you read the design guides water traps should be designed out and dissimilar metals should be avoided.<br />
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Keeping the finish is like balancing a pencil, it's possible but it takes a lot of effort; and I have other things to do. The wheels will be used for another project, they came off a Raleigh MTB. <br />
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Although the bike has met its maker a long time ago evidenced here, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/7573669300/in/photostream">http://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/7573669300/in/photostream </a> you can go up a level and look at the collection rust in the landscape.<br />
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In 2013 the topic still interests me and I came across this article today <a href="http://phys.org/news/2013-01-scientists-iron-eating-bacteria-electrons.html">http://phys.org/news/2013-01-scientists-iron-eating-bacteria-electrons.html</a> the bacteria only respond to electrons of the same frequency, others aren't so tasty perhaps.<br />
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It never stops, <span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The first recorded use of </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">rust</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> as a color name in English was in 1692</span>. A search on that lead me to <a href="http://www.beautytrainingstudio.co.uk/History-Of-Nails.html" target="_blank">http://www.beautytrainingstudio.co.uk/History-Of-Nails.html</a> it was Cleopatra's favourite colour apparently. 05/10/2013<br />
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I sent an email to myself back in July 2012, I have just rediscovered it. The word is pyrophoric (fire-carrier) and here is the link <a href="http://survivaltopics.com/flint-and-steel-what-causes-the-sparks/">http://survivaltopics.com/flint-and-steel-what-causes-the-sparks/</a> it turns out that there is a layer of rust slowing down oxidation but the temperature of the sparks is a factor of the surface area to volume ratio. 01/01/2014.<br />
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Since those heady days, I discovered electrolysis to remove rust from iron and steel and have used it extensively restoring lathes and tools. This <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/albums/72157670570955015">album</a> contains some interesting photos. I have noticed that as the steel starts to rust again after treatment it often forms the right type; magnetite. 25/09/2017<div><br /></div><div>Just updated the entry due to broken links. 2021 May 4th. Bill Gates' divorce is the news of the day but there is an awful train crash in Mexico due to a bridge failure and India is suffering greatly due to COVID.<br />
<br /></div>pphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173389276293429052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458519294135157268.post-23348478785134258692009-08-08T13:30:00.002-07:002020-11-22T12:40:18.430-08:00R. T. SHAYLER (sold)<div align="left">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxX1A1-q0aLKBgCQQ5MiWXBsrMzZujPzRc0TUhYjKhBsl2rU_qBU226vQzvvu6cppsoRXoYjg00sgWNn8H6RqurVoFTlXAJLplnvBPGq-miEGqJ9EFvRM14Ds4h7SN1zcgKg0YSjKnNE-e/s1600-h/R+T+SHAYLER.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367709181905115714" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxX1A1-q0aLKBgCQQ5MiWXBsrMzZujPzRc0TUhYjKhBsl2rU_qBU226vQzvvu6cppsoRXoYjg00sgWNn8H6RqurVoFTlXAJLplnvBPGq-miEGqJ9EFvRM14Ds4h7SN1zcgKg0YSjKnNE-e/s320/R+T+SHAYLER.JPG" style="display: block; height: 217px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></div>
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I picked up my R. T. Shayler for the princely sum of £10 at the local tip. The frame was chromed but rusty, the fancy lugs, wraparound seat stays and the cast dropouts caught my eye. I also spotted the wrong diameter seatpost and some shims bodged to make up the difference. It had cottered Milremo cranks, steel rims (700c), flattish bars and was pretty much the worse for wear.<br />
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I gutted the bike and kept only the frame and forks, both were stamped with matching numbers 621. There was swarf in the bottom bracket, I'm guessing from when a seat post was machined out - but I don't know. The 21" bare frame weighed about 4lbs 8oz and had seams so I guess it's 501 and some of that weight is the plating. The seat post diameter is 27mm.<br />
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The seat post bodge had caused damage to the top of the seat tube. I machined a 27 mm diameter slug of steel about 8" long with tapers at each end and tapped it into the tube. To move it back up, I drilled a 10mm hole in the bottom bracket and used a long drift. I also used the steel for support as I attempted to tap the tube circular again. If you hadn't read this and didn't look too hard you wouldn't notice it on the seat tube. But you have now and <i>I</i> can see it. Functionally there is no problem.<br />
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The wheels are the originals from my Dawes Galaxy, which were still fine. The rear dropout width on the Shayler was 123mm whilst the Galaxy rear was originally 126 so I machined some aluminium spacers and did some redishing which solved the problem. Hunting through my box of screw-on freewheels, I found a five-speed block. The largest sprocket was standard but because I like a very low bottom gear, I disassembled the 5-speed block and a 7-speed block and replaced the largest sprocket on the 5-speed with a 34-tooth sprocket from the 7-speed. Because the 7-speed was hyper glide, there were slight differences in the splines which I removed with a disc cutter. </div>
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I cleaned the frame of oil and grease and thoroughly masked it, screwing in sacrificial bottom bracket cups (with a machined internal spacer), sacrificial head set, stem sleeve and nut and 5mm screws in appropriate places (but they are 2BA! I now know), and then took it to Birmingham and had it blasted and powder coated in satin black.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bournespowdercoating.co.uk/">http://www.bournespowdercoating.co.uk/</a></div>
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Putting it on the road, the wheels were done already. One complication was that the bike was built as a five-speed, with a braze-on on the right of the downtube for the rear derailleur.</div>
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Initially I had a home-made suicide shifter for the 50/34 double you can see in the first photograph, I had to reach down and operate the shifter by hand. Since then I have changed the front chainring twice, first with a triple and lately (17/07/10) with a 42/28 Stronglight Impact double. It's whatever I have in the garage at the time. To make shifting slightly safer I now use a spoke to pull and push directly onto the derailleur. There is no return spring and its position is maintained by friction (from the cable tie). It is kept in place with a guide I made from various bits.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZoRgyPnAtkniNFIfrjDSisJvLu8pvGE4oluujS1IMT1bW3jLToBJOBpzCVd7YpmXhtcE5LcsDz6rvGSDbmFhSKUVRcWaYEvL6Fc4SGl8DpCXv89Ir3lQLfFXeAd7JDywJnMcanUugONBl/s1600/cry+for+help+shifter.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494966261342136386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZoRgyPnAtkniNFIfrjDSisJvLu8pvGE4oluujS1IMT1bW3jLToBJOBpzCVd7YpmXhtcE5LcsDz6rvGSDbmFhSKUVRcWaYEvL6Fc4SGl8DpCXv89Ir3lQLfFXeAd7JDywJnMcanUugONBl/s320/cry+for+help+shifter.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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Who is R. T. Shayler? I had never heard of him but some searching turned up this link:</div>
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<a href="http://www.beaconrcc.org.uk/open_races/lmtt/archive/mi_article.html">http://www.beaconrcc.org.uk/open_races/lmtt/archive/mi_article.html</a></div>
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This is the only reference to bicycles produced by him that I can find. There is a Dick Shayler Trophy given by the Leamington C & A C.</div>
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The bike was given to a good friend Jason as a present in April 2011.<br />
Its state at the time is shown in photo below. 32 mm tyres - there is loads of room for them with mudguard clearance and still there is no need for forming (indenting) the tubes to clear either the tyres or the chainset. Why can't you get frames like this today? Talking of chainsets there is a Stronglight 80 BCD double 48 / 32 with another version of a suicide shifter using a steel rod and some aerolastic. It works a treat! Also fitted a very light rack off a Bob Jackson tandem I owned briefly, and a plastic bottle cage.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisTeuizsJjjGpLsmPFzyOCYr1Vp9Z9WvBt4MVdl005uHoMxHpVYxRCAV4QC9r_ArcUWSmspxQM19Ukoza0pySQP3fXGCZfC7l96Xi-LFssFWMiuoUTmFjV3Lpi150dmRZh5qSS4uatYJeh/s1600/RTS+2011-04-04+16.23.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599256044768058914" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisTeuizsJjjGpLsmPFzyOCYr1Vp9Z9WvBt4MVdl005uHoMxHpVYxRCAV4QC9r_ArcUWSmspxQM19Ukoza0pySQP3fXGCZfC7l96Xi-LFssFWMiuoUTmFjV3Lpi150dmRZh5qSS4uatYJeh/s320/RTS+2011-04-04+16.23.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 240px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
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(Carl Scheele discovered oxygen and I noted that his name has the same pronunciation. Perhaps the name Shayler has Swedish roots? <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Wilhelm_Scheele">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Wilhelm_Scheele</a>)<br />
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05/07/14 Another RTS came up on ebay last week. It fetched a reasonable sum with a lot of interest which suggests some afficionados are out there. <br />
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17/09/17 Jason tired of the bike and asked did I want it back. Yes I did! It had had good use and showed some scars from this. I gutted it and started again, eventually I did it as a fixed gear using some components from the Archie Wilkinson which I retired in 2016. I have used it since, putting a few miles on the clock and it is a lovely ride, that Archie W frame was out of true and the tracking was off. Photos are in the updated album, one of the improvements I like is the bottle carriers, adapted with a sleeve to fit the stem instead of a seatpost. With winter approaching I will fit mudguards and lights. More later..<br />
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BTW since I first wrote this entry, I created a Flickr presence, the part that relates to this bicycle is <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/61001946@N06/albums/72157645765693752">here</a>.<div><br /></div><div>Update 2020 - I got it back from Jason, he had had some bother. I rebuilt it as fixed gear using the bits from the Archie Wilkinson. Rode it for a while, it's a nice ride but I sold this on ebay in 2019 for around £30. The buyer took the frame back to the chrome, changed it a bit and by accident I came across it and found he too sold it on ebay.</div>pphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07173389276293429052noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5458519294135157268.post-41816615418031854312009-07-26T11:33:00.000-07:002015-05-20T11:30:32.602-07:00LIMITATIONSThe distinction between refurbishment and restoration was made clearly by the late great Sheldon Brown. <a href="http://sheldonbrown.com/upgrade.html">http://sheldonbrown.com/upgrade.html</a><br />
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I do not restore bicycles for a number of reasons, there are some nitpicking bike snobs who manage to find fault with any bike they look at; it may be the finish, decals, incorrect diameter spokes or some imagined anchronism - and by doing what I do I create bikes which they consider beneath contempt. I really don't care, people who know everything cannot learn anything.<br />
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I refurbish bicycles to create bikes that I want to ride, the sort of bikes the shops don't sell. This hobby costs me money, I have yet to make a profit on anything. It is something I do for fun. Originality is an illusion; and soundbites have no depth.<br />
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The materials I work with are stuff that is cheap, currently out of fashion, second-hand, free or surplus to someone else's requirements. I have a lathe and a mill so sometimes I will make an item.<br />
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It is necessary to be brutal. If I take a bike down to the tip, I probably rescued it from there in the first place. It got some attention, TLC and miles. Bikes are not alive but I give them life, perform transplants and sometimes find a caring home. I can't afford to muck around with top-flight machines and so far no-one has been offended enough to say anything to me about what I have done. Mostly people assume because I ride an old (dirty) bicycle that I am poor and the quality of some machines is utterly lost on them, because if it isn't shiny or new it's no good. I don't tell the story of every bike I have owned.<br />
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I am under no obligation to restore lovingly to factory standard any bicycle I have. Period-correct parts do not interest me, function is my watchword. I reserve the right to give up on any project if I lose interest. Now that ebay is charging 10% on postage more of my stuff will end up down the tip and Royal Mail will lose business to cheaper parcel delivery companies.<br />
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I also go back, edit and update entries. If you have read an entry before it may have changed if ever you return to this blog.<br />
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