Search found 954 matches

by willcee
13 Mar 2024, 11:05pm
Forum: Wanted
Topic: simplex and durace down tube shifters
Replies: 0
Views: 156

simplex and durace down tube shifters

hello, Mate calls recently and is looking for a couple of things he needs for 2 rebuilds so anyone who has bits downtube shifters particularly Simplex brase on, the bulkier one which from memory had easy light pull and controlled downshift action and was 7 speed or 8 and Dura ace in silver 7/8 speed or both, brase on fittings need to be very tidy or could be polished to make very good order.. thanks please have a look in your stash.. will
by willcee
16 Feb 2024, 9:03pm
Forum: For Sale - Complete bikes ONLY - state FRAME SIZE in title
Topic: new Peugeot Virenque replica size med 54
Replies: 0
Views: 543

new Peugeot Virenque replica size med 54

Offered here a new old 90's build by Peugeot for this machine owned by a good friend, who sent me pics and i called today to see it in the flesh , to confirm it has never been ridden it was hung on the wall of the guys man cave and my friend who did business with the owner, he was downsizing and losing his place and my chum took it home, held it for a year and wants to move it along.. it can be well boxed and parcelforced by me for 325 inc delivery... it is std with Shimano RSX groupset...Frame Reynolds 553 .. + more by email...IMG_0358.jpg.....thx will..
by willcee
16 Feb 2024, 3:09pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Importing a new or 2nd hand bike into the UK from the EU.
Replies: 49
Views: 3801

Re: Importing a new or 2nd hand bike into the UK from the EU.

MY ADVICE is to get in touch with a Dublin or any big south of Ireland dealer do the best deal you can with him, drive over HOLYHEAD DUNLEARY, one way and collect it and drive no customs no border North into N Ireland.. and get back Larne Cairnryan in the car, all your stuff no customs or ought, if thats too much cost wise perhaps see if some of the dealers Transport / Delivery contacts do this sort of exercise on a weekly basis..[ they do] IME South Of Ireland business folk are very clued up in smuggling since the inception of any sort of Revenue operation came into existence 300 odd years back.. so they will know the ropes better than most. and have a few ''squared'' as need be .will
by willcee
13 Feb 2024, 12:40am
Forum: Health and fitness
Topic: Why are the general population resistant to getting fit?
Replies: 75
Views: 3791

Re: Why are the general population resistant to getting fit?

Now my excuse here is i read the first page so i'm reacting to it primarily, some 26 years back my significant other the love of my life a fit good looking 40 year old lady with whom i've been with for 48 years had a massive brain anneurism surgery clipped,followed by a heavy stroke on her dom side she was a leftie.. it knocked the heart out of me and its taken some years to adjust and i still am, however i always loved my cycling and my bike when i was younger and was doing solo 50mile return jaunts to local seaside towns on my 11plus present a Raleigh gran sport.. so something deep inside me put me on a cheap MTB where i got my initial leg fitness and then into late 2000 a Bianchi 602 in steel when i began with a friend an old school hard man, he'd cycled Scotland flat, and he taught me about longer rides ,we went out usually 2 days a week.. what i did find was it took in my late 40's at the time some months to get the fitness required to do 5/60miles on a sunday without feeling knackered next day.. thats where i think older men and women lay down forgetting that if you are office or factory bench grounded your latent strength isn't what a postman a delivery wagon driver, a builder ,a carpenter can call upon and that makes a significant difference.. i see it all the time watching younger cyclists removing a tight 23 tyre they dont have the finger and wrist strength that is needed.. they 'd have great lungs though.. also its a fantastic stress remover, now in my 70's still very active weather permitting i rebuilt a couple of sports cars in my yard during covid, I was in under working cleaning, rust removing painting, removing suspensions, engines, gearboxes, mudguards, exhausts, and refitting with new or restored items, up and down On my knees or sat on a low seat maybe for 6 hours a day something i'd done on maybe 45 vehicles in my lifetime, i love cars too and did i notice some difference from the car i did in 2014 to the recent ones even i didnt have good hips back then and have 2 new titanium ones since 19..I was sleeping after my tea until darkness fell in the summers of the covid and last year, totally hammered..what i have discovered is weather and i dont ride in poor weather neither does my friend and the poor weather these past 3 months have meant our wheels are hung , and looks like our fitness will be hard to get back at our advanced ages .. will
by willcee
8 Feb 2024, 12:28pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: steel Phillips gents road frameset
Replies: 4
Views: 878

Re: steel Phillips gents road frameset

Been in contact with the auction place , seems they have not yet finished the house clearance where they found the frameset, and i'm 'informed' by a young chap who wouldn't know a cotter pin from a cuff link that theres lots more parts to be retrieved, chatting with a friend who's a regular bidder in their auctions we remembered that in the late 40's early 50's many machines were bought as kits either to have your LBS put it together or as a do it urself build saving purchase tax, so perhaps all the pieces will be availble if we are extremely lucky.. and they're to call me when they have them on site...w
by willcee
18 Jan 2024, 7:02pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: First ride in four months
Replies: 130
Views: 18858

Re: First ride in four months

MICK ET ALL.. good to hear that you're on the mend, and like someone else here said it takes a few weeks or more to gradually get back some bike fitness and perhaps a year to get most of the strength back without blowing a gasket as a 70 year old, ask me at 72 how i know.. the awful wet weather, my health and caring responsibilities together with refettling my 3rd Eunos Mazda i haven't cycled for more than 3 months, and an old 50's Rotrax that i was half coaxed to buy, now rebuilt and dying for a few miles on her.. anyhow to reach back into a good story about a die hard racing man a vet and hard cyclist who was totally anti E...
He had bought a high end machine from a local retailer, a boutique LBS real fancy pants operation with a heralded cafe house tied on at the side, said machine was due a service and he was asked to bring it down, it was early summer, he rode down the 30 miles from his home and landed early morning, and they said they would loan him a bike so he could have a run around the nearby seaside routes for a few hours while they did the work, but all they had was an road E bike, he was annoyed and sulked the owner cajouled him and eventaully he got it tuned to his size with his saddle and pedals and some instructions and off he went..i just don't remember what they gave him as the place worked with several marques but rest assured it would have been several thousand ... must have been 3PM before he was spotted back and came in with a huge smiling face, and leaving out the F's regaled them with his ride, and how the hell could i have been so wrong.. The guy would have been in same vein as mickf..never me never...will
by willcee
15 Jan 2024, 6:17pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: steel Phillips gents road frameset
Replies: 4
Views: 878

steel Phillips gents road frameset

very smart condition unused looks new, not even wheel nut marks at dropouts in a smart RAF Blue metallic shade, elegant forged end forks thimbled aka Raleigh early stuff then top side flattened, I had neither phone nor camera to hand , but 40's 50's era I would suggest , looked to be set for narrow 26''x11/4s , no gear hanger, either single or 3 sp gear width at rear, 3'' steel stem in heavy chrome plate heavy frame, fully decalled and nice brassy head badge well made and obviously a decent machine , the auction house guy who asked me to look at it thought that there were either more frames and or parts to start a build and i 'm to call them when they have cleared the house later this week.. i will do some pics next time but would be interested to know if anyone could throw light on the company.. if memory serves i think they were London based.... will
by willcee
24 Dec 2023, 11:21am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Thru axle wheel not wanting to drop out - SORTED
Replies: 38
Views: 2471

Re: Thru axle wheel not wanting to drop out

Interesting... how about showing us a nice clear close up of hub of this wheel , if you are having that sort of issue removing the wheel its because theres something designed to sit in those machined grooves, I would suggest talking to the manufacturers or indeed a very experienced aftersales teck guy from either the wheel makers or the bike distributor as I would guess won't be the first time they've been asked about this problem..seasons greetings everyone..w :wink:
by willcee
12 Dec 2023, 10:32am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Sixties....no padding....now padded saddles and shorts....why?
Replies: 193
Views: 69086

Re: Sixties....no padding....now padded saddles and shorts....why?

ok, I rode my mothers lt/wt ladys Rudge until my 10 plus grammar school entrance exam where i failed, promised a Raleigh Gran sport if i won a scholar entrance so Dad bought me a pair of steel drop bars which i proceeded to fit in the Rudge , she had from very hazy memory a leather saddle i never had any issues and i wasn't a 8 stones 10 year old. next year 11+ success and a £29 5 sp Campagnolo equipped RALEIGH, with Brooks swallow saddle, the Gran Sport in flamboyant red was my present, again never had Saddle issues, Dad tried it out he scowled after perching on that narrow Brooks Swallow saddle and slipped with his leather brogues on the rat trap pedals, next day a new pair of std rubber pedals were fitted.. so my days of doing perhaps up to 40mile rides alone, long ones alone ,short rides up to 15mile with a younger brother began without a patching kit or a tube between us , we never had a flat tyre and could have been rescued by either parent, both had vehicles..never had proper cycle shorts until the early 2000's rode in track suit bottoms or trousers or jeans, without any problems, now good shorts or longs and regularly replaced still using leather saddles today Berthoud in preference i have a tan and a black Menthe, Brooks quality has gone awol , i would say however that any lay off like during the past weeks because of bad chest cold and inclement wet daysi know for the first few rides i will be breaking my ass in again, yet my wheel builder Sammy Connor 84 and still out there said that back in the day club racers and clubmen hung the wheels from November until end of January depending on which early events they entered, like me he hadn't turned a crank since late October..w
by willcee
9 Dec 2023, 11:18am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Why my new bike creaks.
Replies: 22
Views: 2864

Re: Why my new bike creaks.

Appreciate the heads up. I'm some years from being at the sharp end, however the owner given that he has drawn the retailers attention to the issue has cover and should in all good sense in a position to at least focus the retail owners attentions by stating his position and knowledge of his rights.. Ime few retailers understand the purchasers rights totally clearly even less their sales people, when i did workshops for car dealers it never ceased to amaze me that they felt safe selling an old fast car ''trade in'' to a young chap for buttons and reeling when he blew the engine and they had to stand on when it hit the courts...w
by willcee
7 Dec 2023, 1:08pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Why my new bike creaks.
Replies: 22
Views: 2864

Re: Why my new bike creaks.

I'm sorry if i annoy by saying yes carbon bikes, some more than others do suffer from creaking.. ime of handling, building and repairing bikes that as hire stuff perhaps have more opportunity given the rough handling they can suffer in hire and the medium they are made from accentuates any wee noise like a megaphone as someone else here alludes to and can fool even an experienced teck.. My thoughts on any bike that having spent money you're totally covered by the sale of goods act never mind warranty, so i suggest you do a bit of research on that and reject it under the act, and in writing when you deliver it back to the retailer as it could be failing from the inside and you do not trust it at all to feel safe when aboard.. w
by willcee
22 Nov 2023, 8:16pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: cast hub?? hooped through spoke
Replies: 10
Views: 1012

cast hub?? hooped through spoke

A mate was here last evening and as normal regaling me with what he'd found on the main Facebook cycle sales forum.. here it is the guy who found it wanted to know the maker was , it was Italian he thought and had been attached to a plain 700 slightly rusted steel rim. one side is fixed, see 2 different threads and other for gear sprocket... this side.. anyone, Brucey?? cheers w.
by willcee
3 Nov 2023, 6:44pm
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: Bosch or Yamaha motors?
Replies: 11
Views: 5648

Re: Bosch or Yamaha motors?

Interesting comments, been using E power since 16/17 pre hip ops and still cycling using Bafang mid motors, i have built quite a few and had an issue with one, i have a good friend who's very experienced around lecky motors and i called him with my issue some years back noise i said sounds like a whirring something inside catching on something else, however strangely it never went better there was about 2k on it and some of it fairly speedily, I removed it when my replacement arrived and landed it at his shed next morning, I had a call next day , Sorted Will, and explained that the Chinese had a strange way of building the inside, something to do with taking short cuts, inside was cleaned out, no other issues and he put her back together and asked me if i would sell it to him, which i did and while it was the first one that i had, bought second hand as a demo motor from a Geordie it has been imo the most powerful so far... very torquey, like front wheel lifting a couple of times, parts are very easily found and while they can be tuned to be smoother and more subtle i have left them as they are, Bosch however locally we have had a few motors mostly MTB guys, acquired on deals from CHAIN R. and the story hasnt just been as straightforward customer servicewise as i would have liked.. I explained that i hadnt had any issues worth a damn with mine or any that i built using kits.. Bosch are in China and using cheap labour and their build quality ''German'' it is not.. no matter how many inspectors thay have in the plant .. a mate has has 2 Orbeas no issues except that wee add on battery, and 2 Giant road E.'s again one traded in with 4 k without issue and the last one a 2022 year has approaching 2 k and no issues, both afaik have Yamaha motors both dongled.. will
by willcee
27 Oct 2023, 12:10pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Devereux bike with track frame features
Replies: 23
Views: 4000

Re: Devereux track bike

nice frameset, i would guess a quality builder, France if indeed it is French had many small artisans who turned out quality frames.. the Uk francophile expert Norris Lockley has passed on, he would have been keen to see that.... imo it is a refinish as it seems from your pics quite clean and unmarked, if i'm right had it been in its original livery the decalling if it is what it is decalled as would have been smaller perhaps less modern font and would definitely had a head badge.. maybe someone who is a VCC member could have a chat with the resident french expert if indeed they have one, but afaik they arent working well with non member enquiries.. on the frame whats the asking price?? will
by willcee
24 Oct 2023, 10:02am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Henry Lloyd frame set
Replies: 20
Views: 6191

Re: Henry Lloyd frame set

Nice frame, a lot of detailed finness work in those lugs, and hints that whomever built it understood cabling and where to place his pieces, however the over bracket cable runs and the angles and fitting of same really cancels my first thoughts, dates it imo to before the early 80's as some frame builders gave respect to whatever was the ''done thing '' in design at the time.. if someone could get Norris Lockley, SETTLE N.Yorks. to comment i would like his take on it..w