Cycling UK Forum

Sooper8 wrote:Hi All,
I am planning to bring a few Viscount things to the Rally to swap or give away. I'm wondering if anyone else has things they might want to bring?
I like the idea of keeping things 'in the family' and helping each other out if we can.
What about the idea of us posting up here what bits and pieces we might be hunting for to finish a project or things we have little or no use for and seeing if we can swap?
It would be easy for me just to take things to the rally and let folks have a rummage through them.
They might be junk or treasure depending on what you're after...
What are your thoughts?

ScubaScott8177 wrote:I was working on the crank last night on my dearest Lambert when my friend sent me photos of a viscount aerospace he received last week. He told me its up for grabs if I wanted it, problem is I've run out of storage space in my apartment, so I had to decline. But if anyone here is interested, it's fairly well maintained, has a nice type 3 alloy fork, and a leather viscount saddle. He says he will ship. Here's some pics I have of it..

Bendo wrote:Well I'm very jealous of the Death Fork Rally and Swap Meet. All I can say is there will be photos or else...!

In the meantime I am, like any good bike nerd, continuing to tinker and fiddle around, this time with new bars on the VA Sport. When she gets back from the jeweller's, you'll get to purve at her new baubles. Don't hold yer breaths though, he could take months!

b

Bendo wrote:Now my question is, putting the load on the front, when it is a English bike is sacrilege, non?

Bendo wrote:The other thing I might get while my man is on the torch, is to replace the brake bridge with one that is reinforced,

Sooper8 wrote:Gratuitous Viscount photo alert!!!! For no particular reason except that I love it and wanted to show it off...

Sturmer wrote:Ok, this is nightmare, then I was tightened crank with chainrigs I broke the bolt, now I have 70% remains inside shaft end…
And judging by guide from page 68, removing bottom bracket and finding a replacement and more importantly – putting all back is nearly impossible unless you have a workshop and experience.
Fork is broken and now frame, I guess best bet is to abandon whole idea and move on..?

AerospaceSE wrote:

Great post that! At last I have confirmation of when the mythical Aerospace SE was built. I used an Aerospace SE to build up my 'bitsa' Viscount. It is a lovely bike to ride, Can't explain why - it just feels right .

Hi Busaste, That first Aerospace SE served me very well. It’s one of those in the same specification and colour as my first one I’m now looking for, although with a 24.5” or 25” frame. If anyone sees one going at a reasonable price, let me know! I can’t remember how long it is since I’ve seen a complete SE in any spec though. They are great bikes!

As a follow up to that post, looking back on it now it seems those Aerospace models didn’t fly out of the shops (or at least that one). The first two models I bought from there were still in the shop window some weeks after they appeared whilst I was trying to get the money together for them. I was obviously lucky that on both occasions, they were the frame size I wanted. They prepared the ones in the window for me, and it was some weeks after I had mine before another appeared in their window. As I recalled above, a friend wanted an SE after I bought my first one and that had to be ordered in. The manager said they only replaced one after they sold one. I know they stocked the models underneath the Aerospace – another friend bought (I think) a Nevada, and there were plenty of that range inside the shop which seemed to be turned over quickly. Maybe the Aerospace in the window drew the people in? I know that shop had a branch in Walthamstow, and we bought from the other shop as the Walthamstow branch had to order the Aerospace models in.

AerospaceSE wrote:I've joined the forum to add a lengthy rambling on my ownership and purchase of four Aerospace cycles between 1977-79. It might be of interest to some owners, but stop reading here if this isn't!

In early 1977 I decided I wanted to cycle to school but my ancient three speed wasn't up to it. I looked in a number of shops in North-East London and the Essex borders, but the one I wanted was hanging in the window of James Autoparts (long since gone) in Station Road, Chingford - an Aeropspace SE at £74.95. I had saved some money and had a birthday due. Fortunately, three weeks later it was still there and I bought it, to which I had them fit a Huret Speedo and a rear carrier, which cost an additional £15 (I have the receipts still somewhere). The cycle was silver all over, lugless 22.5" frame with lugged forks with front lamp boss, stem mounted gear levers, bolt on wheels and brake levers with extra 'safety' levers under the handlebars. I added toe clips and lights a week later. I commuted regularly for two years on this, and apart from routine servicing and tyres replaced through normal wear, the cycle was utterly reliable.

Aside: A friend at school to a shine to this and decided he would sell his old Falcon and buy one of these as well. He ordered and paid for it (same amount) that same week I got mine, but they had to order one in. His however, the following week came with a frame that was lugged at the head tube, half chrome lugged forks without front lamp boss, QR wheels, down tube gear levers, different saddle and brakes without safety levers.

I really desired a lighter cycle I could use at weekends and I saved for an Aerospace Pro. I wanted to keep with Viscount as the cycle shop I dealt with was good, and the SE ran without fault. Some 18 months later, I bought from the same shop a Pro for £153.95 and I paid a few pounds extra to swap the saddle for a new Brooks B17 and to add toe clips. This came with the famous all chrome forks of which so much has been written about. I have no idea how many miles I rode on this over the next five or six years, but again, I had no trouble other than servicing. Having grown considerably, this was a 24.5" frame.

About this time I decided to update up old SE for a newer one; mainly to get a larger frame. I part exchanged this in for the new one, which came with a lugless frame, lugged half chrome forks without lamp boss, QR wheels and down tube gear levers. The cranks would not stay tight, and after a couple of times back at the shop it was returned to Trusty. I ended up with an identical replacement a week or so later, with sadly, an identical problem. Within a couple of weeks, that too was returned. The second replacement was absolutely fine for the rest of the time I owned it.

The last Aerospace I bought was a spur of the moment decision; I saw the Pro in a local newspaper advert for a cycle shop in Sawbridgeworth late in 1979 (the shop I think is still there but probably now under different ownership and name?) being sold new (stock clearance) for £149.95, and I took a bus ride with my money one Saturday morning and rode it home. This model had different wheels with tubs, half chrome lugged forks and I remember the journey back to this day to stop and constantly tighten things. It was a very different cycle to ride from the other Pro. I ended up with loose cranks on this too but after I had it serviced the first time, the problem never arose again.

I sold all of these during the mid-80s and I wonder if any of them are still about? Odd things only learnt within the last 18 months - that there were more models than just the Aerospace SE and the Pro in the Aerospace range, and there were more colours than silver! I never saw many Aerospace cycles on the road then (always had the impression that club cyclists with their 531 framed cycles looked down their noses at mine) and only ever saw silver ones. I never realised until recently the problems with the so called 'death forks' - on which I've ridden a huge mileage over many years without issue on our carefully maintained UK roads!

Since I sold them in the mid-80s, a good number of cycles have come and gone, but I acquired another Pro a year or so ago; joined recently by an almost unused Grand Sport and a pretty good example of a Sport (more in shock there were such models - and neither in silver too, so I had to have them!). I'm starting to put a little mileage on them, again without issue so far. Comparing them today with my memories of these cycles when new, you still get a surprise at how light and responsive they are. Not expensive either, but I wonder if this will still be the case in a few years time?

Can anyone point me to a list of all the Aerospace models and the years they were produced, if such a thing exists? It would be good to put one together if it doesn't. It would be interesting to note down all the available colours and the specifications for each model, although from personal experience the Aerospace SE may prove quite wide on available specification as bought!

triitout wrote:

Sturmer wrote:Allright, some macro pics comming in:

right click and "open in new tab/window" for super sizes
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f2p73e76s4r3yjo/ZrJ3VVEg3H

There 1 file displays asymmetry, but it looks like other forks (not mine) have it too - http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oicqxHDHQP4/Tj3ZwKrboBI/AAAAAAAADbg/TXXZAZr1q9M/s1600/P1030525.JPG

Here i found e-bay lot with MK3 fork, which also have "marks" like mine, but they are not polished/welded http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Viscount-Aerospace-G-P-Bicycle-Original-Recalled-Aluminium-Fork-/281078666061?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item417198134d&nma=true&si=r%252Fmm%252BW8cNgJbKHm11BRQUfWeE9w%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557#viTabs_0
That's 3rd fork i found in the internet with something "fishy" in same place as mine does.

And MK 3 had only 1 pin - http://www.flickr.com/photos/28906010@N06/7395515254/in/set-72157630131088258/lightbox/

Bendo wrote:I would ride on a type 3 fork that had no suspicious marks. By suspicious I mean ones that don't look like they were made by some kind of external impact (e.g. from falling over outside the café!). This is pretty easy to judge if you use common sense and have a good eye for detail.

@Sturmer: I think Busaste is just bringing to bear his considerable experience in observing Viscount and Lambert aluminium forks and all the little nicks and scratches they are heir to. In his opinion, the mark on the fork is suspicious. That would be good enough for me. If I were in your shoes I would whine, pout, stomp around for a bit, finally admit to myself that Busaste is right, then resign myself to looking for a nice chromoly fork. And in the meantime keep an eye out for another aluminium fork. Between eBay, swap meets, and rummaging around in old bike shops you'll probably have both inside a month.

In fact, I have an aluminium type 3 fork with a 6 & 1/2 in. steerer. You can have it for the price of postage if that's long enough for you. I'll even post pics for you and the brains trust to make sure it passes muster!

b

Sturmer,
Several months ago,I posed the question about how many of you are riding with the type 3 fork and I have been pondering about what I would ultimately do with my "new" Aerospace Pro. I weighed out the pro's and cons and ultimately it came down to this for me: I want to ENJOY riding that bike without anything in my head more than the already obvious pitfalls and hazards of bicycling. Anything like a fork,no matter how original, that I don't know the history of from the previous owner and how much abuse it took before me gives me pause for thought. If your bike is for riding, make it as safe as possible cause if it messes you up,missing riding may be the least of your problems! I was lucky to find a Tange fork NOS on EBay which I installed last week. Knowing that fork is on makes me a more aggressive, better cyclist with a clearer head and the wife is happy too after dealing with my previous mechanical failure crashes. If you've got a Viscount that's for admiring and spot on restoration, keep the aluminum fork on because it is so much part of the bike's story along with the aerospace frame, crankset and "unique" bottom bracket. That's what my Aerospace GP is for! I love both bikes, but for different reasons and different purposes! Everyone should have at least two Viscounts, one for riding and one for admiring!

triitout wrote:

Sooper8 wrote:I don't really want to jinx things by speaking too early but I hope to be able to post a few pictures up on Sunday night of a new acquisition.
I'll leave it at that....

Good luck and welcome to the addiction group. Bet ya won't stop at two! You and your families enthusiasm and enjoyment of your Viscounts is great and always enjoyable to see on the forum!

Sooper8 wrote:

Lewisg wrote:Thanks Busaste. I had been thinking of re-chroming as nearly all the other chrome needs doing as well but thought it would be too expensive.

Think it'll definately be the route to go down as want to keep the bike as original as possible.

Depending on where you are, there might be potential to get together for a spot of chroming....I am thinking of buying a chromer.

Sturmer wrote:Allright, some macro pics comming in:

right click and "open in new tab/window" for super sizes
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f2p73e76s4r3yjo/ZrJ3VVEg3H

There 1 file displays asymmetry, but it looks like other forks (not mine) have it too - http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oicqxHDHQP4/Tj3ZwKrboBI/AAAAAAAADbg/TXXZAZr1q9M/s1600/P1030525.JPG

Sturmer wrote:Here i found e-bay lot with MK3 fork, which also have "marks" like mine, but they are not polished/welded http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Viscount-Aerospace-G-P-Bicycle-Original-Recalled-Aluminium-Fork-/281078666061?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item417198134d&nma=true&si=r%252Fmm%252BW8cNgJbKHm11BRQUfWeE9w%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557#viTabs_0
That's 3rd fork i found in the internet with something "fishy" in same place as mine does.

Sturmer wrote:And MK 3 had only 1 pin - http://www.flickr.com/photos/28906010@N06/7395515254/in/set-72157630131088258/lightbox/

AerospaceSE wrote:Don't forget to check seat posts from time to time as well. Aluminium ones in particular of a certain age tend to crack and fail in the same spectacular manner as forks.

On a collecting note, I'm after one more Aerospace myself, although this will make me far from popular at home.