Cycling UK Forum

If there isn't a modelling paint that is a good match is there a nail varnish?

A coat of nail varnish with a coat of clear varnish on top will be pretty good until time for a re-enamel.

Mark

i think the world is your oyster on this one. I wouldn't go down the path of an expensive Ti frame, far too nickable for a commuter.

If I were trying to solve the connumdrum of a light weight touring bike that mets your wife's needs I'd be looking at a Build It Yourself.

I'd start with a steel frame, probably 531c (but I'm old fashioned), looking for one with horizontal drop outs at 130mm OLN to allow the use of a hub gear. From what I've read I'd go for a Shimano Alfine 8, which would have to be custom built into a nice wheel, and to match i'd have the front built with a hub dynamo

Regarding brakes I'd be directed by the frame, so it might end up with modern calipers, or cantilevers (unlikely to allow v-brakes). I'd build it using butterfly handlebars as their diameter would allow the use of convrntional gera shifters and the bars would allow many hand positions which would be needed on a long commute.

yours

Stephen

Kiltie 12

regarding the Galaxy fram:

Cantilever brakes were used in confunction with the 27" wheels, however as you pont out the 4mm difference in radius between a 27 and a 700c is small. I have succesfully built a 27" frame up with 700c wheels, I used Shimano's old wide profile cantis and got acceptable set up.

Be aware though theat the canti bosses might be too close to allow you to use v-brakes in conjunction with a resonably wide wheels. In my experience it will be the front brake that will have too small a clearance. I'm afraid I've never worked out what the optimum width for bosses and v-brakes is but a quick measure of the centre to centre spacing on a well set up bike with v-brakes will give you a pointer.

Stephen

I still wear one.

A fairly recent (less than 5 years old) "Pulsar" Automatic. It's a self winder, but stores the energy in a spring mechanism rather than the newer ones that store energy in a battery to drive an electronic movemnet.

Prior to this I had a very similar "Citizen" branded one which i dropped so many times that the various details of trim became detached and would foul the hands, this eventually had to go when its face became detached.

Prior to that a Sekonda (USSR) self winder that you could hear the internal pendulum swinging - truly a lada amongst watches. This was unfortunately stolen in a break-in i suffered.

I still have another Sekonda - a traditional wind up, with a second crown to wind up the mechanical alarm.

For our second christmas together my wife bought me an expensive quartz watch, that looks almost exactly like my current mechanical one (obviously sensing my taste), but to my shame I almost never wear it.

Stephen

I know of one supplier of reproduction Jack Taylor transfers

http://bicycledecals.net/jacktaylordecals.htm

I have seen their reproductions of Dawes Horizon and they look pretty good although the Taylors would be a lot fussier and would require a lot of printing on vinyl

I vaguely remember having seen another supplier of Taylor copies, it wasn't hlloydcycles, but I think an American source.

Having done a quick goole I find:

http://www.blackbirdsf.org/taylor/transfers.html

but I have no idea idea whether this is still current info as it looks a few years out of date

Hope that this helps

Stephen

I have a set of pro-builds:

Mavic 119 on Deore hubs

which i use on a mid-90s Dawes Horizon

I ordered them via a friend "in the trade" who didn't have the time to build me a set but was prepared to check them over before use(he had done this for himself previously).

I haven't used them a lot, as the past few years haven't had a lot of cycling, but other thean initial problems with the cheap plastic rim tape casuing punctures (solved by proper rim tape) they have been fine so far. BTW I am a "big lad" at well over 18 stone.

Stephen

So the ltest edition of the CTC magazine has a full page advert for the Evans 90th Anniversary special edition made by pashley.

Wow! Talk about Bike Pr0n! Look at the lugs on that! Phwoar!!! etc.

BUT What is this bike for? Has it taken the retro thing too far/

So It's 531 (where from I ask?) Lovely warm nostalgia glow here but many would say 531 has long be superceded.

It has 27 gear ratios - very modern. Using bar end shifters - nice (where can we buy Sturmey shifters?)

It has 32 mm tyres - a sensible choice, but websites details about the wheels are vague to the point of elusive:

Rims:36/36 double wall box rims, polished aluminium Front Hub:Large flange, quick-release alloy with sealed bearings Rear Hub:Large flange, quick-release alloy with sealed bearings Spokes:Double butted stainless steel.

For that price I'd have certain expectations of my wheels.

Ot looks lovely and has all the bling you'd expect BUT

Why have they used centre pull caliper brakes!!! Couldn't they source a decent set of wide profile cantis and still retained the look they were trying to achieve?

Above all else --

Would I buy it if I had nearly £1700?

Honestly - no!

There are better specced tourers that are cheaper

And as a glam bike I'd not dare take it out on the road, let alone to where it might actually be seen.

It makes you wonder about people - Pashley, Evans and whoever has this amount of cash to blow in a recession.

Stephen

I love languages!

Some time ago I had the delight of teaching a Colombian child in a mainstream English school, despite being it not being a language I speak well I would take the time to greet him in Spanish. After a few weeks he said "languages are so important - they are they way to people's hearts" such an insight from a 12 year old.

Many Americanisms express a vivacity that standard British English does not. I try to use Standard British English correctly, and at times I find myself wincing when a British person uses an Americanism. However we have to be realistic, there are some 300 million of them, and only 60 million of us, when "the world" watches a film or TV programme they watch American ones far more than they do British ones.

Having said that I don't think that it is American English, or 'strine that will have the greatest influence in the future as these are native speakers of Englishes and we will continue to have a common core of language experiences.

Rather the biggest influences will come from India and China.

We are all aware of the large and growing middle class in India, for whom English is a joint first language, we relish (or should that be chutney?) the adoption of pyjama, bungalow and verandah that have made it into British English, and I imagine that the lively usage and adaptation of English in India will soon see adapted English making its way to our ears.

I have been told that there are more Chinese speakers and learners of English than there are native speakers of English (I haven't the inclination to try to verify this at the moment), and I am sure that in due course Chinese derived English will also be heard here, and I don't mean the chinglish "lice or chips" of a former local take-away

English has always changed, right from its earliest forms. However we are coming to the end of a peculiar period of perhaps 150 years during which "Standard" "British English has been fossilised, perhaps in part due to the British Empire and its colonial tools such as The Book of Common Prayer, Shakespeare and the Oxford English Dictionary. As Britain's importance continues to wain so will the dominance of British English. I would however say that English in its many forms has many years ahead of it.

harrogate variations?

Would those be the ones that allow you to cycle on the Stray?

I think my response has to be My old favourite - The Kingston by-pass (A3)

Stephen

Ribblehead

I'll gve a thumbs up for Bob Jackson, but be aware that since they have closed their retail business they are not open on Saturdays. Another Leeds option is Ellis Briggs (rumour had it that there frame jobs were actually done by Jackson's any way)

I've just had a very good powdercoat job done here in York, including a metallic laquer, for less than £70. I have read good things about Triple S powder coaters in Bingley, apparently they are well regarded in the motorcycling fraternity. A powder coater will have access to many more colours than a frame enameller.

There are many suppliers of duplicate transfers availble, the supplier used to be H Lloyd cycles (Nick Tithecroft) - search on line for H Lloyd cycle sand you'll find his catalogue, he has several types of Dawes and Super Galaxy available. He can also supply either genuine or repro Reynolds transfers - I have found it useful to send him photos of the Reynolds you are trying to match

On eBay there are three suppliers of "Super Galaxy" transfers:

the longest established is Cyclomondo from Australia. His product is finely cut vinyl letters, but I think they may be based on later model than you have (I'd date them as 1990 to 1993), he will also provide a set of duplicate Reynolds from his extensive range, again specify which set you want. His set costs about £25 (depending on the rate of exchange), he delivers as quickly as you may expect and also does tyhe decent thing of sending them in a hand written C5 envelope so it looks just like a private letter which makes it very unlikely to interest HMRC, which at £25 would incur import duty plus handling fee.

the newest supplier worldwide-cycle-decals is actually a trading side of Atlantic refinishers in Bury. They have two sets of dawes, one is I think is probably too early and the second is the same as cyclomondo's. The sets are dearer, but they are printed onto clear vinyl backing which is more authentic. The more recent of the two sets is also the most comprehensive of any set of duplicate transfers, including "HANDBUILT" which neither H Lloyd cycles nor Cyclomondo offer.

the last set is cheap, and to be honest looks it

Your frame rear drop out may well be 130mm, so buying new wheels of the peg would be "limited" to modern road kit, modern MTB hubs can be re-spaced to 130mm. If the frame is 126mm (yours is about the transition period) the frame could be cold set, Jackson's could of course do this (for a fee) as part of a respray.

I hope that this helps you.

I have renovated 4 dawes galaxies and horizons, if you need to please feel free to PM me.

Stephen

Unlike many of you I like going to the barber's! I enjoy the time it gives me, away from work and dare I say it free from SWMBO, the chance to flick aimlessly through either the Daily Mirror or one of the motoring mnagazines (yes I also find cars interesting).

Living in the North, and going to a suburban barber the price is not too bad, I still get change from a tenner, which I can afford being in full time employment.

I am still gifted with hair and have a beard as well.

Regarding the guards that the barber uses, I know of grades 0.5 to 7, the latter being the longest. For some time I had my head cut to a 5, the sides of my head to a 3 and my beard to a 1 - thus making for a nice 531!

I would trust my wife to do a good job, but to be honest it just seems like going a bit too far!

As to saving money, well put it this way I just wished I still smoked so I could give it up!

Stephen

Audax67

I, too, look the like of this.

If you do buy a French bike be aware that the brake levers may be, to us, "reversed", i.e. right lever controlling the rear brake. Easy enough to sort out but can be a bit of a surprise!

Stephen

I wish I knew where you all find powder-coaters who will do a frame for thirty quid!

I have just had a frame powder coated, with a gloss metallic laquer for about £65 (can't remeber the exact figure) by Yorvik Engineering Services ( http://www.yorvik-es.co.uk ) with which I am very happy.

I had considered going to Bob Jackson in Leeds, but at two gallons of petrol plus a coffee stop to keep Mrs Commuter happy (so there's another £20) , then a minimum of £95 for a basic enamel it was a bit of a "no-brainer"

Enamelling by Argos, Mercian, Yates et al will always have that little specialist frisson but powder coating provides a cheap(er) and cheerful option.

He is masqerading as a Bob Dylan look-alike.

That way he might get some peace and quiet!

I'm also upset to read this.

It does lok as though they want to make a go of the frame making and restoration side of things.

On the three occassions I have taken frames there I have always been very pleased with their work.

I wish them well in their altered business.