Viscount bicycles!!

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
DannytheLuddite
Posts: 11
Joined: 27 Aug 2009, 3:06pm
Location: London

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by DannytheLuddite »

DannytheLuddite wrote:Hi busaste

Thanks for once more coming up with a detailed and helpful answer. After reading it, I went back and measured the BB spindle and, sure enough, the RH side projects 28.5mm but the LH side projects only 25.5mm. Maybe that is why I also have an iffy right knee...

So I am now thinking that if possible I ought to leave the existing BB alone - there is after all nothing wrong with it. My quest was for an 7/8 speed double chainset that (a) fits on a square taper spindle and (b) has a small chainring with no more than 40 teeth and (c) doesn't look completely out of place on a 1970s bike. The one I bought, a Shimano Sora 3300, met those criteria but is hopelessly out of line on a 122mm spindle. It has to be a 7 or 8 speed chainset because I'm now running a 7-speed freewheel and matching chain, and on two or three occasions the chain has dropped between the two chainrings and jammed there - not good. Plus the chainrings are worn, and generally don't go very well with a new narrow chain. Perhaps I'll just keep watching on eBay and see if anything better comes up.


If you want to know how the story ends, I eventually found a 108mm Klein chro-moly spindle on eBay. (I wanted 110mm, but I reckoned 1mm less each side was not going to make much difference.) I used a big hammer to knock out the old spindle and bearings, and a small hammer to tap in the replacements. The new bearings are lovely and smooth and, with the new chainset fitted, the chainline looks just about right.

When I removed the old spindle, I was surprised to see an F W Evans price sticker on it. So they must have replaced the spindle when I had them replace the bearings back in the early 1980s - I can't think why. It had circlip grooves but no circlips.

Latest picture:
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Now I just need to get my knees sorted so I can ride it again :cry:
chickenwing
Posts: 3
Joined: 19 May 2011, 5:20am

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by chickenwing »

Just picked this bad boy up :) this is my first bicycle since i was about 7 (19 now) and i have to say, im so happy i chose this viscount out of all the bikes down there,
Ive absolutly fallen in love with them and now im trying to get all the info i can on them, ive been going through this thread but i still cant identify this bike completely, so if any one could help that would be awesome.
Its a 5 speed with mostly shimano parts. im not to sure on how many of the parts are the originals.
I have the original stem with the v dust cap i just have to find a new allen for it before i can throw it on.

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Bendo
Posts: 292
Joined: 3 Nov 2010, 10:10am

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Bendo »

Lovely bike and a very interesting 5 speed set up. Haven't seen that before. The rear mech looks like it's in great nick and it has those crazy skip tooth cogs on the rear cluster. If it weren't for the drop bars it would be pretty much my perfect bike!

Good news is it's an Aerospace frame (but you probably worked that out already). As to which one I couldn't say. Without the decals and with such a strange mix of components, it'll take a better man than me to pick that one.

b
chickenwing
Posts: 3
Joined: 19 May 2011, 5:20am

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by chickenwing »

based off

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i think it may be a 1975/6 sport.
Bendo
Posts: 292
Joined: 3 Nov 2010, 10:10am

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Bendo »

Has it got Viscount branded sealed-bearing hubs or Shimano? If they are Viscount, then it might point to it being a Sport. The Titlist GS rear mech and ship tooth chainwheel are like Busaste's favourite Sport. Although I believe the Sport usually came with twin chain-rings (Maxy three pin crankset) and a Titlist front mech. b
chickenwing
Posts: 3
Joined: 19 May 2011, 5:20am

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by chickenwing »

Bendo wrote:Has it got Viscount branded sealed-bearing hubs or Shimano? If they are Viscount, then it might point to it being a Sport. The Titlist GS rear mech and ship tooth chainwheel are like Busaste's favourite Sport. Although I believe the Sport usually came with twin chain-rings (Maxy three pin crankset) and a Titlist front mech. b



yeah there both viscount baranded. and i think there might of been a second shifter on there at a time, but im not sure i cant see any marks of a front derailer and my crank doesnt look like it ever had a second chain ring on it, though it looks alot like the maxy three pin cranksets that have twin chain rings like you said. the rear derailer is a shimano tourney GS, have you heard anything on these? i cant seem to find anything on them.
Bendo
Posts: 292
Joined: 3 Nov 2010, 10:10am

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Bendo »

Ah, Tourney, not Titlist. You should use a tripod on those close-up shots. Or drink less coffee.

Tourney is a lower spec derailleur than Titlist. According to the most excellent disraeligears.co.uk, Titlist went on to become 600, which in turn became Ultegra. Tourney was their basic derailleur for a long time. I think my boy's first 20" geared MTB has a Tourney rear mech and I bought that as recently as 2008. All plastic body...

Anyway, check this out (and related pages):
http://www.disraeligears.co.uk/Site/Shi ... age_4.html

Strange that a bike with such a lovely frame would have such a lowly mech. For instance my Sport came with a Crane rear mech (Crane later became Dura Ace) which was at the time, Shimano's attempt to seriously rival Campagnolo in both technology and build quality. Yours could be an after-market addition. Although why something lower spec? People usually change up not down.

BTW that front crankset could have had a second chainwheel. But if there are no marks on the frame then prob not.

I'd say it's a Sport but with a really weird set of components, which are, nevertheless, correct for the era. Maybe Busaste or Cusqueno can chime in with their vast knowledges. b
Goldie
Posts: 77
Joined: 16 Jun 2010, 9:03pm

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Goldie »

While I've been enjoying riding my Aerospace and being a prima donna about taking its picture (I did actually catch myself thinking "the light's not right" at one point... :oops: ), I've had time to put together this Viscount Alamo, which came to me complete except for saddle... however, the wheels didn't match, both were horribly rusty, lots of bits and bobs were in boxes, and everything was covered in a healthy mix of sawdust and muck. It had a Simplex rear derailleur but no front, so I riffed off the Simplex and bought a matching (kind of) front and change levers. Ebay served up some clean wheels and tyres, I've stuck some new cables on, buttoned the thing up and given it a good clean. It's got the same Landar alloy centre pull brakes as chickenwing's much nicer Aerospace framed bike below, so I'd guess they're original to both bikes.

It's a very odd frame, with lugs at the headtube junctions and seat tube / top tube. But the bottom bracket isn't lugged; just tacked together with blobs of solder...

I'd be really interested to hear fom anyone that's ever owned one of these. It's too small for me really, but it's been really interesting tying to guess what it would have been like when it was built and picking up appropriate components.

Here we go:

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Bendo
Posts: 292
Joined: 3 Nov 2010, 10:10am

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Bendo »

Simplex eh? WHat's the rear mech? b
Bendo
Posts: 292
Joined: 3 Nov 2010, 10:10am

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Bendo »

BTW there's a REALLY nice VA Sport for sale on Ebay co.uk at the mo (2 days to go). It's in East Riding, Yorkshire and starting bid at £90. It's in very good nick and pretty original by the looks: 10 speed, Sugino 3 pin crankset, Viscount CP brakes, all chromed cromoly forks, skip tooth wide range rear cluster and long cage Tourney GS mech (oh well). I'd post a link but don't want to up its visibility! b
Goldie
Posts: 77
Joined: 16 Jun 2010, 9:03pm

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Goldie »

I think the rear derailleur is some kind of Simplex Prestige - I think I've got a picture somewhere.

On the ebay theme, I've been trying not to bid on this (very early?) Aerospace... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 500wt_1156 ...which looks a quick clean away from being lovely. I've only got to last another 35 minutes without bidding! Must... hold... out...
Goldie
Posts: 77
Joined: 16 Jun 2010, 9:03pm

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Goldie »

And here's the reason why I can't justify another Aerospace:

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Bendo
Posts: 292
Joined: 3 Nov 2010, 10:10am

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Bendo »

(cont'd from retrobike.co.uk...) Love those hubs too. Are they Dura Ace? And it's got my favourite 27" tyres.

Just one thing: buy the boy a new chain. That old one is killing by buzz. b
Bendo
Posts: 292
Joined: 3 Nov 2010, 10:10am

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Bendo »

BTW Goldie hope you get a good price for the Alamo. b
pga
Posts: 302
Joined: 6 Feb 2007, 9:40pm

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by pga »

I had an Aerospace frame with non standard chromed steel forks which I rode fixed wheel as a winter bike. I very much enjoyed the ride but alas after a few months I rode over a kerb on the Milton Keynes Redway and kinked the down tube next to the head tube.

I have a friend who has used his Aerospace for over thirty years on the Redway. Maybe I was unlucky.
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