togglechaintour bikes

[GavinC]

Mike

The Moulton is absolutely beautiful! I want one...

...then again lurking on this thread has already led me to obtain a 700c wheel with a Sturmey AW hub for a bike build that was originally going to be a single speed, and also to buy a decrepit 26x11/4 wheel with a Sturmey AM 3 speed hub for no reason at all other than it was cheap Now I have to find a bike for that!

Where will it end?

My name's Gavin, and I'm a closet TCTer

[MikewsMITH2]

Welcome Gavin and congratulations for "coming out". As you can see from my Moulton and Tim's lovely red Raleigh TCTing doesn't just have to be about heavyweight roadsters. There are genuine classic lightweights (ruined in most people's opinions ) with hub gears and your AM would go nicely on one of those or an FM even better Or even better class stuff like Moultons. We're a broad church. Graham does get a bit exercised by the thought of aluminium frames on the tour though (even though he has some in his closet) and barred my Bickerton from the event, so I had to send it to Japan.

[GrahamNR17]

Welcome Gavin and congratulations for "coming out". As you can see from my Moulton and Tim's lovely red Raleigh TCTing doesn't just have to be about heavyweight roadsters. There are genuine classic lightweights (ruined in most people's opinions ) with hub gears and your AM would go nicely on one of those or an FM even better Or even better class stuff like Moultons. We're a broad church. Graham does get a bit exercised by the thought of aluminium frames on the tour though (even though he has some in his closet) and barred my Bickerton from the event, so I had to send it to Japan.

I do NOT have aluminium in my closet

[GavinC]

Welcome Gavin and congratulations for "coming out". As you can see from my Moulton and Tim's lovely red Raleigh TCTing doesn't just have to be about heavyweight roadsters. There are genuine classic lightweights (ruined in most people's opinions ) with hub gears and your AM would go nicely on one of those or an FM even better Or even better class stuff like Moultons. We're a broad church. Graham does get a bit exercised by the thought of aluminium frames on the tour though (even though he has some in his closet) and barred my Bickerton from the event, so I had to send it to Japan.

Thanks Mike

The AW is destined for a nice 80's 531 mixte frame, but I definitely see something a bit more 'classic' in my future. Maybe I'll have sonething in time for next years TCT. My only concern would be that the level of restoration work that you guys have done and shown on this thread is awe-inspiring to mere mortals like myself, and I'd be worried about every little dent or rust spot on any bike of mine

Speaking of Bickerton's, I finally got the parts to repair mine from Derek Baker and it is now on the road. However, riding it is without a doubt the most scary bike riding experience I've ever had!

Gavin

[GrahamNR17]

Don't be put off or intimidated, Gavin. An "as original" unrestored bike is, in my opinion, a much more thrilling experience to see and to ride than these over-restored things. Most of these bikes are better than they ever were new, and as such are completely unfaithful restorations. I think the key is "have fun" and do whatever you like, to whatever level of over or under kill suits you.

My James was a rust heap, and the pitting can still be seen all over the frame. I opted not to fill any of the pits after de-rusting as it just wasn't worth it. So it now has a lovely orange peel effect But I love it to bits anyway

[kwackers]

Millennium Post!

[GrahamNR17]

Millennium Post!

I bet you've spent days watching just so you could do that, haven't you?

[Greybeard]

Seems that policemen aren't the only things that are getting younger
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Antique-1980s-Ral ... 5adae3f7ef

My beard's older than that (mind you, it's also older than many of the coppers I've worked with - reminds me of my favourite 'Old Hand's' expression : "I was in uniform when you were still in liquid form")

Steve (wot is now officially an ebay antique and whose 1909 Rover Popular must therefore be a fossil)

[GrahamNR17]

Seems that policemen aren't the only things that are getting younger
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Antique-1980s-Ral ... 5adae3f7ef

My beard's older than that (mind you, it's also older than many of the coppers I've worked with - reminds me of my favourite 'Old Hand's' expression : "I was in uniform when you were still in liquid form")

Steve (wot is now officially an ebay antique and whose 1909 Rover Popular must therefore be a fossil)

He forgot the words "very rare indeed!"

[hubgearfreak]

My only concern would be that the level of restoration work that you guys have done and shown on this thread is awe-inspiring to mere mortals like myself, and I'd be worried about every little dent or rust spot on any bike of mine

there's a lot to be said for an unrestored 3 speed. theft-proofness for one.
i wouldn't worrry, you'd be welcome on the TCT with or without rust. going slowly, enjoying the countryside and not wearing lycra is much more important. welcome

[MikewsMITH2]

Fitting Cotter Pins

Holly is having an original Nicklin cottered chgainset. I have good BB cups and a NOS axle, so I am ready to fit the cranks. I thought I knew how to do this from when I was sprog with many unhappy memories of attacking them with a fatherless file and beating them in and out with the coal hammer, but I now find that this is not the recommended method

I don't have a fancy press but I do have a large G clamp plus a top quality pair of cotter pins from the the Raleigh Chopper owners club at an unbelievably high price. I found the cheap ones to be too soft. So what is the exact procedure for "no tears" fit and forget cotter pin installation! I had to keep tightening them on my Raleigh. They have settled down now though.

[MikewsMITH2]

I do NOT have aluminium in my closet

What happened to the dog hauler with the dedanglers and the cheap Viking? Scrapped? I thought they was ally

Anyway I am now purged of such stuff - mine are all steel (with a few grammes of carbon fibre on the Condor) The Bickerton was just a moment of madness. Gavin you need to adjust the clamps on the hinge really tight and not hold on to the bars too tightly! Alspo check that every fastener holding the frame together is tight. A woman rode a Bickerton right across America (the book is called Daisy Daisy). I expect she was a bit lighter than my 14 stone odd though And she probably didn't know any better.

[hubgearfreak]

Fitting Cotter Pins

first of all have they got flats on them, or do you need to file them on?

either way, file them until they're a good fit.
once you're happy, give them a fairly firm knocking in, grease or oil helps.
tighten up the nut.

don't try and draw them in with the nut, they're not designed for this - the fairly stout tap wedges them in, the nut stops them coming loose.

[GrahamNR17]

The aluminium Viking was given away, the towing bike is the Raleigh Courier fitted with dedanglers and ally wheels

So there

[MikewsMITH2]

OH good. At least you've come out as a reformed aluminium user.