togglechaintour bikes

[Greybeard]

This one's too far away for me
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/bicycle-vintage-k ... 2eb1cf6872
Would make a cracking project for someone - not an Umpa lumpa though

Steve

[GrahamNR17]

This one's too far away for me
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/bicycle-vintage-k ... 2eb1cf6872
Would make a cracking project for someone - not an Umpa lumpa though

Steve

Too big

Phew!

[hubgearfreak]

Would make a cracking project for someone - not an Umpa lumpa though

what sort of age is that? where's it made? any ideas?

(ps. it's oompa loompa. usa film makers can't do their vowels properly)

[Greybeard]

what sort of age is that? where's it made? any ideas?

Dunno, Tim. Doesn't look that old to me though, but that could be the chainguard which obviously isn't an original part. It's far too short. The dyno hub, screw fitting headset and brazed on pump pegs suggest more 50's/60's than 20's/30's
I daren't look at a road atlas in case Bury St Edmunds is closer than I think it is

Steve

Just had a quick google - seems that Kerry, Great Britain (if it's the same Kerry that was the renamed East London Rubber Company) date from the turn of the century but went on into the 50's. Their motorcycles were rebadged Belgian jobs, so the cycles may be the same.

[GrahamNR17]

It looks like it weighs 90 pounds, but it don't look worth 90 pounds

[hubgearfreak]

It looks like it weighs 90 pounds

doesn't worry me

don't look worth 90 pounds

that bit does worry me

[GrahamNR17]

Toggle Chain Tour site is back up and running, after a fashion. Please be gentle with it, it's running on "vintage" computer equipment

Finally found new mudguards for the Clubman. Every SKS stockist in the country can't get white SKS anymore and all have long back-orders. Got these 80s "NOS" stuff for tuppence, don't look too bad (yes, I trimmed the stays after the pic).




Then along came a period Exide 'Drydex' rear lamp, unused and boxed, though a tad scratched. From a distance it looks the right colour.




and having learned at the TCT that you can't get a quart in a pint pot, I upgraded the saddlebag to one twice the size in readiness for TCT2

[hubgearfreak]

it's lovely. i might get my legs shortened and try my hand a bike thieving

but what's the gear shifter you're using, can we get a better pic than this?

[GrahamNR17]

Just an old Styria trigger. It needs a good clean, but it's my favourite trigger. It sits on top of the bar, rather than out in front like Sturmey triggers and just looks neater.

[robc02]

Very smart, Graham. Did you get the chainset rechromed or is it original?

I've done just over a hundred miles on my Humber in the last week. It's the only bike I have with decent treaded tyres, mudguards and lights so I used it for all my commuting and shopping trips - plus a bit of joyriding of course. I thoroughly enjoyed it, double wrapped from head to toe. I thought my balaclava might have got me arrested, given the recent news, but I seem to have got away with it!
Now, I know the chrome on that bike has seen better days, but I was quite surprised at how quickly the rust has appeared. If I continue to use it a lot in this cold weather I'm going to have to clean it more often. Oh, for anodised aluminium!
I broke a spoke in my back wheel this morning. Its not the first one and the wheels are a bit rickety so I think a rebuild is needed. The rear spokes should be no problem, 2mm plain gauge will do fine, but the front are approx. 1.8mm plain gauge - does anyone know where I can get something similar? If not I suppose I can use double butted ones, they might look OK. Also, how important is it to use washers at the spoke head on these old steel hubs?

Some spiked tyres (Schwalbe Marathon Winters) are on their way to me from Germany, and I have just bought a Raleigh "Town and Around" frame, so I hope to quickly cobble together something to cope better with the rest of the winter weather - and then get it properly sorted for next year.

[GrahamNR17]

Entirely original chrome, the original wheels are very good too, but I didn't use them in the interests of being able to stop in the wet. I've replaced everything with aluminium except the chainset, which I would if I could

I'm jealous of your Winter marathon studded tyres. I'd swap anything for a set of them at the moment

[robc02]

Schwalbe Marathon Winter:

http://www.actionsports.de/gb/Components/Tires/Schwalbe-Marathon-Winter-mit-240-Spikes-28x135::31927.html

They are out of stock of all sizes, but they were when I was told about them just over a week ago. They had some more a few days later and sold out again pretty quickly, but not before I placed my order! Keep checking and you should get some - their price and postage were reasonable too. Bike 24 is another place to check - also in Germany.

[steve browne]

how important is it to use washers at the spoke head on these old steel hubs?

If using modern spokes with a slightly longer section between the head and the bend I think the answer is 'fairly important'. This is based on my experience with a K3 hub built into a wheel by my local Raleigh dealer using modern spokes and no washers. The first 500 miles or so were trouble free. It has now suffered from three broken spokes in six months. One of my winter projects is to rebuild it using washers. It looks as if I will need 2 or 3 on each spoke.

[hubgearfreak]

how important is it to use washers at the spoke head on these old steel hubs?

i haven't - no problems yet

[hubgearfreak]

Just an old Styria trigger.

nice

do all 3 speed hubs have the same length of cable pulled regards the hub requirement and the changer's indexing? or is it just a happy coincidence with that one?