togglechaintour bikes

[GrahamNR17]

my pre-war BSA is cotterless, nobody noticed

[Greybeard]

So long as the bike gets ridden and it works efficiently, it don't really matter what parts are used. Yes, originality is nice on a really old vintage job, but if a modern component means that it'll get ridden more because the old bit's clapped out, then go for it. The original bits can remain safe on the shelf until there's a need to replace 'em.
Now I wonder whether I can get a Shimano Alfine hub into that 1890 Singer

Steve

[robc02]

my pre-war BSA is cotterless, nobody noticed

I bet they have ..... they're just biding their time

[Greybeard]

my pre-war BSA is cotterless, nobody noticed

I bet they have ..... they're just biding their time

It has been a subject for discussion amongst the Northern Brobdingnagians
Steve

[GrahamNR17]

So long as the bike gets ridden and it works efficiently, it don't really matter what parts are used. Yes, originality is nice on a really old vintage job, but if a modern component means that it'll get ridden more because the old bit's clapped out, then go for it. The original bits can remain safe on the shelf until there's a need to replace 'em.Steve

S'abit philosophical for you

Now I wonder whether I can get a Shimano Alfine hub into that 1890 Singer

Not even you would do that

[hubgearfreak]

my pre-war BSA is cotterless, nobody noticed

I bet they have .

of course i did.

but it's your bike & there's no amount of leg pulling or reason that's going to convert you to the way of the CP, so why bother?

modify it as you wish / see fit.

[robc02]

So long as the bike gets ridden and it works efficiently, it don't really matter what parts are used. Yes, originality is nice on a really old vintage job, but if a modern component means that it'll get ridden more because the old bit's clapped out, then go for it

Agreed ...... but I've no excuse, I have the original (I presume) plain chainset that fits the original spindle, AND a genuine Royal Enfield logo'd chainset that OUGHT to fit the spindle but doesn't.

I'm not normally that bothered about originality, but on an old bike (this one is really old by my standards!) I like the parts to be "in keeping" with the age and style of the bike.

I expect I will eventually end up getting a Raleigh spindle and fitting the newer chainset. In the meantime I have fitted the original, now painted black, chainset. I've just noticed that the left hand crank clears the chainstay by just a couple of millimetres - making it just that bit more critical which length of spindle to get!

[GrahamNR17]

I expect I will eventually end up getting a Raleigh spindle and fitting the newer chainset.

How will that work? A Raleigh BB is at least 4mm wider than 'standard', so the bearing faces on the spindle will be too far apart and you'll end up with the adjustable cone sticking right out and looking really daft and a bit bodged.

[hubgearfreak]

it's a good job it's getting discussed then

[robc02]

I expect I will eventually end up getting a Raleigh spindle and fitting the newer chainset.

How will that work? A Raleigh BB is at least 4mm wider than 'standard', so the bearing faces on the spindle will be too far apart and you'll end up with the adjustable cone sticking right out and looking really daft and a bit bodged.

I haven't measured the distance between the bearing faces on the Bayliss Wyley spindle, but the adjustable cup does protrude beyond the lockring by 3mm or so (estimated not measured!). I have one Raleigh spindle that is most definitely wider than most other Raleigh spindles. I have checked it against the official data and it is meant to be - unlike some of the others which seem to vary in and around the specs. Maybe one of the narrower Raleigh spindles will be a match for the Bayliss Wyley.

The only way to be sure is to fetch it all apart and do some measuring. That means removing the cotter pins, trying to grip a cup that doesn't want to be gripped, scraping my knuckles when the spanner slips, spilling ball bearings........groan. - I thought I'd done all that for this project.

I still have the 1959 donor bike , the one I got the logo'd chainset from and now wearing Raleigh cranks. I suppose the logical thing to do is to dissassemble that and measure its bottom bracket spindle - maybe even use it on the older bike. But then I'd need a spindle for that bike, so in solving one problem I'd create another.

[robc02]

Fixed it

The 1935 bike only had Bayliss Wyley cups, the spindle was marked 16gc and was to Raleigh dimensions made by a company beginning "Thu" - can't remember the rest.

The 1959 bike had a Bayliss Wyley spindle which I have now fitted to the older bike. The fixed cup now screws all the way in, the chainline and left hand crank clearance are better, and the Royal Enfield logo cranks fit of course.

I bet the bike went to a bike shop for repairs at some point and came out with a new Raleighesque chainset and bottom bracket spindle, both slightly out of spec but fitted to each other OK (though one of the cranks was a bit tight on the spindle).

I have checked my other cottered cranks and Raleigh (genuine) spindles and they all fit each other as well as the Bayliss Wyley/Royal Enfield setup. It seems to be just the parts from the older bike that were different.

[GrahamNR17]

Fixed it

The 1935 bike only had Bayliss Wyley cups, the spindle was marked 16gc and was to Raleigh dimensions made by a company beginning "Thu" - can't remember the rest.

The 1959 bike had a Bayliss Wyley spindle which I have now fitted to the older bike. The fixed cup now screws all the way in, the chainline and left hand crank clearance are better, and the Royal Enfield logo cranks fit of course.

I bet the bike went to a bike shop for repairs at some point and came out with a new Raleighesque chainset and bottom bracket spindle, both slightly out of spec but fitted to each other OK (though one of the cranks was a bit tight on the spindle).

I have checked my other cottered cranks and Raleigh (genuine) spindles and they all fit each other as well as the Bayliss Wyley/Royal Enfield setup. It seems to be just the parts from the older bike that were different.

I knew there's be sommat Nottinghamesque in there somewhere I said so too, didn't I? Eh? didn't I?

Graham, wot hear's it said that "Raleigh" in Nottinghamshire dialect means "Fekk it, that'll do!"

[steve browne]

Just getting the bikes acclimatized to leaning on pub walls in preparation for TCT2. Spent a very pleasant low mileage day pottering round Devon lanes. Looking forwards to seeing you all in Dorset soon.

[hubgearfreak]

Fixed it

excellent. well done

[GrahamNR17]

Who else ain't ready for TCT?

Graham, wot's booked next week off to tie up the loose ends and the week after to undo 'em all again