Viscount bicycles!!

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
Goldie
Posts: 77
Joined: 16 Jun 2010, 9:03pm

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Goldie »

Bendo wrote:(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


Thanks - they're Viscount hubs with a Lambert QR skewer on the front - they're very nice up close and the sealed bearings are still in good shape, smooth with no play. Pasela's are lovely on they? Grippy but not too lumpy and fast rolling too. I've got them on two of my bikes now.

Keep on at me about the chain - when I built the bike up, I wanted to keep everything I could, and the chain's still in good working order. But after a lot of degreaser and knackering the missus's tea towels wiping it down, I don't think it gets any cleaner than that.
Bendo
Posts: 292
Joined: 3 Nov 2010, 10:10am

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Bendo »

I hear you about the chain — original condition and all that — but I reckon they, like tyres, brake pads, clusters, chainrings, et al, are consumable items. I bought a Taya chain the other day for the Victor. Cheaper than a Shimano but works as well so far and looks much nicer:

Image

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OTOH buying something like this is just a silly waste of money:

Image

On a completely unrelated note, I finally got around to doing something about that t-shirt idea.

At the moment I thought it best to use transfers. That way they can be done one at a time. The image/logo is limited to A4 size, but the quality is not bad. If there is a big call for them then maybe we could do a proper print run (min. 20 tees: are there that many Viscount tragics on the planet?).
Here are some pics of a test on an old white tee:

Image

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PM me if you're interested and I can get you set up.

b :D

PS - Actually what I really want is a woollen Viscount jersey custom made by these champion Kiwis:
http://www.soigneur.co.nz/custom-wool-c ... rseys.html
Bendo
Posts: 292
Joined: 3 Nov 2010, 10:10am

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Bendo »

Image

This looks a little better. b
wyadvd
Posts: 272
Joined: 2 Jun 2010, 10:43pm

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by wyadvd »

Just aquired a fixie from a LBS who was using it as an advert fro their shop in town.

any experts out there? Its a Viscount frame I think circa around 1978, with a sturmer archer dropout(facing forwards kinda) a nice flip flop on a rigida french wheel. TA straight cranks (only one banana for a Q).

My problem is no amount of googling will nail the frame date and model. I think it says Viscount President, but a bit worn. Anyone an expert on Viscount frames?

And I love riding it. everyone should try riding a fixie at least once. need to perfect my skid and track stand but itll come!

15 miles each way commuter (soon to be 20)

Posts: 366
Location: Kent


photo album taken this morning , Im off to work on it now!:

https://picasaweb.google.com/wyadvd/Jul ... directlink





http://www.endomondo.com/profile/756236
Bendo
Posts: 292
Joined: 3 Nov 2010, 10:10am

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Bendo »

That's an interesting beast. Lugs all round so its not Aerospace. Generic fork. TA cranks and clipless pedals (!). The braze-ons are what get me: downtube braze-ons for a pump! That kind of rules out it ever having downtube shifters doesn't it? There are braze-on cable guides on the downtube though, so that, and the drop-out, implies it had gears. You reckon it's an SA drop-out? That could make sense that it had a 3 speed thumb shifter then. Never heard of a Viscount with an SA hub though!

The name "(P)resident" is a bit like Dan Boad's "Mallard". I think it's a bike shop or owner has put it on as it doesn't match any Viscount font I've ever seen.

I'm not the biggest expert on this thread though, so take my opinion for what it's worth. Not much! b
wyadvd
Posts: 272
Joined: 2 Jun 2010, 10:43pm

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by wyadvd »

very many thanks. i really want to date it if I can ? anyone else?
oldnick
Posts: 14
Joined: 26 Mar 2011, 4:14pm

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by oldnick »

There are fully lugged aerospace frames. The very early and late ones had lugs, they're the strongest aerospace frames. It even has a 'hand crafted in England' Viscount sticker. Does it have a frame number anywhere, try under the bottom bracket?
Goldie
Posts: 77
Joined: 16 Jun 2010, 9:03pm

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Goldie »

Could it be something different stickered up as a Viscount? The lug design is different to that on the Lamberts featured on Classic Rendezvous (for example http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Britis ... s_Lam1.htm), the later lugged Aerospace frames (for instance Old NIck's Grand Prix) and bottom end frames. It kind of doesn't look very Viscount in its proportions either: it looks like the head and seat tube angles might be different, and there's a lot of clearance between rear wheel and frame.
Bendo
Posts: 292
Joined: 3 Nov 2010, 10:10am

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Bendo »

oldnick wrote:There are fully lugged aerospace frames. The very early and late ones had lugs, they're the strongest aerospace frames. It even has a 'hand crafted in England' Viscount sticker. Does it have a frame number anywhere, try under the bottom bracket?


I know this as I have one of the first ones! However it only has the head tube lugged, all other joins are fillet brazed. I haven't seen a later model Aerospace with lugs as you say. Any examples?

As Goldie says the lug design is different. Checking the two bikes side by side it's hard to tell whether there is much difference in the frame geometry. We really need Busaste or Cusqueno to weigh in here. They are the real Viscount professors.

Frame number check is a good idea though. b
oldnick
Posts: 14
Joined: 26 Mar 2011, 4:14pm

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by oldnick »

My earlier post shows my fully lugged Aerospace Grand Prix. I've seen many fully lugged examples, early and late.
I reckon Viscount fitted whatever was available at the time. I wouldn't be surprised that they used any lugs they had and brazed the rest! There are so many different permutations of components on so many different models I guess there is no definitive list all fit in to. I've seen folding bikes, touring bikes, even two road bikes from the same period usually have different components. All had Viscount shield stickers.
Bendo
Posts: 292
Joined: 3 Nov 2010, 10:10am

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Bendo »

Ah silly me! I should be paying more attention. You're absolutely right about the lack of standardisation in components and specs. I suppose I had it in my head from that "Design" magazine article that Aerospace=lugless frames. b
PW
Posts: 4519
Joined: 23 Jan 2007, 10:50am
Location: N. Derbys.

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by PW »

Unfortunately mine is long dead (scrapped due to fatigue crack across the downtube through the lever studs) but it was an early 80s Aerospace Deore 18 AX fast tourer - Viscount Chromoly (Rebadged Tange??) with spearpoint lugs. Paint was that pale metallic blue with the red lettering. Very light for its time, an Audax type which handled like a full on road bike.
If at first you don't succeed - cheat!!
ajayen
Posts: 1
Joined: 10 Jul 2011, 11:54am
Location: Bristol UK

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by ajayen »

Hi everyone, I've been following this topic for a couple of years now and thought it was time I added my own contribution.
I bought this Grand Sport on 31st August 1979, it's frame number is 11244, it cost me £147-00 and I still have the receipt from the LBS where I bought it, which is also where my Dad bought my first tricycle in 1949 when I was three years old, (support your LBS!!).
It has Shimano 600 mechs with SR Apex chain rings, Weinmann 999 centre pull brakes and SR stem, I changed the seat-post to an SR one, the saddle to a gel one, I still have both the originals, and added EsGe mudguards. It now rolls on Conti Ultra Sport tyres and the BB has never given up, yet. The gum rubber brake lever hoods are cracking now but I have a pair of Cane Creek replacements, black but they fit OK.
Attachments
1979 Grand Sport
1979 Grand Sport
WrightsW5
Posts: 851
Joined: 1 Jun 2010, 10:37pm
Location: Saddle City

Re:

Post by WrightsW5 »

stoobs wrote:Image

Ah yes, Classics. A mate of mine had one with the "death fork" - a one-piece casting prone to fatigue. It was replaced rapidly.

Also see this link at the Temple of Cycling:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/lambert.html

And there's plenty of piccies if you google "Viscount Aerospace", but you already know that.

Great bikes at the time


Yes, I was going to mention the 'death forks' when I saw this thread.
dnrc
Posts: 103
Joined: 22 Nov 2010, 12:06am

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by dnrc »

HI all, I was browsing ebay recently and my attention was caught by a viscount bike. Looked it up and ended up on this thread. Lots of good stuff.

Something about Viscount spoke to me in some way and I bid for the bike and today picked it up.

This be it:
Image
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Image

From what i can work out it's a sport and obviously isn't totally original.

It's going to need a good clean and service to start with. The paint isn't too bad although the fork is a mess.

The ad said the stem was stuck but it wasn't. I had some initial concern with the rear brake caliper as it moved about and looked like the cross member was the problem but thankfully it wasn't.

Went for a quick up and down the road. It rides really smooth and quiet.

Not sure where i'm going to go with it. Will clean and service it, change the consumables and swap that horrible saddle then take stock.

Spec:
6 Speed
RD - Shimano Tourney GS
FD - Shimano 50
Shifters - Shimano
Cranks - Super Maxy
Pedals - Lyotard

Hubs and QR's - Viscount

Brakes - ?
Brake Levers - Weinmann

Front Rim - Birmalux
Rear is different, looks like it's been changed at some point.


Any thoughts/comments?
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