Viscount bicycles!!

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
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martin biggs
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Joined: 23 Apr 2007, 8:02am
Location: northamptonshire

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by martin biggs »

sprockit wrote:Yes, Whippet is correct, it's a Sprint from 1982/3.

I have one myself and regard it as my best bike - it handles well and rolls very smoothly.

The transfer has the signature of Ian Hallam.

Sprints were made in 5-speed, 10-speed and 12-speed variants. Mine is 12-speed, and I acquired a crashed 5-speed one for some parts.

My 12-speed has Shimano Adamas AX 52/42 cranks and chain wheels, Shimano RG rear mech, Shimano FE front mech and Sturmey Archer stem. I've also known Sprints to be equipped with Shimano Altus LT front and rear mechs.

At Christmas 1982 a Sprint with 25" frame would have set you back £136, according to claireysmurf elsewhere on this forum.

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That looks a tidy machine and same as the one on e bay so thank you
Peuf
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Joined: 13 Aug 2018, 5:14pm

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Peuf »

sprockit wrote:I've only seen the Viscount fork crown detailing on a couple of pictures here and there, likewise with the slotted BB shell. These two features, along with the rear derailleur mounting loop, the rear axle adjusters and the seat tube sticker denoting 'chrome molybdenum' tubing, are all that differ from my Sprint frame, the sticker on which reads 'high tensile' tubing.

The later, lugged, Aerospace frames are often distinguished by having the legend 'Viscount' in capital letters, stamped on the chamfer at the top of the seat stays.

Componentry varied on the same model of bike, and I know of a case where someone collected their bike, showed it to a friend, who ordered an identical one which arrived a week or two later - one had half-chromed forks whilst the other had fully painted ones.

The serial number on your frame is unusual. The Potters Bar factory numbers from 1978 to 1983 seem to be in the range 138??? to about 200??? and are all numerals, so why your frame number differs is a mystery. The 'Team '82' frame a couple of pages ago will have a number around 190??? to 195???, and, like yours, was made in the last couple of years before Viscount went bust in 1983.


Hey ! Sorry for the late reply, I didn't received the email notifications as expected. Thanks a lot for your answer, I guess at that time standardisation was not so common, maybe it's a custom build or a small special batch from the factory, who knows !

I finished building the bike lately, knowing a little about the frame and based on a similar frame a guy on facebook had, I decided to build it with full shimano 600 Arabesque. The bike is a so smooth and run like a dream ! I've included some pictures here:

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sprockit
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Joined: 30 May 2013, 8:58pm

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by sprockit »

Viscount do seem to have a history of parts supply issues - frames were equipped withwhatever parts and transfers were available at the time of production - so the componentry on any specific model could vary.

My Sprint, pictured earlier, has a Super Champion 27 x 1 1/4 front wheel, but a Sturmey Archer Mistral 700c rear - and the eBay Sprint of a few posts ago also had odd wheels. Although it could well have been swapped sometime over the past 30-odd years, Archer produced Mistral rims at about the time my bike was produced, so it could well be the original rim.

Looks like they may also have run out of the winged 'V' head tube transfers when your bike was built!

Your Viscount looks superb in your pictures, and you mention the smooth running of the bike. My Sprint has that same attribute - perhaps they had found an ideal combination of frame material/geometry just as they were going under!
Sooper8
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Joined: 20 Aug 2012, 7:53am

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Sooper8 »

Lovely bike and very nice photos Peuf!

I have that same model (different colour though) and it is such a smooth , fast ride, I love it
Peuf
Posts: 5
Joined: 13 Aug 2018, 5:14pm

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Peuf »

Sooper8 wrote:Lovely bike and very nice photos Peuf!

I have that same model (different colour though) and it is such a smooth , fast ride, I love it


Oh nice ! What's your frame number ? Maybe it'll help !

sprockit wrote:Viscount do seem to have a history of parts supply issues - frames were equipped withwhatever parts and transfers were available at the time of production - so the componentry on any specific model could vary.

Your Viscount looks superb in your pictures, and you mention the smooth running of the bike. My Sprint has that same attribute - perhaps they had found an ideal combination of frame material/geometry just as they were going under!


I do love this bike so I'll keep it running as long as it last ! :)
Thanks for the bits of informations here and there !
Sooper8
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Joined: 20 Aug 2012, 7:53am

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Sooper8 »

Peuf wrote:
Sooper8 wrote:Lovely bike and very nice photos Peuf!

I have that same model (different colour though) and it is such a smooth , fast ride, I love it


Oh nice ! What's your frame number ? Maybe it'll help !

It's in shed at moment , but here's a photo to whet your appetite
ImageIMG_8897 by Sooper 8, on Flickr
Peuf
Posts: 5
Joined: 13 Aug 2018, 5:14pm

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Peuf »

Sooper8 wrote:
Peuf wrote:
Sooper8 wrote:Lovely bike and very nice photos Peuf!

I have that same model (different colour though) and it is such a smooth , fast ride, I love it


Oh nice ! What's your frame number ? Maybe it'll help !

It's in shed at moment , but here's a photo to whet your appetite
ImageIMG_8897 by Sooper 8, on Flickr



Ouuh nice ! You got Shimano 600 but not the arabesque version on this one, am I right ?
Goldie
Posts: 77
Joined: 16 Jun 2010, 9:03pm

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Goldie »

Here's my Aerospace 600EX, which would have been twins with Peuf's when it was new:

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Build - well, cobbling together would probably be more accurate - thread here: http://viscountandlambert.boards.net/th ... pace-600ex
Goldie
Posts: 77
Joined: 16 Jun 2010, 9:03pm

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Goldie »

Sooper8 wrote:
Peuf wrote:
Sooper8 wrote:Lovely bike and very nice photos Peuf!

I have that same model (different colour though) and it is such a smooth , fast ride, I love it


Oh nice ! What's your frame number ? Maybe it'll help !

It's in shed at moment , but here's a photo to whet your appetite
ImageIMG_8897 by Sooper 8, on Flickr


Nice to see Sooper8's lovely Linden Green Aerospace - a bike so awesome that pints of delicious ale just materialise whereever it goes. I think that's my favourite ever Viscount colour scheme - even more so than the original Aerospace Pro blue and silver - and I love the sloping, integrated fork crown and half chrome forks.
Peuf
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Joined: 13 Aug 2018, 5:14pm

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Peuf »

Goldie wrote:Here's my Aerospace 600EX, which would have been twins with Peuf's when it was new:

Image

Image

Build - well, cobbling together would probably be more accurate - thread here: http://viscountandlambert.boards.net/th ... pace-600ex


I saw your post, too bad you didn't put the original components on it but at least it's rideable and that's what counts right ? :)
Goldie
Posts: 77
Joined: 16 Jun 2010, 9:03pm

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Goldie »

My other Aerospace - this blue and silver 74 - 75 Pro - had to put up with being my main bike for a couple of years, and it was looking a bit tired and dog eared as a result. It has had an exruciatingly slow tidy up over the last year or so, until yesterday I realised I had finished it and would actually be able to ride it without also carting round the guilt that comes with riding a nice bike but not keeping it at its best :oops: .

Then I realised that the back wheel was out of true and that I hadn't quite finished it :oops: :oops: .

But it does look lovely.

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sprockit
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Joined: 30 May 2013, 8:58pm

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by sprockit »

Your bike has always looked good in the pictures you've posted - and also 'in the flesh' at DFR and DFR2
Whippet
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Location: Newbury

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Whippet »

Had an unofficial New York based Death Fork Rally with Triitout this afternoon. I’m on holiday in New York and he kindly let me use his Sport for a ride along Jones Beach on Long Island.
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Whippet
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Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by Whippet »

After years on searching, I’ve recently picked up this rather nice Metro 3 speed. Better pictures to follower.
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martin biggs
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Location: northamptonshire

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by martin biggs »

Just brought this back to the UK from France not totally sure what model as it's not a normal colour scheme

Hoping to get the first few miles on it over this weekend :D

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