Rudge 'Bi-Frame' -a 'Proper' Folding Bike....?

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rjb
Posts: 7200
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 10:25am
Location: Somerset (originally 60/70's Plymouth)

Re: Rudge 'Bi-Frame' -a 'Proper' Folding Bike....?

Post by rjb »

GideonReade wrote: 10 Oct 2022, 2:19pm
rjb wrote: 10 Oct 2022, 2:14pm I found a small one for sale
... Jolly good, but, err, a small what?
Not medium or large but small and it's blue. :lol:
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
GideonReade
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Joined: 4 Jul 2010, 10:46pm

Re: Rudge 'Bi-Frame' -a 'Proper' Folding Bike....?

Post by GideonReade »

:roll: :lol:
KM2
Posts: 1325
Joined: 23 Oct 2008, 5:38pm

Re: Rudge 'Bi-Frame' -a 'Proper' Folding Bike....?

Post by KM2 »

There’s one on eBay, at the moment.
rjb
Posts: 7200
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 10:25am
Location: Somerset (originally 60/70's Plymouth)

Re: Rudge 'Bi-Frame' -a 'Proper' Folding Bike....?

Post by rjb »

Back home now so as promised here's my recent purchase.
A 50cm rudge biframe in blue with a top tube of 58cm. 18 speed suntour xce gearing with biopace chainrings. Suntour power shifter for the front and indexed 6 speed accushift on the back. Diacompe 983 eccentric wide arm cantilever brakes. Joytech sealed bearing hub on the front. Not removed the back yet to inspect but assume its a freewheel. Weighs approx 31 lbs (14kg) It folds ok so despite having been stored for some time its in good nick and ready for me to strip clean lubricate and restore to tip top condition over the next couple of months. Bottle mounts on the seat tube and underneath the down tube, presumably so it dosent impact the fold?. Did the mudguards come with the bike originally? i see on previous posts some suggestions for fitting a quick release to the front one. Only downside is the handlebar grips are split and i have to sell on one of my Dawes Kingpins to keep Swmbo happy so she can get in the garage. 5 folding bikes was obviously one too many.
viewtopic.php?p=1729611#p1729611 :D
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At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
rjb
Posts: 7200
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 10:25am
Location: Somerset (originally 60/70's Plymouth)

Re: Rudge 'Bi-Frame' -a 'Proper' Folding Bike....?

Post by rjb »

Just made a start on fettling mine up. Seat pin size is 26.6mm :wink:
Brucey was looking for a 26.0 for his. Several components are date marked indicating a 1989 production. 6 speed Suntour freewheel 13/30 which looks hardly worn. The rear wheel has a slightly bent axle so possibly jumped off a kerb or similar. No damage to the Araya rim. Hubs are basic joytec hubs but well sealed with rubber seals. Intention is to strip them, drill for grease injection and rebuild with a new axle. Should I try and straighten the slightly bent axle? It's a 3/8" solid axle. More to come. Perhaps add an outrigger bearing, belt and braces. :lol:
Last edited by rjb on 9 Nov 2022, 7:33pm, edited 2 times in total.
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
rjb
Posts: 7200
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 10:25am
Location: Somerset (originally 60/70's Plymouth)

Re: Rudge 'Bi-Frame' -a 'Proper' Folding Bike....?

Post by rjb »

Just found this excellent advice from Brucey so that's next on my list.

"FWIW if an axle of this kind is bent and I didn't have another, in the first instance I would straighten the old one, and if possible turn it left for right so the highest loads are not seen by the part of the axle that bent before.

To straighten it, all you need to do is screw three things onto the axle; one at each end (to support the axle ends), and one over the centre of the bend, where you need to apply a load. It is then a question of putting the axle into a well-controlled reversing three-point bend (this is code for hitting it with a hammer). It isn't difficult to straighten axles this way, all without any marring of the screw threads whatsoever."
Courtesy of Brucey
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
KM2
Posts: 1325
Joined: 23 Oct 2008, 5:38pm

Re: Rudge 'Bi-Frame' -a 'Proper' Folding Bike....?

Post by KM2 »

I bought a Ti seatpost of the correct diameter for mine. They are around, or emery cloth on a 26.8 mm, alloy one.

Amoeba Ti post.
Last edited by KM2 on 23 Nov 2022, 9:18am, edited 1 time in total.
fastpedaller
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Joined: 10 Jul 2014, 1:12pm
Location: Norfolk

Re: Rudge 'Bi-Frame' -a 'Proper' Folding Bike....?

Post by fastpedaller »

RJB - I had to remove the grease nipple to be able to get any grease through it. In fact I replaced it, as I had a spare squirrelled away - ISTR it's a 1/4 bsf thread, but I may be wrong. Beneath the dirt, mine was remarkably good condition (Yours looks like it will be similar, and is the same colour :) . Mine's a slightly larger frame - a smaller one would have fitted better in the 'carrying in car' bag I made, as I tried to get a perfect fit and made it very tight :(
rjb
Posts: 7200
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 10:25am
Location: Somerset (originally 60/70's Plymouth)

Re: Rudge 'Bi-Frame' -a 'Proper' Folding Bike....?

Post by rjb »

fast pedaller, was your grease nipple seized through dry grease bunging up the spring loaded ball within. You may be able to free it off by poking with a needle or similar. Mine is ok and ive greased the fold. Details of your bag would be welcome, pics too. Mine looks in good nick so far, brakes have been removed in the past and replaced front on the back etc so the blocks are pointing the wrong way. :shock:
I like the adjustment on the suntour brakes it makes setting the height a doddle in comparison to the equivalent shimano br at50 and the larger diameter barrel on which the brake arms rotate means the tendency to squeal should be considerably reduced.
cheers roger
Image
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
fastpedaller
Posts: 3435
Joined: 10 Jul 2014, 1:12pm
Location: Norfolk

Re: Rudge 'Bi-Frame' -a 'Proper' Folding Bike....?

Post by fastpedaller »

rjb wrote: 12 Nov 2022, 10:42pm fast pedaller, was your grease nipple seized through dry grease bunging up the spring loaded ball within. You may be able to free it off by poking with a needle or similar. Mine is ok and ive greased the fold. Details of your bag would be welcome, pics too. Mine looks in good nick so far, brakes have been removed in the past and replaced front on the back etc so the blocks are pointing the wrong way. :shock:
I like the adjustment on the suntour brakes it makes setting the height a doddle in comparison to the equivalent shimano br at50 and the larger diameter barrel on which the brake arms rotate means the tendency to squeal should be considerably reduced.
cheers roger
Image
Yes, it was the dried grease. I didn't bother trying to free it because I had one of the same size to hand which was new, unused. I just made the bag myself using my 60 year-old singer industrial machine. It's nothing special. I just used some old towels draped over it and pinned together to get the shape, then transferred the measurements (not as accurately it seems) to some high-strength black polyester fabric bought via Ebay. I then sewed it together, along with a zip, and found it was only just big enough - an inch taller would have made it a lot easier to use. Also a zip is fine, but with hindsight a velcro flap would be easier to use, and easier to sew in position as well.
rjb
Posts: 7200
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 10:25am
Location: Somerset (originally 60/70's Plymouth)

Re: Rudge 'Bi-Frame' -a 'Proper' Folding Bike....?

Post by rjb »

Took the forks out today. YST headset fitted. Nice well sealed too but top race had 2 balls missing from it's cage. The bottom race had all 16 in. I replaced both races with a cage of 20. Loose ball it next time perhaps. Can only assume it was assembled like this.

Tubing is a mix of Tange MTB double butted and true temper for the seat tube.
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Note there's a better photo of the true temper sticker upthread

Whilst the rear wheel was removed I noticed a nylon plug on the drive side only fitted into the dropout to ensure the wheel fits at the front of the dropout. Is this necessary, what issue will it cause if it's removed allowing the wheel to sit further back?
Edited as i discovered the plug is to force the wheel into the front of the drop out to improve gear changing according to the manual.
IMG_20221114_135246.jpg
Last edited by rjb on 13 Jan 2023, 3:47pm, edited 1 time in total.
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
rjb
Posts: 7200
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 10:25am
Location: Somerset (originally 60/70's Plymouth)

Re: Rudge 'Bi-Frame' -a 'Proper' Folding Bike....?

Post by rjb »

Took the chain out of the cleaning bath today. Surprised to find it was a KMC CX bushed chain. I thought bushless chains had replaced these by the 1970's. I wil keep the bushed chain for a single speed and fit a bushless chain when I reassemble everything.
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
jb
Posts: 1782
Joined: 6 Jan 2007, 12:17pm
Location: Clitheroe

Re: Rudge 'Bi-Frame' -a 'Proper' Folding Bike....?

Post by jb »

rjb wrote: 14 Nov 2022, 2:29pm
Whilst the rear wheel was removed I noticed a nylon plug on the drive side only fitted into the dropout to ensure the wheel fits at the front of the dropout. Is this necessary, what issue will it cause if it's removed allowing the wheel to sit further back?
IMG_20221114_135246.jpg
The nylon plug simply ensures it sits in the same place relative to the derailleur & mudguards, removing it won't cause a problem if you know the approximate position that you set it up for when you have removed the wheel for any reason. Screw stops did the same thing on quality dropouts. there is very little forces pushing the wheel backwards that the skewer won't cope with. Of course the non drive side doesn't need one as its position is determined by centralising the rim between the chain stays.
Cheers
J Bro
rjb
Posts: 7200
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 10:25am
Location: Somerset (originally 60/70's Plymouth)

Re: Rudge 'Bi-Frame' -a 'Proper' Folding Bike....?

Post by rjb »

But why fit just one? It's a fiddle putting the wheel in because it uses tracknuts it's not QR. The dropouts are quite short too so the wheel is located right at the end. In the absence of screw adjusters I could bodge the NDS with a nut and bolt to locate the wheel, or even remove the plug completely and see how it sits about 7mm further back.
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
jb
Posts: 1782
Joined: 6 Jan 2007, 12:17pm
Location: Clitheroe

Re: Rudge 'Bi-Frame' -a 'Proper' Folding Bike....?

Post by jb »

Maybe one got lost, either way if your not happy with them ditch them and rely on your own judgement, it's only really an issue if your mudguards are so close that the wheel needs to be positioned perfectly to prevent rubbing. Even Derailleurs of that period weren't particularly fussy.
Cheers
J Bro
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