old claud
old claud
I've recently become curious to know the age of an old Claud Butler I've owned for over thirty years.I know it was very old when i bought it.I have looked at nkilgarrif,retrobike, classic lightweights, classic rendezvous websites but still can not decipher the serial no which is 9103937.Anyone able to help,please.
Re: old claud
any pics?
cheers
cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: old claud
Some info regarding frame numbers about half way downthis page.
It will be helpful if you can get an idea of which model you have - there are a number of old catalogues dotted around the internet. I managed to date my frame this way - it was bilaminated, so that narrowed it down and it had a number beginning with 8 so it was pre-1950; I therefore concluded it was made in 1948.
It will be helpful if you can get an idea of which model you have - there are a number of old catalogues dotted around the internet. I managed to date my frame this way - it was bilaminated, so that narrowed it down and it had a number beginning with 8 so it was pre-1950; I therefore concluded it was made in 1948.
Re: old claud
That sounds a bit like the ninety first frame to be built in March 1937.
Is it a Tour d'Angleterre ?
They were 531 in 1937.
Where did you buy it? My uncle sold his brother's CB T d'A in the early seventies. A bike I coveted and swore about when I learned he'd sold it.
Is it a Tour d'Angleterre ?
They were 531 in 1937.
Where did you buy it? My uncle sold his brother's CB T d'A in the early seventies. A bike I coveted and swore about when I learned he'd sold it.
Re: old claud
This is my third try to reply with photos.Thank for the replies and info.Ayesha I do not know where your uncle was based,I live in Coleraine.I bought this bike off a bread delivery man who delivered to a large supermarket where I worked after school when still in my teens in the late 70's.It had belonged to his father originally so a late 30's date is entirely feasible.The only original parts are the bar and stem.I cannot recall it's original colour but it did have a 531 sticker on it, I would not have bought it otherwise.The first 6-9 inches of the forks and stays were originally chromed and the drive side forkend had a long tang on it at the chainstay side of the axle slot.I had it re-enamelled shortly after I got it.It is more or less as I built it up back then. Sorry i can not seem to get attachments to resize will post later when i do.
Re: old claud
photos of old claud
http://www.flickr.com/photos/88104625@N ... 8057573424
http://www.flickr.com/photos/88104625@N ... 8057573424
Re: old claud
the rear dropouts and lugs are quite distinctive (and perhaps the fork crown too); between these it may be possible to pin it down fairly well, although the frame number ought to be good enough, if you find the right fount of knowledge.
Looks like a fair collection of parts on it, most of them a lot younger than the frame. What do you plan to do with it?
BTW I have an old Claud Butler; comes with 'Agrati' rear dropouts, from about 1958 I think (so it is a youngster then...
)
cheers
Looks like a fair collection of parts on it, most of them a lot younger than the frame. What do you plan to do with it?
BTW I have an old Claud Butler; comes with 'Agrati' rear dropouts, from about 1958 I think (so it is a youngster then...
)cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: old claud
Hi Brucey, I am thinking of renovating it and maybe returning it to fixed.I just don't yet, my knees are not as young as they once were,certainly I will have it repainted to a style suitable to its age, but i'm not going down the road of everything having to be as original.It is easily the most comfortable bike I have and I would like to get it roadworthy again. I remember now that the brakes it came fitted with were called or stamped something like hidiminium or similar.The "groupset" that it is equipped with is the best quality I could afford over 30 years ago as a teenage student and its stood the test of time not to badly with minimum maintenance or care and a good helping of neglect,but as you observe it is a bit of a mongrel.
Re: old claud
old 'GB' brakes were marked as being made of 'hiduminium' IIRC. Not sure they actually worked that well!
My old Claud Butler has;
531 DB t'out frame
GB light alloy seat post
Alatet headset
Brooks saddle
Stronglight steel cottered cranks, w. aluminium alloy chainring
Simplex gears
Maillard 5s freewheel
Campagnolo hubs
Berg DB spokes
Birmalux rims, 27 x 1-1/4"
Bluemels mudguards
Weinmann center pull brake calipers
Mafac brake levers
GB light alloy bends (shape as later similar to Cinelli 65 style)
Cinelli steel stem
-so it is mostly period correct, but it is dead grotty; I refurbed it nearly thirty years ago (not very well) and it has needed doing again for about twenty . I'm not sure what to do with it TBH...
cheers
My old Claud Butler has;
531 DB t'out frame
GB light alloy seat post
Alatet headset
Brooks saddle
Stronglight steel cottered cranks, w. aluminium alloy chainring
Simplex gears
Maillard 5s freewheel
Campagnolo hubs
Berg DB spokes
Birmalux rims, 27 x 1-1/4"
Bluemels mudguards
Weinmann center pull brake calipers
Mafac brake levers
GB light alloy bends (shape as later similar to Cinelli 65 style)
Cinelli steel stem
-so it is mostly period correct, but it is dead grotty; I refurbed it nearly thirty years ago (not very well) and it has needed doing again for about twenty
. I'm not sure what to do with it TBH...cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Re: old claud
orra1979 wrote:photos of old claud
http://www.flickr.com/photos/88104625@N ... 8057573424
Its tooooo young.
Re: old claud
Hi Ayesha, do you mean this one of mine is too young or the one your uncle sold is too young.How do you know whether its too young or not? Please share knowledge with us.On further investigation of nkilgarrif's site, the closest bike features wise that I could find was from the 1949 and 1950 cataloues but even then was not an exact match.Anyone know when the bi-laminated lug feature became common?