|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
14 Aug 2018, 16:52 (Ref:3843605) | #2276 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 5,565
|
Quote:
Even going back to the pre-crossflow days in the 60s, it was possible to get hold of stuff that was not available to buy from a Ford dealer's parts department. Dagenham quality control used to pull items with better tolerances from the production line, and these were earmarked for competition use. "Good" blocks, for example, were destined for Lotus, whilst some of those and other bits and pieces would go to Boreham. And, then, some parts went missing. It is said that at around that time that security was so lax at Dagenham that employees were pretty well taking enough parts through the gates in the boots of their cars to build a new car every day. A sieve would have leaked less! |
|||
|
14 Aug 2018, 17:52 (Ref:3843619) | #2277 | |||
Race Official
Veteran
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 11,142
|
Quote:
|
|||
|
14 Aug 2018, 17:57 (Ref:3843621) | #2278 | |||
Ten-Tenths Hall of Fame
Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,830
|
Quote:
And talking of parts selection, I think the GA (or GAA if you prefer) engine blocks were specially selected from production. Then there was the Kent ‘AX’ block from South Africa that could be safely taken to 1850cc. Used in the World Cup Mexicos? |
|||
__________________
Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere. (Einstein) |
14 Aug 2018, 18:00 (Ref:3843623) | #2279 | ||
Ten-Tenths Hall of Fame
Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,830
|
|||
__________________
Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere. (Einstein) |
14 Aug 2018, 21:06 (Ref:3843676) | #2280 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 4,032
|
Quote:
When I worked on Coventry in the early 70s, I also did a part time job in a filling station........saw a few Triumph 2000s and Vitesses with surprisingly shiny blocks with a big blanking plate where the 2.5 PI pump would be....how the heck you smuggled a 6-pot block out I've no idea, but it seemed to be possible...... |
|||
__________________
Richard Murtha: You don't stop racing because you are too old, you get old when you stop racing! But its looking increasingly likely that I've stopped.....have to go back to rallying ;) |
14 Aug 2018, 21:27 (Ref:3843681) | #2281 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 5,565
|
I would hazard a guess that about a half of the engines or parts thereof in the mid 60s came from nefarious sources. Somebody would just say to you that I've got a brand new this or that sitting in the shed/garage and it's yours' if you cross my palm with silver.
Receipt? What's a receipt, guv'nor? |
||
|
17 Aug 2018, 15:55 (Ref:3844269) | #2282 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,272
|
I've finished my winter project (well nearly - it needs bottle cages and mudguards).
|
||
|
17 Aug 2018, 16:34 (Ref:3844282) | #2283 | ||
The Honourable Mallett
20KPINAL
Join Date: Feb 1999
Posts: 37,302
|
Doesn't need mudguards
|
||
|
17 Aug 2018, 16:51 (Ref:3844285) | #2284 | |
Subscriber
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,396
|
It does if you are not completely committed to getting covered in road dirt. However, surely it needs a change of gear mechanism. I saw this reported recently and thought it looked interesting. https://www.bikeradar.com/road/news/...e-shaft-52587/ I think Alan would make a great test rider for it. |
|
|
17 Aug 2018, 17:07 (Ref:3844288) | #2285 | ||
The Honourable Mallett
20KPINAL
Join Date: Feb 1999
Posts: 37,302
|
Pah! Mudguards are for whimps.
|
||
|
17 Aug 2018, 17:31 (Ref:3844300) | #2286 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,272
|
If I was on my own I'd just use an ass saver but if you're riding in a group in unpleasant conditions it's not nice to get mud, grit and used horse food in your face because the person in front has chosen not to be a whimp.
The device Grant has flagged up is interesting. It's being promoted by a ceramic bearing company and uses at least 26 ceramic bearings - quelle surprise! It also suffers from the unfortunate feature of the "gear teeth" facing outwards, ready to slash the calf of anyone unfortunate enough to have a crash. I'm new to cycling but thoroughly enjoying it. I'm amazed by how cheap good quality engineering is. The bike in the picture was built from a mixture of parts I had, second hand Ebay purchases, some cheap Chinese carbon fibre parts and a new aluminium frame with carbon forks that cost £108. The whole thing owes me about £350 and weighs 8.3Kg. Last edited by Alan Morgan; 17 Aug 2018 at 17:47. |
||
|
17 Aug 2018, 17:39 (Ref:3844301) | #2287 | |||
The Honourable Mallett
20KPINAL
Join Date: Feb 1999
Posts: 37,302
|
Quote:
No mudguards. But I tend to agree, that line of black stuff isn't attractive. |
|||
|
17 Aug 2018, 17:49 (Ref:3844304) | #2288 | |||
Ten-Tenths Hall of Fame
Veteran
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 14,830
|
Quote:
I remember many many moons ago a mate and me tagging onto the local CTC group evening ride. For anyone that doesn’t know, CTC stands for ‘Cyclists’ Touring Club’, and so the members cycles tend to be optimised for touring- including being fitted with mudguards. Well, our bikes were not so equipped, and of course it rained, and we were extremely unpopular! Suffice to say that we weren’t invited to ride with them again.... |
|||
__________________
Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere. (Einstein) |
17 Aug 2018, 18:14 (Ref:3844312) | #2289 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,272
|
I agree about mudguards ruining the look of a bike. I'm planning on fitting some that will be easily removable.
Took it out for a quick 10 mile shakedown today. I can't believe how smooth it feels, despite 23c tyres. |
||
|
17 Aug 2018, 18:31 (Ref:3844316) | #2290 | ||
The Honourable Mallett
20KPINAL
Join Date: Feb 1999
Posts: 37,302
|
Good man
|
||
|
17 Aug 2018, 18:41 (Ref:3844321) | #2291 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 10,050
|
This brings back to the power to weight ratio.
Really nice bike you built but the frame should be named. May I suggest something like Charade Chpezial or Black Carrot ? While you are here, you could use one of the new electronic shifting system. It brings nothing, could add some unwanted technical issues, be sensible to crashes, not really aesthetic…*In modern language its a must! |
||
__________________
Celui qui est parti de rien pour arriver nulle part,n'a de merci a dire a personne.Pour ceux qui vont chercher midi a quatorze heures, la minute de Vérité risque de se faire attendre longtemps. |
17 Aug 2018, 20:47 (Ref:3844361) | #2292 | ||
Subscriber
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,396
|
Quote:
Cheap, light, easily fitted and removed and do the job. I can't recall when it was I bought the bike. Must be 30 years ago - maybe more (shudders to think about that!). Does that make it Historic? It must be close to qualifying as a barn find these days. Would I benefit from new tyres? (I know the engine could benefit from a significant rebuild ...). Meanwhile ... Watch out for large trucks related to building projects. |
||
|
17 Aug 2018, 20:50 (Ref:3844364) | #2293 | ||
Subscriber
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,396
|
Quote:
But do you buy the shifting system before or after the 2 sets of Lycra uniform? |
||
|
17 Aug 2018, 21:05 (Ref:3844365) | #2294 | |||
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,272
|
Quote:
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/b...ce_reviews_tab |
|||
|
18 Aug 2018, 04:23 (Ref:3844402) | #2295 | |
Racer
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 485
|
||
|
18 Aug 2018, 06:46 (Ref:3844407) | #2296 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 10,050
|
Surprised you buy through a french website though. Do they sell side bumpers together with mudguards? Something like two mudguards bought, one side bumper free!
Grant, I've been told by US chaps that WD could help preserve your knees almost as new, no need o consider a rebuild. Not tested yet… |
||
__________________
Celui qui est parti de rien pour arriver nulle part,n'a de merci a dire a personne.Pour ceux qui vont chercher midi a quatorze heures, la minute de Vérité risque de se faire attendre longtemps. |
18 Aug 2018, 11:39 (Ref:3844433) | #2297 | ||
Subscriber
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 6,396
|
Quote:
Hmm. I used some the other day. Both of my spray cans seem to have rather leaky outlets so I ended up with hands covered in the stuff. No positive results noticed in terms of improved articulation. In fact the opposite today although I do not claim any causation. I do have a protector for the rear gearset on bike. I think it has been useful once or twice over the years. Looking around on the internet last night I noticed how seemingly sophisticated (and expensive) some of the braking systems have become. The best brake I can remember having on a bike was my first "proper" bike at age 8 or 9 iirc (I was still using it when I left school). Bought in Germany it had only a single gear ratio but a back-pedal brake which was brilliant and great fun for skids. The tyres were some sort of beige coloured rubber-like material and quite wide compared to a typical British bike but lasted quite a long time - I never saw a need to try to change them. That was despite running a friction dynamo for the lights against the side wall of the front tyre. Front brake was a joke - a rubber block that acted directly onto the tyre are it passed through the forks. But then with such a great rear brake it was hardly of any concern. Presumably back-pedal brake technology is not compatible with any form of multiple gear ratios? Ah, memories, memories. |
||
|
18 Aug 2018, 15:54 (Ref:3844476) | #2298 | ||
The Honourable Mallett
20KPINAL
Join Date: Feb 1999
Posts: 37,302
|
Here's mine.
|
||
__________________
I've decided to stop reaching out to people. I'm just going to contact them instead. |
18 Aug 2018, 16:00 (Ref:3844478) | #2299 | ||
Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 5,565
|
That seat appears mightily uncomfortable!
|
||
|
18 Aug 2018, 16:03 (Ref:3844479) | #2300 | ||
The Honourable Mallett
20KPINAL
Join Date: Feb 1999
Posts: 37,302
|
It is but I changed it for a gel seat.
|
||
__________________
I've decided to stop reaching out to people. I'm just going to contact them instead. |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Winter Projects | kickstart | Club Level Single Seaters | 27 | 28 Feb 2006 10:43 |