Winter Projects

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by grantp

3 Speed Sturmey Archer gears?

Lovely old machine, Colin! Hub gears make so much more sense than a derailleur on a 'commuter' bike, just not trendy nowadays. Remember hub brakes as well?

Half a ring, Iain? Hate that, especially when you can't get a replacement as the world is on holiday.....

[andy97]

Originally Posted by grantp

3 Speed Sturmey Archer gears?

Never, ever got them to work properly. Had 2 bikes with them and no matter what I tried they were always stuck in 3rd. A hopeless bit of kit as far as I'm concerned. May be good in theory, but hopeless in practice in my experience.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Lovely old machine, Colin! Hub gears make so much more sense than a derailleur on a 'commuter' bike, just not trendy nowadays. Remember hub brakes as well?

Hub gears certainly make sense - but can you get 135 speeds in a hub?

As for hub brakes .... my first mini-adult bike (well, it lasted me into adult life more or less) was purchased in Germany. No gears (far too expensive back then) and the fornt brake was a simple rubber block that rubbed on the treaded part of the (ersatz rubber) tyre. Completely useless.

But the back brake was a back-pedal hub brake - completely brilliant. It took all the abuse I could throw at it and never ever failed to work yet required no maintenance at all.

[Colin McKay]

As a lad I had a variation on the theme which I've never seen before or since, on what would today be called a crosstrail. There was a second chain which disappeared into the axle on the opposite side to the norm and operated a high/low ratio so I think I ended up with 6 speeds. Cable brakes too! Quite something down my street

Edit: thinking about it, I may have had 5 main gears so 10 in total

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by grantp

Hub gears certainly make sense - but can you get 135 speeds in a hub?
But the back brake was a back-pedal hub brake - completely brilliant. It took all the abuse I could throw at it and never ever failed to work yet required no maintenance at all.

Shimano among others still make hub gear assemblies (up to 11 speed I think) and hub brakes. Latter also referred to as roller brakes, and probably found on sort of bikes the Dutch love.

I've never ridden a bike with 'back pedal' hub brake, but remember my Dad telling me about needing to remember not to accidentally operate them when freewheeling!

[zefarelly]

In France last year, we had Center Parcs hire bikes with silky smooth hub gears, and shaft drive, they were extremely efficient.

they also had coaster/back pedal brakes, horrible things.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

they also had coaster/back pedal brakes, horrible things.

Nah, they're great once you get used to them.

Never affected by wear or water. Braking effect moderated by the amount of pressure applied - not much required for normal use but if one feels like a bit of sideways action the rear wheel can be locked very quickly without the challenge of operating a lever on the handlebar whilst compensating with the steering for the tail happy rear end.

Each to their own preferences of course.

[Lancsbreaker]

My next door neighbour when I was growing up was born in Sweden, to a German father and Hungarian mother, both Jews who had been displaced after surviving the pogroms of WW2 - a great family although understanding the conversation could be a tad difficult as about 4 languages were spoken, often at once.....Jurgen was a couple of years older than me, but we became good friends.

Anyway, when they moved to UK they brought a swedish bike with them, a huge, heavy thing with the "back-pedal" brakes.......as I got older and took over what had been my Dad's old bike (renovated some years earlier for my older sister to use), Jurgen dug out the swedish monster and we had some good fun. I did try his from time to time but getting the hang of the brakes was tricky....fortunately is was a very solidly built thing, because I "might" have crashed it a few times....

A few years later I tried another friend's fixed wheel bike - and of course someone stepped out in front of me and I forgot it was fixed-wheel - went sailing over the handlebars as I locked the front wheel and the pedals launched me....!

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Lancsbreaker

A few years later I tried another friend's fixed wheel bike - and of course someone stepped out in front of me and I forgot it was fixed-wheel - went sailing over the handlebars as I locked the front wheel and the pedals launched me....!

Ah, well that would never have happened with mine. The front brake was utterly incapable of locking the wheel as I recall.

[midgetman]

I've only ridden a fixed wheel on a Velodrome. Awesome fun and highly dangerous.

[bauble]

Now this thread is SO much more adult than the Tea Urn Natter sensible discussions, reminiscing, anecdotes, stories and personal experience of bikes!

Well done to all contributors. Thank you for making an old biker's day.

Sadly I have had so many bikes over the years that it would be hard to find any one particular to recall, however, a few years ago I swapped a 'ripe for restoration' Don Farrell frame for a ride in Tony Bianchi's Farrellac Allard.

Don was a cycle dealer based in Edgware and raced a Cadillac Allard until Mrs F crashed it (Brighton Speed Trials I think) and he rebuilt it in the back of his shop as the Farrellac. I bought a lot of gear from Don and because he new of my interest in motor racing he used to show me the car being built, so I have a history with the car.

I cycled from Barnet to Silverstone, Brands Hatch, Goodwood on a regular
basis on my Farrell back in the day.

Always with Campagnolo gears, five speed block and front changer, handlebar controls and Mavic centre pull brakes.

I was King of The Road!

[Mike Bell]

Thank you Bob, for the added Farellac history. Just love that car. Had no idea about the builder being a bicycle dealer- Did he make the frames himself?

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Thank you Bob, for the added Farellac history. Just love that car. Had no idea about the builder being a bicycle dealer- Did he make the frames himself?

Piqued my interest Mike.

http://www.allardownersclub.org/wordpress/?page_id=2675


Scroll down a few articles for something of interest.

[zefarelly]

I bought this car in 2003. this winter I've finally made a proper start . . . . I've never spent longer stripping the dash as its nigh on unique now and virtually irreplaceable as well as in excellent condition, a good clean, check and reassemble . . .unlike the shell, which requires a bit of repair work!

[Mike Bell]

Early car, Joe? Nice in the summer with the Webasto roof.....

[zefarelly]

Very Mike, one of the first GT's, strip speedo, I found it when looking for a decent race donor with Justine in 2003 . . it was early, and we kept it for a road car. Its been crashed heavily at the front but I have 2 new old stock front chassis rails and all the necessary panels, fortunately the A posts and bulkhead are all near perfect.

Should be stripped in a week or so and off for blasting . . . the roof was done by Allard of Croydon, the car came from Willment in Mitcham as far as we can tell.

[Mike Harte]

Joe, did the Mk1s have disc brakes?

[bauble]

[QUOTE] [/QAlways with Campagnolo gears, five speed block and front changer, handlebar controls and Mavic centre pull brakes.[QUOTE]

Due to advancing old age I perceive that I may have given an incorrect description of my 'gear', for as you have all probably spotted I refer to Mavic brakes!

It was kind of you chaps not to point out my howler on public forum. Mavic, as you know made wheel rims and these were fitted with Campagnolo quick release hubs, and it was Mafac who made the retardation devices.

Well one must be accurate for the sake of future generations.

Note to Max; Perfomance improving medication was a part of cycling in the fifties - nineties, it was what it was, right or wrong. Today Chris Froome and his rivals all use 'performance enhancing regimes', to gain the same advantage. It is only the science that has changed. Right or wrong?

Let's face it riding for three weeks over some of the toughest terrain the organisers could find would need something more than a bag of sandwiches and a bottle of orange squash, on a daily basis, and when it was how you earned a living! Well it should not come as a surprise that 'drugs' found there way into the sport.

When Stirling Moss won the Mille Miglia in 1955 he was on Benzadrine. Now if you wish to condemn England's greatest ever racing driver ...................

[bauble]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Joe, did the Mk1s have disc brakes?

You know Mike, I often wondered that myself.

[zefarelly]

early 1200's and 1500's had drums, all GT's and Lotus had P14 callipers/discs , then later P16's . . .all later aerflow MK1's had discs.

GT/Lotus had 9" rear drum, std 8"

next question

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

early 1200's and 1500's had drums, all GT's and Lotus had P14 callipers/discs , then later P16's . . .all later aerflow MK1's had discs.

GT/Lotus had 9" rear drum, std 8"

next question

What callipers/dics did they use on the Corsair? I only ask as that was what I fitted on the Anglias that I built.

[zefarelly]

THe Corsair is homologated with bigger pistons, so I'm pretty sure its P16's.

they need it as its like a Cortina LWB with a boot full of ice!

The biggest difference is P16 pads are easy to get in pretty much any material from cheese to diamond. P14's are only supplied by 'specialists' ( read ground down P16 pads @ £250 a set!!!)

[Colin McKay]

My first crash was when my Escort slammed into the back of a Corsair at a roundabout. He definitely had bigger brakes than me and the towbar didn't do the rad much good either. Singing along to Ruby Tuesday at the top of my voice at the time, funny how you remember these details.

[HRSTR5]

Originally Posted by Colin McKay

My first crash was when my Escort slammed into the back of a Corsair at a roundabout. He definitely had bigger brakes than me and the towbar didn't do the rad much good either. Singing along to Ruby Tuesday at the top of my voice at the time, funny how you remember these details.

I too have a crash/music combo that lives long in the memory .... just got off the ferry at Dunkirk, middle of a drizzly night, Mercedes G-Wagen and Dragon (racing yacht - not massive, but not small either!) en route to Gold Cup Regatta in Medemblik ... I wasn't driving, the owner was, but we didn't make the first corner .... probably a mile from the ferry terminal, jackknifed, turned truck round, folded trailer and the yacht ploughed straight on, now dragging us alongside backwards over the edge into the ditch, quite a big event, but fortunately the yacht, several tons of it, stayed on the bu**ered trailer and didn't roll on top of us. Ironically enough we'd secured sponsorship from Sally Lines, the ferry company operating into Dunkirk, they must have been well impressed... The music on at the time (loud) was Lour Reed: Take a Walk on the Wild Side!

The campaign didn't go well ...

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by HRSTR5

I too have a crash/music combo that lives long in the memory .... just got off the ferry at Dunkirk, middle of a drizzly night, Mercedes G-Wagen and Dragon (racing yacht - not massive, but not small either!) en route to Gold Cup Regatta in Medemblik..

Dragon class Yachts- not to be confused with Chinese Dragon boats! Think I'd rather trailer a race car, if you do a search there are pics of Dragons on trailers. Doesn't look very safe to me.....

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_(keelboat)