On yer bike!

[Alexi]

That's true, I had forgotten about the latest from Reynolds, or things like Columbus Nemo, Brain, Genius, etc. Heck, my Bertoni is Columbus TSX, which is rifled and splined internally. I didn't even think about it. :eusa_doh:

In the 30s in France, a group of people started the "technical trials", which, instead of testing riders was meant to test bicycles. This lead to some great advancements in bicycles, and some of the participants were astonishingly lightweight. Rene Herse had a bike that weighed about 17.5 pounds including lights, fenders, racks, and a pump (and a bell). Alex Singer had one that weighed just over 15 pounds with all those things, but that weight does not include tires. These super light bikes were made just to win the trials and may not have been intended to withstand many years of hard riding, of course. But nearly all of them had steel frames, which leads me to believe that, even in the 30s and 40s chromoly was pretty advanced. Even with the extensively modified aluminum components, it would have been difficult to put together a sub-18 pound bike if it had an 8 pound steel frame. I'm not sure how much these frames weighed, but I'd guess the lightest ones almost had to weigh under 4 pounds, certainly under 4.5.

Some of those bikes didn't even survive the trials. I've seen those bikes, I've ridden a Singer, colour me unimpressed. I'm not drinking the velo-orange/bicycle quarterly kool-aide (well not completely). 531/SLX rides better then anything that was being made in the 40's and OSX Platinum and Spirit both ride better then 531. The new 931 from Reynolds is exceptionally light and virtually corrosion resistant, but a bit too stiff for what I like.

 

[Carlisle Blues]

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Well gentleman I am going to pull up a chair and get an education....very nice discussion :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Lamplight]

Some of those bikes didn't even survive the trials. I've seen those bikes, I've ridden a Singer, colour me unimpressed. I'm not drinking the velo-orange/bicycle quarterly kool-aide (well not completely). 531/SLX rides better then anything that was being made in the 40's and OSX Platinum and Spirit both ride better then 531. The new 931 from Reynolds is exceptionally light and virtually corrosion resistant, but a bit too stiff for what I like.

Many of the constructeur bikes were made of Reynolds 531, which was introduced in the mid 30s, when the Technical Trials began. I haven't ridden 531, in fact, here in Tennessee I've never even seen a 531 bike. I have owned a bike made from Reynolds 501 (which is seamed and, I believe, contains no manganese) and it rode very nicely. My Bertoni (Columbus TSX) rides very nicely, though racing bikes don't really suit me. My Univega is made from Tange Champion tubing and, at least for the way I ride, it blows away any others I've ridden. Of course, none of these things make as noticeable a difference as frame geometry and tires.

I was drinking the VO and BQ kool aid before I had ever heard of VO and BQ. But, I've also heard others mention rides on Alex Singers that weren't especially impressive. It could vary depending on many things. I'm sure some of those builders would make a dud occasionally. And also, most riders these days don't use their bikes the way they were used back then. I couldn't ride my Univega no-handed for more than 20 feet before I got the handlebar bag, but with the bag and a little weight on the front, it comes into its own. In fact, when I first got it I was rather disappointed with it. Joe Routens' bikes were meant for very rough roads and trails, and I've heard they don't ride very well on decent, modern paved roads. A Rene Herse may ride like crap without a handlebar bag and with modern, skinny tires. If a bike was designed to use 42 x 650B tires and it's mounted with 28 X 650B tires, not only will the feel of the ride change, but the actual geometry has been changed with "shorter" tires.

 

[Alexi]

weird I thought 531 dated from the 50's [huh]

I know people who have a deep working knowledge of bikes from this period as opposed to a purely academic knowledge (John Allis, Robert Celerie), the feelings I've gained from them is yes the bikes were built wonderfully for what was available but they would rather have something modern. I think John's favorite bike is his Ti Indy Fab.

I'm of the opinion that a bike designed to ride with a handle bar bag should ride well with or without a handlebar bag. I also believe a bike should handle well with a wide range of tyres. If you build a bike that only handles well with a loaded front end and 32mm tyres you are limiting the bike.

 

[Lamplight]

I'm of the opinion that a bike designed to ride with a handle bar bag should ride well with or without a handlebar bag. I also believe a bike should handle well with a wide range of tyres. If you build a bike that only handles well with a loaded front end and 32mm tyres you are limiting the bike.

I can understand that, but building a bike to accommodate a wide range of tires is going to have to compromise in some way. My Long Haul Trucker is a good example. It can do okay with 28mm tires or 50mm tires, but it's not exceptional with any sized tire. It does, however, come into its own when loaded with 30+ pounds of luggage. Unloaded, it's surprisingly stiff for a steel bike with the tires I'm using (35mm). It's also quickly obvious that the LHT was designed to carry most of it's load on the rear of the bike. It's still controllable with a good deal of weight on the front, but it handles best with a moderate load on the front, and a heavy load on the rear. Of course, I use it for commuting so it rarely sees too much weight, front or rear. But when it does, it excels, and none of my other bikes would do.

Another good example is my Bertoni. It's a race bike and nothing else. It has 23mm and I might be able to fit 25mm tires, but it would be very close. There is no good way to carry any sort of weight on it. Not taking into account it's lack of eyelets for racks, I've also used a large seat bag to carry my light jacket, hat, gloves, wallet, keys, etc. Just from that the handling characteristics changed. Not a lot, but enough for me to notice, and in a negative way. But I never expected it to take a load well, because it was meant to be ridden as fast as possible with a minimum of "extras".

My Univega is a good choice that lies somewhere between those two bikes. It handles curves almost as well as the Bertoni, but if needed it can also carry a little more weight, though not nearly as much as the LHT. It's not light enough to be as fast as the Bertoni, but it's considerably lighter than the LHT, even when the LHT is unloaded. It rides okay with 28mm tires, but I run 32mm and 35mm might be a hair too much (it doesn't have enough clearance anyway, with fenders). It came with slightly skinnier tires but with slightly taller 27" wheels, so the 32mm winds up being similar in overall height, perhaps slightly shorter. The head angle is just steep enough for fairly quick changes in direction, but the fork has enough rake to absorb lots of shock from the road (and of course moderately sized tires help even more). For whatever reason (possibly by design, possibly just from chance) it also happens to ride best with a moderate front load ... say, 6-10 pounds. It also rides fine with a little more weight, though too much and you start to get tired while riding in a straight line because the front end wants to wander. Before I got the handlebar bag, I was using my large seat bag, and without the extra weigh on the front, the bike's steering was a little twitchy. The Bertoni is like this, too, but it doesn't improve with weight added.
Basically, if I want to go as fast as possible (which is rare), I take the Bertoni. If I need to ride to work with a ton of extra clothes, lunch, etc., and pick up groceries afterward, I'll take the Long Haul Trucker. For everything the Univega is the winner. In a way it is my do-everything-well bike. But it doesn't do the extremes as well as some of my others. Incidentally, I've also ridden it off road quite a few times and it does great on dirt or gravel paths, but naturally a mountain bike is ideal when the going gets really rough.

 

[Alexi]

stuff

all three of those bikes are production bikes, and what you are saying makes sense. The LHT i have found really doesn't handle well unless you are very small or packed up for a loaded tour. Both the pacer and cross check are better designed bikes ATMO. however my hot tubes was designed/built in such a way that i can run 28-35 on it and it handles pretty similarly, throw on a handlebar bag and it changes steering slightly, but not too bad either way. It is a killer bike in everything from the D2R2 to bombing traffic in downtown boston. In kool-aid parlance it planes with a wide range of factors. heck i can run 23's to 27's on the cervelo and it does not effect handling too much.

edit:

strangely enough I think tyre choices plays more into ride characteristics then tyre size

 

[Lamplight]

Then you have a darn good bike, sir! It's funny you should mention the CrossCheck. When I got my LHT I had plans to do a lot of touring. If I had known I'd end up using it almost exclusively for commuting, I would probably have gotten a CrossCheck instead. The frame alone is at least a pound lighter, and with different geometry (probably better suited for riding in traffic). It even has enough tire clearance, too.

 

[Mike1973]

1936 cyclist clothes...

Found this while looking for pictures of leather jackets for a thread on outerwear

Bigger file here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29051501@N08/4463581930/sizes/l/

 

[kampkatz]

Thanks, Mike for the archaic 1936 article. What a different world now. I do appreciate the progress in bicycle and clothing technology.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

I have been looking for a vintage/vintage style delivery bike, for some time now, but they have all been ruinously expensive, and not in the Swan River Colony, so I jumped at the opportunity to "Buy Now" on ebay, ( in a neighbouring suburb) It is a 1938 Malvern star, an Australian made Cycle. It is so much nicer than it looked in the photo on EBAY, the young chap delivered it to me and told me about the Vintage cycle club he belongs to, they go for Vintage rides, so i may join in!, will post pix of the new acquisition soon.

I really will need one of these "Deerstalker" Bike helmets

http://www.bobbinbicycles.co.uk/Urbanize-Matte-Black

Story about Bobbins Bike shop

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelaccessories/7069436/Bobbin-Bicycles-Good-Buy-Guide.html

 

[BinkieBaumont]

Oh yes an awful fudge of a photograph, just pointing out, that my new bike can carry champers to any event in the Swan River Colony, oh I would love to sell a "Nip" of champers at Big events.

 

[Creeping Past]

my new bike can carry champers to any event in the Swan River Colony, oh I would love to sell a "Nip" of champers at Big events

Karl Marx used the Swan River Colony to illustrate a point about a shortcoming of capitalism in Das Kapital.

I'm glad you're proving that dreary little man wrong...

 

[BinkieBaumont]

Oh I jolly well wont be serving "Nips" of "Fizz" at Communist party seminars.

 

[greatestescaper]

I picked this Rudge up at an estate sale for only 20 bucks. It was quite the steal. If I recall it is a '59 and it rides like a dream. I ride it everyday to and from school 6 miles, and recently undertook that 5 borough bike tour here in New York.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

Sunday morning saw myself and only six (due to the poor weather) of the S.R.C Vintage bike Club, take a Turn around Lake Monger" we did one lap, stopped for coffee, and did a second lap and stopped for a picnic luncheon.

My Delivery bike gets to "Peddle round the pond" I always thought it was a "Malvern Star" but I had a few members of the club poking and prodding around and thinking it may be a BSA.

My Fault I forgot to say "Smile"

 

[andy richards]

Here's my 1945 Juncker delivery bike:

 

[BinkieBaumont]

Vintage Bicycle Display

Visited this exhibition here in the Swan River Colony a few weeks ago. The Cream coloured very stylish bike is Swedish and made of solid plastic. (very heavy)


[YOUTUBE]5eyi374WR2U[/YOUTUBE]

Held at the Historic Fremantle Arts Centre a former Lunatic Asylum built by Convicts

 

[Kostya]

Here's my 1945 Juncker delivery bike:

Do you know where I can get handgrips like that? I need replacements for my Phillips (English) roadster.

 

[andy richards]

Handgrips

Hi Kostya,

These handgrips are still available.
Here's the link. Just scroll down and you find serveral (new) sets of handgrips even in Bakelite. The store is located in The Netherlands though. If you find any difficulties contacting them, just PM me and I will help.

http://www.nostalgie-oirschot.nl/index.php?pagina=Oldtimer Fietsonderdelen

Andy

 

[Warden]

In this little video about a recent WW2 living history event, includes a small clip of my son cycling on his tricycle.

The trike had fell apart last year and was rebuilt,

[YOUTUBE]_NdW0qMKD-E[/YOUTUBE]