Got into biking a few months now as a way of keeping me off the old biftas when I jacked in smoking.
Besides a couple of modern bikes I found this on an internet auction site:
It's a (circa) 1955 Harry Hall tourer. Hand built in a cellar opposite Manchester cathedral, it reputedly cost the original owner the equivelant of nine months wages. She rode it every weekend from Manchester to the coast of Yorkshire!
All I've done it sort some tubes out, give it a once over then taken it for the odd ride, including one of about 18-20 miles. It's great fun but hard work to ride (frame a bit small for me and it's a single speed) but I love it. I may restore it but the 'patina' is class as it is.
Besides that had a few more older bikes including a 1935 BSA I got recently. New tyres, tube and rim tape have sorted that along with a borrowed (from another bike I have) back wheel.
Some recent/very recent additions to the fleet:
This is a lovely old thing, really well made and may even be kept and used as a town/hybrid bike
The back wheel bearing things were hopelessly lose (now sorted) and the front tyre has a slow puncture but a quick service, a patch and some oil and it'll be right as nine pence I reckon.
This I got the other night. Again a nice old thing, quite light and it rides superbly, surprisingly so actually. Sidewalls on tyres are shot, might order some mingebag new tyres before I try and knock it on to someone. I 'accidentally' took the rack off and put it on the Peugeot though.
Got the new tyres for the Beezer the other day and started fitting them to the wheels yesterday. Did the rear one today and noticed the wheel has rusted through in a couple of places, but decided to press ahead anyhow so I could test ride the bike. MUFFIN McFAIL. The wheel was also seriously buckled, which sort of curse word on my chips a bit really.
However the next bike in line has a rear wheel exactly the same and the tube seems to stay up so it was duly lobbed on as it stood. Brucie Bonus as the brake (blocks) on the donator bike were new so they were fitted and now it stops on a sixpence. The test ride was MEGA. Nice ride, everything works and it flows along well enough.
Here's the bike that donated it's rear wheel and brakes. I would like to get this useable though, rather than just rob it for parts. Can't see it being a restoration job, just making it rideable will do for now. It was only £12.50 on eBay and the bloke delivered it as he was passing one day!
He also mentioned an old Raleigh he had which I bought sight unseen for the princely sum of a ten spot
The Brookes saddle has been 'borrowed' for the BSA as the seat on that is very worn. It's a shame because it's a lovely 'Leatheries' saddle (Brookes bought them out a later date) with a fantastic pattern on it so I might look into restoration costs for it.
The Raleigh is quite a nice bike beneath the surface rust, 3 speed Sturmey Archer and a dynamo front hub. Front tyre/tube seems to hold air, rear is knackered but I have a spare tube and maybe a spare tyre too now. I'd like to see if I can persuade the dynamo to start working again, and I have a set of drops somewhere which I might fit to it.
Oh, I also still have this frame
which I might well turn into a sort of olde worlde hybrid as it's incredibly light and I have a (much later) Triumph cycle to use for parts.
The Peugeot equipe was sold and then bought back as it was too big for the new owner so I'm going to do a bit more with that as/when time allows. Quite fancy putting panniers on it and have it as a grand tourer for a longer trip planned for next year
Besides a couple of modern bikes I found this on an internet auction site:
It's a (circa) 1955 Harry Hall tourer. Hand built in a cellar opposite Manchester cathedral, it reputedly cost the original owner the equivelant of nine months wages. She rode it every weekend from Manchester to the coast of Yorkshire!
All I've done it sort some tubes out, give it a once over then taken it for the odd ride, including one of about 18-20 miles. It's great fun but hard work to ride (frame a bit small for me and it's a single speed) but I love it. I may restore it but the 'patina' is class as it is.
Besides that had a few more older bikes including a 1935 BSA I got recently. New tyres, tube and rim tape have sorted that along with a borrowed (from another bike I have) back wheel.
Some recent/very recent additions to the fleet:
This is a lovely old thing, really well made and may even be kept and used as a town/hybrid bike
The back wheel bearing things were hopelessly lose (now sorted) and the front tyre has a slow puncture but a quick service, a patch and some oil and it'll be right as nine pence I reckon.
This I got the other night. Again a nice old thing, quite light and it rides superbly, surprisingly so actually. Sidewalls on tyres are shot, might order some mingebag new tyres before I try and knock it on to someone. I 'accidentally' took the rack off and put it on the Peugeot though.
Got the new tyres for the Beezer the other day and started fitting them to the wheels yesterday. Did the rear one today and noticed the wheel has rusted through in a couple of places, but decided to press ahead anyhow so I could test ride the bike. MUFFIN McFAIL. The wheel was also seriously buckled, which sort of curse word on my chips a bit really.
However the next bike in line has a rear wheel exactly the same and the tube seems to stay up so it was duly lobbed on as it stood. Brucie Bonus as the brake (blocks) on the donator bike were new so they were fitted and now it stops on a sixpence. The test ride was MEGA. Nice ride, everything works and it flows along well enough.
Here's the bike that donated it's rear wheel and brakes. I would like to get this useable though, rather than just rob it for parts. Can't see it being a restoration job, just making it rideable will do for now. It was only £12.50 on eBay and the bloke delivered it as he was passing one day!
He also mentioned an old Raleigh he had which I bought sight unseen for the princely sum of a ten spot
The Brookes saddle has been 'borrowed' for the BSA as the seat on that is very worn. It's a shame because it's a lovely 'Leatheries' saddle (Brookes bought them out a later date) with a fantastic pattern on it so I might look into restoration costs for it.
The Raleigh is quite a nice bike beneath the surface rust, 3 speed Sturmey Archer and a dynamo front hub. Front tyre/tube seems to hold air, rear is knackered but I have a spare tube and maybe a spare tyre too now. I'd like to see if I can persuade the dynamo to start working again, and I have a set of drops somewhere which I might fit to it.
Oh, I also still have this frame
which I might well turn into a sort of olde worlde hybrid as it's incredibly light and I have a (much later) Triumph cycle to use for parts.
The Peugeot equipe was sold and then bought back as it was too big for the new owner so I'm going to do a bit more with that as/when time allows. Quite fancy putting panniers on it and have it as a grand tourer for a longer trip planned for next year
