Category Archives: Vintage bicycle

700A Tires from the Land of Oz

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The Vee Rubber 700A tires I ordered from Velogear in Melbourne, Australia arrived today.  I was amazed at just how big they are – the official rim diameter for these tires is 642mm, as compared with 700C tires with a 622mm rim diameter.  They are also known as 28 X 1 3/8, not to be confused with 28 X 1 1/2, which have a 635mm rim diameter.  Their treads look beefy and well-suited for riding on gravel and rough roads.  And the tires appear well made, with no visible blemishes or anomalies.  Vee Rubber is based in Thailand, and I have tried out one other set of their tires, with no disappointments.

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I was riding my Vespa today, so strapped the tires to the back of the scooter to bring them to my shop.  Even rolled up, the tires extended beyond the luggage rack.

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A 650c tire fits completely inside these 700A’s with room to spare, and 44mm 650B tires look puny in comparison.

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I also purchased a couple of tubes.  Even with shipping to the U.S., the total cost for tires and tubes was under $100, thanks to the current favorable exchange rate and the low cost of the tires themselves.  As far as I know, 700A tires cannot be purchased anywhere in the U.S. or Canada.  However, there are some French shops that carry them, in addition to several in Australia.

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These tires are going to replace the corroded Dunlops on the 1920’s Griffon that I am (slowly) restoring.  With the arrival of the new tires, I am now more motivated to continue working on the Westwood style rims, which, although lovely, have enough rust to keep me busy for days.

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I suspect that once I get the bike mechanically sound, I’ll take it out for a spin before I complete all the reviving and cleaning of the painted and metal surfaces.  I am curious to experience what it will be like to ride on these big new tires, combined with the laid back angles of the bike itself, while steering it with its 76 cm wide bars, which are about twice as wide as the bars on most of my personal bikes.

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Should be fun!

When Vintage Components Fail

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While there is no question that the quality of many vintage bicycle components is superior to that of their modern day mass-produced counterparts, vintage components do fail.  Some failures are caused by design flaws, some are simply the result of fatigue and use over the decades, some are caused by improper adjustment or retention, and some by corrosion and exposure to the elements.  How can you determine when it is safe to continue using a vintage component?

Lyotard pedal thread and spindle failure, compared to newer version with longer spindle and more threads.

1950’s Lyotard pedal thread failure, compared to newer 1970’s model on the right.

Sometimes, you can’t.  While I was removing the 1950’s Lyotard Marcel Berthet pedals from a recent project, a small chunk of the threads from the left side pedal spindle simply fell to the ground.  This was after I had taken a test ride, before overhauling the pedals.  What if the spindle had broken during my ride?

Before I disassembled the pedals to examine them, I did some sleuthing.  I wanted to know how one can spot flaws and weaknesses in components before disaster strikes.  I found a good overview of metal fatigue failure at Open University’s Component Failure Museum.  There is a  specific section on their web site for bicycle component failures, including some interesting and scary crank arm, brake, and steel frame failures.  Metal fatigue results in a sudden, catastrophic failure after the initiation and growth of a crack at a stress point.  Is it possible to diagnose such a crack with the naked eye?  Perhaps not if you are not a trained materials engineer.  But, with some basic understanding of cycling mechanics and physics, at least one can know where the highest stress points are for a given component.

In this case, I wanted to know the highest stress point for a pedal spindle.  And, I wanted to know if Lyotard pedals in general, and Marcel Berthet pedals in particular, have had a history of spindle failure.  As it turns out, the answer is YES and NO.  Some Lyotard pedal spindles (namely model 460D) appear to have a history of sudden failure where the spindle breaks in the middle of the thickest part of the spindle, with no warning.  This particular model was ubiquitous in the 1960’s and 1970’s – I have accumulated a number of these pedals in a shop bin.  Some of the cages of these pedals have come apart, or are loose, so I haven’t re-used them and keep them around for parts.  Their spindles all look great, but that, as it turns out, may mean nothing, because the design of the 460D pedals, with their flimsy aluminum cages, may be the actual culprit.  However, the location of the failure on these pedals spindles gives a clue as to their highest stress point, which appears to be closer to the crankarm side of the cage.  Fortunately, I have never experienced a pedal failure while riding.

The highly regarded Marcel Berthet pedals have steel bodies, and shorter spindles than the 460D pedals.  Based on my research, that means they are less susceptible to failure. Steel and aluminum can interact badly with each other over time in a process called galvanic corrosion, so steel cages with steel spindles are a plus.

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The above photo shows the early 1950’s spindles, compared to their mid-1970’s counterpart.  You can see that the manufacturing process changed, and that the newer spindle looks pristine.  On the older spindles, there is brass residue below the base of the cone portion, and I am not sure why.  There are also grooves and striation marks in the area between the brass material and the cone section, as seen below.

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What does this mean?  And, why did the threads fall off upon removal of the pedals from the crank arm?

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1950’s pedal spindle

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1970’s pedal spindle

I think I know the explanation for the thread failure.  The 1950’s spindle has a very deep angled inset at the threaded end of the spindle, whereas the newer version has a much less deep inset.  I think the threads failed simply because there is not a lot of material at the end of the threaded portion.  When the weight of the pedal pulled it down from the crank arm as I was removing it, the threads broke off.  I think the spindles may be just fine, and there are plenty of good threads left to allow re-use of the spindles.  Fortunately, the cones and pedal bodies are still in good shape.

Based on some additional research, I have decided to clean and polish the spindles before reuse, photograph them, then plan to overhaul the pedals with greater frequency and examine the spindles during each overhaul to see if there are any changes to the appearance of the spindles.  While this might seem paranoid to some, it’s my well-being and perhaps that of a future owner of these pedals that is on the line.

Last Sunday, I witnessed a cycling accident that involved a rider on a new (I learned) bicycle.  She was unaccustomed to the quick response and grabby strength of her new braking system – short reach sidepulls – which have a lot more mechanical advantage than pretty much most vintage calipers.  She needed to slow down quickly, applied her brakes, and was propelled over the front of the bike, headfirst.  She was not wearing a helmet, and was pretty banged up.  This was another reminder of the importance of understanding all the elements of the bike you are riding.  Cycling is not the same as driving a brand new high tech car.  All cyclists need to be alert to safety issues involving their components, frames, and riding styles.

Early 1950’s French Mystery Mixte, Part II

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1953 Oscar Egg Mixte

I have dated this bike to the early 1950’s.  It is most likely a 1953 model, given the “53” code on the Fratteli Brivio (F.B.) hub cones, the “53” code on the Regina 4 speed freewheel, and the Simplex Tour de France rear derailleur, which matches visually to photos of other TDF models I have located dated as 1953 models (and includes a few features not seen on the late 40’s models).  However, there is also a “51” code on the Melas fork mounted dynamo, but an earlier date code for a component such as this doesn’t necessarily indicate the bike’s date of creation.

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Oscar Egg lugs. Note the small diameter tubes.

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I say “creation” instead of “manufacture”, as clearly this unique mixte, with its Oscar Egg lugs, was a custom build.  Unfortunately, there is no headbadge, nor are there logos of any kind present on the frame.  However, some barely visible white and orange paint artifacts still remain on the seat tube indicating the presence of transfers which have either faded or were removed.  And, on the headtube there is a shadow of what was once an oval or triangular sticker.

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The fork is likely not original to the frame.  Its brake reach is 7 mm longer than that of the rear brake reach, necessitating the use of longer reach Weinmann 810 sidepulls on the front (with the rear using a Weinmann 730).  In addition, the downtube shows evidence of a front impact, further supporting my theory that the original fork was replaced.  The fully chromed fork, although in beautiful condition, is not as nicely finished as the rest of the frame, with crude file marks still visible on the inside of the fork crown lug.

The use of a longer fork than original means that the headtube angle is slacker than originally conceived.  I measured it at 68 degrees, compared with the 71 degree angle of the seat tube.  According to this helpful guide from Damon Rinard, you can determine the effect of using a longer or shorter fork on your bike’s original frame geometry.  Conclusion: even fairly large length differences don’t matter all that much.  An 11 mm difference in fork length only changes the head angle by .64 degrees.  In this case, the slacker angle increased the wheel flop a bit, but the trail measurement of 58 mm and the wheel flop of 20 mm are still well within the normal range.

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Ideale TB 14 Saddle

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City style Scheeren bars, highly polished, with original grips

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Clement tubular rims

 

Fratelli Brivio (F.B.) hubs

Fratelli Brivio (F.B.) hubs

This bike is a study in contrasts.  It is built with top end, very light components.  As pictured it weighs only 22 lbs.  The use of the very best hubs available at the time laced to the Clement tubular rims indicate a rider who wanted speed and comfort, and was willing to pay for it.  The timeless Marcel Berthet Lyotard pedals include Christophe toe clips and leather straps, further evidence that the bike was meant for spirited riding. On the other hand, it has slack geometry, city style bars, and a heavy, but comfy Ideale TB 14 saddle.  It is also a larger mixte frame, measuring 55 cm x 55 cm, with a very long 109 cm wheelbase.  Although there are single fender eyelets front and rear, there are no rack mounts.  When cleaning the bike, I found evidence that a rear saddlebag support had been clamped on the seat stays.

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The Regina drilled 4 speed Model Fulgur 15-17-19-21 freewheel was an especially nice bit to find on this bike. The teeth show no wear, and with a little oil and cleaning, it looks and sounds brand new.  Some freewheels, such as SunTour and Regina, emit an incredibly pleasing sound, and this one is no exception.

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Simplex TDF rear derailleur mounted to the model specific Simplex drop out

After setting up Simplex TDF plunger/pushrod style rear derailleurs more than a few times, I have finally got the hang of it.  For this build,the derailleur responds extremely well and shifts as quickly as any modern derailleur, without any over shifting required.  Fortunately, I had the original chain, so I was not left to guess about chain length, and I think that helped a lot.  The new chain is a bit longer than I would have cut it if I had not had the original.

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Titan seatpost, gold lined lugs

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Favorit PWB (Prague Warsaw Berlin) crankset

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Highly polished stem, bars, and headset.

All of the components had been highly polished, even the Weinmann sidepull calipers.  Cleaning them was very easy.  The frame took more work, as there was a heavy layer of gunk over the paint.  The resulting sparkle was well worth it.  I was very surprised at how nicely even the silver paint on the stays cleaned up.  The bike really does look impressive.  An unusual feature is the curved rear stay, to allow the brake cable to lay flush against the frame.

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Curved rear stay

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Through the frame wiring for the fork mount dynamo, not yet installed.

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Flush mounted levers, Scheeren bars, Phillipe stem

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Simplex shifter with helpful cable stops

This was one of those bikes that I wanted to keep as original as possible.  However, the frayed brake cable housings had to go, as they were not usable.  I have a stash of vintage cable housing in various colors and from various periods.  I have found that this silver colored housing which I believe dates to the 1960’s has a really nice vintage-y look.  I had a length that was in good condition, so used it to replace the brake cable housing.  I decided to keep the shifter cable housing original.  Although the outer casing is cracked in areas, far less forces are exerted on shifter housing and the interior coils were fine, so I lubricated the original shifter housing and installed a new cable, which had to be sanded down a bit in order to fit into the Simplex shifter mechanism.  I did not install the Melas fork mount dynamo – it had probably failed long ago and was not useable.  I hooked up the pretty rear lamp, and will now try to source a fork mount dynamo from the period which has an integrated head lamp.

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I have yet to test ride the bike and to experience the tubular tires, the mounting and gluing of which not only expanded my knowledge (and possibly fried my brain), but made me feel glad to live in the era of high performance, supple clinchers.  Back then, tubulars were really the only option for comfort and performance.

I’ve got some friction in the rear brake cable, and I suspect I’ll also have a bit of noisy braking when I venture out.  So, there’s more effort still to make in getting this bike back on the road. It will be interesting to see how the bike rides, given its contrasting features.