Retro Bicycle Thread

[HeyYou]

Can anyone with the knowledge please assist me? I want to buy a vintage bike. My height is 1,82 cm and my inseam in 89,5 cm.

 

Please advise what size Wilier Superleggera I must look at? Am I correct that the seatpost should a about a "fist" height above the top tube - not for sizing but to get the look right too as the seat tubes of the bikes of that   era where much longer creating a higher top tube than the modern bikes of today.

 

Assistance greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

Thanks Gerhard

 

Gerhard

 

I'm not disagreeing with LC, but at 182 cm (just on 6ft) I'd suggest a smaller frame, maybe 56/58. But then I don't know your riding style etc.

 

If you're in PE maybe contact Olffie1, here on the Bhub. He rides a 60/62 frame and I'm sure he'd be happy to help you out, seeing if they are a fit. I know he has a nice 59cm Daccordi for sale, but give him a shout.

[Loose cog]

That Daccordi is in VGC and would be a perfect fit! Recommend you make contact, if anything to see Olffie1's stash.

 

Agree with Heyyou, the trend over the past few years is to ride smaller frames than we road in the heydays. My ideal size is a 55cm per the traditional measurements but I can ride anything from 51/52cm to 56cm. I am 171cm. The smaller size allows me to use a higher seat post height and longer stem whilst the 56cm I need a shorter 80-100mm stem. I prefer smaller frames on the track and larger on the road.

 

I still do the old measurement of placing my elbow from the point of the saddle with outstretched forearm/palm towards the handle bars. The ideal length is when I can almost touch the bars with your finger tips. The bars being about 20-50mm lower than the saddle.

 

I am also most comfortable when I can just see the front axle over the bars whilst on the drops.  

[G e r h a r d Odendaal]

Gerhard

 

I'm not disagreeing with LC, but at 182 cm (just on 6ft) I'd suggest a smaller frame, maybe 56/58. But then I don't know your riding style etc.

 

If you're in PE maybe contact Olffie1, here on the Bhub. He rides a 60/62 frame and I'm sure he'd be happy to help you out, seeing if they are a fit. I know he has a nice 59cm Daccordi for sale, but give him a shout.

Thank you very much HeyYou. Regards Gerhard

[G e r h a r d Odendaal]

That Daccordi is in VGC and would be a perfect fit! Recommend you make contact, if anything to see Olffie1's stash.

 

Agree with Heyyou, the trend over the past few years is to ride smaller frames than we road in the heydays. My ideal size is a 55cm per the traditional measurements but I can ride anything from 51/52cm to 56cm. I am 171cm. The smaller size allows me to use a higher seat post height and longer stem whilst the 56cm I need a shorter 80-100mm stem. I prefer smaller frames on the track and larger on the road.

 

I still do the old measurement of placing my elbow from the point of the saddle with outstretched forearm/palm towards the handle bars. The ideal length is when I can almost touch the bars with your finger tips. The bars being about 20-50mm lower than the saddle.

 

I am also most comfortable when I can just see the front axle over the bars whilst on the drops.  

Thank you so much much Loose cog, you guys have really been a great help! Regards Gerhard

[Loose cog]

The greatest advise I can give you which you will thank me for one day is:

 

If you are thinking about buying and restoring an old racer from days gone by is, DON'T. 

 

It's highly addictive as Olffie1 will tell you.

[G e r h a r d Odendaal]

The greatest advise I can give you which you will thank me for one day is:

 

If you are thinking about buying and restoring an old racer from days gone by is, DON'T. 

 

It's highly addictive as Olffie1 will tell you.

Noted!

[JustPaul]

Hi Retro Bikers.

Is there any way to gestimate how old this steel frame is below ?

 

 I bought it at the flea market for a project, the seller told me its been hanging in a garage for over 30 years

 

 

 

 

[Loose cog]

I would say 60/70's. Brazed on pump holders, cotter cranks. Wheels and perhaps RD look to be later add on? Never heard of the brand and frame may have been resprayed. Hope you didn't pay too much!

[JustPaul]

I would say 60/70's. Brazed on pump holders, cotter cranks. Wheels and perhaps RD look to be later add on? Never heard of the brand and frame may have been resprayed. Hope you didn't pay too much!

Thanks , I paid R400 for it. The wheels is 26" so Im going to replace them with 700 c.

[Eppie]

This is a rare find as according to research very few of these frames still exist. These frames were first manufactured in 1973. A Speedwell Titanium "Ron Kitching". Ron Kitching was a key figure in the British bike trade from the late 1940s through to the early 1990s. He was also a keen long-distance cyclist. According to the frame number on the dropout PR1074017 the frame was manufactured in October 1974 (first for digits of number 1074) and the fork was manufactured in September 1975 (PR975016).

Unfortunately this frame has a crack on the bottom of the seat tube that was repaired, so no riding just for hanging on the wall. On the first photo on the down tube is a piece of orange and yellow decal sticker typical of the ones found on some Peugeot frames. This was stuck on to cover the repaired crack and the second photo is of the frame with the "coverup" removed. Just for a bit of Monday morning bike frame history  

[Loose cog]

Lovely find there Eppie! I say build it for gentle rides on a Sunday afternoon in the country.

[BuffsVintageBikes]

That Kitching is a great find. With the advances in titanium lazer welding I'm pretty sure that frame can be repaired to a usable state. I have a friend who lazer welds titanium spectacle frames, let me know if you need his details.

[Loose cog]

Thanks to a long weekend curtesy of our gov, I finally got around to finishing off my Peugeot PX10 or PY10. Feel free to enlighten me further to the difference between the P10's as the net's been contradictory.

 

Still need another Stronglight crank dust cap for the none drive side. Please check! note it is French threaded.   

 

Peugeot PX10

• Simplex RD, RD and shifters
• ​Mafac Racer callipers and levers (no hoods as yet)
• My favourite Belerri bars and Milremo stem http://velobase.com/ViewBrand.aspx?BrandID=e12f18d4-1476-4205-a234-402e531dc3bc
• Stronglight crank, BB and pedals
• Stronglight septa and Brooks Professional 
• Normandy large flange front and Gipiemme Record rear with Maillard Course 7s cluster.  

 

 

[HeyYou]

This is a rare find as according to research very few of these frames still exist. These frames were first manufactured in 1973. A Speedwell Titanium "Ron Kitching". Ron Kitching was a key figure in the British bike trade from the late 1940s through to the early 1990s. He was also a keen long-distance cyclist. According to the frame number on the dropout PR1074017 the frame was manufactured in October 1974 (first for digits of number 1074) and the fork was manufactured in September 1975 (PR975016).

Unfortunately this frame has a crack on the bottom of the seat tube that was repaired, so no riding just for hanging on the wall. On the first photo on the down tube is a piece of orange and yellow decal sticker typical of the ones found on some Peugeot frames. This was stuck on to cover the repaired crack and the second photo is of the frame with the "coverup" removed. Just for a bit of Monday morning bike frame history IMG-20170324-WA0013.jpg20170406_213006_resized.jpgIMG-20170324-WA0014.jpgIMG-20170324-WA0015.jpgIMG-20170324-WA0018.jpgIMG-20170324-WA0020.jpg

 

 

 SPEEDWELL TITALITE 1973 (LUIS OCAÑA)

http://cdn.vintagevelo.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/speedwell-1973-luis-ocana-300x290.jpg

A titanium bike built in Britain for Luis Ocaña’s 1973 Tour, which he won by 15 minutes (in the absence of Merckx).

http://cdn.vintagevelo.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/bic-cap-228x300.jpgVintage style BIC cap

Apparently it was Ron Kitching (UK parts wholesaler) who got Ocaña’s French Bic team to let him try it out  in the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré.  He then used the Speedwell on all the Tour mountain stages.

Early demand was high, but it was too expensive for the mass market.

[HeyYou]

Anyone recognise these legs???

 

http://d7ab823tjbf2qywyt3grgq63.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Kelly_v21.jpg

[Stretched@Birth]

Anyone recognise these legs???

 

http://d7ab823tjbf2qywyt3grgq63.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Kelly_v21.jpg

Loose Cog's? I know he has a bike like the one in the picture...? [emoji12]