Sheffield_Tiger
Legendary Member
Picked up this gem, sans-rear wheel. Done nothing to it yet other than put an old AW rear wheel on it and pump up the tyres....a long time since I've had the "pleasure" of pumping up a Woods valve..that will be the first thing to get changed!
I'm not quite sure which way to go with it. Because the AW hub I have on this old wheel has just about had it (or at least in need of a strip down repair which will be a first for me), the current idea is to take the Sachs coaster brake / 3 speed hub which seems SA compatible off a 26" (559) wheel and rebuild it onto a 26(590) x 1 3/8 size. This is where the quandry starts:
Do I go for originality and rebuild onto steel rims?
My thoughts are to screw originality and build onto alloy rims front and rear...but do I stop there? I could ditch the old steel hub and put a decent sealed-bearing hub on the front while I'm at it.
North Road handlebars and a replacement stem could be on the list, with a new brake lever (just the one for the front if coaster brakes are going on the rear) and a modern type SunRace/Sturmey STI-type shifter
A Dutch type frame/wheel lock would have to go on of course...I believe this bike might have already had one at some point.
And do I go the whole hog and have the frame stripped and powder coated..or keep with the "weathered" look and just rattle-can the luggage rack which is the only part that is actually properly scratched and scuffed? (The crown decorations are removable so no worries about losing those with powder coat)
Sparta Windsor - not sure of the exact vintage, guessing mid-70s
This will have to go.. as much as I respect homebrew parts. A 40mm square taper B/B and new chainset will be needed
It's obviously had coaster brakes previously as the mounts (used) are there, and the rear caliper brake doesn't match the front
Not keen on the bars - may not be original but some properly swept back North Road type bars would look so much better - would need a longer reach stem though to save hitting the knees with them!
I particularly like the continuous tube design, even if the frame does weigh the same as a Sherman tank!
I'm not quite sure which way to go with it. Because the AW hub I have on this old wheel has just about had it (or at least in need of a strip down repair which will be a first for me), the current idea is to take the Sachs coaster brake / 3 speed hub which seems SA compatible off a 26" (559) wheel and rebuild it onto a 26(590) x 1 3/8 size. This is where the quandry starts:
Do I go for originality and rebuild onto steel rims?
My thoughts are to screw originality and build onto alloy rims front and rear...but do I stop there? I could ditch the old steel hub and put a decent sealed-bearing hub on the front while I'm at it.
North Road handlebars and a replacement stem could be on the list, with a new brake lever (just the one for the front if coaster brakes are going on the rear) and a modern type SunRace/Sturmey STI-type shifter
A Dutch type frame/wheel lock would have to go on of course...I believe this bike might have already had one at some point.
And do I go the whole hog and have the frame stripped and powder coated..or keep with the "weathered" look and just rattle-can the luggage rack which is the only part that is actually properly scratched and scuffed? (The crown decorations are removable so no worries about losing those with powder coat)
Sparta Windsor - not sure of the exact vintage, guessing mid-70s
This will have to go.. as much as I respect homebrew parts. A 40mm square taper B/B and new chainset will be needed
It's obviously had coaster brakes previously as the mounts (used) are there, and the rear caliper brake doesn't match the front
Not keen on the bars - may not be original but some properly swept back North Road type bars would look so much better - would need a longer reach stem though to save hitting the knees with them!
I particularly like the continuous tube design, even if the frame does weigh the same as a Sherman tank!
