Aussie bike project

[All uphill]

I regularly pop into our excellent local bike project; usually there is nothing to tempt me, but today there was a bike I just had to have.

10.2 kg of 1975 Australian singlespeed steel.

SJH was apparently a respectable Sydney bike building company from the 1930s to around 1990.

 

[All uphill]

I've spent a couple of hours going over the bike.

Good things
- the seatpost is free
- the headset is free and smooth
- with the saddle set properly on the seatpost it is a perfect fit for me
- the BB is smooth
- the tyres are good, Panaracer Pasela's.
- the chrome is in very good condition for a 50 year old bike. Just a few rust dots around the BB.
- wheels are true and rims show little wear.

Things needing attention;
- the modern pedals are gritty
- the Weinmann brakes are very weak.
- there is noticeable play in the rear wheel bearings
-the crankset is horrible
- the fork is about 8mm displaced laterally. Checked with a known good wheel the offset is noticeable.

I have a few options in mind for this bike:

1 Tidy it up and enjoy it around town
2 Rebuild the rear wheel with a SA 3 speed or Alfine hub so I can get up hills.
3 Put on mudguards and a geared hub making it my third "do everything bike"

I'll be interested in your thoughts and suggestions.

 

[Drago]

Interesting project, watching with interest.

Sort out that lug lining though. Nothing worse than poorly executed lug lining.

 

[All uphill]

Interesting project, watching with interest.

Sort out that lug lining though. Nothing worse than poorly executed lug lining.

It's dreadful, isn't it?

 

[Drago]

It's dreadful, isn't it?

The good news is a bike perviously owned by Stevie Wonder should be worth a few quid.

 

[ColinJ]

I would go for option #1 plus mudguards and a lightweight rack.

If you can keep your spend low enough then perhaps you would be willing to risk using it on shopping trips and not worrying too much about leaving it locked up in public? (I made a cheap singlespeed years ago and that is the only bike I leave unattended when I am out.)

 

[All uphill]

I would go for option #1 plus mudguards and a lightweight rack.

If you can keep your spend low enough then perhaps you would be willing to risk using it on shopping trips and not worrying too much about leaving it locked up in public? (I made a cheap singlespeed years ago and that is the only bike I leave unattended when I am out.)

Good ideas, Colin.

Mudguards are a must, I think.

The photos don't show just how shiny the chromed frame is; definitely not a bike that will go unnoticed.

Apparently the guy who built these had a good reputation as a frame builder, but his painting skills were dire, as you say @Drago ,so it will be cleaned off the lugs and downtube.

 

[raleighnut]

I've spent a couple of hours going over the bike.

Good things
- the seatpost is free
- the headset is free and smooth
- with the saddle set properly on the seatpost it is a perfect fit for me
- the BB is smooth
- the tyres are good, Panaracer Pasela's.
- the chrome is in very good condition for a 50 year old bike. Just a few rust dots around the BB.
- wheels are true and rims show little wear.

Things needing attention;
- the modern pedals are gritty
- the Weinmann brakes are very weak.
- there is noticeable play in the rear wheel bearings
-the crankset is horrible
- the fork is about 8mm displaced laterally. Checked with a known good wheel the offset is noticeable.

View attachment 749365

I have a few options in mind for this bike:

1 Tidy it up and enjoy it around town
2 Rebuild the rear wheel with a SA 3 speed or Alfine hub so I can get up hills.
3 Put on mudguards and a geared hub making it my third "do everything bike"

I'll be interested in your thoughts and suggestions.

I don't think I've ever seen a brake so badly misaligned and adjusted.

 

[Gunk]

the Weinmann brakes are very weak.

stripped, cleaned and serviced and Fitted with modern pads they’re excellent

 

[All uphill]

stripped, cleaned and serviced and Fitted with modern pads they’re excellent

Thanks, that's good to know. Now I known that they'll be staying (probably).

A quick look shows the pads are like wood - hard and inflexible.

 

[raleighnut]

I may be wrong but looking at the colour of the pads they're for steel rims, do they have a 'fabric' element embedded in the pad materiel ?

 

[All uphill]

I may be wrong but looking at the colour of the pads they're for steel rims, do they have a 'fabric' element embedded in the pad materiel ?

They do.

 

[All uphill]

I've done a few jobs today to check that this is a viable project.

I supported the fork crown and put a block of wood between the top of the tines, so that applying some lateral force at the drop outs would bend the tines without stressing the brazing of the crown. I put a threaded rod with nuts between the drop outs ( to maintain spacing) and applied pressure. After a few attempts the wheel sits nicely central. That's a big win!

I've replaced the brakes with some Tektro R369s that I had spare from a previous project. Just waiting for some blue outers for the cables.

Using some IPA I've removed the layer of old varnish on the frame letting the chrome really gleam, and giving me access to start removing the horribly amateurish paintwork.

Pictures tomorrow.

 

[raleighnut]

They do.

In that case they're for steel rims in wet weather, they'll 'eat' ally rims in weeks

 

[All uphill]

Progress.

Pedals serviced. They now turn smoothly.

Brakes replaced, but not yet connected.

Here's the fork before and after.

Before

After