Life with a Vindec

[Cumisky]

Till now I have been hijacking an older thread but thought it was time my newest find got its own.
I found this Vindec Atlantic a couple of weeks ago in a local charity shop for £30 and, despite knowing zero about the marque, had to have it.
The internet is remarkably quiet on Vindec in general with only a few pages and scant information about them, though I'm not that surprised as at my age I should be able to remember them, but honestly don't recall ever seeing another, even back in the 70s when this was made.
I did intend restoring her, but after sticking new tyres on and going for a ride, I'm far too smitten to take here off the road, by far the most fun to ride in my stable of bikes by a long shot, if somewhat hard work given only 2 of her 3 speeds seem to be easily selectable, the granny 3rd gear is very much hit and miss.
Anyhow, I will be using this thread as a place to post pictures of our journey together, starting with a shot from this morning on a short 10km trip out to get flowers for my wife.

 

[mjr]

Looks good!

... if somewhat hard work given only 2 of her 3 speeds seem to be easily selectable, the granny 3rd gear is very much hit and miss.

Is the cable tension correct? Top of the indicator rod level with the end of its pipe in second gear? http://workingoncycles.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/raleigh-twenty-sturmey-archer-gear.html

What's the rack bag, please?

 

[Yellow Saddle]

That is one beautiful photo! Is that pannier specially designed for top hats?

 

[Cumisky]

Looks good!

Is the cable tension correct? Top of the indicator rod level with the end of its pipe in second gear? http://workingoncycles.blogspot.co.uk/2011/03/raleigh-twenty-sturmey-archer-gear.html

What's the rack bag, please?

I'm heading out now but plan on servicing her later today, will take a look and post back here.
As for the bag, we found it in the same shop a week earlier for £1 and bought it to go on my wifes Raleigh 20, but it looks far better on this.

 

[Cumisky]

That is one beautiful photo! Is that pannier specially designed for top hats?

Thanks, and I have no idea, it does however take a very large medium format camera with a full compliment of lenses, I took it on a 50km ride last week with all the kit and didn't even notice it.

 

[Globalti]

Lovely pic; are you a photographer or did you just get lucky?

Back in 1998 I worked as a temp in a bike factory called Comrade Cycles in Darlaston, near Wolverhampton. They made bikes for Vindec as well as for Brown Brothers, Elswick Hopper and a few other lesser-known names. Some of the cheaper bikes were heavy and badly made but the factory did produce some quite nice bikes too. As a matter of interest, is there any sign of the paint bubbling around the small drain holes at the ends of the forks? That was a paint oven problem they never really got round to solving; before painting the frames and forks were pickled and the pickling liquid used to boil in the oven and run out, ruining the newly-applied paint. I used to sit for hours sanding off the bubbles before the frame would go through the paint shop again - no doubt it was inefficiencies like that that brought about the company's eventual demise.

Edit: I've just found what I wrote on 4 May 2012:

In the factory where I worked the frames were dipped in acid, then washed in water, then passed through an oven to dry them. I think this was supposed to "pickle" the steel. The system was so crap that water used to collect in the ends of the forks and then once they had been painted, the frames would be baked again and the water would boil and bubble out of the drain holes ruining the paint! One of the jobs I had was to sit and sand off the bubbles then hook the forks back on the line for a repaint.
What amazed me in the 1946 film was the shots of blokes dipping their bare hands in the paint and getting covered in cutting oil and all kinds of other industrial fluids. Then the bloke taking the frames out of the hot bath and inhaling the steam.

Unlike the 1946 film, 90% of my factory colleagues were Asian. They used to nip into the drying oven and dump their chapatties on a shelf to warm them up. Several times a day the over-sensitive fire system would detect a fire in the electrostatic spray booth and the alarm would sound; if somebody didn't hit the "abort" button you had something like 45 seconds then to get out before the whole factory would be flooded with CO2. When the alarm sounded there was a mad hilarious rush for the exits and in seconds the shop floor was deserted like the Marie Celeste.

There was a manager called Mr Phillips who everyone hated on principle. One morning we came in for work and discovered that the overnight security Alsatian had been caught short on patrol and had nipped off a massive pile right in the middle of the packing area. Nobody wanted to clear it up so all morning we treated it like a roundabout. Just after lunch Mr Phillips emerged from his office with a job for me; spotted me languishing, raised his finger at me and headed straight in my direction with the pile right between us. I tried to warn him but he was so intent on speaking to me that he carried on in a straight line and the inevitable happened and he plonked his foot right in the pile; poor Mr Phillips just managed to avoid skidding arse over tip on his heel as the factory dissolved in roars of laughter.

 

[Cumisky]

Lovely pic; are you a photographer or did you just get lucky?

Back in 1998 I worked as a temp in a bike factory called Comrade Cycles in Darlaston, near Wolverhampton. They made bikes for Vindec as well as for Brown Brothers, Elswick Hopper and a few other lesser-known names. Some of the cheaper bikes were heavy and badly made but the factory did produce some quite nice bikes too. As a matter of interest, is there any sign of the paint bubbling around the small drain holes at the ends of the forks? That was a paint oven problem they never really got round to solving; before painting the frames and forks were pickled and the pickling liquid used to boil in the oven and run out, ruining the newly-applied paint. I used to sit for hours sanding off the bubbles before the frame would go through the paint shop again - no doubt it was inefficiencies like that that brought about the company's eventual demise.

Edit: I've just found what I wrote on 4 May 2012:

In the factory where I worked the frames were dipped in acid, then washed in water, then passed through an oven to dry them. I think this was supposed to "pickle" the steel. The system was so crap that water used to collect in the ends of the forks and then once they had been painted, the frames would be baked again and the water would boil and bubble out of the drain holes ruining the paint! One of the jobs I had was to sit and sand off the bubbles then hook the forks back on the line for a repaint.
What amazed me in the 1946 film was the shots of blokes dipping their bare hands in the paint and getting covered in cutting oil and all kinds of other industrial fluids. Then the bloke taking the frames out of the hot bath and inhaling the steam.

Unlike the 1946 film, 90% of my factory colleagues were Asian. They used to nip into the drying oven and dump their chapatties on a shelf to warm them up. Several times a day the over-sensitive fire system would detect a fire in the electrostatic spray booth and the alarm would sound; if somebody didn't hit the "abort" button you had something like 45 seconds then to get out before the whole factory would be flooded with CO2. When the alarm sounded there was a mad hilarious rush for the exits and in seconds the shop floor was deserted like the Marie Celeste.

There was a manager called Mr Phillips who everyone hated on principle. One morning we came in for work and discovered that the overnight security Alsatian had been caught short on patrol and had nipped off a massive pile right in the middle of the packing area. Nobody wanted to clear it up so all morning we treated it like a roundabout. Just after lunch Mr Phillips emerged from his office with a job for me; spotted me languishing, raised his finger at me and headed straight in my direction with the pile right between us. I tried to warn him but he was so intent on speaking to me that he carried on in a straight line and the inevitable happened and he plonked his foot right in the pile; poor Mr Phillips just managed to avoid skidding arse over tip on his heel as the factory dissolved in roars of laughter.

Awesome story!

As far as I can tell, this one dates to 1979 and is rust free everywhere, sure, it has scrapes on the paint here and there but nothing that has penetrated through to bare metal.
The paint finish is pretty good all over, far better than my wifes Raleigh of the same vintage, I was only saying to her yesterday that if they made bikes of this quality today I'd have one like a shot.
Even the chrome has survived well with no pitting.

And yes, I am a photographer though not usually of bikes, I have however set up a site www.bicyclejunky.com for my bike work, though it is a bit sparse at the moment, recent illness has kept me off the bike and away from cameras.

Thanks

 

[Cumisky]

Took my Schwinn Le Tour out earlier to get some pictures prior to selling it, my wife tagged along on the Vindec, so grabbed a few more shots of that too.

 

[Hugh Manatee]

I had a Vindec Trekker when I was in my early teens. It had 26" wheels with knobbly cyclo cross style tyres and a Sturmey Archer 3 speed on a twist grip shifter.

The standout feature were two heavy chrome fork reinforcements that ran from the head tube to each fork dropout.

I have happy memories of that bike!

 

[Cumisky]

I had a Vindec Trekker when I was in my early teens. It had 26" wheels with knobbly cyclo cross style tyres and a Sturmey Archer 3 speed on a twist grip shifter.

The standout feature were two heavy chrome fork reinforcements that ran from the head tube to each fork dropout.

I have happy memories of that bike!

It seems they also made an almost exact copy of the Raleigh Chopper, I saw one on Ebay recently and had to do a double take it was so similiar.

 

[mikeymustard]

View attachment 127880

Took my Schwinn Le Tour out earlier to get some pictures prior to selling it, my wife tagged along on the Vindec, so grabbed a few more shots of that too.

Nice picture of a lamp post!

 

[Cumisky]

[QUOTE 4271618, member: 9609"]As a teenager I had a 'Vindec Lightweight Racer', I think it was a 5 speed, had short racing mudguards, and it was faster than all my mates bikes. (think it was bought late 1975 for £70, which would have made it a £660 in todays money.)[/QUOTE]
There is one on Ebay now!

 

[gareth01244]

Your opening photo caught my eye straight away, really nice to see a photo of a bike taken that's more than just a record shot. The bike looks great and a bargain at £30. Liked looking through and reading your website as well.

 

[Cumisky]

Your opening photo caught my eye straight away, really nice to see a photo of a bike taken that's more than just a record shot. The bike looks great and a bargain at £30. Liked looking through and reading your website as well.

Thanks, I was stoled to get it so cheap.
[QUOTE 4272162, member: 9609"]Wow, thanks for that
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vindec-Bike-/262407863710?hash=item3d18ba3d9e:g:-uQAAOSw3mpXIGop
That is so close, mine was blue and silver and it didn't have quick release on the front, apart from that there is a lot of stuff on that bike I remember, that thing on the front forks (light?) the pedals, I actually remember them (I had toe clips fitted) the way the rear brake cable is clipped to the top bar and the way the pump is hung. A real trip down memory lane for me - thank you.[/QUOTE]
I have become a bit of a Vindec addict now, looking for one for my wife, there is a nice womans model on Ebay but sadly collection only and too far away to be viable.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Thanks, and I have no idea, it does however take a very large medium format camera with a full compliment of lenses, I took it on a 50km ride last week with all the kit and didn't even notice it.

You are a man after my own heart, I'd love to take my Hasselbad for a spin on that!

Ok, so not large format, but it will be able to be wrapped up more!