My Dad’s Old Don Farrell

[spinningfish]

Hello everyone!

My elderly dad has been rather ill of late, which has prompted us to help him clear his house and garden to make a useable space.

In his shed, I have rediscovered his old Don Farrell racer. I remember him riding this when I was a kid (I’m 44 now!) and would love to find out more about it. I’ve no idea of age.

It needs digging out of the shed, but here are some initial photos of it.

 

[Cycleops]

Don Farrell was a bike shop in Burnt Oak, Edgware. I used to visit sometimes from Finchley.
This would have been a bought in frame which he put his name on, he didn't build frames as far as I know.
Interesting bike, can't see from the pics enough to date it but would have been 60s/70s. No great value but would be a nice gesture to your father to restore it and get it roadworthy, if it's only a 'oily rag' resto. Might even get you into cycling if not already.

 

[Once a Wheeler]

This one shows what to aim for:

Click here for more pictures and details. Well worth bringing back to use again and certainly a collector's item if you prefer to sell it on rather than use it yourself. Maybe your own son would enjoy bringing Grandad's bike back to life one day if the project does not appeal to you.

 

[biggs682]

@spinningfish drag it out of the shed and get some proper picture instead of teasing us .
My guess would be early 80's but some of the components should have date codes which might help with dating it if they are original.
Are you going to use it ?

 

[spinningfish]

Thanks everyone!

It’s well buried, but I’ll try and find some time to exhume it next week.

The old man isn’t one for selling things, so it may be that I’ll try and recommission it and get it it roadworthy again.

I was telling my wife that I wanted to start riding again..z

 

[Cycleops]

@spinningfish Won't take much to get it up and running. You'll need new tyres and tubes, cables (inner and outers) and bar tape. Should be good to go for less than seventy quid, plus a good clean and some oil.

 

[Paulus]

@spinningfish Won't take much to get it up and running. You'll need new tyres and tubes, cables (inner and outers) and bar tape. Should be good to go for less than seventy quid, plus a good clean and some oil.

If he's lucky he might just need to give it a good clean up.

 

[Cycleops]

Yeahbut after all that time the tyres will be perished and probably won't have puncture protection and cables will be rusted, although he might try getting away with just doing the inners and plenty of grease. Whichever way it won't be an expensive job.

Edit: Looking on eBay I see there are Schwalbe Luganos 25 X 700c X 2 inc tubes for £35. Cables a few quid. Don't forget cables for brakes and gears are different.
Decathlon do some good budget tyres etc.

 

[Hover Fly]

Going only by what I can see on the gear lever pic, they could be tubular tyres.

 

[Cycleops]

Good spot @Hover Fly . Certainly could be looking at the pic again. So a case of finding some tubs at a reasonable price or new rims.