Thought I'd post this up for the vintage lovers, it's a little bit mysterious in that it's a BAR model (the enthusiast who supplied the transfers has the original order book it would seem) finished in flamboyant green and supplied to a dealer in N.Yorks IIRC in 1957. However I've not seen this model with track ends and the mudguard eyelets are in the wrong place at the rear for a Bates so it's a little odd (bearing in mind that it has never been re-finished) - custom order with it spec'd this way perhaps? I'd be interested in opinions. It didn't have a deraileur hanger but it did have a d/t stop and cable guide on BB shell, however these were brazed on quite crudely so I can't believe that this came from the factory like that. Perhaps it was modded and refinished quite early on in its life.
Anyway, it looked like this when I got it:
Finish still looked green on the fork steerer hence I'm assuming that the original finish. It needed new pencil seat-stays, which I fortunately was able to find NOS, and then just a bit of TLC including: building up fork crown (it was worn away), reaming seat tube (seat lug a little deformed), filing out dropouts to take modern 10mm axles, check tracking, and filling a few dents. Decided to keep it totally original in terms of chroming, colour and transfers etc. but build it up with modernish components so that I can ride it without worries about reliability and things like brakes being woefully inadequate for todays traffic levels.
Kit fitted as follows:
Wheels are DIY build using NOS rigida rims (27" alu), on sys-ex track hubs with DT double butted spokes.
NOS Sugino 48t fixed ring crankset & BB
Random seatpost (note purple seatclamp for hipster style bling!)
Selle regal saddle
Tange steel headset
Nitto randonneur bars and technomic stem (not on photo)
Cheapo old style levers with new cane creek replacement hoods
Campag brakes (possibly record?) with 43-53mm shallow drop - not much clearance even with 27"x1" tyres which leads me to think that maybe it was built for sprints?
Finally, MKS pedals/clips/straps, KMC-510 chain, EAI 19t sprocket.
Got the brakes and cabling (white outers!) installed last night and there's some faux leather white bar tape (Charge) to be fitted this evening.
The ride is something special - not at all what you'd expect from a 50 year old frame. It's a very stiff frame that invites you to ride hard and the steering is responsive to match, it's not far off riding a far more modern geometry frame but steering still relaxed enough to feel at ease with gentle pootling.
Anyway, it looked like this when I got it:
Finish still looked green on the fork steerer hence I'm assuming that the original finish. It needed new pencil seat-stays, which I fortunately was able to find NOS, and then just a bit of TLC including: building up fork crown (it was worn away), reaming seat tube (seat lug a little deformed), filing out dropouts to take modern 10mm axles, check tracking, and filling a few dents. Decided to keep it totally original in terms of chroming, colour and transfers etc. but build it up with modernish components so that I can ride it without worries about reliability and things like brakes being woefully inadequate for todays traffic levels.
Kit fitted as follows:
Wheels are DIY build using NOS rigida rims (27" alu), on sys-ex track hubs with DT double butted spokes.
NOS Sugino 48t fixed ring crankset & BB
Random seatpost (note purple seatclamp for hipster style bling!)
Selle regal saddle
Tange steel headset
Nitto randonneur bars and technomic stem (not on photo)
Cheapo old style levers with new cane creek replacement hoods
Campag brakes (possibly record?) with 43-53mm shallow drop - not much clearance even with 27"x1" tyres which leads me to think that maybe it was built for sprints?
Finally, MKS pedals/clips/straps, KMC-510 chain, EAI 19t sprocket.
Got the brakes and cabling (white outers!) installed last night and there's some faux leather white bar tape (Charge) to be fitted this evening.
The ride is something special - not at all what you'd expect from a 50 year old frame. It's a very stiff frame that invites you to ride hard and the steering is responsive to match, it's not far off riding a far more modern geometry frame but steering still relaxed enough to feel at ease with gentle pootling.
