26 Oct 2014: the crankset
The bike will have Stronglight Competition cranks. Stronglight was another French company that supplied the British market in the 1950s. Today, these cranks seem very old-fashioned. They’re (heavy) steel and … Continue reading
25 Oct 2014: more on gears…
Back from a long trip to Australia, and keen to make progress. While away I managed to find gear components made by the French Simplex company. Simplex gears were popular … Continue reading
21st Sep 2014: a start on the wheels …
A pair of Airlite large-flange hubs has arrived. They were produced by the British Hub Company, which was in business in Birmingham from 1904 into the 1960s. The Airlite was … Continue reading
19 Sep 2014: gears…
The most difficult part of the restoration… The bike will have derailleur gears, but they’ll be far cruder than the smooth 11-speed gearing found on modern road bikes. In the … Continue reading
8th Sep 2014: something to steer with…
I’ve managed to remove the old headset that came with the Ellis Briggs frame (essentially the chromed rings at the top and base of the head tube, which contain the … Continue reading
4th Sep 2014: no wheels yet, but…
… some very nice wing nuts to keep them on the bike!
1st Sep 2014: the first components
… are a pair of GB Superhood brake levers, which were widely used in the 1950s. GB (named after its founder Gerry Burgess) was a British company making some of … Continue reading
28 Aug 2014: the build begins…
I now have the heart of the bike that will take me from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society. It is a 23″ frame, hand-built … Continue reading
Old Bloke On An Old Bike 