BSA Tour de France

[simon the viking]

Just the chain, bar tape, and bottle cage to do now, probably Monday. The Fragrant MrsP picked up the pins for chain tool today, but I won’t have time this weekend.

Your wife goes into your LBS... Are you sure thats safe?

 

[Illaveago]

WN8 is the frame number so October 1978 is the date of manufacture.

 

[EltonFrog]

WN8 is the frame number so October 1978 is the date of manufacture.

Mine is October 1976

 

[EltonFrog]

Your wife goes into your LBS... Are you sure thats safe?

It’s more likely that she would come out with a new bike than me, she has an account in that shop.

 

[EltonFrog]

I'm 'aving a right 'mare with the rear derailleur, chain's on, right length, front mech working fine ( which is a blumen miracle for me) but suminks up with the way I've got this set up. Pull the lever and the chain moves, let go of the lever chain goes back to the small ring. I WILL GET THIS SORTED. Off to the tube of you. Laters.

 

[EltonFrog]

I am a berk! They're friction shifters! the clue is in the name, I needed to tighten the shifter to stop it returning! D'uh!

It works! Hurrah and Huzzah!

EDIT: I'm having a cuppa to celebrate.

 

[stalagmike]

I am a berk! They're friction shifters! the clue is in the name, I needed to tighten the shifter to stop it returning! D'uh!

It works! Hurrah and Huzzah!

EDIT: I'm having a cuppa to celebrate.

This is good to know. I know when i eventually get round to building mine back up that I'll come across all sorts of troubles like this one.

 

[EltonFrog]

This is good to know. I know when i eventually get round to building mine back up that I'll come across all sorts of troubles like this one.

Are you referring to that nice Holdsworth from the tip?

 

[roadrash]

I am a berk! They're friction shifters! the clue is in the name, I needed to tighten the shifter to stop it returning! D'uh!

It works! Hurrah and Huzzah!

EDIT: I'm having a cuppa to celebrate.

and now you know something that you didn't earlier , that makes you the opposite of a berk, no one knows until they learn

 

[stalagmike]

Are you referring to that nice Holdsworth from the tip?

Yep. It's slow progress for me. Two kids under 8 mean that I don't get much time for doing the work. I'm getting good at buying all sorts of potions and lotions for the paintwork online, but the actual restoration job has kind of stalled!

 

[roadrash]

enjoy their childhood while you can would be my tip , the holdsworth will still be there later.

 

[EltonFrog]

and now you know something that you didn't earlier , that makes you the opposite of a berk, no one knows until they learn

True dat.

 

[EltonFrog]

It's finished!
​

This is what I started with.

This is what I was trying to achieve, (sort of).

This is what I ended up with.

 

[EltonFrog]

I mentioned up thread that there was a back story to this bike, if you're interested read on.

The bike was given to me by my neighbour 2 doors up, you may recall for those who were here a couple of years ago that I found her husband lying on the floor after a massive heart attack, another neighbour and me tried but failed to resuscitate him.

18 months or so later, I happened to be round the house talking to the widow, trying to borrow something when I noticed the bike in the garage, she told me it was her husbands and he had had it from new, to go to work on, and used it for quite a while. Anyway she said she was going to take it down the dump and said I could have it if I wanted it.

Anyone else's bike I probably wouldn't have spent so much time and money on it.

Anyway it was a really interesting project, a new experience for me, ( I did do the Dawes Kingpin, but I cheated a bit 'cos. the BB and the headset were done for me). I made a few mistakes on the way, but I got through them, the one mistake I made which I regret is selling the original wheels, I think I should have kept the hubs, refurbished them and had new rims put on.

I thoroughly enjoyed doing it, and I'm sort of sorry it's finished.

 

[biggs682]

@CarlP it's been an interesting thread to keep an eye on and well done in what you have achieved , how far have you actually ridden the bike so far ?
As i am sure you will enjoy it
Keep us posted on it's progress over the miles