show us your vintage road bikes

[rhm]

I've just joined this forum, so, Hi!

Here's my Fothergill bike. Not sure how old it is, but it appears to be older than any other Fothergill I've encountered on the internet. So definitely from the 40's if not the 30's. Don't let the components fool you; I got it as a bare frame from Mr. Stone. I reconstructed the down tube decal from traces I found under the terrible repaint; not traces of the original decal, that is, but the traces of rust stains that surrounded the original decal. Where the decal had been, the steel was still shiny and bright, but the surrounding background was stained. I painted it myself, and am planning to have it properly refinished soon. So Tony, if you see this, please send me a private message so we can discuss decals.

 

[ChrisEyles]

I have aquired a frame & fork set but i cant find any numbers/letters or stamps, it does have a campag headset in. Any ideas please?? There is a square bracket on the back of the seat post 3/4 of the way up.
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Don't know if anyone has beat me to this, but I'm pretty sure that is a Cinelli Riviera frame - or at least the lugs and forks look exactly the same as those on mine (ca. 1960). Although its considerably lower end than the Super Corsa, mine rides very nicely indeed, so it's definitely worth doing up the frame

 

[rhm]

Don't know if anyone has beat me to this, but I'm pretty sure that is a Cinelli Riviera frame - or at least the lugs and forks look exactly the same as those on mine (ca. 1960). Although its considerably lower end than the Super Corsa, mine rides very nicely indeed, so it's definitely worth doing up the frame

I'm no Cinelli expert, but Cypher's bike doesn't say 'Cinelli' to me. My first question (to Cypher) would be: have you determined the bottom bracket threading? English, French or Italian? Second question would be, what's the seat post size?
I take it there's no lamp bracket on the right side of the fork; so that's a mark against English manufacture. The rectangular boss on the seat tube might be a lamp bracket; if so, that's a French thing.
ChrisEyles, since as I say I'm no Cinelli expert, and I've never seen a Cinelli that looks like Cypher's, I'd love to see photos of yours!

 

[Cypher]

This is cypher's brother. it is my frame.
Thank you all for your help in identifying the frame. I have found out using your help, the internet and a LBS, that...
The front forks drop outs are Campagnolo, the rear ones are possibly Campag (no stamping).
The rear dropout derallier thread and mud guard support bolt holes seem to be UNF, im not sure about th BB at the moment.
The bracket on the back of the seat post is a Pennine gas pump bracket.
The lugs are Ekla and possibly the seat stay spear heads.
I have removed the paint and found that at some point, possibly when the original customer bought the bike/frame, they had the pump hangers under the top tube and the gear lever support boss removed as there are remnants of brass weld at those points.
I have measured the seat post angle as 73deg and the headset as 75deg.
The frame weighs 2.6KG with forks.
I am planning to build the frame using any retro parts as i cant identify the make and model. i'll try and get it done before the Tour de France, as i would like to take it along to Leyburn.
My choice of colour is dark burgandy with cream white head stock and band on seat post tube.

 

[ChrisEyles]

ChrisEyles, since as I say I'm no Cinelli expert, and I've never seen a Cinelli that looks like Cypher's, I'd love to see photos of yours!

Just waiting on a new seatpost (the present one has been hacked off super-short), then I shall mount the old brooks B17 that was originally on the bike and get some photos up here as soon as we have a nice sunny day to take them.

Googling around you tend to find lots of pics of old Cinelli SC's, but comparatively few Riviera's (or mod C's, as I believe they're also known). Will also be curious to see if any of the experts on here can assist me in pinning a year on the frame...

 

[Spokesmann]

Finally got around to fitting a vintage Coloral water bottle to my Sun Snip Prestige...

Looks the part I think, and still usable.

 

[rhm]

Raleigh Lenton Sports from 1951.

 

[ChrisEyles]

Loads of wonderful bikes on here - congrats to all the lucky owners!

ChrisEyles, since as I say I'm no Cinelli expert, and I've never seen a Cinelli that looks like Cypher's, I'd love to see photos of yours!

OK then, here's my contribution - a late 1950s or early 1960s Cinelli - almost definitely a Riviera (or Mod C), from the digging around I've been doing online.

If I had to pick a fave component on the bike, it'd have to be the Lambert crankset:

But I'm also unreasonably fond of the quirky low normal Suntour Skitter and Spirt (sic - a typo of "spirit" in the factory perhaps?!) derailleurs:

The dating is not a precise science, but the size of the badge would put it sometime from the late 50s onwards (and the previous owner reckons this sounds about right)

 

[ChrisEyles]

This is cypher's brother. it is my frame.

Here's some detail of the lugwork on my bike - some of it looks very similar to that on the photos recently posted by Cyrus...

 

[ChrisEyles]

If anyone's got a better idea than I do about dating/IDing this bike, I'd love to hear from you! I did take lots more pics but am restraining the urge to swamp the thread...

Most importantly, it rides like a dream, and at the end of the day, a rose by any other name would still be just as much of a joy to ride

 

[rhm]

Very cool! I've heard of, but never before seen, the Suntour Skitter. Early slant parallelogram, eh? That's a fascinating device, incorporating new and old ideas side by side. But I thought "Spirt" was a misprint of "Squirt", no? Or perhaps "Spurt"? Or a play on the word " Sport"? Oh, what do I know. Whoever made that mistake, i'm sure his English was better than my Japanese!
I will peruse your photos and try to come up with something useful to say, to prove I'm not all snarky all the time.

 

[ChrisEyles]

The funny thing about the combination of the two derailleurs is that suntour made the skitter low normal so that the two down-tube levers would both move in the same directions to shift up/down... but then the spirt (sorry - spurt) is high normal, so my two down tube shifters are *both* reversed compared to normal... it's been a while since I've used DT shifters, and it took me ages to realise why something felt strange about this set-up!

I'm still pretty green when it comes to bicycle genealogy and historical technology, but acquiring this bike has definitely given me the drive to get into the subject and find out more.

Plus, as this thread amply demonstrates, vintage steelies are by far the best lookers!

 

[Cypher]

Chris your Cinelli is very nice. Its a lovely shade of red & the crank set really sets it off.
I see what you mean with the lug work looking similar.

YES VINTAGE STEELIES are the best lookers, more character.

 

[Bobtoo]

My 1982ish Dawes Super Galaxy.

P1050701 by RichardB5, on Flickr

I've not had it long but I think it's a keeper. It needs a good clean and service and I might try to replace some of the newer bits with period items- I'm on the lookout for a back wheel with high flange hub and concave rim to match the front. I now have the top and bottom of the early 80s Dawes range, the bottom being this one.

ATB not required... by RichardB5, on Flickr

 

[frank8265]

Just got this one home, a 1973 (?) Flandria
Nice project to keep me busy.