-
Wow Bill! What a great story! And glad you found this link as well, it's good to share and collect this information.
I was riding the Jim Guard in Winchester recently, and was stopped checking a map. A passing cyclist on an old Raleigh stopped to see if I needed help and we obviously got chatting about bikes. He knew Jim Guard and his shop, in the 80's.
Took the bike on a VCC ride yesterday. It was a 'Rotrax Ride', but as I don't (yet) have a Rotrax I thought the Jim Guard was a worthy alternative. Great little ride, but was rather annoyed to loose the cover off my gear selector ... Anyone got a spare?
Great VCC Rotrax ride today, but lost the cover of my Cyclo Ace gear shift! Only noticed at the lunch stop ... Gutted! Anyone got a spare? by zombikombi1959, on Flickr -
Thanks chaps.
Took the Jim Guard to the Cycling Festival at Brooklands on Sunday. Even attempted to get it up Test Hill but only managed to get half way! Not low geared enough, and ended up pulling the rear wheel out of true and it rubbed the chain stay. Would like to think I made it to the 1:4 section, but in reality I think the 1:5 stopped me!
There was one little stall selling a few nice bike bits, and I picked up a large Millar bell for a fiver (same as the Lucas 'Challis'), and this lovely little Constrictor lamp bracket for £6.
We rode there from my friends in Ash Vale. Averaged 14mph over the 33 mile round trip, which for a sluggard like me was good going!
-
Posted a photo up on my local history page on facebook, and got some great replies. I'm adding them here just to keep everything in one place, as it's so easy to loose stuff on facebook.
Keith Davidge worked for Jim in the late 50's and said the frames were built by Fred Dean. Now Fred worked for Claud Butler, then set up his own shop after CB went bankrupt in 1958?
http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/builders/fred-dean-builders.html
https://www.facebook.com/SouthamptonMemories
Jim Widgery
Spent many hours in the shop on saturday afternoons with other club cyclists. I had an all chrome "Jim Guard" track frame.
I am on the race results on the build thread.Valerie Davidge
Jim Guard had his own very successful cycle shop in Southampton which I frequented often. He was my next door neighbour for a decade and a respected racing cyclist (with his wife) in the Southampton Wheelers.Jim and Olive Guard taught me how to do a TT feed station in the early 60's. As I said, they were our next door neighbours. I also came from a cycling family - the Ayley's - and had just bought my first bike. I sat in Jim and Olive's kitchen one Saturday evening making and packaging tiny sandwiches. Early the next morning we were out there at the Southampton Wheelers 100 in the feed station and I was involved in cycle racing ever after.
I notice on a thread via a link here that Susan has been quoted from Australia. It's a shame those comments cannot be linked here. My husband, Keith, used to work for Jim Guard on Saturday afternoons and I think other times as well. All the local crowd (well those not at Rotrax!) congregated there on Saturdays and talked about the upcoming events. The shop was a hub of information and gossip.
I might stand corrected here as going on distant memory but I think Olive was the most successful in racing than Jim. I believe she was on the BBAR winning team once but I might be completely wrong. She also used to cycle to work every day and back - both of them home to lunch too. It was years before they got a car.Keith Davidge
Jim Guard was probably the main cause that I caught the life long terminal interest in cycling & cycle racing. As a 14 year old in 1958 I spent hours peering into the window of his Bitterne Manor shop.
During my teen years I was fortunate to work in this shop as part time help where I learned so much about the trade & sport (not much call for custom made wheels these days though!).
Jim was always a great source of advice & guidance to me, he may even have had an influence on me marrying his next door neighbour. His shop was as much a clubroom for the local racing fraternity as a shop, on any Saturday club cyclists would drop in for a cup of tea , the kettle was always on in the workshop.
Jim was also a visionary in that he started an independent team (Pete Glasspool,Mike "Spike" Lewis & Brian Abbot) who road the magnificent & striking white frames with red,white & green seat tube panel. I raced as a junior on a team copy & had my first road race win on it.
His frames were common place in the Southampton & surrounding area, they were actually made by Fred Dean in London but the local identification was undeniable. The bike in the picture is a very early example. -
These turned up today, can't wait to fit them on the bike! Thanks Bigblock :-)
-
Gosport Park cycle track by zombikombi1959, on FlickrSocial ride last Sunday that took in the old cycle track in Gosport Park. (Note new bell position, much better!)
-
Provisionally SOLD :-)
-
I have a '46 Raceweight, lovely machine to ride. Look forward to following progress.
1946 Hobbs of Barbican by zombikombi1959, on Flickr -
Cheers Ed. Yep, saddle has slowly gravitated to the correct position!
A quick break down of the costs involved in this project.
£155 - Bike (ebay)
£29 - front and rear wheels (ebay)
£16.50 - Kenda Tyres (ebay)
£1.00 - inner tubes (Ripley cyclejumble)
£1.00 - Pump (friend)
£1.00 - Old cable liners (friend)
£30.50 - B17 saddle (ebay)
£2.00 - GB toe clips (friend)
£10 - Eroica alloy bottleAnd a few things from my parts draw or robbed off other bikes - bottle cage, Lucas bell, Binda toe straps, saddlebag and support, wheel wingnuts.
-
I had ridden the Jim Guard for the first time on my short 5 mile commute to work on Friday morning. I was very surprised to find it was very well behaved machine, and all I did was fettle with the saddle a little, everything else worked fine, apart from the chain coming off when I changed gear. I fixed this at Eroica, it just needed the 'stop' on the cable adjusting. Back home at lunchtime then it was chucked in the back of the Kombi and off for the 200 mile run to Bakewell!
I tried talking my nipper into doing the 55 mile ride, but in the end we both did the 30 mile route. He left me for dust within the first mile and I didn't see him again until the finish. Here's the Jim Guard at the last food stop. I really fell in love with it on the ride, it was a joy to peddle along. Looking forward to putting more miles on it now! I still walked up a few hills as I was worried I could break something under the strain, and also the close ratio racing gears weren't really ideal for hills.
The bottle cage was picked up years ago for £15. The bottle was acquired at Eroica for a tenner. It was the last one on the shelf in the registration tent!
The old saddlebag isn't doing the bike any favours here, but apart from that looking pretty good. I had mounted an old Lucas challis bell by the brake lever, but it was in the way here. I've since mounted it on the handlebar stem and it's perfect there.
The Jim Guard at Eyam on the Eroica 30 mile route by zombikombi1959, on Flickr
Cake Stop! by zombikombi1959, on Flickr -
Well, I don't want to get too sidetracked with Eroica Britannia on a project thread, so I'll just point you to my flickr album and let the photos do the selling. It was a fantastic event, far exceeded my already quite high expectations for it. Part of me wants to keep quiet about it though, so it doesn't snowball out of control! Who would have thought an event for vintage racing bikes would be so popular ... ?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/29051501@N08/sets/72157645370333785/
fancy lugs by zombikombi1959, on Flickr
Best moustaches line up by zombikombi1959, on FlickrThis was 'Best Facial Hair' I think ... I was picked out of the crowd and told to get up on the stage! The guy who set up Movember, JC, only judged us on moustaches though so I was out of the running, bugger! Some fantastic whiskers on display though!
Eroica camp field by zombikombi1959, on Flickr
Eroica startline by zombikombi1959, on Flickr
Paddy taking in the view by zombikombi1959, on Flickr -
Just stuck this on ebay - £75
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=181465771062
-
Great bit of history from Jim Guards daughter, can't believe how much info has come out of the woodwork.
Jack, lovely bike. Interesting to see how the Jim Guard transfers changed over time from script to block type. I really hope ours are not the last two! In fact I know they aren't. One chap came up to me at Eroica and recognised it, and said he had one as well. So that's three so far!
-
Fantastic, thanks Simpson! Good to put a face to the name. Love those jerseys too. I'm guessing it's late 60's? Maybe early 70's?
And thanks for the pm ;-)And also another little gem arrived yesterday as well, very kindly sent to me after an appeal in my local history groups newsletter (Bitterne Local History Society) by Terry Pook.
From the book "Hampshire Heritage, a Look Back through the Decades, Series 2", which is a compilation of Keith Hamilton's pages from the Daily Echo newspaper. (Just click on the image to go to a larger version in my flickr, don't go blind trying to read it on here)Amazing that my bike has a connection with the first flight of the prototype Spitfire 'K5054' in 1936, another 'local machine' built a mile away from where I'm sat. Jim worked for Supermarine and was given the job of fitting all the electrical wiring on the prototype, and watched it's first flight at Eastleigh Airport.
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5585/14602391884_9676992702_c.jpg
Jim Guard Cycles article by zombikombi1959, on FlickrApologies for the crappy instogram, but the Jim Guard outside the the old shop taken last week.
https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3882/14532523213_d4f4616545_o.jpg124 Macnaughton Rd, Jim Guard Cycles by zombikombi1959, on Flickr
-
Back on it's wheels again. Tyres are Kenda 26" x 1 1/4" off ebay, £16.50. Inner tubes from Ripley cyclejumble, 50p each.
The original saddle had a couple of defects from its decades of neglect so replaced with another B17 off ebay. An 'OK' one for £35. Suitably vintage aluminium pump for a quid off a mate.
Taking shape ... by zombikombi1959, on FlickrI had looked into re chroming the cranks and chainwheel ... I'm glad I didn't go down this route now, they would have looked out of place with the rest of the bike.
Chainset by zombikombi1959, on Flickr
Cyclo Ace by zombikombi1959, on FlickrAnd all in one piece, the night before leaving for Eroica Britannia! Apologies, these were late night evening sessions in the back yard, not really good for photography.
The brakes went back together a piece of cake. Not so trying to reuse the old cables in slightly less worn out liners ... That was a ball ache, but we eventually got there with a bit of perseverance and WD40. The cable outers are held on with some sort of cloth tape I couldn't identify. It looked like it had always been on the bike through so I was keen to replicate it. I used leftover black handlebar tape, it was close but not as tough. I've since found out this stuff is called 'amalgamating tape', and is what you use on old wiring looms. (You can see it in a few of the photos, holding on the gear and brake cables)
Time for another cuppa by zombikombi1959, on FlickrIt would get a quick run to work in the morning, before leaving for the 200 mile trip to Bakewell in the afternoon.
Apologies for that nasty orange bottle. Pre Eroica it's all I had. I keep an eye out on ebay for Colorals and the like, but I never find them for 'cheapskate' prices. The bottle cage came from Neil Foddering a few years ago, a steal at £15. I should have bought more ...
-
What's the tab just above the butterfly nut on the seat stay for... Pump?
They are for the mudguard stays Gandalf. Someone went into more detail with me about them at Eroica Britannia, but all of it has left my head since then.
-
So, time to clean up these cheap ebay wheels before fitting them. Spokes were clean and not a speck of rust, wheels ran true ...
A recent eBay purchase by zombikombi1959, on FlickrRims just got a quick scrub to get rid of the oxidation.
Then the hubs got a wipe over. I was rather surprised to see a faint BW stamp on the rear ... That was unexpected - so they looked to be a pair of Bayliss Wiley hubs ...
eBay score. by zombikombi1959, on FlickrThen when the crud was scrubbed off the freewheel unit this little beauty was revealed ...
Cyclo Type B by zombikombi1959, on FlickrWhat a result! A "CYCLO" Type "B". I've had no idea what a Type "B" was for, (I still don't) but a Cyclo 3 cog freewheel to go with the Cyclo Ace gearing ... I was chuffed to little bits. And those later Weinmann rims didn't look half as bad as I thought they would. In fact I very much doubt I'll get around to swapping the Dunlop aluminium rims over now.
One weird thing that I've not seen before now, and I only noticed when I cleaned the rear hub. The hub is a 40 hole. The Weinmann rim is 36 ... if you look at the middle photo you'll spot the offending holes. Wheel is straight and true, and coped with the 30 mile Eroica course. It's a clever bodge!
And in situ, with the original chain. I was worried the chain was too far gone - several links had seized solid. It took a lot of work to free them all off but we got there in the end.
Bayliss Wiley rear hub by zombikombi1959, on Flickr
Cyclo Ace by zombikombi1959, on Flickr -
Cheers Rabbit. Yeah, Eroica was a blast, definitely going to do next year!
-
The Real Deal, not a Pashley recreation of a '20's racer ... But the Guv'nor is a name that suits it just as well.
Light Roadster (Unknown maker) by zombikombi1959, on FlickrNot sure on the maker of this machine. The frame and flatter profile mudguards look to be early 1920's vintage, and the frame has a 3 digit frame number by the seat post. North Road handlebars are chrome plated (generally post 1930) and marked 'Phillips'. If it was built by Phillips, I would assume it would be fitted with a branded chainwheel as well. I think these have been added around 1930, to an earlier machine.
I've owned it for 15 years, and use it occasionally, once on a 50+ local VCC ride. I enjoy riding it, but am more into vintage lightweights, rather than rod braked roadsters. It rides fine, but could co with a sympathetic overhaul. Chain is worn, as are the brake blocks. Nothing serious. It also crabs very slightly, and I don't know if this is just a case of bad wheel alignment. It's never been serious enough to make me want to tear it down and fix anyway. Frame and forks look dead straight.
Most of the bike has been liberally painted with black enamel, and a long time ago too. Underneath that the usual bright parts are nickel plated, not chrome.
Saddle is a triple sprung Middlemores. It's like riding an armchair.
Middlemore by zombikombi1959, on FlickrFor those curious how a monster 26" frame roadster rides ... It is not as bad s you think. In fact I am only 5'8" and I love it up there. Once you are riding it is very well behaved with no vices. Soaks up any bumps with the big 28" wheels and sprung saddle. Easy to keep your balance on. You don't need to be 6'7" to enjoy it.
Taking the Guv'nor out for a spin by zombikombi1959, on FlickrLooking for £250 on it. Without the carbide lamp. It's in Southampton.
Advertised on retrobike as well. Will go on ebay if no interest.
My Guv'nor, unknown maker 1920's light roadster by zombikombi1959, on Flickr -
https://www.flickr.com/photos/29051501@N08/sets/72157644964152089/#
Just picked this up locally, a very original early 60's Royal Enfield 'Club' model sports bike.
Not top of the range by any stretch of the imagination, but a really nice solid example of it's type, and in nice unspoilt condition. Original paint and transfers are a tired, but the brakes, cables, blocks, tyres, tubes, are all in great condition and don't even looked used. Rear wheel had a nasty buckle, so I have replaced both the original Rigidas with a similar period set of Raleigh branded chrome rimed 27" x 1 1/4".
5 speed Huret Svelto rear derailleur and shifter.
Bluemels Popular 'guards in red. Faded a little but in good condition otherwise.
Midland saddlebag, really cheap and cheerful but looks original to the bike. A few of the straps are broken and need addressing.
Miller Dynamo - some rust flecks on the chrome lamps but the actual dynamo looks brand new. Obviously works fine.
Less said about the saddle and peddles the better.Looking for £100 on it. Will chuck in the original wheels as well of course. It's not going to set the cycling world on fire, but it is ready to ride and everything mechanical is pretty much 'as new'.
It's in Southampton.
Frame size is 57cm, 22.5"
Royal Enfield Club by zombikombi1959, on Flickr -
Thanks fellas, although the photography goes downhill rather quickly as I can't be arsed to fire up the DSLR and resort to instagram shots ...
Wheels ... still smarting here after selling those Bayliss Wiley hubs for a whopping £53 loss ...
I knew I needed a quality set of hubs and wheels for this bike. I almost hit the jackpot at my local dump of all places, when I saw a tatty pair of rims on old bacon slicer hubs leaning up against the scrap bin.
Tip treasure! by zombikombi1959, on Flickr
The bike gods were smiling on me today! by zombikombi1959, on FlickrAfter a fiver had exchanged hands they were in my shaking greasy mitts! A little bent with rusty spokes and hubs, but these were a rare set of Alumlites - perfect for the period of the Jim Guard!
I am ashamed to say I was actually disappointed when I realised they were 27's and not 26's, so no good for this build. Into the 'come in handy' pile they go.
I was also looking for a good set of Dunlop lightweight rims, either stainless or aluminium. After a bit of searching I now have a 32 and 40 hole aluminium pair that I will build up somewhen in the future.
While I was looking for these, an old set of Weinmann wheels kept popping up on my search. The bike snob in me turned my nose up, even though the rear had a 3 speed on it. They were £50 BIN, and after spending so much on that pair of hubs I wasn't going to fork out another £50 on these. Time wasn't on my side though. Eroica was getting closer...
Then the Weinmans popped up again for £29. This was the third time I had spotted them listed, the seller was obviously getting fed up with them. With less than 2 weeks to go I finally stuck my hand in my pocket and snapped them up. I got my Sis and her boyfriend to collect them for me and picked them up on a family visit the weekend before Eroica.http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221437901440?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
http://rover.ebay.com/roverimp/1/710-53481-19255-0/1?ff3=2&pub=5574889051&toolid=10001&campid=5336525415&item=221437901440&mpt=2217769
Things were slipping into place in the last few days before Eroica.
-
Removing what was left of the 'bar tape revealed the make and type of bars - Reynolds Hiduminium Maes, and they then got the same treatment as the brakes.
Reynolds Hiduminium Meas handlebars by zombikombi1959, on Flickr
GB Hiduminium handlebars by zombikombi1959, on Flickr
Polishing the handlebars by zombikombi1959, on Flickr
I was going to keep the brake levers quite high on the bars, and remembered seeing some cool repro Shockstops on 7VENs excellent 1947 Hobbs thread. Just ordered a pair, thanks Big Block!
Fresh in from Adelaide 'Straylia today from fellow forumer Big Block, some reproduction Shockstop 'Honking Rubbers'. Really happy with these and can't wait to get everything fully assembled and built now. Just waiting on delivery of a NOS Brampton chain and some Velox par end plugs and that should just about be it.
-
Very satisfying taking these beauties apart. They had suffered no abuse and just needed a good scrub with fine wire wool and whatever metal cleaner I could lay my hands on, then a polish with a soft cloth and Brasso. All the nuts and bolts came undone easily. Old red Fibrax blocks in aluminium clamps looked period to the bike as well.
I think these GB Hiduminium brakes were introduced in 1948? And I guessed used up until the early 50's.
GB Hiduminium brake levers by zombikombi1959, on Flickr
Front and rear Hiduminuim brakes by zombikombi1959, on Flickr
GB Hiduminium dissected by zombikombi1959, on Flickr
GB Hiduminium brake caliper by zombikombi1959, on Flickr -
Back to the restoration ...
How do you restore a very tatty, but very original machine? There would seem to be two main avenues here ...
Renovation, simply "to make an object look like new." ...
Total strip down, send the frame away to completely renovated, send all the rusty cranks, chainwheel and gear parts away to be rechromed ... I would have a truly stunning ride after all of this. The frame is obviously very well made, with it's chrome ends and filed lug work, it deserved this high level of detail surely?
Conservation,* "the absolute maximum amount of the original material, in as unaltered a condition as possible, is preserved." ...
*
Well, I had a pretty rare piece of local history here ... an early machine from a small bicycle shop. I hadn't seen another before, it could be a very lonely survivor ...My general rule of thumb though - if it is still original and untouched after 60 years, it can stay that way. I'm not going to be the one to change that. It's earned it's scrapes and scratches and patina. I had entertained the thought of getting the chainset re chromed, but after advice from an old friend I changed my mind. I would just overhaul and clean everything, and replace any mechanicals that were worn.
Conservation rather than Restoration.I went down a few dead ends with the wheels and hubs. I did find an worn out old Gnutti rear hub with a 3 speed in my junk box, but it was too far gone. Removing the stuck freewheel involved a welder ...
Bicycle restoration head scratching ... by zombikombi1959, on FlickrThen I bought a pair of Bayliss Wiley hubs at great expense
(£77 - they are back on ebay now - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181447528821?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
Bayliss Wiley hubs on ebay by zombikombi1959, on Flickr
LFGSS
London Fixed Gear and Single-Speed is a community of predominantly fixed gear and single-speed cyclists in and around London, UK.
This site is supported almost exclusively by donations. Please consider donating a small amount regularly.
Could be ...