Search results for:

A Gillott Spear Point has become something of a holy grail for me and yours is a particularly fine example! Lovely bicycle indeed! I wonder how such a ride feels.

I know from my experience with my early 90s Daccordi (an unusually quiet classic kind with stunning lugwork ) and a similar dent on the top tube, that a good workshop could roll out the dent and match the paint (which I never ended up having done). But you have all that beautiful patina and that would be a shame to lose. It's been 10 years since the dent and nowadays I just enjoy my rides.

I also have a soft spot for 50s and 60s black bicycles, so that Ephgrave really caught my eye. For a moment, I imagined you standing in the garage or whatever of the seller, as he casually revealed all these treasures for sale. Must have been quite a day : )

Thanks. Way too big for me.

Hi, could I ask after the size of the Jack Taylor? Thanks.

(Though judging by the size of these lovely bikes, probably too big for me. I'm a 22inch/ 55 or 56cm c-t)

I'm going to make a quick dash for the supermarket, before it closes. Will be back!

Thanks. That's useful tip about tying the knot in the middle, as opposed to the sides which is how I did it. I will redo the test.

This must account for why the seller was using 28 or 32mm tyres on a bike that can supposedly take 40mm. Or perhaps the real accepted size is 35mm. Odd.

Interesting discovery. Somehow I didn't look at the chainstay inside properly.

As one can see by the two images, the place where the paint has been rubbed away, is exactly the side that was more constricted. So I am not imagining things.

The distance is the same (35mm).

This is amazing help. Thank you!

Found some string and will do.

I've just checked now. The wheel has moved even further towards the same chainstay side, where clearance was less previously. So now the rim clearance is something like 8mm and 16mm, or thereabouts. The tyre on that side has also moved closer to the chainstay - to within about 2mm. Strangely, the wheel now also has a sideways play of about 1mm, even though the skewer has been tightened.

I want to be a hipster like you : )

Truth is, I always pack too much and so I want front and back packing, hah.

I guess the pro and contra of what you are saying would probably depend on how much money one is giving out. If the bike isn't perfect but cheap - then why not. The greater the price, the more one begins to question things.

Good points, thank you.

@lt

How did you know that? I'm impressed! Actually, it's a bike I've just received, can return, but unfortunately the seller didn't have everything in functional order. It was presented as a light tourer and has all the eyelets one could wish for. Only later did I realise this bike has a strange geometry with short chainstays.

Curiously, the seller claimed it is a 650b that can take up to 40mm tyres, except the initial images and after he changed the components out -all had 28 or 32mm tyres. So I am quickly trying to understand what I have here and if it really can take 40mm as he claimed. Unfortunately, he put on incompatible short derailleurs with triple crank, and the cables for the gears and brakes aren't installed. So, yes the clearance between tyre and chainstay isn't great and the seat tube does appear steeper(?). I should post some images.

I was wondering if someone could help on a question relating to chainstays?

I read online that good touring bikes have chainstay lengths ranging from 42-46cm and that chainstays of 41cm are typical of city bikes. How true is this statement?

Is a bike with a chainstay length of 41cm and a total wheelbase length of 101,5 cm (1015mm) unsuitable for touring with front and rear luggage?

I exchanged the QR skewer for a Pitlock one and then renistalled the QR.

The situation was the same - the rim seem centred at about 12mm each way. The tyre though is also the same: one side has a gap of about 4 or 5 mm (just like my racing bike clearance), the other side about 7 or 8mm. I can stick a small plastic item through one side, but not the other.

I've made sure there sufficient air and when I spin the tyre, it appears to remain more or less constant in its sideways width. Could it be the frame itself?

The seller claimed that the bike was designed for 650b with a max. tyre width of 40mm. That was a big reason why I bought the bike. If one side is the same as my racing bike, then I wonder how that could be enough clearance for such wide tyres.

In the first photo, before he changed out the components, he had 28mm tyres installed. On receiving the bike, it had older 32mm tyres on. So now I am wondering if there was a reason for not having fatter tyres on. I don't have such tyres to test it, but I assume the gap between tyre and frame will get worse.

32mm tyres are fine, but there are huge 10mm gaps between tyres and mudguards and it looks quite ugly.

Hah, not there it. Mr Slowness here.

Will let you know how I fared later on. Thanks for your help!

I must admit, I don't mind getting to grips with this if I had paid far less. But for this kind of price tag, I feel I really should be able to at least hop on and ride. Starting to feel slightly resentful now towards the seller, as I fiddle about in my own way.

An easier thing to check before that is that you haven't got the QR
skewer springs on wrong.

Thank you!

Good suggestion, will try checking.

Thanks!

Thank you @midlife @snottyotter and @M_V !

Great replies. I will try putting in the wheel in the other way round, or take off the tyres of a 700c wheel and hope that fits to check.

To M_V

If it has vertical dropouts I’m not understanding this bit “I have
tried holding the wheel and then tightening, but it just goes back to
it's off positon again.”. There should only be one position for the
wheel in a vertical dropout.

Well, it's just my inexperience with vertical dropouts showing - I am just used to horizontal ones. You are right, no way to change that.

I've just received this bike and found a few surprises, incl. incompatible short cage derailleur and front derailleur with triple crank. That wasn't in the deal. The pads on the Mafac centre pulls are all skew (guessing that can be adjusted), so only the corners touch the rims (both brakes and gears need to cables installed). I've never paid this much money for a bike before, so I am at least glad I could get my money back if I wanted.

It was meant as a light tourer, but now finding the chainstays are short (41cm). It's a beautiful bike. I am not that technically proficient, but if I get stuck I can ask my bike shop to check it out tomorrow.

Anyway, will try further with all your suggestions.

Hi, can someone please help me understand the following problem: the rear wheel is not aligned and I am unable to align it because the frame has vertical dropouts (on a vintage bike). I have tried holding the wheel and then tightening, but it just goes back to it's off positon again.

Would be very grateful for any thoughts or suggestions!

Rather embarrassed to say that the image was initially skew...corrected now. Hah!

Just compared it with this Singer (as a classic road bike) and the angles appear to sort of match up. Sigh.

From what I understand, 73° is typical or ideal for relaxed and less nervous cycling on long touring trips. Whereas trail bikes are steeper for quick turns. Since the bike was custom made, it may be a steeper angle as a special wish.

Anyway, if you think this looks average, then I am relieved.

Oh thank you! I compared the frame by eye with online images of other randonneuse and touring bikes and it seemed like they were slacker. But its hard to tell with photos, I guess.