[CR]Pinnacle of the vintage lightweight era?

(Example: Racing:Beryl Burton)

Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 09:49:08 -0500
From: "Leonard Bulger" <bulger@erim-int.com>
Subject: [CR]Pinnacle of the vintage lightweight era?
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org, bob.reid@btconnect.com


Hi Bob,

I'd like to clear up a few things. The alloy AW hub came off a Huffy, but went on a double butted 531 framed Gazelle. It weighed about 25 lbs. I don't think I liked it because of the wide gaps between the gears and heavy touring rims.

I may have exagerated on the weight of the Lenton Sport, but maybe not. I had two of the beasts. A 1951 and a 1952. There wasn't a bit of aluminum on either and they were built to withstand several nuclear attacks. Hey Seth, if you're reading this, weigh that nine speed Lenton and let us know the result.

I wouldn't describe either of these bikes as a traditional British club bike, the Gazelle is TI, but not British. I was trying to relate my 3 speed hub experiences with non-utility bikes.

If I take the three speed derailleur of my Sun Wasp, the four speed derailleur off my Armstrong Moth, or the fixed gear off my BSA Gold Vase and replace it with a narrow range Sturmey will it turn the world into a Patterson drawing?

Leonard Bulger Ann Arbor, MI

Bob wrote: Now I have to step in.............

As (un)Official guardian of the breed I have to take issue here - you guys seem to be getting your 40 spokes 4 crossed here

If we are going to talk about them in such terms, can we come to an understanding of just what a typical British "Club" bike was / is ?

The typical British club machine was not ;

- converted from an old heavyweight Raleigh / Huffy etc. shopper or roadste= r or so-called by the big manufacturers "Touring" bike or "Lightweight". This was all spin and sales pitch to hide the truth of what they really were.

- Generally 3 speed wide ratio geared. That's for roadsters and shopper bikes.

- Heavy - 45lb ? someone was conned if that's what a Lenton weighs

Generically they were ;

- Built pre & post WWII and well into the 60's - Of Reynolds 531 or K.R.O.M.O. in some cases - Using 4-speed S-A's or Cyclo 4's & 8's amongst other configurations - Dual purpose work / cycle club machines - not out and out race bikes - Equipped with anything from basic to top-flight components depending on wether you bought one from a big manufacturer or a small volume builder and what you specified. - Comparitively Light (25lb for one equipped S-A Flying Scot I have) - Costing =A315 at the entry level and =A330 at the top end in the early 50's

To me a handbuilt by a small builder club machine is the pinnacle of the mainly touring club era in Britain in the 1950's - The best example I have naturally is a Flying Scot. It was to me a pinnacle but only of one time span within the whole CR remit.

Oh and to those out there who question if they can ever be lively - get out there and ride on one - a good one, not a rebuilt 3-speed Huffy with drop bars. They'll never be on a par with a 'light-in-weigh' derailleur equippe= d machine but they are not dull by any manner.

Bob Reid Stonehaven Scotland

http://freespace.virgin.net/bob.reid1/index.htm (mapped)

=20


>From Chris's own comment about Raleigh Lenton's it's been reduced in statur= e by comparing them with conversion of heavyweight Huffy's and 3-speed AW hub= s - Hardly fair that guys.

Here are a few "IMHO" notes on comments that have been made in connection with the traditional Britsh Lightweight club bike over the past couple of days.....
> I never rode a high-performance hub gear bicycle. I remember converting
> my father's Hercules 3 speed with down bars and moving the trigger switch
> by the handle bar plug for a sort of end shifter.

Suffice to say you can't make a silk purse...... 3-speeds and a heavyweight frame ?=20
> Assuming a decent lightweight frame and aluminum rims, can a 3 speed
> Sturmey Archer feel or even be a fast bicycle?

I doubt it - try changing that to a 4-speed medium or any close ratio hub and you'll be surprised.
> The Clubman bicycle Chris spoke of has reasonably lightweight parts (many= are
> steel but weigh similar to alloy) and the frame is mostly (all?) Reynolds= 531
> and should be quite a lively bike.

Yes, quite true when applied to a Lenton which was a mass produced lightweight but not generically to the breed - You paid circa =A315 for a Lenton in 51' - For the handbuilt far-lighter-weight more aluminium components Flying Scot =A325-30 you got what you paid for.
> I also had a Lenton Sport with drop bars, a 3 speed AW hub, Simplex
> plunger derailleur and 3 cogs on the back. Everything on the bike was
> steel except for the Brooks saddle and Chinese 26x1 1/4 gumwalls. The
> thing must have weighed 45 lbs despite the 531 frame tubing. I never
> could warm up to that bike; very sluggish, but the drivetrain really
> worked well. =20

Now that really is the limit - how can you compare all of this to a true lightweight Club bike ? If you had a Lenton Sports weighing in a 45lb someone sold you a pup - they repainted a Raleigh All-Steel roadster I'd say.