Re: [CR]FYI: Elswick Hopper Vampire Convincible

(Example: Events:Eroica)

Date: Mon, 8 Sep 2008 16:57:23 -0700
From: "Dan Kehew" <dan.kehew@gmail.com>
To: "Edward Albert" <ealbert01@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]FYI: Elswick Hopper Vampire Convincible
In-Reply-To: <c6ff64470809081619j1d395befp787879f38519a65c@mail.gmail.com>
References:
cc: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

Folks, not just 'cause I like Eddie, and like Elswicks based upon a post-war oddity called the SITA Special Model, but primarily because I have a fascination for spectacularly unusual bikes: GO SEE THESE PICS.

<http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/Edward-Alberts-Pictures/Elswick+Hopper+Vampire+ Convincible/>

Devotion to chainline taken to an extreeeeme. Just boggling. What's the weight penalty, I'd like to know -- and how could it be worth it?

Eddie, have you had an opportunity to discuss this with Nigel Land, yet?

Dan Kehew Davis, California USA

On Mon, Sep 8, 2008 at 4:19 PM, Edward Albert <ealbert01@gmail.com> wrote:
> have posted to my wooljersey album a large number of pictures of a very
> rare Elswick Hopper Vampire Convincible. See the following web address:
>
> The bike was discovered hanging with other bikes from the rafters of a
> garage at the home of an elderly man who lives in my area. As you will see
> it caught my eye because I had never seen anything like it before. I could
> tell that the front chain ring moved side to side in conjunction with
> shifting the rear derailleur to maintain "correct" chain line. I thought
> immediately of Frank Berto's discussions of this in the Dancing Chain.
>
> http://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/Edward-Alberts-Pictures/Elswick+Hopper+
> Vampire+ Convincible/
>
> The story of how I got the bike is a long one and, I believe will be related
> in an upcoming issue of the Boneshaker magazine in an article primarily by
> Peter Brown. Let me just note that before I was able to obtain the bike I
> did some research which led me to Peter Underwood's Classic Lightweights UK
> site. Under the E's there was a page for the Convincible written by Peter
> Brown whom I contacted with the help of Neil Fotheringham. Peter was a gem
> and shared with me everything he knew.
>
> Please see the following for the article:
> http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/elswickhopper.html
>
> The upshot is that no other example of an original unrestored Vampire
> Convincible seems to exist. How it got into this attic is beyond me.
>
> Please enjoy the pics.
> Edward Albert
> Chappaqua, New York, U.S.A.