Re: [CR]How to build up this Hetchins?

From: Dmitry Yaitskov <dima@rogers.com> Subject: [CR]How to build up this Hetchins? To: "Classic Rendezvous" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Date: Sunday, September 14, 2008, 6:55 PM

Hi group,

I recently bought a 1947 Hetchins "Competition II" (complete bike). While the frame appears to be in excellent condition (according to the seller, it was repainted some 20 years ago, possibly at the Hetchins shop), the rear wheel needs rebuilding. It is a Constrictor aluminium 26 1/4" rim laced to a Sturmey Archer 4-speed hub, with 2 sprockets switched by a Cyclo two-speed converter. The problem is that the rim has been laced wrong, with spokes from the "left-side" holes going to the hub's right flange, and vice-versa. In other words, it must be rebuilt (unless there is some deep meaning to that lacing, which I doubt but please tell me if I'm wrong). (The front wheel seems fine, BTW.) Also, while the rear wheel's OLD is 110mm, the rear dropouts' spacing strangely is about 106mm, so I'd like to have it properly re-spaced and dropouts aligned.

I would very much like this bike to become a real rider, even at the expense of some period-correctness... the thing is, I'm unsure about how well the current setup (i.e. the 4-speed SA hub with a 2-speed Cyclo converter) works in practice, and am thinking that perhaps it might be a better idea to change it to something different, especially as long as I'm going to rebuild the wheel and re-space the rear dropouts anyway (e.g. I might re-space it to 115mm). So, my questions to the group are, first, if anybody has experience with Cyclo converters, how well do they really work, and second, ideas on alternative (better) drivetrain setups (hubs/derailleurs/shifters) that would be not too out of place on that bike would be very much appreciated.

Thank you.

--
Cheers,
Dmitry Yaitskov,
Toronto, Canada.