plantfit 7,205 Posted April 25 Author Report Share Posted April 25 The cleanup has begun, a light going over with a brass wire brush to get rid of the heavier muck and a gentle clean with cotton buds soaked in brasso, the sprung bracket that mounts the lamp to the cycle was soaking overnight in vinegar, quite a lot of the rust dissolved away leaving mainly good clean material except for the corroded metal back, I will have to make a new one for that, I still have the top to make for the lamp with vent holes in, I'll probably make that out of an old bean tin or similar, managed to find a wick of the right size so that is in place Rog 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 5,503 Posted April 25 Report Share Posted April 25 Easier than my task today. I’m trying to remove three large fern haulms (dryopteris) about two feet in diameter. Theyre solid in the ground and almost impossible to dig out. I tried a chainsaw but that clogged up with mud so I’ve had to clean it out and resharpen. I’m thinking of hiring a stump grinder or, better still, a man with a stump grinder! I’m getting too old for hard manual labour. I might take an axe to them tomorrow as a last resort before I seek help. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,205 Posted April 25 Author Report Share Posted April 25 Stick at it Phil, it's not a race and you're in no rush, just take it steady and at your own pace, stump grinder sounds a good idea though, whatever you decide do it safely and take your time Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,205 Posted April 29 Author Report Share Posted April 29 Not original but way back in the old days when cycling was in it's infancy there was no such thing as a bell fitted to a bike (penny farthing) apart from shouting "gerrout of me way" the only way to warn others of your approach was to fit a cow bell or similar to the handlebars of your Penny farthing so here is my attempt at reproducing it, small leather dog collar and medium sheep bell Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mary1947 1,907 Posted April 30 Report Share Posted April 30 Love to read all the stories about your bike rides :: Here's mine !!! I had 2 brothers who both had a new bike from Raleigh, as at the time my father and 3 uncles worked there. I asked many of Christmases if I could have a bike but for some reason I never did get one. Say Haa!! I used to have the School Friend mag and on one page a compitition to win a bike called The Pink Whitch. well at the time my spending money was 5/- and the mag cost 6d so buying as many as I could filling in the comp page and sending it off. Each night I would dream that I had won, but never did hear anything. The story does not end there, after I married master a frind was selling a Raleigh Shopper and master brought it for me!!! My Own Bike At Last?? went down to the shops on my new bike, after shopping went home ??? getting home looked for my bike and realised that I had left it outside the shop. Well went to fetch it and some B????? had stole it. Anyway , I never did want a bike realy. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,205 Posted April 30 Author Report Share Posted April 30 such a shame people steal your pride and joy these day, I remember the Pink Witch girls bikes, I've had a couple of bikes stolen too, one I built myself after buying the components when I could afford them (about a year) all top end stuff, that was stolen from my shed and the replacement for that (insurance claim) was stolen after the toe rags broke into the house, I kept that one in a spare bedroom to be safer but that didn't work did it, altogether about four grands worth of bikes, so pleased we left Bulwell Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
benjamin1945 15,560 Posted April 30 Report Share Posted April 30 It was people from Aspley Rog...not Bulwell.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 5,503 Posted April 30 Report Share Posted April 30 It always intrigued me that the Pink Witch had a lipstick holder. Surely not the most essential bicycle accessory. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,205 Posted April 30 Author Report Share Posted April 30 2 hours ago, benjamin1945 said: It was people from Aspley Rog...not Bulwell.... No mate this sod was from Bulwell because I caught him trying to sell it, he went home via the QMC I can tell you Rog 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,205 Posted April 30 Author Report Share Posted April 30 Spent all morning so far cleaning and adjusting various parts on the vintage bikes ready for the show season, brass hub polished on the penny farthing (ordinary cycle), a good clean on the other two and a good wipe over with a rag soaked in boiled linseed oil There's something very relaxing about giving the bikes a thorough clean then standing back and looking at the end result Rog 5 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,205 Posted May 1 Author Report Share Posted May 1 Just had to put some paraffin in the tank and fire it up, I still haven't made the chimney for it yet and a domed lens is proving difficult to find at the moment but I will get there, anyway, here's the progress so far Rog 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beekay 4,398 Posted May 1 Report Share Posted May 1 A domed lens? I'd better send you one of 'er indoors ' spectacles. B. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,205 Posted May 1 Author Report Share Posted May 1 67mm diameter please Barrie Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beekay 4,398 Posted May 1 Report Share Posted May 1 I'll grind down a bottle bottom for you Rog.☆ 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,205 Posted May 5 Author Report Share Posted May 5 Handlebar bracket arrived today for the ladies Humber cycle, now the oil lamp can go on it, had to re-route the brake cables a bit to miss the basket and put a couple more holes in the basket straps so they don't foul the lamp, still not made the top/chimney for the lamp but have now managed to find some thin tin that I might be able to get into shape, anyroad, the pics of the lamp and bracket Rog 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beekay 4,398 Posted May 5 Report Share Posted May 5 Lovely basket on there Rog. Pardon me asking Governor, but is that passenger seat on the back exclusively for Mrs. Plantfit? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,205 Posted May 5 Author Report Share Posted May 5 I have the devils own job getting her to sit in it mate especially when I ride the bike around the show ring at the vintage shows Rog 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Willow wilson 862 Posted May 5 Report Share Posted May 5 2 things of interest to me are the gear change lever on the crossbar and the robust looking bell. My parents' bikes (from the 30s and still languishing in the shed in the 60s) both had these. (I also had a crossbar gear lever bike in the 60s). The bells, as I vaguely remember, were about 5 inches diameter and were sounded by an internal oscillating T shaped clapper geared mechanism operated by a hefty trigger. They weren't lightweight accessories but certainly loud. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,205 Posted May 5 Author Report Share Posted May 5 The bell on the Humber cycle is about 2-2 1/2 inch diameter, it's does have a nice ring, it's a Lucas King of the Road bell from the 1930's, the gear lever is a Sturmey Archer three speed lever of 1930's vintage the same one that is on my 1937 Hercules gents bike (pictured), sometime in the 1950's they were banned as being hazardous should the rider slip foreword on the cross bar in an accident and Sturmey Archer came up with the three speed click lever on the handlebars, the Raleigh Chopper had to remove the cross bar "gear lever" for the same H&S reason Rog 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
letsavagoo 833 Posted May 5 Report Share Posted May 5 They are called quadrant shifters. I had one on my Raleigh Record Ace for years but took it off when I fitted a 4 speed hub. I’ve got a lot of Sturmey Archer spares salted away if ever you need anything. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,205 Posted May 5 Author Report Share Posted May 5 I've heard poor reports about the four speed SA gears, have you had any trouble with yours, gear selection etc Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,205 Posted May 10 Author Report Share Posted May 10 Ride down to the farmyard this morning on the Raleigh Pioneer with the R10 but no pigeons about, waited for an hour so decided to pack up and go home, ready for a cup of coffee anyway, got home made my coffee and would you believe it the milk had gone off so out with the Raleigh Activator 2 and a ride down to Bassingham village to get some milk, really gasping for a coffee now so rode a bit quicker going home, met a friend on the cycle track and he was telling me about a problem he's got with his tractor anyway half an hour later I set off again got home made my coffee and sat down to enjoy it, at last a nice brew, not bad two cycle rides on two different cycles, all good fun Rog 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,205 Posted May 12 Author Report Share Posted May 12 Gave the bike ride a miss today, very cold wind blowing across the fields and fens so instead I thought I would fit some riser bars to the Raleigh Activator 2,probably took longer to get the handle bars set to the right angle for me than it did to fit them, should be better now they are a bit higher than the originals, all this leaning forward on the bars makes for aching shoulders and wrists, now I will be in a more upright riding position, been on the lookout for another triple crankset, alloy this time instead of the steel one, think I might have found one at a good price,all being well and weather permitting I should be out and about on one of the bikes tomorrow afternoon, Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,205 Posted Wednesday at 11:19 AM Author Report Share Posted Wednesday at 11:19 AM New chainset fitted to the Raleigh Activator 2 so out for a ride in the sunshine Lane at end of village Bridle lane three hundred yards away other end of village looking out towards the Lincoln ridge And back home again, ready now for a coffee Rog 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 5,503 Posted Wednesday at 11:27 AM Report Share Posted Wednesday at 11:27 AM Lincoln Ridge, Lincoln Cliff, Lincoln Edge? I’ve heard all these descriptions, even by true Yellowbellies. Do you have preference? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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