Royal Enfield vintage machines

1950s Superlights? 1960s Revelations? 

I do like Royal Enfields: )

Here are 2 nice Superlights. One modernised & refinished. The other has its original paint & running as a Single Speed here.

The red one is 1955ish & the black one 1960.

Original spec was as a flat bar (Allrounders anyway: ) tourer, with a 531 main frame & 26" steel wheels, with Sturmey Archer hub choices.

Superlight was an optimistic description of a 35lb machine, but this was 60 years ago. The red one, weighing 26lbs here, makes a great Town Bike/Light Tourer, with a period FM hub, 700 alloy rims & mostly alloy parts, brakes especially. Good for another 60 years now.

The black one is trialling 27" wheels here. Not a lot of clearance but they work! (It'll get 700s eventually.) Was intending to refinish it when I got it, but when you look at the original paintwork/decals it'd be a shame to do that. So I'll tidy up the paint & polish it, & I think it makes a great comparison with the other machine.

I've got the original Ebay pics of these two machines to compare: )

Looks a little odd to me as seen, but although it was well used, it was well maintained also, & upgraded over time. Front wheel hub brake?? Raleigh Roadster rack! Big Sturmey Archer lamp: ) Interesting Raleigh chain-set...

This one is odd too, but in a different way. This was originally fitted with Allrounder bars. These are Track bars! And it has the original RE alloy chain set. I just wanted the 531 frame with the great Royal Enfield 'Made like a Gun' head-badge: )

My red RE Superlight is now in good hands: )

With Worcester Cathedral in the background. Nice bike & very cool new owner. In good hands now!
I'll take a better photo next time I see him, with my black Superlight hopefully: )

Another pic here of our group before we set off for a social ride along the River Severn.

Note the Social Distancing: )

Revelations revealed later...

Meantime here's a couple of interesting Revelation variations.

White one has it's original 20" steel wheels with an AG hub.
Blue one has 22" steel rims with a 2 speed coaster rear. One cable to front brake only.

Standard Revelations are cool too.

More anon.

Reynolds 531C versus Singer 431G

Vintage Reynolds 531C bicycle frame tubing & Classic Singer 431G Sewing machines?

Why? What is the comparison? 
Bit of a mad one maybe, but I was thinking 'Crossover'.

In the early 1960s if you were a cyclist in UK a top option would be a Reynolds 531 frame.

In the early 1960s if you were a 'sewist' in UK a top option would be Singers 400 series sewing machines. Slant-O-Matics. 

Both being at the top of their 'curve' in the 1960s. 

That's the connection. Experience with both tells me there is a considerable & satisfying crossover between the two. Knowledge of one helps the other, I say.

That is my 'Thought for the Day,' but more to follow. Possibly.

Classic Singer 431?

The Singer 431G is the last of the best machines Singer made. IMHO. The Japanese finished Singer in the late 1960s, (As they did with motorcycles/cars/electronics; ) by producing better items at less cost.



Classic 531 frame?

This is a late 1940s Bates Vegrandis, with its distinctive forks. Slightly exotic, amazing even, bulbous 531 tubing, but it was a top 531 choice in its day. 

Come the 1960s 531 was looking old, but cool technology. As with Singer? Alloys came along, then carbon fibre.

I rest my case here.

Orbit Gold Medal 1984ish

New arrival Monday this week from Whitchurch.
Orbit Gold Medal 531C frame/forks & well used.

Cool bike for the money I thought, but it needs some TLC...

So it gets a good service/rebuild & we'll see how we go.


Rides very nicely this morning, as below.

Very light frame for the time, weighing 23lbs here ready to go: ) Not bad, & I intend Allrounder flat bars eventually. It'll do good service for a long time as a Town/Commuter/General Purpose bike. (Fixie/Single speed also: )

Overall I'm very pleased with it & we'll see what happens.

Later.

Running very well now. I'm fitting alloy Allrounder bars on this, just waiting for the right levers & aiming at a light, fast Town Bike/Commuter. Will use a saddle bag for light shopping. Or a rack.

Researching this company, & its various models I realise that this machine seems a little odd to me.

A 531C frame used as a tourer? With relaxed angles that you would expect on a Tourer in 531C?? Most Tourer builders would opt for Reynolds 531ST, wouldn't they? It is designed with strengthened areas, precisely for load carrying. Whereas 531C tubing is lightened, not for load carrying, but for minimum weight & it would normally have steeper angles.

Here's a brochure from 1985-ish which shows the details.

The only thing I would argue with is No7:
A 'High Quality Stove enamel'...

It was never High Quality, & the frame finish, before 'Stove Enamelling' was hardly touched by a file.

On a good 531C frame I would expect a reinforced seat-stay bridge. Not on this one.
Same with the chain-stay bridge. This one could have come off a 1950s entry level Raleigh...

But it is still a usable 531C frame & I'll persevere with it. Might even get a refinish at some point: )

11 July 2019.

Latest iteration here:

Allrounder bars on here with suitable stem for me, & next job is to move the DT changers up onto the bars.

Indexed 7 speed with a single chain-wheel sounds good for a Town Bike around here. So I try 700 wheels with 28 tyres. The current Weinmann 730 calipers will reach the extra 4mm & leave lots of room for guards.

July 12 2019.
Trying out the new bar levers today. The Shimano SL TX50 changers look a little chunky/ungainly on top, but fit easily on the curved sections of the Allrounders & work well.

I also changed the RD for a short cage Shimano 600, which can just handle a 28 cog on the 7 speed 14/28 block. My best wheel-set fitted here, with Shimano 600 hubs & Mavic Module CD rims. Top spec touring wheels in the 80s & still top quality now: )

Currently got slightly skinny 25 tyres here above which are a little harsh at 100psi, so it awaits a pair of 28s which I know will be better here.

Then a pair of guards to make it 'All Weather'. And also, disguise the 700s which do look a little small to me in this 27" wheel frame. Not a big deal though.

The bike is coming along well right now. Needs some minor adjustments for me, & then I'll tidy up the paint.

This pic nicely shows the clearance for guards with 700s. Fatter tyres optional here.
Brakes are working very well considering the long drops.

I found a pair of 700x32 Schwalbes, so I fitted them to try.

Feels way more comfortable & still rolls well at 70psi.  These will do for a while yet: )
Pair of guards now & it just needs the paint sorting.

Bit of a dark horse this one is.
The tyres are great on the bumpy local roads & it is comfortable on canal paths, & 'gravel'! A great, go almost anywhere, light tourer is how I'd describe it.

December 22 2019.
Been using this for a few months now. Just for local shopping, down town trips, etc.
Even had people saying: "I used to have one of those!"

Got some Pannier bags & it can carry bulky loads & be nimble in traffic. Been ultra reliable up to now: )

January 27 2020.
Earning its keep now & pictured below this morning.

8 June 2020

 

Now it has its original 27" wheelset back. 5 speed Regina block, Pelissier hubs & Alesa eyeletted rims.

Out for a test ride this morning & all is well: ) The Nutrak tyres are OK, but feel more like 28s rather than the 32 Schwalbes as above...

Carrera Podium 1992/3

Came across this very nice Carrera Podium frame/forks recently. Columbus Genius, 1992/3ish.

Top quality, Italian steel this one is.
Long back story here, but I built it up as below to see how it performs.

Columbus Genius tubing, (from 1991 on) & unicrown, almost shoulder-less forks, which are not original

I believe this to be pre 1994 because Red Rose Imports, North American distributors of Carrera since 1994, have no knowledge of this frame. Very little information online & the company website seems to have changed. This is Redrose Imports current range in North America.  (https://carrerabicycle.com/the-brand/)


I love the frame. It is simply "Quality" in super-good order: )

These are rare machines in UK, since Halfords own the rights to the name here & so this one is likely a personal import.

Later (June 18 2019)
Still getting nowhere with history, except for Podiums on Youtube running in the TDF in grainy footage. What a shame the current company seems not interested in their own history...
But, perhaps, I have not done enough research yet; )

August 25 2019.

Decided to rebuild this machine with basic Campag components & its own wheel-set.

Found a reasonable pair of Mavic Open Pros with black anodising that suit it well, I reckon.
Then:
Campag 10 speed cassette.
Veloce 10 speed RD.
Veloce 10 speed Ergopower Brifters.
Veloce brake calipers.
Campag 10 speed chain.
Pair of 700x28 Schwalbe Delta Cruisers. (For the corrugated roads around here.)

All new, except the Ergopowers.

August 30 2019.

Now assembled & running. But not ridden yet...
Reason why?

Out in the evening sun for a photo.

Seat-post is being difficult & will not insert further than here, so I've removed 3" & all is fine. (Except that I now wonder what is happening to the inside of the seat tube... Genius tubing is quite delicate...)

The saddle will be changed shortly also. Needs a slightly shorter stem for me.

These 28 tyres just clear & provide a comfortable ride on our rough city roads.

 

I do like the effect of the chrome & black, but I think a black/dark grey chain-set at some point would improve it. Black needs to dominate more in my opinion.

The reflective stripes on the tyres looked slightly odd to me at first, but now I realise that the stripes disguise the 'heavy-ish' 28 profile: )

After some slight adjustments, here it is this morning (2 Sep 2019) performing very well: )
I love its lightness & agility. It soaks up minor path & road bumps in a most comfortable way & still rolls nicely at 80psi.

These tyres are really much too heavy for this machine, but it is interesting to try grippy 28 Delta Cruisers in this super quality road frame. A super quality 'Gravel Bike'?

Weighs 24.2lbs here with the Delta Cruisers, but with skinny 25s it's a good bit less. (I'm looking for the tyre weights next.)

The 28 tyres do suit our local rough roads, gravel, canal paths, etc.

For the smooth stuff 25 tyres transform the bicycle: )

Dalesman by Claud Butler. 531st.

1982ish Claud Butler Dalesman. Reynolds 531ST & a big 24.5" frame.

Came with North Road bars & short reach stem. My first thought is to revert back to drops for this Traditional English Tourer.

Out for a test ride once I got the gears & brakes connected...

Not as big as I thought it was. Fits me well: ) But just a little close on the Nutcracker Suite area...  Stand-over I mean.

Bar wrap? Not leather, but rubber: )
Front end is temporary until I get the correct stem.

This might be better with straight bars.

Looks a bit mad right now, but I want to see how it rides, check bar positions,etc.
Watch this space.

That fat saddle is definitely sacked.

Saturday 1st September.

Here with new SR stem.
Bars need dropping, saddle levelling & that drooping rack looks sad!
Pedals need changing also....

Stronglight Compact Double is excellent. 44 & 30 front, 14  28 rear gives a range of :

29 to 85" is broad for a 7 speed tourer, & could go lower with a MegaRange block, for example...

Moulton F frame 1964 deluxe

Recent arrival now getting treatment is this nice Moulton deluxe.

Looking a little tired here, but still wearing its original white tyres.
One previous lady owner. A petite lady who needed a short stem from new. Nearly 50 years later it arrives at mine. A 'Suitable Case For Treatment'?

I think so. What you reckon new owner? : )

Paint way too far gone, so...
Found a front rack for it. Thanks Peter.
Painted it, serviced it & made it roadworthy.
Looking much better now IMHO.
Moulton F frames deserve to be preserved & used.

The blue Japlaq looks good. Nutrak tyres running at 80psi roll well with grip when needed.

This is yesterday after a test ride: )
It rides very nicely now, with good braking. And you can 'tread on it' when you feel like it.... 

It'll ride OK for a good while, but the rear wheel will need some frozen spokes replacing at some point.

Really the rear wheel needs respoking/rebuilding in order to align it. But if we go for a rebuild it'd be better with another, better rim.

Peter has the ideal solution though. A spare wheel in good condition with a 3 speed instead of 4. Like he has done with his. The later 3 speed is better in several ways.

I have the guards & original back light, but no front lamp.

Latest pic of it is here working for its living, & ready for a certain person: )

I was intending to refinish it in white....
Like this one I gave to my favourite niece; )

I put the straight bars on for Rach, (& removed the front rack) but I think the drops are much better for more aggressive riding.

Now I finally got the photos of our Bush Inn Pub Crawl Ride, here's the best one. (Don't ask for the others...; )

With 4 small wheelers & 4 big ones; ) Six guys & two girls?
No gender balance here.

We on a trip to the Camp Pub at Grimley.
Peacocks and all...

We had no previous stimulants, apart from alcohol, (at least I didn't: ) but I just saw, & remember, lots of peacocks! Could've been pea-hens?
Me not sure. They made lots of noise: )

How mad is that?

Crazy 7 mile ride home in the dark later...
I only fell off once.
And that was Ellens fault for distracting me.

Link to my current Bicyclz website. And more: )

Long time since I concentrate on my blog because my website takes over.
Check http://bicyclz.com/  
(Currently up & running Dec 22 2019...)
Lots of cool bikes... Just getting a revamp.

For me variety is the 'Spice of Life'.

From this:

You know this one above?  I'll be amazed; )
Coventry made?
To this:

You won't know this either... It's a Russian entry level machine by the look of it. By far the worst bike I ever had the misfortune to own. (Thanks Joe: ) Found abandoned in a certain northern fishing port where the Russian fishermen would party before they went back home. This one was abandoned after a drunken night out I believe: )

(Coventry made Pollard top. Triple triangle way before GT was heard of|: )

But also including lovely childrens bikes, like:

A Dutch Batavus Koala in really lovely condition. The Dutch know how to make quality childrens bikes. This one was available in numerous wheel sizes, for example.

No brake levers would frighten most Brits, but this one has a back pedal braked rear wheel. You might get arrested for using this one here in UK, but it is a safe, lovely, childrens bicycle.

Don't ever look for cool childrens cycles on Halfrauds, look online & check Dutch bikes for the superior options. (Fit a front brake if you in UK)