True Adventures of the Retro Grupetto: June 2007

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Retroride NZ discussion group

I have set up a Yahoo group called RetrorideNZ, with the intention of creating a New Zealand-wide online community of vintage lightweight bicycle enthusiasts.
If you would like to join, login at http://au.groups.yahoo.com/group/RetrorideNZ/ or if this does not work, email me and I'll send you an invitation.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Wild Bill Hurlow rides again

Saturday was devoted to final parts acquisition and assembly of my W.B.Hurlow.

Tony Mahon very kindly gave me a Zeus Criterium derailler & shiftlevers and a pair of Zeus track pedals; and to complete the gear train a Zeus front derailler arrived in Saturday's mail.
Most of the other parts came from my collection of junque- T.A. Cyclotouriste cranks, Mafac Racer brakeset, aluminium railed Ideale model 90 saddle, Fiamme stem and 44cm Ambrosio handlebars.

By bedtime, all I needed was to attach a bottle cage, and strap on a spare tubular.

I haven't achieved my goal of no-Campagnolo- my trusty pair of Campag Record-hubbed tubulars were pressed into service until I get time to build some Mavic MA2s onto a pair of Zeus Gigante hubs.

MORE PHOTOS at the Wool Jersey Gallery

Spec:
Headset________________Tange
Bottom bracket__________T.A
Crankset_______________T.A. Cyclotouriste 175mm, 38/47
Brakes_________________MAFAC Racer
Brake levers____________MAFAC Course 218 ?
Shift levers_____________Zeus Criterium
Front derailler___________Zeus
Rear derailler___________Zeus Criterium
Hubs__________________
Rims__________________
Freewheel______________Suntour Winner Ultra 6
Saddle_________________Ideale Mod.90, light alloy frame
Seatpost_______________
Stem__________________Fiamme 12cm
Handlebars_____________Ambrosio 13 Volte Campione del Mondo
Pedals_________________Zeus Pista, Christophe clips, ALE straps

Thanks to Robert S Broderick and Brad Stockwell for posting the Zeus, Ideale, T.A. and other catalogs that I have linked to.

Friday, June 15, 2007

60cm Rory O'Brien frame seeks new home

The arrival of the Hurlow means that something has to go, and the Rory O'Brien frame drew the short straw.
It's on on Trademe until next Tuesday at 4:25pm. Reserve is $50.
From the TradeMe auction:

"A frame with some interesting features- fastback seatstays with an unusual seat collar, Campagnolo vertical rear dropouts and round track fork blades.
Requires long reach (47-57mm) brakes.
Brazed-on top tube cable guides, bidon bosses, downtube lever bosses, seatstay cable stop and cable guides under bottom bracket.
Sold to me as a Rory OBrien, but I have no evidence to support or disprove this.

Seat tube: 60cm centre-top
Top tube: 57cm top tube
Wheelbase 100cm
Ritchey Logic headset fitted"

According to CR-list contributor Mick Butler, Rory O'Brien was a 'famous East London cycle shop owner ' who had frames built by Ephgrave. I would guess that this was built by someone else, well after Les Ephgraves' death in 1969.

PHOTOS on WoolJersey.

Thursday, June 07, 2007

More Hurlows- updated

In the absence of my Hurlow frame, apparently scheduled to arrive early July, I googled up a couple of others:

This super-spanky 1969 Hurlow is featured at the V-CC New England Section blog.

Over at Fixed Gear Gallery, the lugwork on Adam Schwarcz' Stan Miles track bike is unmistakeably by Hurlow.

Some more Hurlow factoids and a couple more examples of his work at Hetchins.org.

Over at Bike Works NYC's bikecult site, a Hurlow-built 1962 Condor Italia, and a 1968 Condor with Hurlow's Superbe lugs.

Gaz' Bike

This is Gaz' road bike, newly fitted with Gran Bois Cypres 700 x 30 tyres to enhance it's already-sumptuous comfort.

It used to be blue, until a few scratches convinced Gaz that it needed to return for a second helping of Walter Thorburn magic.