NEWSWIRE: Witcomb Cycles circa 1970

Custom framebuilding seventies style.

NEWSWIRE: Witcomb Cycles circa 1970

No titanium or carbon here! I don't see him in the clip but master framebuilder Richard Sachs worked for Witcomb and has been perfecting his craft since. And, one of the first big events of 2008 is the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, February 8 - 10 in Portland, Oregon. Here you can meet builders like Richard and see gorgeous handcrafted bicycles of all types. Don't miss it.

Q&A: Crankset conundrum

Q: I have a Dura-Ace 9-speed setup on my bike. I want to upgrade the
crankset to a newer model. It states that it is a 10-speed crankset. Should
this make any difference? Isn't it the derailleurs that control the
shifting, not the crankset and chainrings? I'm confused!
Robert

A: I actually haven't tried installing a 10-sp crankset on a 9-sp
drivetrain, Robert, but it's not supposed to work right because the 9-speed
chain is wider than the 10-sp so it might not shift very well. The
derailleur will still move the chain fine but it might not seat smoothly
onto the chainrings. You might be able to solve the issue by going with a
10-sp chain when you install the 10-sp crank. That would work fine on the
crankset but would be narrower and might not shift perfectly on the rear
cogs.

But, I haven't experimented like this with these parts so I don't know for
certain whether you could get it to work, or not. Sometimes even though the
manufacturer says it won't work, it actually works enough so that you can
get by with it for awhile. I just can't say for sure having not tried it.

Of course, what you're supposed to do is upgrade the whole shebang,
crankset, cassette, chain and shifters, but that gets expensive. So, if you
don't mind experimenting you could certainly upgrade one piece at a time and
see how little you can get away with.

Good luck and let me know how it goes,
Jim

Q&A: Singer British Highwheel

Q: Jim,
Greetings from Ireland! I enjoyed looking through your site. I have a Singer
British Challenge bike that I am about to restore. The bike is rusted but
sound. One of the lugs for the small wheel is broken off and I am thinking
of getting it welded back on - I approached an experienced welder but he is
afraid to do the job as he doesn't know what might happen. I have new spokes
and tires.

Any advice for me? The nickel-plated finish looks really good but my frame
is all pitted and I am not sure how to get it back smooth again. If I sand
it would I be weakening the structure?

Many thanks,
Brian

A: Nice to hear from you, Brian, and to hear about your Singer. As your
Singer is a piece of history I would recommend proceeding cautiously so you
restore it correctly and don't harm the bicycle. Here's how my restoration
came out: http://www.jimlangley.net/ride/singerbritishchallenge.html

The chances are pretty good that if you contact the Veteran-Cycle Club, that
you could connect with someone who knows about your Singer and how best to
go about restoring it. The VCC's website is
http://www.v-cc.org.uk/index.html and the email address I found on their
site to contact them is 101370.3576@compuserve.com

Sometimes it's hard to get hold of someone through a website so if the VCC
doesn't respond, you might contact the shop that sponsors their site, which
is Harwood Cycles, email phil@harwoodcycles.com or call 01296 712219

Another good source of information on restoring highwheels is G. Donald
Adams' book Collecting and Restoring Antique Bicycles, which you can see
here:
http://www.pedalinghistory.com/PHbooks.html

An antique bicycles is like an antique car in many ways so you just need to
find experts who can correctly repair the issues the bike has. You mentioned
that a "lug" was broken off on the small wheel, but I'm not sure what you
mean so I don't know what to suggest. The wheel is made of steel, though, so
a good welder should be able to reattach it with care. You also mentioned
that the nickel plated finish looks really good but that the frame is all
pitted. That's confusing because if the nickel finish is in good shape, it
should have protected the frame from rusting. Usually the rust begins after
the nickel is worn away. Is it possible that someone re-plated the bike with
nickel after it had rusted and gotten pitted? If so, the pitting may be the
best that could be done when they cleaned the bike for replating?

I'm just guessing here, but these are the types of questions to ask before
doing any work on an antique bicycle like your Singer. If you can get Adams'
book or get together with one of the experienced collectors from the VCC I
think you'll learn a lot about your bike and find out the best way to
proceed to get it running again.

Oh, another resource is www.thewheelmen.org I didn't mention this first
because it's based here in the United States. But, you might find useful
information on their website.

I hope this helps,
Jim

Enjoy The Holidays

To all friends, readers and cyclists everywhere, happy holidays!

Click for more New Yorker bike covers

Q&A: Toe clips

Q: Jim,
I purchased a new Raleigh Grand Prix in 1970. It's still completely original
except for the tires and brake pads. I ride it 75 to 100 miles each week. I
would like to put some high quality toe clips and straps on the existing
pedals. Could you recommend brands and advise how to install them? How do I
determine what size I should purchase? I wear a size 11 shoe.

Sincerely,
Glynn

A: With a size 11 foot you should get size large toe clips, Glynn. These
should be available from any bicycle shop, or they can order them for you if
they don't have them in stock. Or, you could order them online.

They might come with mounting hardware or you'll need to buy that. And,
you'll need to buy the toe straps, too, if you plan to use them. The clips
attach to most pedals with 2 bolts. Your pedals need to have holes in front
for these toe clip bolts but the pedals on the Grand Prix will. And the
pedals should have slots in the side for the toe strap to pass through if
you plan to use these, too (again, your pedals will have these, too). Most
modern toe clips are made of nylon. In 1970 they would have been
chrome-plated steel and you should still be able to find these. The straps
will be leather or nylon. (See link below.)

The best bet would be to call your local bike shop and ask if they have toe
clips in stock because they could then take a look at your pedals, make sure
they're compatible with the toe clips they sell, and install the toe clips
and straps on your pedals for you or show you how to do it. If you do it
yourself, the only tricky thing is running the strap. Feed it through the
back slot on the pedal, so that the buckle is on the outside of the pedal
about 1.5 inches away from the pedal. Put a twist in the toe strap where it
passes beneath the pedal, then feed it through the other slot in the pedal,
up through the slot(s) in the toe clip and down and into the buckle. The
strap goes through the buckle in such a way that you can pull up on it to
tighten the strap on your foot and simply push down on the end of the buckle
to loosen the strap and get your foot out.

Here is a source for "old style" steel toe clips and leather straps. If you
click on the leather toe straps you'll see photos on how to run the strap
through the buckle correctly.
http://www.rivbike.com/products/list/pedals_and_so_on#product=none

Hope this helps. That's a classic 10-speed and it's cool you're still
enjoying it,
Jim