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Post by brianbutler on Nov 26, 2019 18:20:11 GMT
Finally had a day when the bike was clean and the sun was shining. Here is my 1975 Viscount Sebring that I have been using daily this month. It has the original Shimano 600 derailleurs and shifters, and Shimano Tourney brakes. Almost everything else has been upgraded to make it a reasonably good ride - wheels from a French bike (I forget what), MKS Sylvan pedals, alloy seatpost and a Bontrager saddle. I took it completely apart and refurbished it about a year ago and have ridden it about 800 miles since.
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Post by triitout on Nov 27, 2019 3:49:21 GMT
Hey Brian, Nice work on the Sebring. Red/White is always a nice sporty combo. Now you need an Aerospace GP in red and white to go along with it! Good to see another member in the Northeast. Great, mild day here in Long Island as well made for a late season enjoyable ride. Maybe a few more New Englanders will chime in for a future DFR. Tom Brown are you still out there??
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Post by brianbutler on Nov 27, 2019 5:39:54 GMT
I actually have a red and white Aerospace GP, all parts refurbished, ready for assembly. That's the one the new Action fork is for. I also have a blue and white first generation Lambert Aerospace Pro GP, currently disassembled and missing some parts. It might be more of a custom build rather than a restoration. It has a Lambert road triple crankset and fairly long chainstays so it might make a good touring bike. I'd want to replace the sew-up tires with clinchers though. I haven't checked the frame clearance to see what tires I could put on.
I would be interested in getting together with others in the New England/New York area. Where are you located on Long Island? I'm always interested in bike trips that involve ferries.
Brian
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Post by triitout on Nov 28, 2019 17:58:24 GMT
You're building a nice collection. Always enjoyable to rotate the different bikes. I like to give each one it's own twist. It would be nice to get something planned for the coming season. I know we've got vfrman of the "gold" Lambert fame as well as Tom Brown of the Bike Karma podcast fame in the region. I'm in central Nassau County, near Jones Beach. There is a nice North-South bike rail-trail in central Ct whose name escapes me at the moment. Lots of possibilities. Time to go eat. Happy Thanksgiving!
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robt
Viscount
Posts: 558
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Post by robt on Dec 2, 2019 14:42:08 GMT
Finally had a day when the bike was clean and the sun was shining. Here is my 1975 Viscount Sebring that I have been using daily this month. It has the original Shimano 600 derailleurs and shifters, and Shimano Tourney brakes. Almost everything else has been upgraded to make it a reasonably good ride - wheels from a French bike (I forget what), MKS Sylvan pedals, alloy seatpost and a Bontrager saddle. I took it completely apart and refurbished it about a year ago and have ridden it about 800 miles since. Brian, Here's my UK-based sibling for your review: IMG_4471 by RMT@261, on Flickr A few tweaks to the original spec here and there, including a Lambert 'Porthole' chainset converted to a triple, a 'skip-tooth' block and some frame braze-ons. My own bike since 1975, restored to the condition you see it in about three years ago for participation in DFRs, Eroicas Britannia and just riding to the shops. She's no lightweight thoroughbred, but reassuringly solid and comfortable.
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Post by brianbutler on Dec 2, 2019 21:41:21 GMT
Wow, she's a beauty. Fantastic to still have it after 45 years. I really like the crankset, downtube shifters, and top-tube cable guides.
I also like the your original hubs. I saved mine when I swapped the wheels but I did not save the steel rims. One of my routes crosses some tall weedy grass and then runs steeply downhill through woods for 200 meters or so. One day the grass was wet when I went through it, which led to zero braking and a harrowing trail ride dodging trees. When I got home I swapped the wheels for some alloys ones from a French bike I had disassembled. The wheels are OK but well worn. At some point I might get new alloy rims and lace them to the original hubs, which run very smooth.
Thanks for the photo.
Brian
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Post by brianbutler on Dec 3, 2019 13:33:22 GMT
This might interfere with my annual mileage goal.
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Post by brianbutler on Aug 7, 2020 1:45:55 GMT
After the recent DFR8, I made a few changes to my Sebring:
Installed one of the Shimano 34T skiptooth blocks I recently refurbished Replaced the Shimano stem shifters with Suntour "symmetric" downtube. shifters from a 1982 Nishiki parts bike Replaced the worn out Shimano Tourney center pull brakes with Dia Compe sidepulls also from the Nishiki Removed the Plescher rack Replaced the already replaced wheels with a set I had been using on a now scrapped 1974 Schwinn Le Tour mixte. These still are not great.
Replaced the short cage Titlist RD with a brand new long cage Shimano Tourney TX imported from the orient Replaced the the bent handle bars with some new Nitto Grand Radonneur bars*
The new RD is probably intended for a mountain bike with its huge jockey wheels and massive chain capacity. It works great but looks clunky. I left the rear cable loop long because I have two other period long cage RD's I could use (Suntour ARx and Shimano Crane GS) but both need some refurbishment so for the time being I'll use the Tourney.
* During the DFR8, I noticed how hideously the bars were bent. It must have been quite a fall and I'm glad it wasn't me for a change. The Nitto bars are wider and have a very comfortable shape. I got three or 4 brand new ones from a friend of my wife, whose late husband was an avid radonneur.
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Post by wheelson on Aug 7, 2020 2:57:57 GMT
Hi Brian, That Sebring looks really nice, better yet is its functionality. It's great to be able to shift components around to be able to improve functionality for a regular rider. A couple of questions and comments: 1) How does the Suntour Symmetric shifters work with the internal trimming function? I have a set I plan to use at some point, but most of my bikes are set up as triples. Perhaps on a Viscount I'm planning for my wife, as it will be a double with the "holey" Lambert chainring made toothless for a chainguard. 2) I like the wire tie to keep the rear shifting cable snug to the chain stay. I found that necessary on one of my bikes as well. 3) Are you running 27 inch wheels on this bike? I plan to step down to 700c's on one of my bikes (probably the one I'm contemplating for my wife), and I found the Tourney brakes have quite a bit of brake pad adjustment. I'd go to 650b but that's quite a bit from 27's so I'm probably dreaming. 4) I really like those Shimano skip tooth freewheels. They came on the Schwinn Voyageur and they really help with shifting big sprockets on pre-indexing systems. Again, very nice job on that Sebring! Best, John "wheelson"
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Post by franco on Aug 7, 2020 7:57:37 GMT
Looking good Brian. The skiptooth looks clean, pleased you got one up and running. Never tried Radonnneur bars, don’t they have a slight upward sweep to them? I’m sure I read that somewhere. Interesting choice on bottle holder too, might have a look for something similar. Been using the old style type that clamp on with steel ties, which means putting tape on the frame to avoid scratching it and it can all get a bit unsightly.
I fitted some sks mudguards on the 400 last week after deciding that would be the ‘winter bike’ this year. Always swapping and changing something!
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Post by brianbutler on Aug 7, 2020 13:12:10 GMT
John, regarding the Suntour symmetric shifters - if you literally mean how do they work, when you pull one cable it slightly relaxes the other by moving the shifter body with cams. The effect is small and below the noise level of my shifting accuracy. You probably already knew the mechanics. If you mean how do I like them, they are good, smooth friction shifters. I would prefer a tension adjustment bail clip instead of the hex cap screws and the levers are fairly small. I prefer them to stem shifters for sure.
One issue related to this that you might know about - The modern Tourney TX I installed is designed to accomodate 7/8-speed indexed shifting. I have a feeling the cable pull per gear is small compared to that of an older analog RD. The shifting is quite sensitive and does does not use the entire right shifter range for 5 speeds. I got used to it over the course of 25 miles but it leaves little room for error and I missed a few shifts. [EDIT] I just discovered that I had threaded the cables through these shifters incorrectly, missing a guide hole. Duh. This error caused the cable pull to be greater than it should be and non-linear. I will report back after I try them correctly cabled.
I am running 27" wheels salvaged from an early 80's Fuji Espree, but with Schwinn Le Tour (Maillard, I think) hubs. The rims are either Araya or Ukai alloys. Nice and strong but both have seen some potholes making it impossible to true perfectly or get a flat brake track. I might switch to some Sun Ringle CR-18's at some point unless a better cheap or free donor bike pops up. Franco, the 34T block gives me a low gear of 39/34*27" = 31 inches, lower than I need around here with grades rarely exceeding 8.5%. But in non-Covid times I frequently ride in the White Mountains and lakes region of New Hampshire, where long 12-14% grades are common. I wanted another bike with hill capability. The radonneur bars do have an upward sweep and a slightly compressed drop. I pushed the stem in a little further and the result is a very comfortable bar on (or near) the hoods and in the drops. I bought a few of those quick release bottle cages and move them around among 3 or 4 bikes without bosses. I can use 1, 2, or even 3 at a time if the weather and distance dictate. Another odd Covid effect is that all the public water fountains and spigots are turned off.
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Post by triitout on Aug 9, 2020 2:00:42 GMT
Hey Brian, what's your source for the quick release bottle cages? I've been using one that's a velcro wrap and it just slides all over the place. My fixed ones just rust away around the tube wrap strap area and screw up the paint. Saw some on Amazon with spotty reviews. Many moons ago I did the Timberman 1/2 Ironman up in the NH lakes region around Lake Winnepusaki (spelling?). Lovely area. I remember dying on the run on the infamous "Halfway Hill" so the 34/39 I'm sure is very useful! The Sebring looks great!
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Post by brianbutler on Aug 9, 2020 16:56:52 GMT
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Post by brianbutler on Oct 20, 2020 0:54:45 GMT
Nice autumn day for a ride.
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ks1u
Viscount
Posts: 76
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Post by ks1u on Oct 20, 2020 3:11:59 GMT
Nice looking bike. You do good work and it's nice to see you ride them as well.
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Post by brianbutler on Feb 8, 2021 15:55:38 GMT
The Viscount Sebring is just off the bike stand where it underwent a complete bearing overhaul and cleaning, new chain, and several notable improvements - replaced the Shimano Tourney TX RD with a Suntour ARx, whose stripped cable clamp I was finally able to fix, re-laced the wheels with new stainless steel spokes to replace the horribly salt-rusted galvanized ones, and re-wrapped the handlebars using cloth tape and shellac with a red cord binding. Photos below.
Brian
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Post by wheelson on Feb 9, 2021 0:46:28 GMT
Nice job, Brian. I have to say like like the Suntour ARX choice. The bar end mirror is another good one that works well for me. I'm guessing you didn't get much riding done with all that snow in the background. Best, John "wheelson"
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Post by brianbutler on Feb 9, 2021 1:07:15 GMT
Thanks John. That ARX was puzzle to fix. The steel cable clamp bolt screws into the inside plate, which is aluminum alloy. I overtightened it and stripped it out on a different bike a while back but kept it for parts or repair. I thought about tapping the hole out from 5mm to 6mm but the 6mm socket cap head would not fit through the front opening. Eventually I drilled out the hole to 1/4" and inserted a 5mm rivnut threaded onto a long bolt with a spacer and nut on top I could tighten to pull the rivnut snug. All good except then the back of the rivnut interfered with the parallelogram so I spent a while cutting it down with a tiny burr on the dremel tool inserted through a small space. Michael, you would have been proud of me!
Yeah, snow. There's about 20 inches on the ground now. I actually did ride yesterday but had to cut it short because it really started coming down. Tried to go out today but 22F and wet, narrow roads so I gave up. There is always tomorrow but more snow is forecast.
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Post by wheelson on Feb 9, 2021 2:01:07 GMT
Brian,
Thanks for the rivnut idea, I hadn't thought of that. I have one or two Suntour derailleurs with this problem so I'll give it a go.
We have snow here in western PA as well, as soon as one leaves another arrives. I'm not even trying to ride outside for now. Old bones heal slowly!
Best, John "w"
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Post by brianbutler on Feb 9, 2021 3:09:50 GMT
John, if you use 5mm rivnuts, use a 1/4" drill, not 17/64 like RJ the Bike Guy says on his video about using them for bottle cage bosses. I found out the hard way that the rivnut will spin in the 17/64 hole and you will have to resort to the arrangement I described in my previous post. I think the 1/4" hole would grab the splines on the rivnut shank tight enough to get it started. Why I actually had a 17/64" drill bit is anybody's guess and I wish I didn't.
I like Suntour components generally but they often have steel parts threaded into aluminum. It's a fine line between tight enough and too tight, especially with older components that have been adjusted many times.
Brian
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Post by franco on Feb 9, 2021 23:51:01 GMT
Good work Brian, looks great. Hope the snow clears for you soon.
Out of interest, how well does the drop bar mirror work for you?
I bought one that clips onto my cycling specs but not tried it yet.
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Post by wheelson on Feb 10, 2021 1:37:35 GMT
Good work Brian, looks great. Hope the snow clears for you soon. Out of interest, how well does the drop bar mirror work for you? I bought one that clips onto my cycling specs but not tried it yet. Franco, Not Brian but I can add a couple of data points, one on my Nashbar touring bike and one on my go fast(er) Specialized Allez. They work so well I plan to put them on all my bikes. The Nashbar has bar end shifters so I made a modified mirror mount using a handlebar reflector clamp. Helmet or eyeglass mirrors just don’t work for me, too distracting. A mirror is essential for me, though, since I had partial cervical disk fusion and have much less ability to turn my head with all that titanium in there! Best, John “wheelson”
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Post by brianbutler on Feb 10, 2021 4:51:28 GMT
I agree with John, mirrors are essential. You don't realize it completely until you use one and then try to go without. I have them on all bikes. I had been using these and still have them on a couple of bikes, including the Sebring in the photo:
I got few Third Eye's that came with the wrong (concave) side mirrored and they were completely useless. I had to buy some stick-on convex mirrors for cars and pasted them over the bad mirrors. It was cheaper and easier than returning them. Recently I bought some of these. They are quite good and the mount is actually better than the Third Eye, and the price is roughly half.: SGODDE Bike MirrorI have a touring bike with bar end shifters and use this. The mirror is small and not the best image quality:
Here is another one I use, possibly better than the Zefal. I am working on a Sekine bike with bar end shifters and will probably these:
I don't know if any or all of these are available in the UK but it should give you an idea of what's out there. My next-door neighbor and sometimes riding partner likes a helmet mirror, which I have not tried.
Brian
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Post by franco on Feb 10, 2021 11:29:16 GMT
Thanks for the replies.
I’ve seen a few of those Brian, there is one you wear on your wrist as well but it’s big and looks a bit dorky to me. I’d rather have something less conspicuous.
It’s a bit icey at the moment to do any street bagging but I might try the eyeglass mirror out on a few clear roads today to see how I get on with it.
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Post by wheelson on Feb 10, 2021 12:56:41 GMT
All of Brian's examples look good. My preference is anything that is attached to the bike rather than the rider. The rider's position is constantly changing, for a wrist-mounted mirror you'd have to reposition your hands depending on where you hands are on the bar - tops, drops, or hoods. With an end of bar mount, you might have to re-position once if the setting gets bumped during transit, otherwise you're good to go. I find mirrors absolutely essential, whether for rear-approaching vehicles on the road or cyclists on the trail who know neither bell or voice warnings. Best, John "wheelson"
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Post by brianbutler on Feb 10, 2021 13:07:43 GMT
The high tech solution would be a rear view camera and bar mounted display. I can never decide how far to go with bike technology.
Brian
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Post by franco on Feb 12, 2021 15:03:29 GMT
I tried the eyeglass mirror today and found it inconsistent in use, certainly not to be relied on.
Our road surfaces are quite rough in some places and the thing kept shaking around and moving with the road vibrations, it was in focus for perhaps 50% of the ride. Plus like John said I found it a bit distracting.
I’ll price up some bar end models.
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Post by dracco on Feb 13, 2021 12:13:08 GMT
When I was younger I never had any problems looking over my shoulder, but these days it seems that I don't bend quite so much. The bar-end mirror looks quite a neat solution,and one I'll investigate as well.
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Post by oldroadietehachapi on Feb 13, 2021 16:25:53 GMT
When I was younger I never had any problems looking over my shoulder, but these days it seems that I don't bend quite so much. The bar-end mirror looks quite a neat solution,and one I'll investigate as well. The only mirror that has worked for me is a Third Eye Pro helmet mirror. The original double sided tape only works on a completely flat surface so you depend on the flexible mounting pad to match the convex helmet surface. For a much stronger mount, I attach the mirror to my helmet with Scotch Super Strength Molding Tape (03609). This rubbery tape allows a greater conformation to the convex helmet shell. The result, one helmet, with one mirror, that I use with many bikes. The mirror is easy to use and gives a stable image.
Cheers Jim
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Post by brianbutler on Feb 13, 2021 20:35:27 GMT
I admit I like the idea of one mirror per helmet instead of one per bike. One per head would be better but I rotate through several helmets, leaving a couple to sanitize in the sun while I wear one for a week.
Brian
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