bendo
Viscount
Posts: 538 
|
Post by bendo on Apr 30, 2014 10:25:06 GMT
The thing that sold it for me was the fact it has both pedal dust caps. Sadly I saw a very similar Pro in similar (ie excellent) condition the other day in a "vintage" bike shop for AUD1000.00 What have we done to the marketplace???  But I'm happy with my purchase. Hopefully will get out to pick it up this weekend. b |
|
|
|
Post by Stella on Apr 30, 2014 11:30:31 GMT
Congratulations! What colours?
|
|
bendo
Viscount
Posts: 538
|
Post by bendo on Apr 30, 2014 11:33:28 GMT
Black and silver. Click on the word "it" in the first post  b |
|
|
|
Post by Stella on Apr 30, 2014 12:02:01 GMT
Oh, didn't see that, sun's shining into my room and I'm juggling different tasks, too. lol
|
|
|
|
Post by Stella on Apr 30, 2014 12:03:32 GMT
It's a beauty! And the paint job in great nick. Lucky find!
|
|
Jem
Viscount
?
Posts: 3,390
|
Post by Jem on Apr 30, 2014 12:05:54 GMT
Superb score!
Yeah, 'V' logo pedal dust caps would have tipped me over the edge too...
|
|
|
|
Post by cusqueno on Apr 30, 2014 12:15:51 GMT
Very nice bike. Will the orange sticky bits come off easily? we don't see many early Viscounts that original in the UK (as I've whinged about before). I like the story in the listing explaining why the bike has seen such little use.
|
|
|
|
Post by triitout on Apr 30, 2014 12:21:22 GMT
Nice find! What makes it special is the story. Right out of "American Pickers", a popular show in the states. That's the one color combo I've yet to find. Best of times riding it!
|
|
bendo
Viscount
Posts: 538
|
Post by bendo on Apr 30, 2014 20:50:19 GMT
Very nice bike. Will the orange sticky bits come off easily? we don't see many early Viscounts that original in the UK (as I've whinged about before). I like the story in the listing explaining why the bike has seen such little use. I'm hoping the orange stuff will come off OK. In terms of restoration problems, definitely one of the lesser ones! Will post some more pics when I get them off. b PS - yep, the story is a classic! |
|
|
|
Post by velocipete on Apr 30, 2014 20:55:40 GMT
Lovely bit of kit,I'm sure you'll enjoy it!
Cheers,
Pete.
|
|
bendo
Viscount
Posts: 538
|
Post by bendo on May 2, 2014 12:44:04 GMT
Some up-close pics Lambert parts. No wear on the freewheel. Silly orange tape came off OK. My first Titlist front mech too! so now I can study its strange metallurgy. I'm seriously going to ride this—original tyres and all—as is. I'll change the brake cables and that's it. From the sound of it the original owner never cleaned it: this is as dirty as it ever got. More pics on me blog. b     |
|
|
|
Post by velocipete on May 2, 2014 14:48:27 GMT
Don't take the tape off the fork,it could be the only thing between you and certain death!!!
Seriously,that'll polish up a treat.
Cheers,
Pete.
|
|
Jem
Viscount
?
Posts: 3,390
|
Post by Jem on May 2, 2014 15:10:56 GMT
I would wager that within a week or so, you will have done more miles on the bike than it has done in the previous 35 yrs of it's life...
Very nice example indeed!
|
|
|
|
Post by Stella on May 2, 2014 18:36:50 GMT
Simply stunning, even after all those years and you can tell it hasn't been ridden much. Crane RD? You're a very lucky guy to have got your hands on a Pro in such great condition.
|
|
bendo
Viscount
Posts: 538
|
Post by bendo on May 3, 2014 4:09:15 GMT
Thanks guys. I'm definitely stoked to have bought it!  The brazing on the BB shell is a little rough, not sure if you can see it here. But at least I now know what the redundant little cable guide on the down tube is for: I have one on my Sport but with a DA front mech it's not necessary as the DA group comes with a clamp-on cable guide/stop for both front and rear mechs. Now I can see that the Titlists need this braze-on stop and then run housed cable to the front mech from below. And therefore a little cable guide also needed to be brazed on to the top of the BB shell for the rear cable; my Sport doesn't have this Looking at this picture makes me realise I need to rotate the front mech clamp around the seat tube a little so it's parallel with the chain.  Here she is. Really like the choice of red toe straps: they echo and highlight the red in the badges. Still need to polish the tape residue of the front forks. I think I'll go and do that now...  b |
|
|
|
Post by velocipete on May 3, 2014 6:37:33 GMT
Sticky stuff remover will get the residue off easily.Don't just attack it with metal polish
as it will make a gooey horrible mess.Don't ask how I know!
Enjoy the bike.
Cheers,
Pete.
|
|
|
|
Post by Stella on May 3, 2014 10:16:04 GMT
You know, Pete. I'd like to thank you. It seems you've done a lot of mistakes so we don't have to make them. :-) I'm still giggling at the image of you fixing a puncture in the rain, in the dark, with a too tight fork. If that would have been me, I'd probably have sat at the kerb, shedding some tears of frustration.
Disk brake cleaner gets that sticky stuff off. Or nail polish remover. Not too sure how it does work on alloy, though.
|
|
|
|
Post by velocipete on May 3, 2014 14:19:05 GMT
Just to enhance your giggles,the puncture was in the rear wheel of a pre-war tandem.It was a Friday night
and we were going for our clubs Christmas "do" at a hostel in the hills beyond Mold,in the hilly bit of North
Wales.Young daughter was whinging as she was getting wet,I had to take the saddle bag and panniers off
before i could take the wheel out of the frame.It's quite difficult to find punctures in the dark!Lucky I had
shoved a spare tube in my coat pocket before leaving home.Tube in,tyre reseated,heave ho on the jolly old
rear forks, even harder than fronts.Wheel eventually back in.
Arrived at the hostel slightly weary,to say the least.On unpacking my panniers,low and behold,a ginormous
cast iron frying pan and an 18" square cake!!!!
Moral of the story,always pack your own kit and don't leave it to your dearly beloved whilst you're doing a
10 hour shift before leaving.
As for other mistakes,well,the person who hasn't made any hasn't made anything!
Sharing them helps others to get things done easier,quicker,and hopefully cheaper.
Cheers,
Pete.
|
|
|
|
Post by Stella on May 3, 2014 16:17:38 GMT
LOL Oh dear, Pete, that's a hilarious story. I bet you had a stiff word with the beloved. I wouldn't be able to get up a hill on a tandem, let alone with that sort of baggage.
Never worked on a tandem and cannot imagine the frustration you must have been going through. Fixing a puncture by daylight is often hard work (finding the puncture and seating some stubborn tyres), I'm not sure I could do it in the dark.
Agree on the mistakes: you need to make them to learn and to share; if they're great stories, even better because laughter will make it easier to remember.
I can safely warn anyone to hold a freewheel against a brass brush to let it spin. I'm now carrying a proud scar on my tummy. I was lucky it didn't fly into my face or elsewhere. Silly moments like that ...
|
|
|
|
Post by velocipete on May 3, 2014 19:23:55 GMT
Stella,have you met my first wife perchance,you mentioned "baggage"!Actually,we still get on well even though we have been divorced
for 31 years!
You're right,we have to keep the old skills alive.It really hurt me when working for a national bike seller,that so many people were happy
to pay the cost of a tube,and the same in labour,'cos they couldn't be bothered to fix it themselves!
Keep on with your mechanicing,we need as many people with manual skills aswe can get in this button-pushing age.
Cheers,
Pete.
|
|
|
|
Post by Stella on May 3, 2014 21:25:47 GMT
lol I meant packed up like that. Sometimes words get stuck somewhere in my brain and I write whatever comes first. haha.
Re the mechanics: wouldn't want it any other way. My plan is to do courses, mixed and especially for women so they can get the basics done themselves. I know how I felt a year ago: uh, I really have no clue how fit a new inner tube, it's all far too complicated; a bike shop can fix my puncture and it only costs 15 quid. I never had the desire to learn how to do it as I rarely had punctures. Gee, all the fun I've missed out on!
|
|
bendo
Viscount
Posts: 538
|
Post by bendo on May 13, 2014 13:02:07 GMT
 I put the 27 x 1" folding Paselas that I was saving for the Supa Sport on the Pro last night. Took a pic this morning before riding off to work. We've been lucky with the sunny weather this week so no probs about riding the Pro. My helpful LBS suggested that since I was running what is effectively a 25mm tyre, I should use a 700 x 23-25C tube rather than a standard 21 x 1 & 1/4 tube. This means I have nicer quality, lighter tubes to choose from that will fit better inside the skinny tyre. The combination of the thin spokes, single wall alloy rims, and light tyres and tubes means that this bike just accelerates like nothing else. I was catching all the young turks on my homeward commute this evening without trying. Quite amazing. b |
|
|
|
Post by Stella on May 13, 2014 20:33:47 GMT
Sounds like you had a great ride. :-)
|
|
Jem
Viscount
?
Posts: 3,390
|
Post by Jem on May 14, 2014 6:07:01 GMT
The 'Pro certainly is a flyer! My son has tubs on his and it rolls like nothing else.
|
|
b
b