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Post by franco on Jul 13, 2020 19:27:27 GMT
Is the Flickr album set to private Dracco? It says I don’t have permission to view the pictures.
We got lucky with the weather didn’t we considering today and the most of last week. Sounds like a good run out, I wish I had done more miles now with a proper refreshment stop.
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rmw
Viscount
Posts: 143
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Post by rmw on Jul 13, 2020 20:49:32 GMT
I had considered riding over to Potters Bar to revisit the factory site, as per DFR 4.5, but it's not the most brilliant ride and I was feeling less than brilliant, so I opted for the local lanes. That would make it easier for me to do a short ride but go a bit longer if I was going OK. I felt rubbish in the morning, but by afternoon was feeling up to a short bimble. So the Plan A was ride over to Nomansland Common and sip some coffee. Objective achieved. It was a lovely sunny and warm day. Plenty of cyclists out, quite a few people walking on the lanes. I spotted this bench tucked away in the trees but just off the road. Glad I went for this one, as my usual picnic spot was over-run. Please admire the bar end plugs, a present from the Women's Tour of Scotland final stage in Edinburgh last year. DFR8 Hertfordshire by Rona Wightman, on Flickr DFR8 Hertfordshire by Rona Wightman, on Flickr DFR8 Hertfordshire by Rona Wightman, on Flickr After coffee and shortbread I was feeling a bit livelier, and decided to loop over to Marshalls Heath and Shaw's Corner. Kept the pace steady. Hertfordshire has 'rolling terrain' and so there were a couple of small ascents, then I dropped down to cross the Lea. I wimped out of the big climb up to Mackerye End from the ford at Batford, I just took the shorter and less severe climb up by Marshalls Heath. Across the top of the higher ground, through Gustard Wood and then the gentle freewheel down to Ayot St Lawrence. I had barely stopped to take the picture of this quiet lane when several motors and a family cycling came charging along. DFR8 Hertfordshire by Rona Wightman, on Flickr A short breather at Shaw's Corner, our local National Trust attraction. It is a great place, Shaw stipulated that it was to be used to promote literature and that people should be encouraged to picnic in the garden. They change the displays, but I have seen his exercise bike as well as his CTC membership card. It's closed at the moment of course. DFR8 Hertfordshire by Rona Wightman, on Flickr For those who have not seen it before, the bike is a 1978 Aerospace Sport that I have had from new. The only original bits are the brakes and the from derailleur, everything else has worn out and been replaced at some stage. It was my everyday bike until 1999, when I got a second hand Witcomb that I use mostly and the Viscount is the special occasions and long distance bike. I don't think I'll manage a century ride this year.
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Post by wheelson on Jul 14, 2020 2:03:07 GMT
Weather looks marginal here for tomorrow in Western Pennsylvania USA. Rained here today until mid-afternoon. It's supposed to be good tomorrow until 2pm then a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms, so it might be an abbreviated ride. I'll be riding the unknown model Lambert/Viscount, feels solid after a short neighborhood ride today. Best of luck to all, John "wheelson" Wilson Well, the weather actually cooperated for a good two hours or so, and I was able to participate in my first DFR even if it was virtual. I haven't yet deciphered the technique of imbedding photos but I'm attaching a flickr link that will hopefully show a bit of my day. Apologies for the fact that I appear in almost every photo but that was the work of my accomplice, my lovely wife Deb. She rode her Cannondale mtb and insisted on quite a few stops to properly document my first DFR. She is also taken with anything pertaining to Great Britain.
www.flickr.com/photos/wheelson2011/albums/72157715090163192/with/50109985381/
The ride itself was brief yet fun even though I've not yet recovered from various maladies and surgeries. It began and ended at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania USA and the backroads and byways in the area. Lucky if it was 10 miles but the weather window cooperated and again, great to be back on a Viscount. I rode my blue unknown model Viscount, modified and repainted before my possession. It's been hanging idle since Spring, 2018 when I was supposed to ride it at Fancy Gap on the Blue Ridge Parkway as a preliminary to the Classic Rendezvous Weekend in Greensboro, North Carolina. Unfortunately, rainy weather and serious medical issues for yours truly prevented that ride, so the DFR 8 is actually it's inaugural outing.
After the ride, it was back to Wilson's Pub for a really good stout, something called 0'Dark Thirty from 6 Bears & A Goat Brewery, Fredricksburg, Virginia. The other brew spotted on the table is Gaelic Ale from Highland Brewing in Asheville, North Carolina (my home town). Fish and fries from Bubba's, a really good local spot. Likely doesn't measure up to across the pond, but I couldn't figure out how to get the real stuff via the virtual mode.
I really hope to someday be able to be there in the motherland for a non-virtual DFR and to meet all of you.
Best, John "wheelson" Wilson
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Post by dracco on Jul 14, 2020 8:19:46 GMT
Hi Franco,
I'm still trying to work out how to share the photos: This is the first time that I've used Flickr, and it's likely to take me a bit of time to find all the instructions (or indeed any of the instructions)!
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Post by dracco on Jul 14, 2020 10:29:15 GMT
OK, I think the links should now work: let me know if they aren't. At some stage I'll work out how to embed images.
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Post by brianbutler on Jul 14, 2020 11:40:00 GMT
Nice ride, John. You are lucky to have a skillful ride-along photographer. The scenery reminded me that I had planned a trip for this summer to check out long bike trails across Pennsylvania and Ohio, scuttled by the kahuna virus of course. Maybe next year if we manage to get it under control. I'll keep you posted.
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DFR8
Jul 14, 2020 15:55:10 GMT
Post by franco on Jul 14, 2020 15:55:10 GMT
Hi Franco, I'm still trying to work out how to share the photos: This is the first time that I've used Flickr, and it's likely to take me a bit of time to find all the instructions (or indeed any of the instructions)! They work now, that looks a nice scenic route!
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DFR8
Jul 14, 2020 17:57:09 GMT
Post by dracco on Jul 14, 2020 17:57:09 GMT
Hi Franco,
Thanks for the heads-up. Whew.
It's a great route that I do at least once every year (twice, this year, so far). It has its um... ups and downs (but not so many as in other parts of the Dales).
I have to say that the best part of lockdown was the really good weather that we had during April and May, which combined with the empty roads and the ability to chooses my work-from-home hours gave me the rare opportunity to get out during the middle of the week, without having to worry about traffic (more bikes than cars on the roads sometimes). The downside was that the pubs were all shut.
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DFR8
Jul 14, 2020 19:01:50 GMT
Post by franco on Jul 14, 2020 19:01:50 GMT
Hi Franco, Thanks for the heads-up. Whew. It's a great route that I do at least once every year (twice, this year, so far). It has its um... ups and downs (but not so many as in other parts of the Dales). I have to say that the best part of lockdown was the really good weather that we had during April and May, which combined with the empty roads and the ability to chooses my work-from-home hours gave me the rare opportunity to get out during the middle of the week, without having to worry about traffic (more bikes than cars on the roads sometimes). The downside was that the pubs were all shut. I agree, that part of lockdown was a pleasure. I’m lucky that within 10 minutes there are country lanes that go for miles, it’s far from flat though. We’ve got the three highest points in Nottinghamshire within 4 miles of where we live. Nothing better than getting out into the countryside on the bike
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robt
Viscount
Posts: 558
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Post by robt on Jul 14, 2020 21:58:20 GMT
OK, I think the links should now work: let me know if they aren't. At some stage I'll work out how to embed images. Dracco, I can confirm that the links in your DFR8 post work - i.e. they take you to your photos in Flickr. In order to embed a photo from Flickr into a forum thread, while using a Mac (or PC?): 1. Open your selected photo from your Flickr album or photostream; 2. Click the 'Share Photo' arrow in the bottom right hand corner of the photo page; 3. A dialogue box will open, headed "Share 1 photo to" with a list of 4 options below that: Share; Embed; Email; and BB Code; 4. Select BB Code, and a URL will appear in the larger rectangle in the centre of the dialogue box; 5. In the smaller rectangle, the box will offer you a choice of shapes and sizes: Square; Thumbnail; Small; Medium; Large; and Original, with pixel number options; 6. Select the size you'd like the photo to appear as (I find that Medium 640x480 is usually enough); 7. Copy the BB Code from within the large rectangle; 8. Switch to your drafted Forum thread post and paste the BB Code into your text - it will appear as the URL code initially; and then 9. When you click the 'Create Post' button in the bottom right hand corner, your text and photo should magically appear on the Forum (along with an option to edit it if it's not what you'd planned!). Et Voila! Simple as eating a banana: IMG_20200712_133219477_Ripley banana(1) by Andrew Cuming, on Flickr
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DFR8
Jul 14, 2020 22:25:29 GMT
Post by triitout on Jul 14, 2020 22:25:29 GMT
Nice ride, John. You are lucky to have a skillful ride-along photographer. The scenery reminded me that I had planned a trip for this summer to check out long bike trails across Pennsylvania and Ohio, scuttled by the kahuna virus of course. Maybe next year if we manage to get it under control. I'll keep you posted. Great photos John! It really gave the western Pa. feel. Have you ventured out to The GAP trail? Looks intriguing and not far from you. I did white water rafting not far from you in Ohiopyle years ago. Lots of fun and I lived to tell about it. Nice that you , Brian and myself were part of DFR8. Thank goodness for the virtual world! Cheers, Michael
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DFR8
Jul 15, 2020 1:19:57 GMT
Post by wheelson on Jul 15, 2020 1:19:57 GMT
Thanks, Michael. There are so many great backroads and rail trails in western PA. I was really planning to ride the backroads around Ligonier and Rector, PA, about 20 miles away near Rolling Rock where the rich and famous (Mellons and Scaifes) used to do steeplechases and riding to the hounds. Really beautiful up there at the foot of the Chestnut Ridge. Because of the two hour weather window of opportunity here, I settled for some roads around the local Seton Hill University, the Caritas Christie Sisters of Charity retirement home, and the backroads nearby. Not a bad area for a backup but not a lot of mileage available there. I rode the GAP and the C&O in 2009, right after I retired, with a group of Boy Scouts whose leader I had worked with for a good many years. I rode self-supported, everything on my bike, camping at commercial campgrounds, city green spaces, and a YMCA outdoor space. For those interested, the Great Allegheny Passage is a rail trail, one of the best in the USA, that runs uninterrupted from Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, MD (150mi.) where it seamlessly connects with the C&O Towpath for an additional ride of 185mi. to Washington, DC. The surface of the GAP is crushed limestone, while the C&O varies to a much coarser stone, dirt, roots, singletrack, . . . The C&O is currently being upgraded to resemble the GAP. A very pleasurable and historic ride. Plan for a week. www.gaptrail.org/ www.nps.gov/choh/index.htmI really enjoyed my first DFR, even if it was virtual. The Viscount performed beautifully in spite of the fact that I really hadn't been on it in almost two years and just had to pump up the tires. Now on to the completion of my pseudo-Supabike for DFR-9. It really HAS a death fork, although Type 3. Best, John "wheelson" Wilson
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robt
Viscount
Posts: 558
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Post by robt on Jul 15, 2020 14:36:23 GMT
Second attempt... After our aborted attempt at taking part in DFR last Sunday, I thought I'd do today's 35 mile ride out with the Heart of England Cycling Club on my Sebring as a substitute. The route covered some of the same ground as we did on DFR4 and DFR6, including Kenilworth Castle and the Kenilworth Greenway ( soon to be HS2). I Mapped My Ride as below: Screen Shot 2020-07-15 at 15.18.57 by RMT@261, on Flickr I asked one of the Club members to take a photo of me with Kenilworth Castle in the background, so I could use the "Old Ruin, his bike and Kenilworth Castle" line, but it was all a bit overcast: IMG_1140 by RMT@261, on Flickr With all the recent talk of Viscount Jerseys, I thought I'd model mine (from Jura Cycles). I'm obviously blaming lockdown for the absence of taught stomach muscles! P1000512 by RMT@261, on Flickr The Sebring was generally admired by the club members, who were interested to learn of our dedicated group of enthusiasts. I have to say that the Sebring rode just as well today as my other, much newer and more fashionable, bike would have done.
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DFR8
Jul 15, 2020 17:17:42 GMT
Post by brianbutler on Jul 15, 2020 17:17:42 GMT
I agree 100% about the Sebring being a good ride. Something about the frame geometry or stiffness/flex makes it a very comfortable bike. Actually fairly light as well. I would like to know how you converted the porthole chainring to a triple and how you managed to find a threaded bottom bracket that accomodates the non-tapered spindle. This has probably been discussed on this forum but if you can point me toward the right discussion I will check it out.
Nice ride and nice looking bike.
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DFR8
Jul 15, 2020 18:57:00 GMT
Post by dracco on Jul 15, 2020 18:57:00 GMT
Thanks Rob, here's a tryout.
So this last weekend also featured an event of unimaginable magnitude here in the UK: the reopening of recreational cricket after the months of lockdown. Here's what was happening at my village cricket club, when I got back from my DFR ride.
Well, what WAS happening? - Not much (for our members in the US, this is normal). It's a good way to work up a thirst, though.
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DFR8
Jul 15, 2020 20:44:00 GMT
Post by franco on Jul 15, 2020 20:44:00 GMT
I must say, I’ve really enjoyed reading everyone’s posts, looking at the pictures and routes. Some lovely scenery and great bikes on display. I’m already looking forward to next year, hopefully we can do a bit of both, virtual and group rides. Realised I’d not posted a close up of the Aerospace 400, at the old stagecoach mounting steps at Hardwick Hall.
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robt
Viscount
Posts: 558
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DFR8
Jul 15, 2020 22:09:45 GMT
Post by robt on Jul 15, 2020 22:09:45 GMT
“I would like to know how you converted the porthole chainring to a triple and how you managed to find a threaded bottom bracket that accomodates the non-tapered spindle.“Brian, take a look at the ‘ Just bought an Aerospace Victor’ thread from 2016, where, if you follow the thread, I provide a description of the parts I used and links (current at the time) to the suppliers’ (Spa Cycles and SJS) websites. If there are any parts of this that don’t make sense, or links that don’t take you to sensible places, let me know. The bottom bracket on my Sebring is the original one (with some new grease and ball bearings), which was fitted with a 52/42 SR chainset . I don’t recall any problem fitting the Porthole chainset (bought from eB*y), but couldn’t say for certain whether it’s a plain or tapered square fitting. I can investigate if required.
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DFR8
Jul 16, 2020 0:14:15 GMT
Post by wheelson on Jul 16, 2020 0:14:15 GMT
Rob, first of all, I really love that red Sebring. I also converted my ? Viscount to a triple. Seemed easy enough, but probably not totally correct as I used some TA hardware. Is it correct that some Lambert/Viscount bottom bracket spindles and some crankarms were tapered and some not? I have several sets of crankarms that seem to fit tapered spindles but was never sure that my primary crankset on the blue ? Viscount had not been manipulated to create a taper. Seems as though it would be easy enough to do. I also notice that the spindle on my recently acquired chrome pseudo-Supa frameset has a non-tapered spindle. This, of course, will have to change when I build it up with the black Dura Ace components. Your Supabike must have had a tapered spindle to begin with. Makes me wonder what model that brushed chrome frameset I have really is. Best, John "wheelson" Wilson live.stati
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DFR8
Jul 16, 2020 0:18:09 GMT
Post by wheelson on Jul 16, 2020 0:18:09 GMT
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DFR8
Jul 16, 2020 1:13:43 GMT
Post by brianbutler on Jul 16, 2020 1:13:43 GMT
Thank you, Rob and John. I might be overthinking it. I thought all porthole cranks sets had non-tapered spindle holes and that it would not work to install them on a tapered spindle. It seems like it would need to be shimmed to prevent movement. So then I wondered where you found a threaded bottom bracket with a non-tapered spindle. I will read the discussion from 2016 and that should straighten me out.
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DFR8
Jul 16, 2020 1:45:56 GMT
Post by triitout on Jul 16, 2020 1:45:56 GMT
Thank you, Rob and John. I might be overthinking it. I thought all porthole cranks sets had non-tapered spindle holes and that it would not work to install them on a tapered spindle. It seems like it would need to be shimmed to prevent movement. So then I wondered where you found a threaded bottom bracket with a non-tapered spindle. I will read the discussion from 2016 and that should straighten me out. Check ou the Bicycling Magazine review of the Aerospace Pro, 1975. It speaks of the BB axle being tapered. I remember reading somewhere that by the time it made it to the states, they figured out non tapered was not the best of ideas. In retrospect, it's amusing to read about the strength of the death fork and extensive testing to prove it superior to a regular steel fork in this review, lol! viscountandlambert.boards.net/thread/12/aerospace-road-article-bicycling-magazine
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DFR8
Jul 16, 2020 4:02:11 GMT
Post by wheelson on Jul 16, 2020 4:02:11 GMT
I'm still a bit confused about the whole Lambert/Viscount bottom bracket spindle deal, but I guess that's part of being a L/V owner! The first crankset (apparently tapered I have I bought from the same member of the CR forum from whom I bought my original blue repainted and apparently modified ? Viscount ?. I say ? because this frameset does not quite fit any model. That apparently is the same situation with the chrome frameset I recently bought from a shop owner in California. It has all the characteristics of a Supabike: brushed chrome, Type 3 death fork, black Viscount headset, and a set of black Viscount hubs purchased at the same time. NOT Supa: no water bottle braze-ons, no separate seat post clamp, and rear dropouts with no adjustment screws. But, to the point at hand, this frame has the original decals, identical to a Supa and labeled as a Viscount. It also has a non-tapered spindle. So, what is it, if the non-tapered axles went out early? I also have some crank retaining bolts with the Lambert logo with a convex washer intended to mate with a concave crank arm. I don't have said arm but I've seen them on line so they exist. Is this the proper setup for the non-tapered axle?
I guess this is all a moot question since I have to change the pseudo-Supa non-tapered to accept the black Dura Ace crankset that will go on this bike. I will probably use the bottom bracket hack I devised and posted somewhere on this list a year or two ago.
One last frame I have is a silver and black Aerospace. I've already tapped that one out to Italian b.b. threading but it will also be a sealed bearing setup.
So no real answers to the tapered/non-tapered question. I suppose one could modify a non-tapered crank arm by carefully using a file and some machinist blue (or Sharpie black) and putting a taper into the non-tapered arm. That may well have happened to that first crankset I bought. If so, it was well done and that setup, now a triple, is working well for me.
Best, John "wheelson" Wilson (whose 2nd great grandfather was "Blacksmith Jimmy" Morrison)
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Jem
Viscount
?
Posts: 3,380
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DFR8
Jul 20, 2020 11:09:08 GMT
Post by Jem on Jul 20, 2020 11:09:08 GMT
Hi John - I guess that chromed, Pseudo Semi-Supa one of yours is going to remain a mystery.
I think many of us have Viscount and Lambert examples that just don't quite fit into a neat category. I believe that that many of the parts supply issue led to almost any component going on almost any bike in times of need.
I also get the impression from some comments I read that employees perhaps had the perk of making up a bike for their own use . These may have been left overs parts, prototypes, or a combination of many things. Who knows how some of these quirky Frankenviscount models came to be born?
Sorry, I can't offer any technical know-how on the BB - I had to get help on both of mine that I did, it was beyond my skills (or tool collection) at the time. All I could manage was to whack a spindle so hard with a hammer, it flew right out with 30 years worth of rusty gunk contained within. Bustaste then did the magic mechanics on the BB and crank set up.
ps I Googled Jmmy Morrison, and after pages and pages of the rock band The Doors , I narrowed it down with 'blacksmith' and found him on WikiTree Free. How far back can you get on your tree? Wilson and Morrison names are UK/Irish origin?
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DFR8
Jul 20, 2020 12:16:35 GMT
Post by wheelson on Jul 20, 2020 12:16:35 GMT
Thanks for the reply on the pseudo-Supa. I can only imagine the shuffling of frames and parts that occurred during that time. Its not critical that I know the full story as with my blue Viscount but everyone loves a good mystery, I guess. Sorry to bog down the DFR 8 posts, I was hoping to get the p-S ready but it will have to wait for DFR 9.
I'm rather proud of my heritage, and you're right about Wilson and Morrison names being UK/Irish origin. I can go back to around 1735 with the Morrisons. The Ancestry DNA kit my daughter gave me a few years back yielded the fact that I'm well over 80 percent UK/Irish, about 12 percent Scandinavian, and the rest Western European. Perhaps that's why I'm so drawn to this forum and UK bikes in particular!
Best, John "wheelson"
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