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Post by condor on Jul 20, 2014 4:46:22 GMT
I have a set of Viscount wheels from 1975, with "made in France" tubular rims. The sealed bearings have a very small amount of play.
Do the wheels as they are now have any value ... would collectors rather have original bearings or a tighter wheel?
Thanks.
The wheels are under a 26" Condor frame from the same period. When I worked in the bike shop in '75, folks would buy Viscounts but want clincher rims, so we had a few sets of OEM Viscount wheels. As we were in south Florida, land of the sandspurs, tubulars were problematic for casual riders.
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Jem
Viscount
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Posts: 3,418 
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Post by Jem on Jul 20, 2014 10:06:02 GMT
I have a set of Viscount wheels from 1975, with "made in France" tubular rims. The sealed bearings have a very small amount of play. Do the wheels as they are now have any value ... would collectors rather have original bearings or a tighter wheel? Thanks. The wheels are under a 26" Condor frame from the same period. When I worked in the bike shop in '75, folks would buy Viscounts but want clincher rims, so we had a few sets of OEM Viscount wheels. As we were in south Florida, land of the sandspurs, tubulars were problematic for casual riders. Hi, Well the way I see this is that most folk on here like the original bits and pieces, and will live with a bit of 'vintageness' less than perfect. But the conundrum over here is that if someone is selling a vintage pair of wheels , then they might ask £50+. But then a rough and ready bike with the same wheels on might cost less than £50. Viscount owners I have spoken to will not want to cannibalise a half decent Lambert/Viscount and therein lies the 'issue' which you post about. For info -I believe that the Aerospace Pro's that have the blue additional paintwork over the grey , were set up with tubs and the black over grey were clinchers. What do you recall from working in the trade in the mid 70's? How were Viscount perceived ? (if you stocked them at all?) Cheers Jem |
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Post by condor on Jul 21, 2014 0:48:28 GMT
Soop - the shop was on Palm Beach (Florida, where the Kennedys lived) & catered to the rich, the really rich, and working folks.
We stocked Viscounts, the rich folks liked them, though most fancied themselves cycle boffins - "What, no frame lugs??".
The shop owner, however, was English (several years in the Raleigh factory) and was able to assure them that the frames were proper. The sealed hubs were a sales plus. And the high (relative to the Raleigh) price tag appealed to their snob sense. Oddly enough, we never heard about "suicide forks" .... when did that name come about?
I would like to find a vintage Viscount QR spindle, rear, with the red V logo, to replace the one that went walkabout several years ago.
For my Condor, I'm building clincher wheels on vintage Campy hubs, so will probably flog the V wheels to an interested punter.
And I'm going bonkers trying to find out where my Condor frame was built ... Googling my little tail off.
- Tim in the USofA
Note to non-Southerners ... sandspurs are small burrs with extraordinarily tough spikes, which grow in clusters and can defeat "puncture-proof tubes". Bike shop owners love them for the business they generate.
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Jem
Viscount
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Posts: 3,418
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Post by Jem on Jul 21, 2014 19:50:45 GMT
Tim,
I can picture it now. I bet that was some place to be in the late 60's and the summer of love?
As for the suicide forks, I think there is a recall letter on the site here with details on how to get your replacement fork etc. That will have a date on it?
I guess the name 'suicide' or 'death fork' might not even have come about until the era of the internet and bike forums, but couldn't be 100% sure.
And for info (off the top of my head) only 0.02% were faulty and there are no confirmed serious injuries due to the fork. So, it is felt here that the recall was badly handled and maybe hastened the downfall of the company. Especially when you consider every bike manufacturer these days has catastrophic frame/component issues and recalls on a pretty regular basis without too much calamity.
Jem
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