The Bicycle

 

It was lying at the side of a dirt track In outback Australia, that's strange I thought funny place to find a bicycle? it was old, very old and it was complete there where no missing parts that I could see

Picking the bike up and standing it on its wheels I gave it a complete look over, yes it was ok.

A little bit of rust here and there and the chrome bits where tarnished with being outside but it was still rideable. Being a linesman is a lonely job at times, we can go weeks without seeing another person, living in the bush in a truck with very little in the way of amenities would not suit most people but I personally find it suits me, now getting back to the bicycle it had obviously been abandoned, and I was trying to figure out how it could possibly have got here?

I was still looking at the bicycle and thinking it looks like a H gone on a lean, the badge on the front

said The Raleigh and I remembered these where old English bicycles then brushing a little mud of the frame I see its got what appears to be twenty actually it says wenty the s is missing still its not a bad find out here. We do find quite a lot of stuff that's been left, usually old cars that cant handle the outback, but not often bicycles.

TBC..............

Tandem with 24" wheels.

 

Tandem with 24" wheels.

With this one I decided to lay back the seat posts, so I cut off and shortened the top wheel stays,

then I cut a vee in the seat tube just above the bottom bracket, I then bent the seat tube backwards

and left about 50 mm clearance off the wheel I then welded the shortened top wheel stays back in position, and welded the seat tube in place.

The next step was to set up the front bottom bracket and seat tube I decided to do the bottom brackets at 560mm centres I then cut and set the rear top tube between the rear seat post and the front seat post. So with the frame sitting on the bench I measured up from the bench 250 mm

and this is the height of the top tube. I used the original front frame and removed the top tube

I then made a gusset tube triangle to weld into the corner of the head tube and bottom tube

which gives it additional strength and improves the head tube appearance, this was then set up on the bench with the front forks in position to set the height and welded to the front bottom bracket. The next step was to put in the front top tube, I had a problem here non of the spare pieces of bike tube where long enough.

So I used a piece of ERW tube the same diameter as the rear top tube set and welded into position.

Then all the welds where finished. This completes the basic frame, and is ready for clean up.

I still need to fit wheels, cranks, timing chain to weld on adjuster sprocket bracket.

Then I can etch prime the frame.

Next One, Another Tandem

The next project has started, its another tandem Instead of moving the bottom brackets, I am changing the angles
mainly the seat tubes which will be laid back towards the rear wheel allowing about 45 to 50 mm clearance for the tire.This has the same effect of moving the bottom bracket forward, I personally like the bottom bracket about 160 to 250 mm forward of the seat centre verticle line. Knees are not as flexible when you get older.
then the centre seat post will be set on the same angle as the rear one,  the crank centres will be approximately
500 to 600 mm apart this is still to be decided.The front bottom bracket to head tube still needs setting, and I think a horizontal top tube between the head tube and seat posts will just about complete the basic frame.
TBC........

part 5

This was a very Interesting project, I used a Vintage Malvern star frame for the Rear and a Modern frame for the front half,

Then chopped and modified the whole thing, I moved the bottom brackets forward, made the seat post for the rear to move it backwards, then I made the centre seat post and used this to mount the rear handle bar.Similar handlebar for the front.

The chain drive adjustment was done using a kids Crank and modified it.

Rides very well and carries two 80 Kilo adults without any problems.

Prt 4

I will post all the details in a word type document soon

Part 3

looks like it will work this way

part 3

will send part three tomorow

New method

this is part two

Wasting time

It seems that I tried to post too much at once so it all got bombed out.

Orange Cinder

Here we have a before and after picture, I know the seat on the after is not brilliant, but it could be replaced with a banana seat and a sissy bar.