VINTAGE LEAD TDF CYCLISTS AND A BOOTFULL OF WOODS.

 These vintage French lead Tour De France riders were given to me a few years ago. I have used one of them to make a cast, so far I have manged to make the riders pretty successfully. The one on the yellow jersey is one I made, but the bikes are proving quite a bit more of a challenge, I will have to work out a way to spin cast them I think.

 I am moving my workshop at the moment,thought this was a pretty cool image, all my woods I have collected over the years, plus a few new sets out of Italy.

1964 HONDA 305 RACE BIKE

Here is my '64 Honda 305 (now 360) Super Hawk racing bike, I got it a few months back, not running. 
My intention is to turn it into a dirty 'ol road bike.

Apparently the oil seals where all history after it sitting around parked up for over twenty years, and when the guy I brought it off got it going, it spewed oil all over the place.

Of course as soon as I got it home, I stripped the carbs (Amals), put in some new petrol, and soon had my two boys pushing me up and down the road.  We finally got it going, and as the previous owner had said, oil went everywhere, although I noticed all from the breather on the head.

So I parked it up, and started looking for a rebuild kit for it. Then at work a couple days later it occurred to me that maybe when it had been stored originally, the motor had been filled with oil, to preserve it. As soon as I got home from work that day, I took the bung out and drained over 5 liters of oil from the sump, with just the right amount left still left in.

Well we pushed started it again, and off it went, like a scalded cat...yeah!

Anyway with the open megaphone exhaust howling, I had neighbors looking very worried and giving me some not so neighborly stares after a couple of times around the block!
Now the road bike project starts.....stay tuned.

CARLTON TRACK/PATH BIKE

Here are some photos of a Carlton Track/path I restored last year.

Check out the Williams cranks, a seriously underrated chain-set.

SIMPLEX "TOUR DE FRANCE"

Here is a little something special I found a couple of years ago, two box's of Simplex Tour De France derailleur spares, and with lots of the parts still intact.

There is enough parts to build complete derailleurs, I have put one together, which worked beautifully.  

MERCKX SAYS RIDES LOTS STENCIL

This is a true story, although some names and places have been changed to protect the innocent....

I was riding along out in the country the other day when I spotted this great (if I may say so myself) Merckx stencil advocating the pleasures of a cycling life.

I thought the stencil was so sweet that I quickly (when I got home of course!) made up a stencil exactly the same size and then with the same colour spay paint, and made myself a tee.

 Yep that's me below wearing the Merckx tee, which is already pretty trashed, which is what you get if you wear a white tee while working on a motorbike.

The bike is another project I am working on, I am going to build a cafe' bike for under $1000.00 NZ. The bike is a 1976 Honda CB 200, which I picked up for $400.00.

MY NEW SQUEEZE... 1967 HARRY QUINN TT

After my main squeeze the famous lead sled got totaled in a car on bike confrontation, I have been trying hard to find that one bike that I want to ride the most. I mean I have plenty of bikes, but the lead sled suited me just right.
Well I came across this 1967 Harry Quinn a little while ago, and although I liked the looks of it, It was a bit expensive. Anyway to cut a long story short, I was up in Auckland and meet the owner, and came to a arrangment that suited us both.
The owner had had the frame built by Harry himself, to his own specifications as a TT bike. The frame set is apparently a track set, with road drop outs, which meant he had to use a spacer on the BB when he decided to  convert the bike into a all round road bike, and fit a double chain set.

 Stronglight transfer, a reminder that this frame was originally made as a specific TT bike, when the chain-set of choice was Stronglight cranks and TA chainwheels.

 This is an add for a production TT bike Harry Quinn made in the late sixties, with a cut out BB and Harry's own vertical rear drop outs.

If anyone out there knows where I can buy one of these, or a similar period Holdsworth Kono, let me know.

The Quinn is a really beautiful machine, and seems to fit me well...boutique hand built English bikes, they are hard to beat!

RICHIE THOMSON TRIBUTE PAINTING

 Here is another painting I am working on, it is a tribute to a local cycle racing legend Richie Thomson. Richie passed away suddenly late last year, which came as a real shock to everybody.

Richie is one of the main reason I got into vintage/classic New Zealand cycle racing history. When I first saw the photos of Rich, usually with Laurie (Huck) Byers in their Legnano jerseys or track suits, sporting rocker type quiffs, I was completely taken aback. I never knew that there was this very cool and stylish looking sport in our sporting heritage. I had only really been aware of cycle racing from the late eighties onward, and lets face it, style hasn't been a strong point for this sport for a long time.

And Richie, well he didn't only look super cool and easy going off the bike, he also looked like Coppi on it, which I don't say lightly.

The photo I am working from is from a stage in the Dulux Six Day Tour in the early 1960's, I will have to find out what stage and year.

I have restored the Legnano which Richie is riding in this photo, I will add photos of it to this post soon.

Here is the painting underway, I am using some photos of Anquetil as colour reference for flesh tones and the St Raphael jersey.

I am pretty sure Anquetil gave Richie this jersey when they meet in New Caledonia in the early sixties.

 

Getting there, another couple of days and it should be done....

 ......and cut to few days later, and here it is finished.

Remember folks, I will do commissions.

BACK AGAIN...AGAIN WITH A ANQUETIL MERCKX PAINTING

Well it's been awhile again, but you know how it is.

Anyway  I have been working on a couple of paintings that could be of interest to you fellow cycle enthusiasts, the fist titled Anquetil et Merckx for obvious reasons. 

It came out pretty good I think, painted in oils of course.

The image came from the cover of a 1975 International Cycle Sport magazine, although I think the photo was taken in 1968, although I could stand to be corrected.

 Nearly finished, just that complicated bottom half, which I was putting off till the end.

Here is the finished painting, kind of looks like you have pulled up behind them on your (add name of your favorite bike here), and they are wondering just who you are and what are you doing there.
The painting is for sale, and I also do commissions contact me at adrian@theflyingwheel.com 

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