What the hell where they thinking....

...

actually I know almost exactly what they where thinking

that's the sad part. 

Weekend Paint job, assembled

Finished assembling Davids new ride

after his frame destroying bike on car incident.

It came up pretty good, I donated a saddle, a decent

chainset and the front wheel off my trusty old

Lead Sled, which was left over after my own car on bike 

frame destroying incident.

 David, proud owner of a pretty sweet looking machine...

if I may say so myself.

MITCHELL CYCLES

Well I have finally found a Mitchell

that really fits me (just).

 I had to swap a nice late seventies Aussie Hillman

for it, which I think is a very fair exchange.

I have always really dug these Mitchells, and especially

in this Mitchell blue.

It came originally with a full Campagnolo Record group
and was built with Columbus SL

 Looking at that frame geometry, you can see that this

machine is designed for just one purpose.

 If I can't track down some original decals, I will re-manufacture some new sets.

Down tube font looks kind of clunky at first, but I found that it grew on me, 

I can see it's seventies/eighties appeal the more I look at it.

I don't know a lot about Mitchells history, this is what I do know.
In 1954, Dave Mitchell started a boutique cycle shop in
 Liardet St, New Plymouth, 
which catered for the racing cyclist.
Kevin Filer brought the business in the late sixties(?), and started making  
Mitchell race bikes in 1972-'73.
The bikes were built in New Plymouth until about 1981/82
 when building was moved to Wanganui
where they were built by former Mitchell apprentice Mark McLean.
Mark went on to buy Mitchell Cycles.

 They were generally made from Isawata 022, Reynolds 531, 
or Columbus SL / SLX.

There is a bit of info on Oli's blog here

Anyone with additional information and/or corrections

to my info, please contact me.
adrian@theflyingwheel.com

I do know that they where raced by many of 

New Zealand's top road men during the life of
Mitchell road bikes, their popularity probably peaking
in the early eighties.

The classic Stephen Cox (left) on a classic Mitchell
circa 1981

Stephen Carton, Dulux 1982.
Notice a Columbus decal on the seat tube. 

 I have noticed that not many of the Michell frames I have seen

have the Professional sticker on the top tube.

I was told by Kevin that this sticker was put on the bikes that
were built out of the best steel on hand in the workshop
at the time.

Anyway this one is off to get it's paint stripped tomorrow.

next time you see it, you will be amazed at it's classic beauty.

Humber Beeston Clubman for sale

Go to the for sale section to check out some 

photos of this cool project bike.

SOLD

Some photos from George Sutherland's

scrap book, mostly early 1900's.
See some more from this wonderful collection
here.

 Christchurch Club

Major Taylor, Christchurch 1907

George Sutherland 1900

Phil O'Shea advertising C.C.M. racing machines
 from a later 1926 programme

Got to get myself one of these....

Cycling magazine 1960

Contre Le Montre

The Vel-Sport 3 speed fixed, Contre la Montre

frame has had the lugs lined, decaled and clear coated.

Took me a bit longer than I planned, but 

got there in the end.

Now I will build up the woods for it.

And of course make a nice head badge, which
 will probably be alloy and cnc cut, we are still agonizing 
over this final, but crucial little detail.

There are some more photos of the earlier
stages of this project in the For Sale section here

PEUGEOT PY/PX10

Here is a machine that is very rare in New Zealand.

This is either a Peugeot PX10LE or a PY10

from the late seventies.

These seem to be rare on these shores, I gather,

because there didn't appear to (obviously) be any one

importing Peugeot's into NZ until the very late seventies.

...

Notice the French specific Reynolds decal...nice

 Simple, but I think beautifully understated fork crown.

 I had been after this frame for a few years, so was 

really pleased when it's owner phoned me a while back

to say he would sell it to me.

It's really is on the out side of my size range,

but I will make it work ( I hope).

 One of the reasons, I suspect it is a PX10LE or a PY10

is the relatively short wheel base.

Although I could well stand to be corrected.

A WEEKEND PAINT JOB

When I heard that David, one of my sons friends,

had crashed his bike, and needed another frame for his school

racing the next weekend.

I had a look through the garage and found a unknown

frame ( although it looks suspiciously like a Bauer, oh well)
 that was given to me a while back, with a very

ugly splash paint job on it.

Davids crashed Bauer, ouch!

So I offered it to David, on the understanding that

he prepare the frame, and I would paint and assemble

it for him, which he was very happy to do.

I  happened to have some nice orange paint 

at hand, that I had just had mixed for the McLaren project.

To cut a pretty short story even shorter,

I painted the bike in record time (for me).

Not the mintiest job, but looks good enough

 from a couple of feet. 
But most importantly he is racing again
this coming weekend. 

I should have it back together this week, and will 

post some photos when done.

I hear he does pretty well on these steel bikes

against all the other boys, mostly on late

model alloy, and some carbon bikes.

Will definitely have to get some photos of that.

GB COMPONENTS

 I really like GB components, not all of them are great sure, 

but  some I rate highly. Such as these anodized 

Courier Plus brake sets, which also look good

in plain alloy.

They work very well when set up nicely too.

EPHGRAVE SAVED FROM THE TIP

THE GOOD NEWS

This very early Ephgrave was spotted at 

a local rubbish dump a few years back, by my mate Dennis.

He actually left the bike where it lay, but thinking it

over went back the next day and recovered it.

It was a frame only, with no forks or fittings.

He found some forks that fitted, and assembled the bike

out of his spare parts bin.
He used the bike like this for a while, before moving onto
 something else, so letting it 
languish in the corner of his garage, until I spotted it.

I had seen this frame set sitting forlornly in the corner
of Dennis's garage over the last couple of years, and would often wander
over and inspect it, wondering what make it was.
I always had a strong suspicion that it was something
interesting and worth looking into.
I eventually asked Dennis if he was going to restore
or rebuild the frame, at which point he said I should
take the frame and do with it what I will, 
as he had no further interest in it.

It didn't take me long to realize, once I had the frame at home, and got 
into some research, that my initial interest was well founded.
The frame turns out to be a very early, possibly
mid/late forties Ephgrave, built by non other than
the legendary Les Ephgrave himself. 

THE BAD NEWS
So that is all the good news, the bad news
is that the frame had been left sitting on
the floor of the tip, and people had been walking
on it.
With the result that the down tube is badly bent, 
and the top tube is a bit bent, and the seat cluster seems to have
taken some serious punishment at some time during it's life.

THE GOOD NEWS
But the good news, is that, while I have my hands full
of bike work and projects at the moment, and for the next little while,
I intend to fully restore this beautiful machine back to it's
former glory when time allows.

MONSIEUR ANQUETIL

Here is a rough up for a  tribute

Tee Shirt to the almighty TT man

monsieur Jacques Anquetil

I have added a couple of little stars around his head now,

which makes him look like he is crazy on speed.

Which I guess he was, a bit of the time.

Still think he was cool though.

SIX TRACK BIKE ROAD TESTS 1975

Read a classic 1975 six way test between six classic

track bikes here

Fuji TF Sprint

Kabuki DTF

Masi Pursuit

Miyata Professional

Panasonic Ultralight

Ron Cooper Sprint

Believe me it's worth reading just for the 

Panasonic Ultralight test.

SPEEDY CYCLES MUSETTE

NEW SPEED CYCLES MUSETTE

Here is the new Speedy Cycles musette from Vel-Sport

check it out here.
Check a little on Speedy Cycles here