Classic & Vintage - setting back-pedal brakes on a Fongers

Hi

I have just bought a Dutch-made gent's Fongers bicycle here in South Africa! Apparrently an old gentlemen brought it over with him from Holland and rode it untill he got too old. It has imitation-leather chain and rear wheel covers and only has a back pedal brakes, which are ineffective. The hub is a German-made Tornado hub. Any ideas on how to tighten up the braking mechanism?

I will post a picture on my website www.oldbikes.741.com in the near future. I have no idea on how old this bike is, but my gut feel tells me its a grandpa! :-)

Regards

Charl

cool, an oppafiets!
Charl there are alot of Fongers on Marktplaats.ne
Wait for s70rguy, he is in Amsterdam and can probably
help. If not let me know I have traded some e-mail with
the proprieter of the Dutch cycling museum, I can send
you his e-mail address.

Marty

Nice website, too.

Thanks Marty, I'll wait for 70's guy's return....

Also thanks for pointing me to http://www.marktplaats.nl/

Pretty cool, although many of those bikes look recently made... (possibly by the Batavus company which bought Fongers in 1971?). Mine looks a lot older and is a Fongers Elegant....

I am however missing the dynamo-driven front and tail lights featured on many of these bikes. Any idea where I can get a set? The tail-light is still on, but is badly broken

Cheers

Charl

Charl,
In Marktplaats there is a subsection for Oldtimers which has
quite a few older fongers. I think you are going to have to
search there for replacement parts, not sure.
Here is a 1930 Fongers from that subsection. There are alot of
1937 models (not sure why this year was so popular).
http://fotos.marktplaats.nl/fotos/fietsen/oldtimers/10406.jpg
Knowing the Dutch terms (close to Afrikaans?) would help in the
search, neither of which I know enough of to be of much assistance.

Marty

just some info I got on Fongers
they started the company in 1871 and
production started in 1874.
They were taken over by Phoenix in 1961.
Fongers Phoenix was taken over by Batavus
in 1970.

I am however missing the dynamo-driven front and tail lights featured on many of these bikes. Any idea where I can get a set? The tail-light is still on, but is badly broken

Charl, use the search function in the different categories of marktplaats ('trefwoord'); use the words 'dynamo', 'verlichting'. That will give you some results, and an idea of what you're looking for.

BTW, count me out as a connaisseur of opafietsen! I'm strictly the hardcore-racer type of guy (no helmet of course)!

It's just a coaster brake, I think it might be returned to a reasonable level of functionallity with a simple overhaul and fresh grease, as long as all the parts are intact...

I need to know: what's a leather-look chain? can you post a picture?

I need to know: what's a leather-look chain? can you post a picture?
I think he means leather look chain cover.
in the pic I posted the chain guard cover is leather (or leatherette, or naugahyde ?)

Marty

Little to do with the main topic, but always liked this illustration from a bicycle book.

Another interesting royal fact about Fongers bicycles: With the kind cooperation of HRH Princess Margriet, VELORAMA (the Dutch Bicycle Museum http://www.velorama.nl/ ) purchased the Fongers bicycle used by Her Majesty Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands in the 1940s and 1950s. Until recently Princess Margriet also rode on this historic cycle! Here is a pic attached from the following source: http://www.fietsen.123.nl/koninklijkfietsen.htm

Cheers
Charl

Oh, by the way, I managed to find a chrome dynamo-light set here in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Have fitted it onto the "opafiets" and must say it looks pretty damn good!

Busy updating my website http://www.oldbikes.741.com at the moment with pics and a story about the bike

Cheers

Charl