Classic & Vintage - Rod linkages and drum brakes: A 1965 Urania arrives

I traded off a few cranksets yesterday, and acquired this disassembled oddity:

http://www.jaysmarine.com/urania_1.jpg

Behind that mess is a DL-1-esque, 1965 Urania rod-brake roadster. Most of the hardware is Sturmey-Archer - including the dual, rod-brake-operated Sturmey drum brake hubs - with the pile of various other parts shown here on the table:

http://www.jaysmarine.com/urania_2.jpg

Another interesting tidbit are its rims: 28", aluminum Westrick-pattern. Pretty unique in its own right.

More photos to come - I'm going to get to work on it right now.

-Kurt

Sweet! I'd like to see some follow-up pictures later, Kurt! Roadsters are so fun.

Ask and ye shall receive, Nick:

Some "before polishing" pictures:

http://www.jaysmarine.com/urania_3.jpg

http://www.jaysmarine.com/urania_4.jpg

http://www.jaysmarine.com/urania_5.jpg


In progress:

http://www.jaysmarine.com/urania_6.jpg

http://www.jaysmarine.com/urania_7.jpg

http://www.jaysmarine.com/urania_8.jpg

It turns out that while most of the hardware is present, a good portion of the nuts and bolts that hold said hardware together isn't. A couple of other bits are missing; I'm pretty sure the fellow who traded it to me might have misplaced them in his stash of parts.

-Kurt

1st: CHAINCASE FOR THE WIN!

2nd: Where on earth are the seatstays sometimes?

3rd: What are you polishing that bike with? It's looking great.

4th: Where are all the other people commenting on the pile of awesome resting before my eyes? :)

-nick

1st: CHAINCASE FOR THE WIN!

2nd: Where on earth are the seatstays sometimes?

3rd: What are you polishing that bike with? It's looking great.

4th: Where are all the other people commenting on the pile of awesome resting before my eyes? :)

-nick

Nick, the seat stays on that type of bike are removable. The bike appears to be a Raleigh DL-1 Tourist clone or copy. But I will let Kirk confirm that. Neat bike regardless, I am waiting to see some close ups of the drum brake to rods linkage for future reference in hooking drums up to a Tourist.

Aaron :)

I bet the curves in the seatstays will take some of the jolt out of road roughness.

1st: CHAINCASE FOR THE WIN!

2nd: Where on earth are the seatstays sometimes?

3rd: What are you polishing that bike with? It's looking great.

4th: Where are all the other people commenting on the pile of awesome resting before my eyes? :)

Fourth bike with a chaincase here, unfortunately, I'm missing its mounting bracket that fits to the downtube:

http://www.buyit-sellit.com/watermark.aspx?folder=auc50908&picture=61183-8

That shouldn't be too difficult to fabricate.

A second bracket also fits under the case; I have no idea what it looks like. Stays are bolt-on.

I've alternated between Meguiars' Scratch X, Meguiars Fine Cut Cleaner #2, and KIT Scratch Out polish. It doesn't respond well to any of them; I even tried 3M rubbing compound. It comes out decent, but not fantastic.


The bike appears to be a Raleigh DL-1 Tourist clone or copy. But I will let Kirk confirm that. Neat bike regardless, I am waiting to see some close ups of the drum brake to rods linkage for future reference in hooking drums up to a Tourist.

Though badged Urania, the serial states it's a SCO (Smith & Co) produced machine. Chaincase has stamping at the back to correlate.

The linkage was produced by Sturmey-Archer, but be forewarned that it is not even close to that of a Raleigh rod system for rim-brakes.


I bet the curves in the seatstays will take some of the jolt out of road roughness.

Never mind that - take a good, hard look at the method used to rake the forks.

-Kurt

Talk about relaxed angles.

Talk about relaxed angles.

The 65 degree angles apply to virtually all roadsters with bolt-on seat stays.

-Kurt

That looks like a huge pile of daydreaming, polishing, and not-getting-any-paying-work-done Fun.

SCO-Smith & Co.

Hmm. Wasn't Urania a Czech brand?

Corey K

Hmm. Wasn't Urania a Czech brand?

Yeah, Urania. Hmm. Where do those come from?

... wait for it ...

Never mind that - take a good, hard look at the method used to rake the forks.

What do you mean by this, Kurt?

Looks like quite a project, cool bike though. I am curious about the drum brakes, I noticed one of the rods mounts to the side of the head tube.

What do you mean by this, Kurt?

They don't taper. The oval cross-section is flattened across at the curve.

-Kurt

Push hard, pull harder.
-Gene-

That looks like a huge pile of daydreaming, polishing, and not-getting-any-paying-work-done Fun.

SCO-Smith & Co.

Hmm. Wasn't Urania a Czech brand?

Danish, I believe, same for SC&O:

http://www.urania.dk/


Yeah, Urania. Hmm. Where do those come from?

... wait for it ...

...and I thought this name just might be disconnected enough to avert the pranksters. Guess not.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4MUf6T4VzPw/SnQ9Ji5Br3I/AAAAAAAALKw/DonudDyRpUw/s320/spaceballs-eagle5-winnebago-papercraft.jpg

(If you've seen it, you know it).


Looks like quite a project, cool bike though. I am curious about the drum brakes, I noticed one of the rods mounts to the side of the head tube.

The rear brake has the linkage you see; the rod ends at another pivot arm under the BB, which is fastened with a clamp to the seatpost. This arm is supposed to be connected to a third arm running to the rear brake; said arm is completely gone, and has been substituted with a conventional cable, pinch-bolt, and the pin from a Weinmann/Dia-Compe brake lever to fit into the brake drum arm.

If I can find some spare rod brake parts, I'll probably fashion a new rod and use a pair of spare pivots.

-Kurt

The 65 degree angles apply to virtually all roadsters with bolt-on seat stays.

-Kurt

And the seat stays remove, why? To facilitate chain and rear fender removal?

I suppose since such a bike would be so impractical here in the mountains, I'd never really looked at one closely. I had no idea the seat stays unbolted on some models. What's the old saying? "Learn something new every day." I can check this off early enough today!

And the seat stays remove, why? To facilitate chain and rear fender removal?

I suppose since such a bike would be so impractical here in the mountains, I'd never really looked at one closely. I had no idea the seat stays unbolted on some models. What's the old saying? "Learn something new every day." I can check this off early enough today!

I think the stays need to be removed to install the full chain case.

I think the stays need to be removed to install the full chain case.

The way this one slides on, it could be done without. Nevertheless, bolt-on stays seem to be a tradition with roadsters.

-Kurt

Is that a Raleigh 20 hiding behind there?

Is that a Raleigh 20 hiding behind there?

A Twenty, a Falcon, an '84 Raleigh USA Competition, and a modern Biria are in the background of those shots.

-Kurt