Hi All,
I am a longtime lurker (first time poster) and I am working on cleaning and assembling a friend's 1930's track bike. It is a beautiful bike, but I have never worked on anything so old. The pictures say more than anything, but here is what we know: The bike was purchased in the 1930's, by my friend's father, from an Italian's bike shop in a New York City. I suspect that he made the frame.
My questions:
• Any idea about manufacturer? There are no serial numbers on the bottom bracket, so I suspect that this is a shop–made bike.
• Who made the lugs? Do they help to date the bike? They look
remarkably similar to those here. Note: The oil cap on the bottom bracket reads: Abingdon Works LTD. No other marks on the lugs.
• Are the rims original? The hubs (stamped "Brampton England") are surely original, though I am not certain about rims. They read "Schwin Tubular S-6" and they appear to be drilled for a schrader valve. From good ol' Sheldon Brown's site, I can see that
the S-6 is in fact an old school English size used through the 1950's.
• *** What specific tires do you recommend? I want to get a nice, racy road tire that is as perfect as possible for the rims, better than something "close enough".
•*Do the BSA cranks help to date the bike?
•*The bolt for the seat post is bent and will not fix well to the bike; it may be beyond repair. How would you go about finding a vintage-appropriate replacement?
Many thanks in advance. Your help will put this family heirloom back on the road!
– Kyle