I think this might be the end of this bike.
Let me explain:
I bought this bike last winter one evening for a very cheap price (
€50) and rode it home. It was a nice ride though braking seemed adequate at best but that's to be expected with 30 year old drum brakes.
With other projects having priority I just parked it and left it for later.
Fast forward 6 months and today was a great sunny day outside. I decided to take it apart to get it ready for some wheel building next week.
I started out taking apart some of the rear bits and removing the frame lock.
After I bought this bike I learned it came with a certain type of frame lock that requires brazed on bits for the frame to work. I didn't see it on mine but I figured a previous owner probably took it off.
What I wasn't prepared for however is how he did it...
My first hint was the seat stays. I mean, those should be straight right?
The other side fared a little better but still slightly crooked.
I'm also pretty sure the chainstay on the non-drive side is supposed to be straight.
It starts to make sense though once you realise
how they removed the old lock from the frame... with an angle grinder and an unsteady hand. Wait a second, is that putty?
That's definitely putty but it looks like a simple brazing job could have removed it easily.
In conclusion:
My guess is this bike was first updated by removing the original lock and then rear-ended by a car, causing the whole rear triangle to bend and buckle.
Shame really, because I was looking forward to building this up with a nice pair of fresh wheels and a complete overhaul and some fresh paint.
A lightweight classic 3/5-speed commuter is all I really wanted here.
I'm probably going to strip this bike for its parts and be on the lookout for another one. The hubs at the very least should be enough to recuperate the cost of this bike.
The frame will be retired as it isn't safe to ride anymore.
On the upside; I now know a whole lot more about these bikes and what to look for.
I hear the
1996 SilverAce with its FM-1 triple butted rifled tubing might be nice. ; )