Originally Posted by
PhilFo
A bit of an update about my Rudge Aero Clubman. Someone in the past installed what looks like a Wald cruiser riser type bar, into that beautiful chromed flat-top stem. They wrenched down on it quite a bit but also DRILLED A HOLE right in the top and stuck a small sheet metal screw through the top of the handlebar clamp and into the bar itself to prevent it from moving. This is disappointing and as a result I ordered a Titan stem to keep the build somewhat period correct.
This bike seems to be a mish-mash of sorts.
There's a bunch of contradictions: Cable pulley was on a clamp, even though this frame has the brazed-on pulley boss.
At one point someone was using center-pull calipers, as evidenced by the seatpost bolt cable stop seen on much later TI bikes. That said, the rear brake is a steel caliper from a Sports, no front brake.
Other things I've noticed are that the wheels don't match; the rear is a much later production Rigida 27x1-1/4 laced to a steel 1951 AW hub. The front wheel is a Normandy high-flange with wingnuts laced to a Rigida Chrolux.
Who made the cranks? Raleigh? They have a stamped N inside an oval depression on the inside of the crank arms. The arms are fluted and look nice, but the drive side pedal threads look to be nearly stripped. The really surprising thing is the hollow bottom bracket spindle. Both of the cups look nice and the spindle doesn't look worn. I think I'm going to replace the crank with a Williams B100 unit I have.
I'm going to set aside the wheels that the bike came with and build a set of 700c wheels around a pair of Normandy track hubs I'm wanting to put into service.
This isn't going to be a restoration at all. I'm going to get the frame as clean as I can and brighten up the chrome and paint a bit (not the Rudge transfers) with some Flitz, then build it up as a nice-weather bike. I want to keep the correct mounting for a set of mudguards, so while I like Velo Orange units, I may have to go with SKS "Bluemels" with the correct stays. As far as I can tell, I can't figure out a way to get VO mudguards on while keeping the proper mounting using a V-shaped stay for the rear.
Control of the bike will be with a GB Maes bar and a pair of GB Super Hood levers. I strayed with the age by a decade, but stuck to British made.
It may be heresy but I already have a 1" seatpost which is an American Classic, so that's what is going to hold up a B17 saddle.
Photos will be posted after I find my card reader so I can transfer the images of the bike as I received it last night.
The braze-on pulley mount uses a couple of parts that are more difficult to find than a common clamp-on pulley, so you'll often see the clamp-on pulley when the original parts are lost. You can probably source a proper replacement from eBay if you keep an eye out on both the UK and US sites. They do come up on occasion, just not as often as a clamp-on pulley.
The fender braces are a peculiar type that mount to braze-on bosses. A square-headed screw mounts on the inside of the boss, with a wing nut on the outside holding down the stay loops. At the fender, the stay is a plain rod that goes through a eyelet on the fender mounting wings. You may have more luck using an old school set of Bluemels type fenders.
Go very easy on the paint - early 1950s era Raleigh bright paints, especially the two-stage ones with the aluminum base coats, are very fragile. This was true of the club line up bikes and the Lentons from that period. I would start with some plain, soapy water wash-up in an inconspicuous place and see if you end up with color on the rag. If wash-up water is removing paint, you don't want to go near any kind of polish.