Well, I picked up a strange one this afternoon. It was part of a "take the entire pile, or take nothing" deal. This was the "winner" of the bunch.

Anyway, it has a Viscount head tube decal, very suspect. Steel frame and steel fork. No bottle braze ons, so its an older frame. Components? What a frankenbike: Cinelli stem, Suntour DT shifters, Suntour 7 FD, Campy NR RD, Campy headset, Campy cable clamps on TT, nice Avocet saddle, tricolor crankset (WTF?), Campy hubs and skewers, rear rim concave Weinmann (I needed one to match an orphan front concave I have), 700c wheel size, 600 freewheel, Sakae seat post, Schwinn approved calipers, Shimano aero levers.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8002/7...181c45ec_b.jpg

Looks a lot like a Viscount to me, any close up of the seat cluster? Especially where the seat stays meet.

The Viscount I just did before and after,

Seat cluster,
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y17...s/DSC06612.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y17...s/DSC06601.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y17...s/DSC07168.jpg

More Viscount pics.


White spot is not real, its my camera flash.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7120/6...c1f398d4_b.jpg


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7076/7...2289e86a_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7262/6...9b142aa4_b.jpg
bill

Vintage golf?
http://i256.photobucket.com/albums/h...Picture547.jpg

If you are replying to me, reread my post I think you missed something.

The other 3 bikes I picked up from a lady a few blocks away from me that called the shop where I work looking to sell them, my boss had no interest in them but called me to see if I wanted them, which I did. All three were banana seat bikes, a 71 Schwinn Sting Ray Fair Lady in violet that is in good rider condition, I am going to do this up old school for my niece or wife to ride, it will go good with my built up 70's rat rod Columbia Play Bike. A 72 Schwinn Lil Chik in green also in good rider condition, this one I will service and flip, the last one is a yellow 3spd Murray Eliminator Mark I frame built up ( poorly I might add) with a bunch of Schwinn Sting Ray parts. I am going to pull most of the Schwinn parts off and replace them with parts I have around here that will work better, I believe the wheels and 42" sissy bar are original to the frame but I am keeping the sissy bar and replacing it with a newer 36" bar. I am also thinking about changing it over to a 5 speed as I have a Shimano 5 speed Click Shift that will fit the twin top tubes on this bike.

You do know about the fork right? Even if it's a third revision (as mine is) I've been advised repeatedly not to ride them with the alloy fork.

Is the bottom bracket threaded now? If so it's a plus for maintenance although when I took mine apart I found one bearing was still perfect and silky smooth and only the left side bearing felt a tiny bit rough apparently due to moisture from storage so I replaced both but if I found another and the bearings felt smooth I wouldn't even consider pulling the bottom bracket apart.

My sons is on it's original 1974 wheel bearings which are also sealed and pressed and his are the smoothest wheel bearings I've ever seen.

That is a pretty bike, too bad it's been painted.

OP mentioned that it's a steel fork. If it passes the magnet test, it probably doesn't need replacing.

Yup, just noticed that. It just looks so similar to the original that I didn't even think twice about it.

+1 Steel fork, gave the frame and fork a quick magnet test. I am certainly not interested in selling a bike with a defective fork. But I really was not sure which version fork was the death fork.

T.B.,
You are a better man than this guy...although he does mention that the "death fork" has to be replaced...add that cost to the $800 he's asking..Viscount-Lambert "Gold Edition Classic" - $800 (NYC)

http://newyork.craigslist.org/que/bik/2979952697.html
[HR][/HR]Date: 2012-04-26, 6:31AM EDT
Reply to: 32ckc-2979952697@sale.craigslist.org [SUP][Errors when replying to ads?][/SUP][HR][/HR]
English Racing Bike
Hand Crafted by Trusty Of England
Barn Find.
Special Gold Edition with every single factory part including the original "Death Fork"

The original "death fork" english racer. Only bike known round the world for it's infamous front fork. This bike has every factory part.
The price of this very rare classic is $800.00
The Gold Edition. See Pictures.
Very rare collectors bike.
21 pounds of pure speed.
Shimano rear changer.
Lambert front changer.
Gold Plated Front and Rear Brake Mechanicals.
True front and rear genuine Viscount quick change hubs.
Rims run perfectly true.
The only bike known round the world for it's famous front fork.
The bike is for collection purposes only. Not to be ridden unless the front fork is replaced.
More pictures on request.







http://images.craigslist.org/5H15Ma5...6530231ec3.jpg
http://images.craigslist.org/thumb/5...6530231ec3.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/thumb/5...b2ce2417cd.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/thumb/5...2253661933.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/thumb/5...30619a14dc.jpg

• Location: NYC
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 2979952697

Why is it called a death fork?

Subject to "catastrophic failure".

Some marketing dope decided to shave pennies by spec'ing the front fork to be crappy aluminum, instead of the traditional cro-moly. Penny wise, pound foolish, imo...

It was aluminum and there were three versions, the first two being the most dangerous and the third (what I have) pretty well reinforced with a steel plug to connect the fork to the steer tube but I still didn't feel safe using it.

I don't think they were shaving pennies they were aiming for light weight and unique style, they just screwed up with the fork.

Many people, Sheldon Brown included owned Viscounts and rode the heck out of them with the "death fork" and lived to tell the tale without ever suffering the fork failure but some did fail and they sure aren't going to get stronger with age.

Let's see the different versions of the "death fork". I have one I'd like to sell. :D

Not sure I saved it from the dump necessarily, but it was a hell of a deal.

$200 for this-

http://i.imgur.com/TjCKGl.jpg

Plus all this-

http://i.imgur.com/a5bVdl.jpg

The CPSC issued a recall on the fork in the late 70s due failure incidents at the pin site.

What John said.

It's easy to ID the third gen because the steel plug is visible in between the fork legs and you can be double sure by sticking a magnet to it.

I say keep the fork on the bike and simply reinforce the fork yourself by ziptieing some wood splints to the outside of the fork; then you'll have that classic wood look; or if you want a more modern look ziptie some 1 inch diameter aluminum rods instead.

Oh, that's some dazzling science. I'm impressed!

I aim to dazzle.

Belonged to my friend and was a touch too big and not quite right for what he needed... with the price I paid I will be riding it like I stole it.

http://www.ravingbikefiend.com/bikep...12proctor3.jpg
Proctor - hand built on Reynold's 853 and silver brazed.

Very nice - Suntour equipped, by the looks of it? Superbe? I picked up a Proctor recently (Reynolds 531c), and was thinking of building it up with a mix of Sprint and Superbe when I get the chance)...

EDIT: I just found the more detailed posting in "Classic Rigs & Rides" - a bit of this and that, but some emphasis on the Suntour, I guess!

Suntour Cyclone drive, Superbe brake levers and headset, Modolo Speedy brakes (stops on a dime), and a Mavic stem and Cinelli bar... wheels are mismatched with Shimano (8 speed) and I have some Campy hubs laced to Mavic tubulars I might try (and would run a 7 speed) although the wheels are fine save for the rear being heavy.

Edit: Swapped out the Mavic 130 aero for an NOS Cinelli 1A in a better 100mm size which brought everything into perfect reach and re-wrapped the bars in basic black which looks many time better than the scruffy white tape it had.