Rudge Aero Pathracer
 

My next project! My original plan was to buy an old Rudge frame and build a vintage path racer mainly for a bit of fun. Bike theft is quite high in Cambridge, so the thought of buying a Pashley Guvnor made me very nervous!

My current project is a lovely 1935 Rudge Whitworth roadster which has been respectfully restored using original parts in wartime black, however I wanted to be creative with this new project..shiney new, minimal single speeded 'fixie', drop North Road bars, drum brake, cream tyres, Rudge maroon respray.

I've had the frame for two days now and it is growing on me as it is...faded lustre orange finish with beautiful transfers, but if I were going to do a restoration job, I would need to try re-create the transfers myself in Adobe Illustrator. It's still got that old fusty metal smell.

So what do I do?

I'm not a fan of club road racers :eek: so I've no plans to faithfully restore the bike, but should I keep the frame, spray some clear lacquer for that rat look? Bear in mind that all other parts will most likely be sparkly new.


http://i971.photobucket.com/albums/a...c/de5a3d62.jpg

http://i971.photobucket.com/albums/a...c/473e47e7.jpg

http://i971.photobucket.com/albums/a...c/f4e766b6.jpg

http://i971.photobucket.com/albums/a...c/f4e766b6.jpg

I LOVE the patina on it. I wouldn't do a thing to it except wash it down with a cloth and some alcohol, and then wax the hell out of it. If there is any rust, rubbing it down with evaporust should take care of it. Stuff's reusable and non-toxic too, works great on surface rust on old frames: http://www.evaporust.com/

That's 65 years of patina.

Build it up and ride it for the summer. The patina will either grow on you or you'll learn to hate it. Paint it next winter if you feel it's what the bike wants.

Great basis for a cool bike Bode, be sure to show it to us when you're done.

Personally I love the way it looks, too bad there isn't a way to dip in plastic or something.

All the Posers will be jealous because you'll like like the original "fixie Dude" once you get it up and running. Single speed with a coaster brake would be a cool idea or maybe a IGH?

Beuatiful bike so choose your poison, You like path racers but not clubracers? So get a flip flop wheels, bars of your choice, a Brooks, mudguards and call it whatever you want.

I really want that frame.

I'm not going to say it. But y'all know I'm thinkin' it ...

I agree, and I'd be all over an IGH for this myself. You gotta do what you gotta do, of course, but a three speed would still keep the lines pretty clean and you'd have a pretty elegant riding solution. Relative to patina, you're going to hear a lot of differing opinions here. However, since you open it up to discussion, here's my two cents worth: I'd clean it, wax it, and leave it alone. I've "refurbed" frames in the past and seldom do I not feel some sense of remorse after having done so. No matter how slick and shiny the new frame turns out to be, it looks just like a "new" frame and has lost much of the original character that appealed to me in the first place. The decals, missing chunks, just never look the same when replaced. You'll hear it again but it's only original once.

I often repaint rustbuckets (beachcruiser i picked up) but this one is special and I'd agree, that finish should stay. The nice thing is that its not halfway faded, but evenly patina'd.

Here is the chainring which I've picked up for it. I will investigate the possibility of having it nickel plated. I agree that it is only original once. What's preventing me from repainting the frame, is it's original colour, it just looks good. Waiting a year is probably a good idea, I get two bikes!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7187/6...cec306a478.jpg

I CAN NOT WAIT to see that one completed.

Great frame. I already picture it riding along the colleges with a nice old brooks, GB drop bars and a sturmey archer 3 speed with either a proto-brifter set up or the beautiful quadrant shifter on the top tube. Definitely following thi build with great interest.

Cleansing breath..................

None the less, and old Rudge would make a lovely Pashley G. look alike.

Exhale................................

Well first task is to track down a Raleigh 26 tpi bottom bracket and a cup. Oh the joy. But it's probably going to have to be one of these....

http://store.velo-orange.com/index.p...-brackets.html

Has anyone tried this with a Raleigh rebuild?

Aren't those all over the place?

100% agreed! That dark brick-red is lovely. And no matter how good a repro transfer set you manage to make/buy you will NEVER get the look of the originals as they are now. They are beautiful.

For nickel plating, try:
Prestige Electro-Plating
Unit 6, Cliff Street Industrial Estate,
Mexborough,
South Yorkshire,
S64 9HU
UK
tel: 01709 577004

Margaret will sort you out :)

I really want to see where this one goes.

CK

Bringing this back from the dead but I found the thread and I'm curious. What did you ever end up doing?!