chewa

Just for juvela.

It's a 64 Flying Scot Continental. I changed it to 700c's with long drop brakes, but left the original fittings in place.

Has the original bag support.

I use it in summer and it's fantastic to ride.

wintermute

I saw "Rattrays" and thought we were talking about pipe tobacco! Beautiful bike - very striking color combo for a UK bike!

juvela

WOW, WOW, WOW!

Thanks so much chewa.



"My prayers have been answered."

Since you are bound to know more about these than I, have a question have been wondering about for years. David built many frames with his signature "hatchet head" seatstay attachment yet yours has a "normal" seatstay treatment. Do you know if it depends upon the model or if it varied with time?

Thanks again for making this post.

chewa

My understanding is that the firm offered different lugs and seat stay finishes through the years. The seat stays on mine are pretty standard for the 60's I think.

When I was getting the Holdsworth bead blasted the metal finishers had a restored Flying Scot in for lacquering. It had really long square type lugs and different fork ends (mine are Campag). I initially thought it wasn't a Scot but when I got home checked out Bob Reid's website and found it was a mid 50's version with ( I think) Prugnat lugs and Simplex ends.

Not as pretty as the Nervex ones, or as tidy looking as the Campag ends on mine but still lovely.

John

juvela

thanks so much for the information chewa. much appreciated.

am located in California where Scots are not oft viewed so have precious few in person examples to compare with.

a local to me cycling friend had David build him a track frame in the early '70's. it is yellow and has the "hatchet face" seatstay treatment. hence me question.

did you take in your machine as frameset or cycle? was she in ex-works livery? how kitted out?

thank you again for creating this thread!

chewa

There is lots of info on Bob Reid's site
https://www.flying-scot.com/core/welcome.html

I saw my first Scot when I was 14, riding a gas pipe 10 speed along the Clyde valley. I caught up with an old guy riding a beautiful blue bike. I asked him what it was and he said (in a thick Glaswegian accent) "This, laddie, is a Rattrays Flying Scot, the finest bike you could ever ride!"

I got mine in my late 30s and still get a buzz everytime I open the garage and see it hanging on the wall.

I have three 531 framed bikes (one is 531c) and they all ride beautifully, but the Scot is something special.


I stripped the Holdsworth down to just frame and fork. Removed all the cups etc, except the fixed cup on the BB which I couldn't shift. The bead blasters took it out by using some heat on it. It was in original paintwork, which was in a pretty poor state, lots of chips and surface rust and the seat tube badge had faded.

Basically, I got the frame back as bare metal. It was in really good nick, no marking from rust so other than small bits of surface pitting, looked great.

They have blasted (and powdercoated) a couple of frames for me in the past, and I am planning to get my everyday bike blasted and re-powdercoated as it is looking the worse for wear after many years of commuting and touring.

juvela

hello once again chewa,

thanks very much for this account. most interesting. you gave details about the resto of the Holdsworthy product which were a welcome read. however, my questions were regarding the Dalhousie Street item...

is the colour of the bag support the cycle's original colour?

thank you again for making this thread. much appreciated in these quarters.

chewa

sorry,

Yes, as far as I know the bag support colour (and the bike) are as the original colour). It looks slightly duller in the photo because the bike is wax polished , but it's the same shade.

The Scot was restored before I got it, but the guy who did it replicated the factory finish. Red/white with chromed half forks and stays.

It was done professionally (from memory was Mercian) and the only change is that the 531 badge states "531 Frame respray".

The bag support is quite rare and has been brazed repaired at one leg. I've left as is because I think it would be difficult to match the colour again.

juvela

thanks so much chewa

did the previous Scot owner get the machine as a complete cycle or did they build it up from a frameset?

since it is dated as 1964 it would be interesting to know how it was built up originally. wonder if original owner got it as a frameset or as a cycle...

thank you for the additional information.

chewa

They bought it as a complete bike, then had it resprayed and updated some of the components. When I bought it it had Shimano 600 brakes and mechs, running with the Cmpag crankset. It was also on 27" wheels.

I changed the gearing to all Campag, (using the d/t levers I bought new in 1984!) and built my own 700c wheels using a pair of Campag hubs and Mavic Open Pros with DT d.b stainless spokes. Originally I had red and black Rubino tyres on but they weren't great so changed them for Conti's.

The change to 700c meant I had to take the Weinmann centre pulls off and put on a set of sidepull Alhongas, but I kep the original adjusters to maintain the headset stack.

Some folk don't like the fact that I've upgraded to mid 80s or 90's equipment, but I have age related stuff if I felt that bugged about it. I ride it rather than stare at it so it's important for me to have stuff that works well.

It may be sacrilege, but I did briefly consider changing to full ergos, but it would have been difficult with the 6 speed rear.

I use the D/t and it takes getting used to (reaching down) and so run it without the Bluemels pump as it gets in the way when I change gear. Also, now being used to 9 and 10 speed rears, it's amazing what a big gap in gears there is. Its a 52-40 front so also very high geared. Since I started riding in the early 70's I have a muscle memory for d.t friction shift

To think I did my first tour, heavily loaded on my Gilchrist bike, (which is 531c but with almost identical geometry) running almost identical gearing (though 5 sp rear). i don't know how my knees survived a 108 inch top.

auchencrow

Oh wow woW WOW !
( I think someone already said that.)

Bikes like these make this forum so much fun, chewa. - We get to see and learn about such gems that realistically, we would never otherwise get to see.
Thanks.

juvela

thanks very much chewa for the thorough reply!

great to read some of your machine's history.

you certainly posted it to the right place.