Bicycle Touring

I have been doing some research on touring to help me make the most of the Peugeot when it is finished. I have really enjoyed reading this touring journal Around the United States on a budget by Tom Hornyak. It made me laugh allot and got me excited about having an adventure somewhere. I wish I had done this years ago when I had no responsibilities! Full respect to Tom for his stealth camping.

'I don't like fixing bikes on bridges or looking at very bland scenery' Tom Hornyak

Brake cable hanger

I was given the Peugeot frame with the headset attached. However, it was missing a brake cable hanger which is important to have for a front cantilever brake but it is also required to act as a spacer for the headset. I bought this cable hanger from www.sjscycles.com which is a great source of bicycle parts which I regularly use. No free postage though. I get my bearings from www.simpsoncycles.co.uk as they do have free P&P and sell Weldtite bearings in good numbers. The bottom of this headset now has new x26 loose 5/32" bearings and the top as a caged set of 5/32"  bearings. Makes sense to me as the bottom seems to take the majority of the load and wear in other bikes I have worked on.

I polished up the fork crown bearing race as best I could with Autosol. It looked and felt pretty smooth.

Headset with new cable hanger
 

Peugeot Touring bike

My brother gave me his old Coventry Eagle touring bike when I was a teenager. Unfortunately when trying to get it running again recently I split the seat tube trying to release a seized seat pin. Well I was lucky enough to be given a Peugeot touring frame by a very generous family friend (due to my blunder) and I now want to build the frame up with the bits form the Coventry Eagle.

Touring frame

Regina BX 6 speed touring free wheel off the Coventry Eagle. I replaced all the bearings but it does not sound or feel that smooth. Should be OK I hope!

Simplex downtube levers from the Coventry Eagle now on the Peugeot

Weinmann front canti's on the Peugeot forks. This are beautifully made breaks. I don't have a pair for the rear, but I hope I come across some one day.

BSA Granada refurbishment 99% finished

I have just finished refurbishing the BSA Granada gents bike that I will use for cummuting. There is still some polishing to do and a pletcher rear rack that I will fit. It is all pretty much original apart from the new pletcher kickstand I added so I dont scratch the paint when locking it up. It rides pretty well but the narrow bars take a bit of getting used to. Maybe one day I will fit a bigger rear sprocket to help me up the hills of North Wales.

BSA 1979 Granada

SA AW 3 speed. Stamped 10 79 (October 1979). I replaced some pawls and springs, the clutch and all the bearings.

BSA Granada project. Dated around 1979

This bike is a current project. I bought it to use a commuter bike because it looked like it was a good solid bike, and the paint was in good condition. And it had a Sturmey Archer hub gear! 

Everything looked fine when I went to get the bike. The only issue was that the chrome on the front wheel rim was badly rusted. But I will make it look as good as possible using fine grade wire wool and autosol, it is still round which is the main thing!