My daughter has asked me to sort out a functioning velicipede for her boyfriend to use as a commuter from Whitechapel to Islington. From the bits and pieces in the Bunker I have found:-
a 531 pg Claud Butler frame in the standard metallic orange that was very popular when CB were part of the Holdsworth group in the 1970s/80s. This is sound, but dirty.
a pair of wheels (the original for that frame are made of chromed steel and have rusted badly - amazingly, I still have them) which were made for me by Alf Hetchin's wheelbuilder in 1982 (they still bear the Hetchins transfers). The wheels are true but the spokes are a bit rusty, albeit seemingly tight.
Incredibly, the old chain and the gear changers all seem to work, even though they have been untouched for all of 35 years. The chain does not seem to be particularly worn. Everything needs a clean an lube, but that's hardly surprising after one-third of a century.
I am going to have to buy some brake cables. They are old Weinmann centre-pulls, which were all the rage at the time and about the best you could get without spending a fortune on expensive side-pulls.
I can easily find a saddle to suit - the original looks horrible and probably feels worse.
I will need some suitable brake blocks and a pair of pedals - the latter easily sourced from stock.
The only thing that concerns me are the wheels. Are they trustworthy after all this time?