A classic ‘barn find’ presented itself almost immediately. Our office is located on a farm and I’d been aware of a gents cycle (of undetermined vintage but probably 1950s or 60s) laying dormant in one of the barns. On closer inspection it turned out to be the ideal candidate for the bike project: it had exactly the correct frame geometry I was looking for, particularly the ‘kicked out’ front forks so often seen on older racing machines. Despite the filth and grime, it had at least been kept undercover so I was hopeful it could be revived satisfactorily and would yield all the parts I needed.
There was also another bonus: it had a genuine Sturmey Archer 3-speed hub which, as well as giving some vintage kudos, would make the finished bike more flexible to ride without detracting from the all-important classic silhouette (derailleurs would definitely look wrong on this machine). Like a fool, I forgot to take photos of the bike in its original state, so these photos show it after initial stripdown and after I'd commenced rubbing down the frame ready for paintwork...
Just to recap, I'd removed the wheels, mudguards, rack, seat etc. I left the handlebars on as they make it easier to balance the bike upside down - as you can see from these photos.
