As far as fenders and mounts go, it helps that I've been reading lots of older English cycling books lately. The fender lines on lots of the bikes pictured are interesting, to say the least. I have somewhat off-kilter fender lines on my Mercian with track ends - the rear has to be far enough back to allow me to remove the wheel to flip it without deflating the tire. It's not at all the fender line I'm used to seeing on derailleur bikes. I feel better about it after looking at the assorted British action and roadside pix from the period 1935-1955.
I need to break down and paint the SKS fenders on the Mercian white - if I can stand to stop riding it long enough. I do have a set of vintage white Bluemels Lightweights in pretty good condition, but I want to hang onto those for a restoration of a vintage machine. The Bluemels fenders, as much as I love their look, are so much more fragile than the SKS.
Somewhere in the parts pile is a set of older ESGE fenders marked "Made in W. Germany." They're used and missing hardware, and someday they'll come in handy for restoring a 70s touring bike, right?
As a side note, I'm delighted that someone from the list bought that Claud Butler. I looked longingly at it, but just couldn't justify purchasing it, especially during the last few days before my wedding. Tobias, I think it's a beauty even with a rough paint job.
Russ Fitzgerald Greenwood, SC velocio@earthlink.net
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