Bob,
Sorry about the delay. I will send off a blurb in a few minutes. As always, there is a holding pattern of emails I have to attend to. Yours will be first on my list.
Thanks for putting up the photos. Also thanks to Tom and Jay for shooting them. I REALLY like the way this frame came out. It's a beautiful piece of work with an uncommon Prugnaut lug pattern that I have always liked. I'm planning a project using some modified lugs like this. The workmanship is easily the equal of a Masi of the same period. What I like about this bike in particular is the thin tubes of the forks and stays. The bike looks very graceful to me, especially the fork. I love the front dropouts.
The color combination came about as they sometimes do with me. I've done blue from every angle possible and I was looking for something different. I checked out Bobs' website and saw what looked like a two tone Flying Scot that looks just like my frame does now. I really liked it and suddenly had the urge to use my famous "California Salmon" color combined with a bright slightly orangeish red. The gold decals and pinstripes work perfectly with this combination. And then the crowning glory, the awsome headbadge. The placement of the down tube decals are what I call the "normal" location. I usually determine how much space is needed between the decals from the top center of the down tube and place them accordingly. Every decal is different so you have to place each one based on the graphics. Down tube decals placed centered on the side of the down tube are largely not visible when anyone observes the bike from above. No one looks from eye level of the decal. Placement was not an accident.
I'm anxious to get the bike on the road but am having a few parts issues that will take a little while to solve on account of my limited time. I'm very happy to learn of it's previous life. Fortunately for me it was ridden as a tourer by a female. Bikes like this are most often in excellent condition, as this one is. I'm very lucky to be such a dwarf as I frequently end up with bikes that previously belonged to women.
I still have another Flying Scot on the line and will get my behind moving to acquire it as soon as I have a spare minute. I still would like to find a track version of the Flying Scot. Keep your eyes open for a small one needing love and attention.
Thanks again for everyone who helped get this baby up for viewing.
Brian Baylis La Mesa, CA There is no such thing as too many Flying Scots!
Funny how this discussion never gets concluded - there probably isn't a conclusion, but this is as contentious a subject on this list that it pops up with irregular frequency - or as Chuck would say - Check the Archives !
Anyway - to lighten up the thread. If anyone needs inspiration to restore their *** Flying Scot *** or any other classic machine for that matter, what better than these two ;
http://www.flying-scot.co.uk/
http://www.flying-scot.co.uk/
You guys must realise by drawing Brian into long wordy replies, you're preventing him from giving me a short speel on his Scot frame :-)
Here is an interesting question - The original "The Flying Scot" downtube transfers / decals were always fitted with the baseline of the lettering running above and along an imaginary centreline on the side of the tube - Brian is one of the few that put the replacement transfers back there (the object is to make the name easily readable from the side of the machine) whereas a lot of "refinishers" just centre the transfer on the tube. Was this by accident or by design - Brian ? Enquiring minds need to know !
Oh and can anyone put a name on the manufacturer of the dropouts on the first Scot (132 N)
Bob Reid
Stonehaven
Scotland