[CR]My Bates Wish List

(Example: Framebuilders:Alex Singer)

From: "cmontgomery" <cmontgomery15@cox.net>
To: "ClassicRendezvous" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Mon, 31 May 2004 17:19:12 -0700
cc: Ernst <geoff.ernst@pfizer.com>
Subject: [CR]My Bates Wish List

I've been horsing around with my pre-War Bates for over a year now and I finally got it up and running. It's not the way I want it at the moment, but the urge to see how it rides was too overwhelming and I wasn't going to let a parts impasse try my patience any further. So an economy fixed gear set up, some Japanese North Roads, and an old 47T Sugino Mighty Tour put me on the road. The results? I'm shaking my head in amazment. Half expecting a slovenly sponge-like ride, I was met with a surprising level of stiffness and a light responsive action on the front end, with those Diadrant forks, that was pure joy. It was one of those ear-to-ear grins and a "Wow!". The biggest surprise was that wonderfully comfortable seat tube angle. Not a day over 70 degrees, it positioned me perfectly and allowed an in-the-saddle-slow-motion powering up some substantial hills. It's satisfying breathing life back into a thrashed/crashed junker. But I need some stuff to get the thing where I want it. Unfortunately, something tells me these will be long shots with heavy windage:

#1. I picked up a Sturmey AM off ebay from an occasional seller on the CR list. It was missing the left hand adjusting rod and the toggle chain was incorrect (couldn't tell from the photos). I called him on it, and offered to pay him if he could find one for me. He took vehement umbrage and cut me off with a "Caveat emptor". I don't pursue stuff like this and shrugged it off to experience, but I do need an adusting rod/toggle chain for an AM.

#2. Crown nut for a clip-style headset.

#3. 122mm cottered bottom bracket spindle. It came with a 115 and the bike was originally speced for a Williams crankset. All I have is a steel cottered Stronglight Competition and the spider bolts hit the chainstay. A 127 is too long, something in the area of 120 to 123 would be grand. Unless, of course, you have an extra Williams or equivalent crankset sitting in the back of one of your drawers.

#4. 1 (one) GB Super Hood brake lever (Hey, I've gotta try!). I have a NOS set of GB Coureurs I got from Peter Naiman, with only one lever. White hoods, red adjusting knob.

#5. Front hub, preferably English, 90mm.

That's it. Thanks guys. Earlier a few of you expressed an interest in seeing it. Can't remember who you were, but if you'd like to take a gander at its present incarnation, drop me a line.

Craig Montgomery cooking in Tucson