[CR] WTT: Older nickel-plated track bars for "newer" chrome-plated bars

(Example: Framebuilders:Tony Beek)

From: "P J Rutledge" <prutledge1@comcast.net>
To: classicrendezvous <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2009 19:23:05 -0500
Subject: [CR] WTT: Older nickel-plated track bars for "newer" chrome-plated bars


This is a long shot, but thought I'd try. I recently bought a pretty nice pair of swoopy track handlebars. They came to me completely wrapped in colored plastic tape--nicely done in red and white. The white was yellowed enough to have been 40 or 50 years old. Under the tape and residual adhesive I found nickel-plating in pretty good condition--I'm sure the tape helped preserve the plated finish. The bars have a pretty nice classic track curve, too. My dilemma is that, given the nickel-plating, they are a bit too old for my '38 Paramount. By '38 I believe most bars would have been chrome-plated. So, if anyone needs reasonably nice nickel-plated bars, suitable for a track bike from the mid-thirties or older, I would like to trade for a chrome-plated set suitable for the late thirties. I'm particular about the bend, though, hoping for what Schwinn called the "Goullet type" bars they used on the early Paramounts. Maybe we can help each other out with our respective restorations.

Thanks,

Pete Rutledge
Woodbridge, VA, USA