New boy says hello. 70’s steel lover!
02-28-21, 11:23 AM
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Bikes: Early 60’s Claud Butler, lugless Philbrook, Alec Bird, Roy Thame (Alec built), De Rosa Accacio, Look 375AL (?), Alan Super 1982.
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New boy says hello. 70’s steel lover!
Hi
joined this forum because I have just finished reading the fantastic Clive Stuart posts. Having known many of the characters mentioned from Ken and Alec Bird, Roy Thame and the general early 70’s cycling scene in SE London and Kent. Check out my biography, I will post a picture of my Alec Bird that Alec built for me at the end of the 70’s. Only had to work/wait some two years before he built it. I did all the finishing too and filing at his lockup over at Welling. Note I gotta post 10 posts before I can attach photos.
Enough said, more later perhaps
Perry
retired layabout.
joined this forum because I have just finished reading the fantastic Clive Stuart posts. Having known many of the characters mentioned from Ken and Alec Bird, Roy Thame and the general early 70’s cycling scene in SE London and Kent. Check out my biography, I will post a picture of my Alec Bird that Alec built for me at the end of the 70’s. Only had to work/wait some two years before he built it. I did all the finishing too and filing at his lockup over at Welling. Note I gotta post 10 posts before I can attach photos.
Enough said, more later perhaps
Perry
retired layabout.
02-28-21, 11:56 AM
#2
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Welcome to Bike Forums Perry. When you attempted to post your pic it was placed in the Gallery. https://www.bikeforums.net/g/user/535040
Pic Assist
Pic Assist
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02-28-21, 01:06 PM
#4
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Bikes: Early 60’s Claud Butler, lugless Philbrook, Alec Bird, Roy Thame (Alec built), De Rosa Accacio, Look 375AL (?), Alan Super 1982.
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Alec Bird Bike spec
Thanks cb400bill for the update.
OK as promised here is the spec of my custom 1978/79 Alec Bird, or what I can recall any way.
The photograph is in the Gallery section.
This was built by Alec Bird for me while I slaved, sorry worked for Alec as a Saturday boy from around 1974-79 I think. Any way it was around the time when Alec had gotten over his two Ford Mexico's and consoled himself with a cream and chocolate brown 4.2 Sovereign Jaguar as the company transport, more on this later; and so to the spec...
22 3/4 inch seat tube 22 1/2 inch top tube, cannot recall the other measurements, but I think the head angle was 74 and the seat 73 1 1/2 inch fork rake overall wheel base I think it was around 38inch, but could be wrong; either way she was not twitchy and rode easy round corners. bb height was about 10 1/2 inches I think. Also very comfortable up to say 100 miles.
531 DB main top,seat and down tube, 753 fork blades.
Cinelli investment cast BB and fork crown. Cinelli braze ons and rear brake bridge Allen key fittings done later, shown with original bolt on mounts in pic. Lugs customised and cut out with Hearts filed down and shortened by myself! Reinforcements inside of fork blades, custom chain stay bridge Campag short drop outs drilled rear ones only drilled. Chain holder. double bottle cage holders. capped concaved custom seat stays fully chromed rear triangle and forks. Campag BB short cable guides. fork and stay ends done by myself in the fashionable "cut back" or "V" style of the time, just like on the Italian frames I suppose. Campag Allen Key recessed chrome steel seat bolt. Fo rthe record I seem to remember the seat stays were made of 531 DB , but for some reason they might of been 531 SL, not sure. either way she was a light steed under 20 ILBs
Paintwork. Stove enamelled Royal Gios Blue , since at the time I could not afford a real Gios at the time, and any way Alec's was way better.
Got all the Kit from Holdsworthy of Penge Oakfield road where I worked as a warehouse lad. The Chrome plating was done by a local coach builders that Alec knew, I think over at Balham or Depford. The paint Job was done by good old Mario Vaz who I worked with at the time at Holdsworthy. Mario did a few more for me in time when they went bust and where he still is today, somewhere in the Streatham Hill area?
Campagnolo:
Strada steel pedals
Record Piccolo brake callipers and levers
Record band on front mech
Nuovo Record rear mech 6spd.
Record BO gear levers
Record Eng thread BB
Record Cranks and super record 52/42 rings
Super Record S/Pin
Campag Record SF 36H hubs Chrome DB spokes Mavic GP4 rims, built by Ken Bird of course, though Alec could build a mean pair too. Clements Paris Tours Tubs.
Everest 13-18 block and chain
Cinelli suede saddle, cannot remember which Mod.
Cinelli 120mm 1A stem Cinelli 42cm Del Mondo bars could be wrong looking at the piccy.
Benotto bar ribbon TA Chrome bottle cage Christophe toeclips Binda toestraps Campag allen keys for bottle holders.
Best hand built I ever owned, and thats saying something over my De Rosa Accacio I collected from the De Rosa factory too!! About three years after building her up and racing on her I wrote her off while on a training ride going down Bromley Hill over Chislehurst way, broke my wrist and arm too, but more concerned about the bike of course! She laid in my shed for some 10 years but really un repairable. Broken TT DT fork blades and bent rear triangle, I was run over by a lorry you see, lucky to get out alive I think.
If any one is still in contact with Alec as I know some of his relations have interacted on this site, well please say hello. I was the Long haired big eared hansom one who worked with him as a Saturday boy with Mick Ford and John Wilkin some times.
Tootle pip for now.
Perry
Retired Layabout
OK as promised here is the spec of my custom 1978/79 Alec Bird, or what I can recall any way.
The photograph is in the Gallery section.
This was built by Alec Bird for me while I slaved, sorry worked for Alec as a Saturday boy from around 1974-79 I think. Any way it was around the time when Alec had gotten over his two Ford Mexico's and consoled himself with a cream and chocolate brown 4.2 Sovereign Jaguar as the company transport, more on this later; and so to the spec...
22 3/4 inch seat tube 22 1/2 inch top tube, cannot recall the other measurements, but I think the head angle was 74 and the seat 73 1 1/2 inch fork rake overall wheel base I think it was around 38inch, but could be wrong; either way she was not twitchy and rode easy round corners. bb height was about 10 1/2 inches I think. Also very comfortable up to say 100 miles.
531 DB main top,seat and down tube, 753 fork blades.
Cinelli investment cast BB and fork crown. Cinelli braze ons and rear brake bridge Allen key fittings done later, shown with original bolt on mounts in pic. Lugs customised and cut out with Hearts filed down and shortened by myself! Reinforcements inside of fork blades, custom chain stay bridge Campag short drop outs drilled rear ones only drilled. Chain holder. double bottle cage holders. capped concaved custom seat stays fully chromed rear triangle and forks. Campag BB short cable guides. fork and stay ends done by myself in the fashionable "cut back" or "V" style of the time, just like on the Italian frames I suppose. Campag Allen Key recessed chrome steel seat bolt. Fo rthe record I seem to remember the seat stays were made of 531 DB , but for some reason they might of been 531 SL, not sure. either way she was a light steed under 20 ILBs
Paintwork. Stove enamelled Royal Gios Blue , since at the time I could not afford a real Gios at the time, and any way Alec's was way better.
Got all the Kit from Holdsworthy of Penge Oakfield road where I worked as a warehouse lad. The Chrome plating was done by a local coach builders that Alec knew, I think over at Balham or Depford. The paint Job was done by good old Mario Vaz who I worked with at the time at Holdsworthy. Mario did a few more for me in time when they went bust and where he still is today, somewhere in the Streatham Hill area?
Campagnolo:
Strada steel pedals
Record Piccolo brake callipers and levers
Record band on front mech
Nuovo Record rear mech 6spd.
Record BO gear levers
Record Eng thread BB
Record Cranks and super record 52/42 rings
Super Record S/Pin
Campag Record SF 36H hubs Chrome DB spokes Mavic GP4 rims, built by Ken Bird of course, though Alec could build a mean pair too. Clements Paris Tours Tubs.
Everest 13-18 block and chain
Cinelli suede saddle, cannot remember which Mod.
Cinelli 120mm 1A stem Cinelli 42cm Del Mondo bars could be wrong looking at the piccy.
Benotto bar ribbon TA Chrome bottle cage Christophe toeclips Binda toestraps Campag allen keys for bottle holders.
Best hand built I ever owned, and thats saying something over my De Rosa Accacio I collected from the De Rosa factory too!! About three years after building her up and racing on her I wrote her off while on a training ride going down Bromley Hill over Chislehurst way, broke my wrist and arm too, but more concerned about the bike of course! She laid in my shed for some 10 years but really un repairable. Broken TT DT fork blades and bent rear triangle, I was run over by a lorry you see, lucky to get out alive I think.
If any one is still in contact with Alec as I know some of his relations have interacted on this site, well please say hello. I was the Long haired big eared hansom one who worked with him as a Saturday boy with Mick Ford and John Wilkin some times.
Tootle pip for now.
Perry
Retired Layabout
02-28-21, 01:08 PM
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Bikes: Early 60’s Claud Butler, lugless Philbrook, Alec Bird, Roy Thame (Alec built), De Rosa Accacio, Look 375AL (?), Alan Super 1982.
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Thanks Fred Miss her lots.
03-01-21, 06:19 AM
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03-11-21, 11:02 PM
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Welcome! You belong over in the Classic-Cintage forum. 
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03-15-21, 12:14 PM
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