Old Flying Pigeon
10-21-11, 05:47 AM
#1
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 4
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Old Flying Pigeon
Hi everyone!
My name is Gił, I'm a one part architect, one part sailor guy from Palermo (sicily).
Two days ago I friend of mine called me couse He founds some type on "rusty old bike" in the "neveropened" dusty car box of his grandfather.
He gave me that bike and I falled in love... is a old chinise bike, a Flying Pigeon. She has a couple oh drum brake (never see this kind of brake).
Do you have more infos about this bicyle?
Do you have some tips for restoring this beauty?
Thank you a lot
Gił
My name is Gił, I'm a one part architect, one part sailor guy from Palermo (sicily).
Two days ago I friend of mine called me couse He founds some type on "rusty old bike" in the "neveropened" dusty car box of his grandfather.
He gave me that bike and I falled in love... is a old chinise bike, a Flying Pigeon. She has a couple oh drum brake (never see this kind of brake).
Do you have more infos about this bicyle?
Do you have some tips for restoring this beauty?
Thank you a lot
Gił
10-21-11, 06:04 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Wherever
Posts: 16,748
Mentioned: 92 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 556 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 133 Times
in
79 Posts
hello Giu,
Flying Pigeon is one of the biggest cycle makers in China. I rode one for several years while living in Beijing. They're still made, if I'm not mistaken. They were pretty good bikes, with the older ones seemingly a little better quality than the newer ones. Depending on how much restoration is needed, just remove as much rust as you can and perhaps overhaul and re-pack the bearings in the bottom bracket, head set and hubs if you can. As i remember the decals on the Pigeon frames were pretty delicate so be careful with the frame when cleaning it.
Flying Pigeon is one of the biggest cycle makers in China. I rode one for several years while living in Beijing. They're still made, if I'm not mistaken. They were pretty good bikes, with the older ones seemingly a little better quality than the newer ones. Depending on how much restoration is needed, just remove as much rust as you can and perhaps overhaul and re-pack the bearings in the bottom bracket, head set and hubs if you can. As i remember the decals on the Pigeon frames were pretty delicate so be careful with the frame when cleaning it.
10-21-11, 06:50 AM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Oslo, Norway
Posts: 378
Bikes: 1951 Armand Carlsen, 1969 DBS Deluxe, 1949 Diamant, 1978 DBS Winner Tandem, 1955 Herkules... to infinity and beyond!
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
2 Posts
Congrats on an exotic find!
Drums brakes were the norm on old bicycles in my area. Don't know the model on yours, but I do this:
You'll need to remove the wheels and open the hubs. Most likely there will be oil and other nastiness inside.
1. Clean the drum and brake shoes thoroughly with a grease remover. Inspect if there is enough material left on the brake shoes (probably yes).
2. Rough up the brake material and drum with some sandpaper.
3. While you have the hubs open, unscrew one of the cones holding the axle in place. Remove the axle and you can see the ball bearings. Clean and regrease them. Don't use oil, use grease.
4. Screw the cone back in place, just enough so that there is no sideways wobble but the wheel still rolls freely (some wobble on the rear wheel can be OK - depends on the hub).
5. Put the round plate with the brake shoes back on. Press the brake arm so that the brake engages before tightening the nut. This ensures that as much of the brake shoes engage when using the brake, that it's not skew.
6. Reattach the wheels and brake wires. There's probably a barrel adjuster to fine tune how much you need to press the brake before it engages. Tighten it just enough that the brake doesn't rub when you don't brake, but still engages before you "run out of lever".
7. ???
7. Profit! With some luck your brake will now be 100 percent better!
Drums brakes were the norm on old bicycles in my area. Don't know the model on yours, but I do this:
You'll need to remove the wheels and open the hubs. Most likely there will be oil and other nastiness inside.
1. Clean the drum and brake shoes thoroughly with a grease remover. Inspect if there is enough material left on the brake shoes (probably yes).
2. Rough up the brake material and drum with some sandpaper.
3. While you have the hubs open, unscrew one of the cones holding the axle in place. Remove the axle and you can see the ball bearings. Clean and regrease them. Don't use oil, use grease.
4. Screw the cone back in place, just enough so that there is no sideways wobble but the wheel still rolls freely (some wobble on the rear wheel can be OK - depends on the hub).
5. Put the round plate with the brake shoes back on. Press the brake arm so that the brake engages before tightening the nut. This ensures that as much of the brake shoes engage when using the brake, that it's not skew.
6. Reattach the wheels and brake wires. There's probably a barrel adjuster to fine tune how much you need to press the brake before it engages. Tighten it just enough that the brake doesn't rub when you don't brake, but still engages before you "run out of lever".
7. ???
7. Profit! With some luck your brake will now be 100 percent better!
10-21-11, 07:44 AM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Oslo, Norway
Posts: 378
Bikes: 1951 Armand Carlsen, 1969 DBS Deluxe, 1949 Diamant, 1978 DBS Winner Tandem, 1955 Herkules... to infinity and beyond!
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
2 Posts
Aha - rod operated drums! Forget everything I said about wires.
A beautiful bike. Angles so low it looks like it's dancing jenka, steampunk-like rods and stirrups, closed chaincase... This'll be great!
A beautiful bike. Angles so low it looks like it's dancing jenka, steampunk-like rods and stirrups, closed chaincase... This'll be great!
10-21-11, 08:29 AM
#7
Membership Not Required
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: On the road-USA
Posts: 16,855
Bikes: Giant Excursion, Raleigh Sports, Raleigh R.S.W. Compact, Motobecane? and about 20 more! OMG
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 70 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 15 Times
in
14 Posts
Beautiful find! 
Aaron
Aaron
__________________
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
10-21-11, 02:15 PM
#10
Newbie
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 4
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
10-21-11, 03:30 PM
#11
No Money and No Sense
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Anderson, MO
Posts: 705
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
When you regrease the hubs, use something made for automobiles, not bicycles. Regular bike grease is generally not made to withstand the high heat conditions of a brake hub.
10-22-11, 09:08 PM
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Greenville, NC
Posts: 1,389
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 102 Post(s)
Liked 59 Times
in
42 Posts
Nice! Now, you should move to Rome, get a job hanging up film posters, and KEEP AN EYE ON THAT BIKE.
10-23-11, 10:19 AM
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Ontario
Posts: 2,670
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 485 Post(s)
Liked 659 Times
in
349 Posts
I think he means it is unusual for the bearings to be exposed like that - there should be an upper race covering them (or at least on other bikes there is).
It may point to someone having disassembled the headset at one time and reassembled it incorrectly ("hey, what's this extra race for? Must be a spare!"), or it could be a unique way of doing things.
Mark
It may point to someone having disassembled the headset at one time and reassembled it incorrectly ("hey, what's this extra race for? Must be a spare!"), or it could be a unique way of doing things.
Mark
10-23-11, 01:02 PM
#14
Newbie
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 1
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Hi Gił,
congratulations for being an owner of a Flying Pigeon, China’s prime bicycle since its creation in 1950. After more than 75 million bicycles manufactured, Flying Pigeon is at the forefront of the whole bicycle phenomenon in the People’s Republic of China. Nowadays Flying Pigeon is considered the most popular and influential bicycle in the world.
We are the importers of Flying Pigeon for EU, you can find more information about the brand at www.flying-pigeon.eu and also all the spare parts and accessories you may need for restoring your bicycle at www.flying-pigeon.es/shop (we ship around Europe). However, we are importing only the most traditional rod pull brake models, so I’m afraid we will not have any spare parts for your drum brakes (by the way, yours is quite an unusual model…). Feel free to post your pictures in our www.facebook.com/FlyingPigeon for the enjoyment of our small community.
Best regards,
Antonio
FLYING PIGEON EU
congratulations for being an owner of a Flying Pigeon, China’s prime bicycle since its creation in 1950. After more than 75 million bicycles manufactured, Flying Pigeon is at the forefront of the whole bicycle phenomenon in the People’s Republic of China. Nowadays Flying Pigeon is considered the most popular and influential bicycle in the world.
We are the importers of Flying Pigeon for EU, you can find more information about the brand at www.flying-pigeon.eu and also all the spare parts and accessories you may need for restoring your bicycle at www.flying-pigeon.es/shop (we ship around Europe). However, we are importing only the most traditional rod pull brake models, so I’m afraid we will not have any spare parts for your drum brakes (by the way, yours is quite an unusual model…). Feel free to post your pictures in our www.facebook.com/FlyingPigeon for the enjoyment of our small community.
Best regards,
Antonio
FLYING PIGEON EU
10-25-11, 03:51 AM
#16
Shaven Sasquatch
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Oregon City
Posts: 127
Bikes: Salsa Colossal
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 9 Post(s)
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
There was a FP on the Raleigh CL for quite some time, listed at $225. It was a new model though, and I couldn't help wanting it. Is it better to get an older one due to the quality of the components?
10-25-11, 04:42 PM
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Oslo, Norway
Posts: 378
Bikes: 1951 Armand Carlsen, 1969 DBS Deluxe, 1949 Diamant, 1978 DBS Winner Tandem, 1955 Herkules... to infinity and beyond!
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 3 Times
in
2 Posts
Sturmey Archer hubs from before the late 60s are made to a higher standard in my experience. Don't know about the rest of the bike, but materials generally cheapened during the 70s.
