rch427

I've long been obsessed with eccentric British frame designs of the 1930s, and have wanted an example of a Baines "Whirlwind" (more commonly known as a "Flying Gate") since I first saw a couple of them at the London Tweed Run in 2008 (IIRC).
Three years I bought one off eBay.UK that was more-or-less in my size. It's actually a Trevor Jarvis-built version from 1988 (as near as I can tell), but since Jarvis obtained the blessing (and legal rights) from the Baines Brothers, I consider it to be "legit". Strangely, it has track rear dropouts, but also fender/rack eyelets! And the paint (original) is a sort of deep electric plum -- which I think suits the frame's eccentricity.
After too many other projects have consumed my time, I finally finished building it up 2 days ago, in time for the Eroica California. Although I wasn't able to attend that ride, I was able to give it a shakedown cruise yesterday in a 25-mile circuit of San Francisco. I was very pleased with the way it handles; it feels stiffer and more nimble than my Hetchin's. There are still a few bugs to work-out (I couldn't get the 3-speed hub to reliably shift into low gear, and the seat-post keeps sliding down into the tube) but overall I am glad to have added it to the mix.

So, show us your 'Gates!

Piff 

Cor, now that's a right frame, that is.


You must have more pictures of the frame...please?

juvela

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in your communications w/previous owner did subject of provision for front gear mech come up?

recall that RIGI had a special model Gian Robert they employed on their machines

it's been so long, forty year, since me communication with Trev that doona recall what he was doing on that score...


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rch427

juvela -- my communications with the seller were limited. He offered me the complete bike, or just the frame/forks, with the BB & headset. I opted for the latter, since I couldn't have used any of the bits it would've come with (all of my bikes are set-up with porteur bars on a tall stem, geared hub w/ backpedal brake, front drum brake w/ inverted front brake lever, 177.5 or 180mm crank arms, etc.), so paying twice as much for shipping, just to receive parts I couldn't use, was pointless. And from what I recall, his components were nothing special.

But now that you mention it, I can see why the front derailleur location might be a challenge. There's no braze-on for it on my frame, so it must've been a clamp-on.

Sorry I can't be of any help with your question.

juvela

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be that a VO arm we see in the photo - luv the extremely milky anodizing - reminds me of some GIPIEMME products...



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rch427

Thanks, Piff !

Here are a few more views:

oldukbkr 

Here’s mine

rch427

Very nice, oldukbkr !
What year is your from?

I see you also have a BAR (as do I). Are you likewise afflicted with an obsession for eccentric frames?

USAZorro

To each their own. I acknowledge that it is in great condition and the paint is stunning. When is see unconventional features in bicycle construction ("vibrant" stays, flying gate, diadrant fork, Alenax, triple triangle, etc), in addition to thinking "that's wild", I contemplate plausible stories that might explain their origins. I can't shake the notion that the flying gates' origin could lie in the confluence of tubing shortage, excessive libation and mitering error.

Yours is very evidently well planned, joined and executed though.

imakecircles

It would seem to be a design which originates in the attempt to shorten the chainstays without affecting the relative seat tube angle, resulting in more direct transfer of power from cranks to rear wheel.

Rick_D

No low gear in SF? Can't imagine you missed it much.

Have seen a lot of bikes but nothing like this one. Is that a front drum brake?

Hope you enjoy it a good long while.

1989Pre 

Not mine, forty-nine:

squirtdad

this might help with seatpost https://www.jensonusa.com/Park-Tool-...MaAoDgEALw_wcB

may seem weird for steel, but this was specified (or similar) for building up my kirk frame by dave.

rch427

Exactly. Those were the heady days of "shorter and stiffer is always better" in Britain.
There may be a shorter wheelbase frame out there, but I haven't seen it, and I haven't (yet) bought it.

rch427

The story that I have always heard (and have also heard others dismiss as apocryphal) is that in the 1930s the body overseeing British cycle racing banned the use of any identifying branding on bicycles and riders, so companies that wanted to be able to promote their bikes (or frames) in racing needed to find a visual "hook" to show spectators whose bikes were being ridden and won on, and thereby sell more product. So making peculiar frames (Cf. Hetchin's "vibrant stays", Baines' "flying gate", Bates' "diadrant" forks, Granby's "taper-tube", Thanet's "Silverlight", Sun's "Manx TT", Paris' "Galibier", Saxon's "Twin-tube", Moorson's "Duralite", etc.) was the workaround they found.

rch427

My huffing and puffing could be heard as far away as Lusitania.

Yes, it's a Sturmey-Archer unit from the 1940s that I found NOS on EBay about 20 years ago.

Thank you!

romperrr 

Interesting product. I've been having issues with my non-drive side crank squeaking, perhaps some of this on the surface between the spindle and crank arm will help?

rch427

Wow! -that's a beaut!