Matador6

A question from someone contemplating his first bike restoration;
My bike (a 1962 Raphael Geminiani) originally had the pegs/bracket for a frame mounted air pump on the top tube. At some point over the last 60 years, someone removed them by grinding them off. My question is can I reconstruct these pegs in some way without running the risk of damaging the frame irreparably? Should I chance having someone weld something back on? Brazing? If I did want to weld the pegs back on would I most likely have to have them built from scratch?


I know I could just use clamp on's, but I wanted to get your expert opinion on trying to restore it to original configuration. Here are two pictures of what I'm talking about (borrowed pictures). Any help is appreciated.

JaccoW

It will be hard to find those original pump pegs, especially that C-shaped one. Never seen that before.
A good frame builder might be able to attach new ones. Though that might require a respray of the bike.

JohnDThompson 

If your goal is simply to mount a pump and not necessarily restore to original spec, you can use a clamp or band mount peg. I like the Zéfal plastic band mount; it doesn't scratch the paint like a metal clamp:

gaucho777 

I agree with JaccoW: Those pump pegs are going to be hard to find. I've never seen the c-shaped one either. I'm curious how the rear, c-shaped pump peg would even work with a pump, unless it's mean for a type of pump I'm not familiar with. Too bad they were removed from your frame.

Some chromed clamp-on vintage pump pegs are available, and wouldn't look out of place, even if not original. I wouldn't have them brazed on (and damage the paint) unless I was getting other framework done.

Something else I've wondered (if originality isn't a must)...might it be possible to attach a small pump peg to the back of the head tube with a strong epoxy? A pump peg mounted below the top tube like the original frame would seem to require a solid braze-on peg, but a pump mounted between the corner of the seat cluster and a peg behind the head tube might not necessitate a torch. Thoughts?

EDIT: I just found your other thread. Very cool bike. I also notice retyred's post, which shows how the pump fits the c-shaped peg. That's a new one to me. Thanks for that, @retyred.

P.s. You may want to post something in the frame builders sub-forum here, or over at https://www.velocipedesalon.com/ or in the frame builders section of Paceline forum, where one of the frame builders there might have a similar peg. Probably a long-shot, but worth the ask. I see the frame could use some new paint, so I can understand why you might want to have a replacement peg put on before a repaint. Good luck with the project!

Matador6

@JaccoW Thanks very much for the advice and the link. That is actually a big help, as I would think the C shaped bracket would be the easier one to replicate, if I can get the proper dimensions. My bike definitely requires a re-chrome and paint job anyway. Many thanks!

Matador6

@gaucho777 Thank you very much for the response. I'm basically exploring options at this point, knowing that period clamp on pegs are available and would be appropriate. I would like to get this bike as period correct as possible without breaking the bank, so to say. I will follow your advice and put a post in the frame builders sub-forum. Here's a close up of a restored VERY SIMILAR bike with the pump from a French blog showing how the pump fits.

Thanks for the good luck wishes, as well.

Doug Fattic 

I have a stash of old pump pegs that I brought back to the US after I had learned to build frames in England many years ago. I believe that the C shaped boss was something made special by the builder. It looks like the body is of a normal pump peg and then the C was added (by brazing) to the body. It doesn't look like that is too difficult to make again but it would be extremely helpful to have the pump in hand to take measurements.

The normal looking pump peg on the blue frame looks like the body has some embellishments? In other words it does not have a straight cone shaped taper but rather a ring or step down or something that makes the shape a little more irregular. I've never seen a pump peg exactly like that. Of course something could be made on a lathe if you had more than a fuzzy picture. It will be really hard to recreate something without a bit more to go on than that picture.

By the way the pieces should be brazed on and not welded but any decent frame builder you will choose will know that.

Salamandrine 

That's interesting. Thanks for digging up that bit of obscure tech. I've never seen a C shaped pump peg either. It actually seems like a good idea, in a way, though a bit complicated compared to putting a C prong on the end of the pump itself, as with Campy heads and later Zefal.

I wonder if it's secure enough to carry a pump in the under top tube position without a safety strap? On that subject, anyone know what was used before velcro for this purpose? spare toe strap?