mkeller234

So maybe this wasn't the smartest of trades, but I don't care. I found this bike on craigslist and it caught my interest. I traded my Raleigh DL-1 that was in great shape and a Viscount that is a project. I don't know much about this bike, it's labeled Fr. Meulen and Holland. It has rod-operated Sturmey Archer drum brakes on the front and back, Dyno headlight and tail light, wooden Rims and wooden fenders. There are a lot of nice little details that most older bikes have, I think this one is early 50s. The nickel plated fork crown looks pretty nice to my eye.

I'll miss the giant size of the Raleigh, I loved the 28in rims on it. I'll also miss that long front fork and tall feeling that bike gave. It was a great bike and I hope I snag another someday.

More pictures to come:

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The Raleigh that I traded:

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KonAaron Snake 

I don't know much about what you got, but it's a lot more interesting than the Raleigh...I think you did well. Wooden rims alone are enough to pique my curiosity.

mparker326

That looks cool. What is your impression of wood rims? Do rod drum brakes work better than the ones on the DL 1?

You can tell your wife you got rid of two bikes as well.

mkeller234

That's about the extent of it. I might find another Raleigh someday.... I doubt I will see any more of the Dutch bike. Bonus that it's a 58cm frame and fits me!

mkeller234

Not sure about the wood rims yet. They look stout and even have a brand name on them. The spokes are very loose and need tensioned, but the rims spin pretty true. I can't comment on the brakes since I haven't ridden it yet, but I think they will feel pretty similar. They will definitely stop, but not like strong modern brakes.

mkeller234

I looked closer, the hub is dated "51" so early 50s it is. The shifter style is from that time too.


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Should I stain these??

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mkeller234

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SpasticSprocket

Very interesting bike, especially from a mechanical standpoint. I'd love to get a close look at one of these and see how everything works.

auchencrow

Wow mkeller234 ! That is ultra-cool. The details, the patina are amazing. - And with that St Christopher bell, you can play chicken with 18 wheelers and win! (Just kidding about the winning part.)

mkeller234

Well, I got the most of the thing taken apart without a lot of trouble. There is just one part of the brake system that is holding onto the fork for dear life. I noticed the forks are solid and have a triangular shape to them. There also appears to be the work "ink" carved into the steerer tube.

Of all the three speeds that I have worked on, this one really has a solid "quality" feel to it.


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redneckwes

Now that is a real time capsule bike! I've never even heard of that brand. Neat stuff!

P.S. I need to make a trip east, and it's going to be very soon.

ColonelJLloyd 

Matt, that is a very cool bike. Good trade! Looking forward to seeing this project progress. I'd guess the tires are tubulars. Are they 622?

fender1

That thing kicks that Raleigh's azz! Great trade!

KonAaron Snake 

+1...the Raleigh was nice, but let's be honest here...it's a Raleigh. If you really wanted to replace it, you could find one in a month, maximum. I could probably roll by Via and get you one in a week.

What you got is interesting and unique...I think you traded a nice bike for something special.

Italuminium

Wow, some bike you got there. It's from Hoensbroek, a small village with a huge castle near Heerlen, frequent part of the Amstel Gold rsce classic parcours. Very hilly terrain for such a three speed.I know the place quite well, not sure if the bike shop is still around.

The wooden wheels surprise me. They appear to be original to the bike, yet I've never seen a post-war dutch bike with them. I'll see if I can dig up some more info.

mkeller234

Great info, thank you! I was really, really hoping someone from the other side of the pond might check in and see this bike!

mkeller234

Thanks everyone, I figured the same... but it's nice for that to be confirmed by others that I respect so much. I was nervous to gamble on an old foreign bike, who knows what could be different. All seems to be pretty standard though, actually much easier to wrench on than the Raleigh so far.

I don't know for sure what to do with the frame yet. I'll tackle the rust, then maybe just some boiled linseed oil on the bare spots. Maybe some clear paint??

photogravity

+1 It is definitely out of the ordinary, which makes it all that much more appealing to me. I have a feeling that you'll be especially happy that you got this after you've had it a while.

Roll-Monroe-Co

OK, my heart sank when I saw that you gave up your DL-1--such a nice bike. But then when I saw the detail pictures of your new mystery bike--wow! That is very cool.

Bianchigirll 

I have to agree I would love a DL-1 but I would much rather have something with the coolness of that.

How do the rims and fenders look? is the wood checking or spliting? I am no carpenter nor trained in the art of woodology but I would be real tempted to rub them down wiht some Old English red oil (not that dark stuff) just to get some moisture into the wood.

Can't wait see more pics of it comeing together all cleaned up.

AZORCH

There's a lot about this bike to love. I am very intrigued!

mkeller234

I started cleaning some of the misc bits yesterday. I'll continue to update here until this bike is complete. It could be a while, depending on free time.

I'm not going to go over the top with cleaning, all of this stuff will still look a bit worn. The frame paint is pretty rough, so I figure it will just look clean and old... because it is.


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Cool indicator window:

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These are pump pegs, the top one is spring loaded and pulls back. These are super nice (IMO)

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Removable chainring. All steel but not crazy heavy since it is pretty thin throughout.

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mkeller234

Some bare pictures of the frame. I'm not 100% sure how i'll tackle the rust yet... I want to be gentle with the remains of the decals and lining. I think I will use naval jelly to spot treat the worst, then a rust converter on the small stuff. I think I will also just use either clear paint of boiled linseed oil to cover the bare steel. It survived many years with rust, so i'm not all that worried about eliminating it for all time.


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mkeller234

It looks like it had a headbadge at one time because it has two holes... or maybe it was a riveted on license or serial number??

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Maybe the serial number is an indicator that it was mass produced?

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