Committing forgery: A Faux Rudge Autocycle build.

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

With the huge garage cleanup I'm doing all manner of parts and half started projects are coming to light. Among them is an autocycle semi-replica that I started to build using a gen 2 80cc China Girl and a 10 speed Mixte frame.

Mixte frames are not easy to get a China Girl engine into, It can be done, but usually involves spreading the two parallel diagonal frame tubes. Some Mixte frames are easy to modify and need little work, mine wasn't like that at all,- it was a right pig.
Now that the engine is basically able to fit into the frame, the next stage is to proceed with the fakery. Among my English bike bits I've got quite a few Rudge parts, so basically all the modern fitments will be disappearing from the frame and will be replaced with either Rudge or genuine 1950s English parts. This will include the forks, wheels, bottom bracket, chainwheel, chainguard, mudguards, pedal arms, pedals, handlebars, saddle, brakes & etc. Real bikes hold their pedal arms on with cotter pins anyway, so the old 10 speed chainwheel set can go into the scrapbox.
I've found a nice 1950s Sturmey-Archer 3 speed hub (did you know they're all dated with the year of manufacture) so that will be used on this bike as well. The exhaust system will be a faithful replica and therefore should be quiet even if it doesn't do a lot for performance. I'd like to try using a Villiers carburettor and air cleaner too.

It's my intention for this bike to look old, so I'm not going to re-paint anything. All parts will be left in their original faded and rubbed paint, cleaned very well and then after the fitting of NOS Rudge transfers (decals) waxed using something like 3M Marine Wax or similar.
Three problems are going to make this awkward though, all the Rudge forks I've got are black, and I'm going to need to solder up a repop autocycle petrol tank and engine shield from scratch. I'm sure finding a match for the blue paint on the Mixte frame won't be too difficult, - only then I'm going to have to find some way to age it.

Theoretically this is supposed to be a quick project which will both help to clean up the workshop by using up spare parts and also give me some useful wheels for local journeys. Hopefully it will prove to be the case.

 

[fasteddy]

Quick,cheap, easy and motorized bicycle. Probably the only time these words will ever be seen used in the same sentence.

Steve.

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

Show and Tell time I thought it would be a good idea to show you what I'm aiming for with this build. And yes I know the picture is of a 'Norman' Autocycle, but with what I'm using as a basis this is the best match for the likely outcome.

Why all the tinware? - well I wear ankle length skirts which would make a conventional motorized bicycle a possible skirt shredder if I didn't watch out. Not to mention that swinging a leg over the usual type of frame is not at all ladylike.

Quick,cheap, easy and motorized bicycle. Probably the only time these words will ever be seen used in the same sentence.

Yes I know Steve, famous last words and all that

 

[bluegoatwoods]

It'll be cool. There's no doubt about that.

That frame is called a 'mixte', is it? I guess I've heard the name. Just never knew what it meant.

It's up to you, of course. But I wouldn't be shy about painting it.

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

Paint might happen yet, but if anything gets painted it would be the frame. The original Rudge stove enamel will usually polish up just fine, but the 1980s factory paint on the Mixte frame is pretty poor.

I like Mixte frames, all the advantages of a tradition step-thru ladies frame, but without the flex when ridden hard. My days of pushing a road frame hard are long over of course, but I still like Mixte frames. I've got another complete bike in the garage that I rescued from the tip, only it will need a lot of work to bring it back to riding condition again.

 

[wheelbender6]

I have seen China girls mounted in the curved ladies frame, but never in a mixte frame. Very tight fit.
A mixte frame was a step thru frame where the tubing was all straight, for light weight and strength. Competitive ladies had complained about the weight and flimsiness of the conventional step thru frames built with thicker walled, curved tubing.
Thats going to look great, IW.

 

[Moto]

cool! ive always wanted to stick a chinese engine in a mixte XD

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

cool! ive always wanted to stick a chinese engine in a mixte XD

The frame I'm using has the two diagonal tubes narrowing towards the seat tube, then flaring out slightly towards the dropouts. This type of frame is a pain to put a China Girl in, - it can be done, but only if you spread the diagonal tubes to clear the cylinder head and carburrettor. I was blessed with this style of frame and if I was to do this again I would look for a different frame. (Example: The blue Raleigh bike)

The frame to look for is the type that doesn't narrow towards the seatpost, but instead has a bridge piece on the seatpost that supports the diagonal tubes at a wider spacing. (Example: The red frame)

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

A had a good play about with the faux Rudge autocycle this afternoon. By close of play I had a total of two sticking plasters on my fingers and I really did need to make use of the tub of Swarfega I keep in the wash house before I could cook tea. So I guess I could call it a successful work session.

I had problems in that the set of Rudge forks I had that were from a Ladies bike were too long in the stem, and the set of forks i had from a Gents bike were just a wee bit too short in the stem to fit the Mixte frame's steering head. Using a combination of the Mixte frame's lower steering race and a Rudge frame's top steering race made it possible to fit it all together which pleased me no end.
The Rudge fork has a very large and solid crown lug and the whole fork is well made and strong. The Mixte frame's fork which it replaces is quite tinny and lightweight by comparison.

Things are still at the test fitting stage while I figure out what parts I will be actually using, but I was very pleased to be able to add a set of North Road handlebars with good chrome and original handgrips in nice condition to the list. A very clean set of forged steel English side pull brakes with original cable and brake lever made the cut too.

The front wheel is a Rudge original which a previous owner has painted with silver paint. Unfortunately he also splashed silver paint on the genuine 1950's Dunlop tyre fitted to the Westwood pattern rim. I won't be using this tyre because it's simply too fragile now, but I'm hoping to be able to clean off the silver paint so I can put it by for use on a display only restoration.

I don't know how familiar forum members might be about the story as to why you can't buy Dunlop bicycle tyres anymore, but it goes like this. The Raleigh Cycle Co were negotiating with Dunlop for a price for the yearly consignment of bicycle tyres that would be used in the assembly of new bicycles. Raleigh was being very hard nosed and was insisting on a very cheap unit price per tyre and Dunlop wasn't happy about it. Raleigh management said to Dunlop, 'Well we're your biggest customer worldwide for bicycle tyres so you can accept our price and like it.'
To the Raleigh management's complete surprise Dunlop came back with, 'Well we shall simply stop making bicycle tyres then'.

And they did, just like that.

My English Wearwell Pathracer is fitted with a very old and fragile set of Dunlop track tyres. I don't actually ride the Wearwell and at one time it was hung up on display in my bedroom because I thought it was so lovely. One of the original tubes has blown and I haven't got up my nerve yet to try removing the tyre so I can replace it.
.
Something I will be doing is using a throttle lever on this autocycle replica, Firstly because it's correct and secondly because there is no way I'm going to replace one of those original handgrips with a modern twistgrip throttle control.

One disappointment was discovering that the Rudge rear mudguard (fender) I was hoping to use was bobbed. I mean who would cut the end off a Rudge mudguard! When I get to be Queen of the World folk who do such things are going to find themselves in a great deal of hot water..........
(sigh) Anyway back to the bike build. Fortunately I do happen to have a brand new NOS rear mudguard, only now the bike's going to look a bit silly with an aged front mudguard and a new rear mudguard. The mudguard stays are too short for this frame, though it's not too big a problem because I've got spare ones in different lengths.

I had been hoping to press on and change out the bottom bracket and chainwheel for Rudge parts, but by now I was tired and my joints were starting to get sore. Not to worry though because I'd had a lovely afternoon and a lot of fun.

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

I got told off by my doctor today for trying to do too much and had to submit to a B12 injection. They always sting, but at least they do have a positive benefit. Cheered myself up by buying some more spanners in the local second hand shop. At $2.00 a spanner the price was definitely right

Spanners are something an Intrepid Wheelwoman can't have too many of, - only in this case I was having to buy some more metric spanners as I don't have many and yesterday I was scratching around trying to find them. I think my daughter borrowed them when she was doing repairs on her car and she didn't put them back! Grrrr.
I have no end of BSW and BSF spanners and AF too. A while ago on our local auction website someone had an auction for 5kg of old spanners. Nobody bid against me and I got the lot for $10.00
By hunting around in junk shops I've managed to collect together a good set of genuine old bike tools for English bikes and not so long ago I treated myself to a set of special tools for modern bicycles so I'm reasonably well equipt for just about any job that needs doing on a bicycle. Now I just need the energy to keep this project moving along. (Get to work B12 injection!)

This afternoon having promised to be good I confined myself to hunting out a suitable saddle for the faux Rudge autocycle. I'm not short on saddles, but I wanted to find something that was a good fit for this project.
I have two boxes on a shelf, one for good makes of saddles including those from English bicycles, and the other for all the junk kinds of saddles that get fitted to most bicycles these days. Obviously the box I was going to search was the one for 'proper' saddles!
Leatherette covered 1960's Raleigh saddles were out of the running from the get go. And my beloved collection of vintage leather track saddles were out of the running too. An 'Olympic', a French 'Ideal' and two 'Brooks saddles' (sigh).
A French 'Ideal' track saddle is the hardest thing you'll ever sit on in your life btw. It's not so much that the saddle breaks in to fit you, - you break in to fit the saddle!
Which left two vintage touring saddles in the running, a 'Brooks' and and 'Onyx'. Both need a little work before I'd use them seriously again, but nothing that can't be fixed. In the photo the 'Brooks' is on the seatpost and the 'Onyx' is placed below it. Both are good saddles, with the 'Onyx' being the slightly more heavy duty of the pair. I haven't made my mind up yet which one I'm going to use as yet. Both saddles are missing their brass badges off the back which is annoying, but not impossible to overcome.

 

[truckd]

I don't know what your intentions are with the fenders/mudguards but here is a link to some Zeppelins that I have used on the Black Jack and are very vintage in styling, the price is decent.

As far as the seat badge is concerned you can go to any place that makes trophy plaques get one made then take it to the shoe shop and have them rivet it back onto the seat, actually cheap except for the gas to run around.

http://store.velo-orange.com/index....s/vo-polished-52mm-zeppelin-fenders-700c.html

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

Thanks for the link

I do have a pair of suitably vintage looking mudguards on another saved-from-the-dump bike that I might use yet. I'm fairly sure the back mudguards will fit, but I'm not sure about the front one.

Those Zeppelins look like nice mudguards and I think I've got a similar looking rear mudguard hanging from the rafters in the garage, but no matching front mudguard unfortunately.

It's no real problem with the 'Brooks' seat badge as repro and second hand badges are readily available, but the 'Onyx' is most probably going to need something made. The 'Onyz' saddle came from a pre-war gents bike that was in poor condition with a very rough weld repair on the frame. I sold the bike on to a guy who does bicycle restoration as he was needing a parts bike to finish a customer's bicycle, but I kept the saddle. I'd never even heard of 'Onyx' bicycle saddles until I got this one.

Stop Press: I may have been able to locate a couple of parts bikes for free or cheap in the next town. Tis rumored that they have mudguards. I won't know for sure until Sunday though.

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

Please note: This is how not to take photographs. If you think these ones are bad you should see the ones I deleted
For some reason the flash on my camera decided not to work and to top it off my hands were a bit shakey.

This afternoon I had some good luck in that I found a NOS front mudguard I'd forgotten I had. So now the faux Rudge has two new mudguards which looks a lot better. I spent some time messing around with different mudguard stays, support brackets and clips until I found ones that worked best to support the rear mudguard. Fortunately the NOS front mudguard was a direct swap over for the old one, which was just as well because I was starting to feel tired by then.
My daughter gave me a mild ticking off though because my doctor said I was to only work an hour a day on my bicycles and I'd been at it for three hours instead.

Other bits and bobs I did was to hang an old leather tool bag on the back of the saddle. This was quite a find as even though the original straps were broken it still contained a vintage bicycle tool kit. Zip ties do for now, but I will be getting some new leather straps for it.
The bulb horn on the handlebars is a cheapie that doesn't work. It's acting as a placeholder for something better at the moment. I've got my eye on a proper brass bulb horn. Added a nice new chrome bike bell to the handlebars as well. It has a good sound too.

The lighting set will be a vintage Miller. I've got a matching headlamp, dynamo and tail lamp which has been put by for the faux Rudge. I like these old Miller lighting sets as they are completely reliable and miles better than the poor excuses for lighting sets that were sold in the shops during the 1960's and 1970's.

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

Taking things more quietly today. I thought I would do a little CAD work (cardboard aided design) on laying out a suitable petrol tank. The tank Harry made for his girlfriend's bike is close to the shape and style I want. http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?t=31328&highlight=intake+manifold&page=16

In fact revisiting that thread on Harry's build was a good way to jog my memory and get me thinking about how to proceed with my own build.

Now that I've fitted the new mudguards I've decided I will paint the Mixte frame, but not until I'm sure the bike works and that I don't need to add any further brackets or anything to it.

On revisiting a favourite website I rediscovered these pictures of a 1923 McKenzie-Hobart. And no I'm not going to rush off and build a whole new frame, but I've definitely taken notes for the next time I build a motorized bicycle around a ladies frame.

 

[fasteddy]

I know how you feel about doctors. Nothing like being told how you should live by someone half your age which brings me to my Dad's saying that your old when all the doctors and police are young.
Then of course your children all know more than you do.

I am finding that pushing ahead when your not well is not a good thing. I've had a couple of shopping excursions but they have left me tired and a little befuddled when I got home so I'm staying away from the garage until I feel better.

The Rudge Autocycle was always a personal favorite of mine even though I never owned one and only saw one once when it toured a car show I was at. Just something about the lines of them that triggered a desire to own.
Yours is coming together wonderfully well and will be a treat to see and ride when it's finished.

Steve.

 

[truckd]

Well I hope everyone is feeling better and I like where your headed with the bike
I.W.

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

Thanks Truckd It's just a case of having to hasten slowly at the moment.

Yes Steve doctors (sigh). I do have a very good doctor and her advice is usually sound and right on the money when I go to see her. BUT that doesn't mean that I'm enjoying having to take things more quietly at the moment. My daughter is pretty darn sensible actually and she can tell the difference between when I'm doing Ok and when I'm getting too tired. I don't get told off all that often, but when she does speak up there's no use denying that she's right and it's well time for me to stop.
You take good care of yourself Steve and I hope and pray that it won't be too long before you can start to do a few things in your workshop again.

Yes the Rudge Autocycle. It was always a favourite of mine too. I know I'm not going to end up with an exact copy, more a distillation of the qualities of a 1940's autocycle in general, but there's nothing wrong with that. I decided to do away with fitting a 3 speed hub and I'm back with an original Rudge wheel again. It has a Westwood rim which matches the front wheel and a 'New Eadie' coaster brake which should be just fine for this bike. I've got plenty of different sized sprockets to suit this hub (same as Sturmey Archer) so it shouldn't take long to find the sweet ratio that's a match for the bike. I may fit an English steel sidepull rim brake to the rear wheel as well just for a little added insurance.
My plan is to leave the engine completely stock and if I do anything to it the aim will be to increase reliability and general quiet running as I don't need a speedster. The more it looks and sounds like an old classic, the less likely it will attract the official attention of the local Police guys and girls. They spend enough time chasing down local kids with weedeaters wired onto their bikes or riding unregistered trail bikes with knackered exhausts as it is. I'd rather that they didn't have to chase after a pleasant old gentlewoman like myself if it can at all be helped.

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

On light duties this evening, so I just pottered about with checking how parts would fit. I was going to make a cardboard tank mockup, but the discovery of a Villiers petrol tank under all the rubbish on my workbench made me change my mind.

Yes it's rusty on the outside, but inside it's as clean as a whistle. It needs a couple of light repairs too, but nothing that me and my 120watt soldering iron can't handle
For those of you who know little of the esoteric mysteries of Villersdom I'll point out that the nicest feature of these petrol tanks is that the petrol tap is actually opened by a nice brass knob on the top of the tank. In effect there is nothing that can leak as everything is inside the petrol tank.
I've marked the petrol tap knob with a red arrow.

The next experiment was to determine if a Villiers carburettor would fit or not. Aaaaaand the answer is......... YES!
Should this prove to be a hot China girl mod ATCO mowers worldwide will suddenly become an endangered species. Soooooo until the experiments have been completed I'm afraid I shall have to keep it all very much hush hush.

Some time ago I rescued a really nice bicycle or motorcycle luggage rack from the council tip and I'm planning on using it on the Rudge. It's a lovely piece of old fashioned blacksmith work made from flat iron strip and riveted together. It needs a little repair, but nuffing I can't manage and with a decent coat of paint it will be good to go again.

I thought I'd show you the contents of the old leather toobag. All the items in the photo were in it when I purchased it and I'm continuing to keep them there as a proper vintage touch. The contents are, a canvas fabric covered bike pump adapter, tyre lever, two pencil stubs, a piece of valve rubber and two bicycle multi-spanners. The pencil stubs and the valve rubber were wrapped up in the piece of paper everything is laid out on.

 

[Intrepid Wheelwoman]

Or I could mount the petrol tank on the luggage rack. That thought just struck me now and I must make sure to check that out tomorrow.

I actually have two Villiers petrol tanks, the second one is in much nicer condition only at some time in its working life the brass fitting for the petrol tap on top of the tank has been torn loose leaving an ugly hole.

 

[bluegoatwoods]

Interesting so far.

And it looks as though you are going to accomplish the 'step through' style quite well.

I was going to suggest the you tell that doctor to go jump in a lake. But it sounds as though the fatigue she fears is real. So I guess you'd better listen to her.

But only one hour per day? That hurts. Some cheating is going to be necessary.