Viscount bikes

[Harnor]

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj5 ... C_3324.jpg

I have uploaded my Viscount photos to Photobucket...I hope the link works! This is for the first of a series of photos.

[Harnor]

http://s1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj5 ... 666/Bikes/

Here is a link to the album.

[find_bruce]

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj559/harnor666/Bikes/DSC_3324.jpg

I have uploaded my Viscount photos to Photobucket...I hope the link works! This is for the first of a series of photos.

nice

[Harnor]

Thanks for posting the photo for me!

The chrome forks in the photo are attached to help me with assembly. I am still undecided as to whether I will use them or other forks that I plan to spray black.

The only damage to the finish of the frame is some scratching, mostly to the black parts (which I will touch up) and fading to the emblems (which I will have to leave as is). I get the impression that the bike was used very little and most of the marks occured during storage. The strappping to the handlebars is immaculate, including the hoods.

My hope is to end up with a bike as impressive as Bendo's!

[MarkusG]

I have one the Viscount models with the proprietary BB (ie. oversized smooth shell, circlips, no threads)
What i found worked quite well was one of Velo Orange's Grand Cru threadless BB's.
http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/ ... ckets.html

It's just tad undersize when done up, but a single shim strip of the ever useful Coke can made it clamp quite well.
You just have to decide what length spindle you want before you buy the BB.

Mark.

[Harnor]

Thanks Mark, that link is just what I needed.

I had heard of Velo Orange, but had not seen their products before. I had been looking at press fit BBs but these look far sturdier and are not much different in price. They actually seem to be better than the original setup too. I have the original spindle so even know what size to get.

Today I received the derailleurs I bought on eBay - 1970s Shimano 600 front and rear. They are a little scuffed, but so is the bike! I just love the look of them. Cost me a massive $25 plus postage. I just have to get the matching downtube shifters.

I have a SunTour7 GT as a standby just in case.

I also bought some Sugino cranks - just have to see how good they are (and if they are genuine - they seemed to be too cheap).

Thanks to some invaluable advice, this bike is now coming together. I just have several other bikes to finish of before I can start assembly on the Viscount. Naturally, I will be adding further photos.

Scott

[ldrcycles]

Just saw this cool poster on ebay and thought i should share it. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1975-Viscoun ... 1e72563d54 .

My Viscount project may finally be coming off the backburner, just deciding what to do with the build, i'm contemplating using a SunTour GPX groupset i have, as i like the feel of it.

[Bendo]

hi all, back again after a while. Just wanted to share my Aerospace Sport resto is done.

http://www.bicycles.net.au/forums/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=530&p=881543#p881543

Harnor that's a nice looking Aerospace Pro you've got there. And some good parts to go on it. If they are indeed Viscount sealed bearing hubs they are worth restoring definitely. And you've even got one of the dust caps from your Viscount quill pedals! Those things fell off so regularly they've become pretty rare.

About the cast aluminium fork, check out Dr John's informative blog. He can help you identify whether they are the ones that you need to steer clear of or not. Most of these forks were fine BTW. Also lots of other good stuff about Viscount BBs, hubs and so on. http://viscount-lambert-bikes.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/about-those-lambert-viscount-death.html

Here's another Viscount, their folder called, rather grandly, the "Spacemaster" <insert cheesy reverb effect>. SA 3-speed hub. Kickstand. Own mini-pump. Pletscher rack. Rides much nicer than my Raleigh Stow-Away.




folded on-board a Melbourne tram



b

[ldrcycles]

Just got the first coat of colour on the Sebring, looking good already. I've just about made up my mind to use a 600 Arabesque group, unless something i like better comes along. The original wheels are still usable but a little rusty, however i have a set of matching rims and hubs so i'll just lace those up, i think that will be easier.

[ldrcycles]

2nd coat of colour on the Sebring, not going quite as well as i want but a bit of elbow grease should sort it out. Definitely going with the Arabesque group, so i'll start polishing that up soon.

[cycles gitane]

Found this ad in my bike folder.
Not sure of the year.



cycles gitane - owner of a Viscount Sebring (blue)

[ldrcycles]

I suspect it may be a bit late, but i would love to pay $2 for a Viscount racing cap!

[Bendo]

Found this ad in my bike folder.
Not sure of the year.



cycles gitane - owner of a Viscount Sebring (blue)

Thanks Gitane, I've never seen a Viscount ad with the Spacemaster, much less an Aussie one. Cool!

b(endo) - Owner of a Victor (red), Sport (red) and Spacemaster (can I call it "champagne"?)

[cycles gitane]

Here is a scan of a sales brochure. Unsure of date.
Could be mid '70s?





cycles gitane

[Bendo]

Can you post a link to where the scans are hosted? I'd like to see the RHS!

b

[cycles gitane]

Can you post a link to where the scans are hosted? I'd like to see the RHS!

b

Excuse my ignorance....... RHS???

cycles gitane

[Wal42]

Right hand side.

You know the right hand side of the page shown.

[Jackinator_VA]

Hey Bendo, you seem to be quite knowledgeable about Viscounts. Today I found a 'foldable' one that I couldn't resist buying. Damn, it just looks so cool! I had no idea about these types of bikes until today and have been led to believe they are rare and valuable. If I post a few pics up (when I can) could you help me identify the bike properly. I saw a picture of your foldable Viscount, pretty sure it's identical to that one, and in rideable condition as well. Let us know

[GregB]

I bought an Aerospace Pro back in 1976 and rode it for about 5 years around/through Sydney. We had a lot of adventures together, but never ever did the fork reveal it's hidden nature to me. We hit car doors, got caught in stormwater grates and more. I even rode from Sydney to Melbourne on it, via (insert drum roll) Jindabyne and Suggan Buggan. Now that was a road waiting for MTBs or Hybrids to be invented. I sold it in the early '80s and cried for days. It was a great bike.

[Bendo]

Hey Bendo, you seem to be quite knowledgeable about Viscounts. Today I found a 'foldable' one that I couldn't resist buying. Damn, it just looks so cool! I had no idea about these types of bikes until today and have been led to believe they are rare and valuable. If I post a few pics up (when I can) could you help me identify the bike properly. I saw a picture of your foldable Viscount, pretty sure it's identical to that one, and in rideable condition as well. Let us know

Hey Jack, post em up, I'd love to see! The main thing that will identify if it's a Viscount folder is the folding mechanism (I'm assuming that all the decals are missing).

If you've got less that 10 posts you won't be able to host the pics on this forum. But if you've got them hosted somewhere else on the web like Picasa, just get them embed code (something ending in .jpg) and then put around it. b

[ldrcycles]

A Sebring on ebay for $100, looks pretty clean, except for the ugly cheap cranks.

[ebay]http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Viscount-Sebring-Vintage-retro-road-bicycle-/221195278626?pt=AU_Sport_Cycling_Bikes&hash=item3380441922[/ebay]


My own Sebring is still waiting to get finished off, i'll have time to do it soon...

[Bendo]

A Sebring on ebay for $100, looks pretty clean, except for the ugly cheap cranks.

[ebay]http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Viscount-Sebring-Vintage-retro-road-bicycle-/221195278626?pt=AU_Sport_Cycling_Bikes&hash=item3380441922[/ebay]


My own Sebring is still waiting to get finished off, i'll have time to do it soon...

Wow, the seller did well on that one! As you say, ugly crankset, dodgy front wheel, original tyres, crap saddle... Not a great buy for a $150. There's at least $300 worth of work needed on it to make it decent, as in just OK. Still, at that price I suppose it means the buyer will love it, which is the main thing.

I'm partly to blame for my participation in the CTC Forum's "Viscount bicycles!!!" thread, now in its 4th year and up to page 67! Anyone googling Viscounts is now finding that thread either before Sheldon's notorious and intemperate "death fork" warning, or at least a close second, and it's convincing them to buy... Should have kept our collective mouths shut! :,(

b

[Bendo]

My latest set-up, I've finally gone for "standard" drop bars on the VA Sport:

New set-up:




and the old one:



The reason I've been reluctant to use drop-bars is the great handling and control I get from the North Road bars. But I thought I would try drops just to see if the extra hand positions available meant anything to me over a period of time on the bike. I'd also been inspired by the many beautiful racing bikes in this book.

b

[ldrcycles]

Looks good. My Sebring is still not finished, having trouble getting the paint to behave due to crummy weather.

[WyvernRH]

Those are hellish deep drops! You might be better fitting a shallower model like a Cinelli Giro d'Italia or some sort of Randonner bars

My latest set-up, I've finally gone for "standard" drop bars on the VA Sport:

New set-up:




b