Another 'Ace Special'

[Clydesdale Scot]

Mario has a few (no surprises there), but another Ace Special has emerged from a garage last weekend.
It followed a discussion over a post ride coffee, (or green tea) on the progress of Bob's Vinco.
Ralph said he had an Ace Special frame that he bought secondhand in 1970, and asked if I wanted to see it.
Yes, was my reply. I knew a little of Ace Specials from the AussieVelos site run by Mario, and I have seen his Ace Special at a bike show.

Ralph summonsed me on Saturday afternoon as I was on my way to collect parts for the EA Boult project. When Ralph summonses you it is best to comply, or else you are crushed by the emails and messages asking if you are unwell or had an accident.
So I arrived. And yes, it was an Ace Special, built in Adelaide and highly prized.
Ralph explained that the components were an assortment, and you need not be a rocket scientist to see that.
Ralph gave me the bike, and it was loaded up, along with a box of grapes.

So begins another project.
I need to first identify the approximate build year of the frame. And it is safe to assume all components are unlikely to be original to the frame.

[Clydesdale Scot]

if you have any thoughts on the date of the frame please advance them.

and thanks Ralph.

now the bike has been logged, I can start the dismantling process.

[HappyHumber]

Just wow...

[utedeej]

No thoughts other than what a cracker of a frame it is....

[GaryF]

It's ace and it's special. Very special.

[rkelsen]

^^^ What they said.

What a find!

[hiflange]

Great bike. There's a case for keeping the many decades of upgrades, it really tells a story of a well loved bike. Especially so since you know the owner and it's background.

[Imwit]

That is killer. Go Ralph and his good taste in 1970.
What was in the box?

[Clydesdale Scot]

...
What was in the box?

It was grapes, sweet [not sour]. The 4WD club Ralph belongs to were looking after lawns on some bowling greens which had been sold. The lawn was then donated to victims of the recent bushfires so they could have some green around their homes. The grapes were growing on vines at the Bowling Club, red grapes and sultanas.
Ralph is off to Patagonia next week with others on another 4WD trip. So things needed to be tidied up before the trip.
I am surprised at how clean the Ace Special is after well over 10 years in Ralph's garage. It is cleaner than I have ever seen his current road bike.

I has been suggested that the positioning of the mudguard eyes may be a guide to the date of the frame. The position predated the mounts at the front and rear dropouts.

[old steel Bikes]

Philip

Looking a the cast tips would be a good place to date the frame. The gear lever and the Front Derailleurs was available from 1952 - 1960's.

The cast tips where in the mid 50s I think too

Not shore if this helps.

You may want to checkout A COUPLE SYDNEY ROYALS here of a bike I put together

Danny

[Ferrovelo]

Love the paint

[Clydesdale Scot]

rear dropout

and front

no markings that I could see

The gear cable guides
two on the down tube on the drive side only

and three on the chain stay (one is obscured by the chainring)


But there is no evidence of any mount for the downtube gear lever.


the paint has changed colour from the grey to the green. This appears to have occurred since the post-1970 installations and where oil and dirt sealed the paint around the fork crown from light.

The is no evidence of a front derailleur being previously present before the Campagnolo Valentino. There was only one set of markings in the paintwork.

For those that may know: does this suggest a rear derailleur only and operated by a bar end shifter?

[Clydesdale Scot]

I should document a few things that have come direct to me.
Ralph bought the bike from 'Pud' Brooks, although Gary Mills says it is too large to have been one of his own bikes.
Gary Mills (Elizabeth Star Cycles) thinks the decorative work was done by Ron O'Donnell OAM as he has bikes with the same style painted by Ron. Gary also advises that Ron was good friends with Charlie Ryles, who owned Ace.
Ron O'Donnell's name also came up in correspondence from Ralph. He worked at the same establishment as Ron and witnessed his frame painting.
Ralph recalls "He once asked if I wanted a good bike and organised for me to collect it [from Pud Brooks] on Hanson (or Addison) Rd,not far from the corner with Grand Junction Rd. That was 1970."

Ron O'Donnell citation for his OAM was "Mr O'Donnell began competitive cycling in 1939 when he was a foundation member of the Holdfast Bay-Marion Club. Whilst still competing he began administrative work and served continuously on the State Council of the Amateur Cyclists' Association of SA from 1946-79, much of that time as State President or State Treasurer. He was elected a life member in 1958. He has been State Cycling Coach, an Australian Selector, has travelled overseas with the Australian team and, as Australian Coach, met with great success at the Munich Olympics."
Pud Brooks was also awarded a OAM for his services to cycling: "Brooks OAM, Mr Gordon Roy
Former Club Secretary, Port Adelaide Cycling Club, 1976-2006; President; Treasurer; Official Handicapper, for over 50 years; Coach; Delegate, South Australian Cycling Federation Council, 1938-2006; competitor, 1937-2005; Life Member; Member, since 1937. Member, Kilkenny Cycling Club, since 1937. Current cycle supplier. Life Member, South Australian Cycling Federation. Life Member, South Australian Cycling Association. Involved in the development of the velodrome at Hanson Reserve; served as Co-Manager of the kiosk, for over 20 years. South Australian Team Coach, Cycling SA, for 12 years between 1960 and1980; South Australian Team Manager, for many times between 1950 and 1970. Coach and mentor to junior cyclists at all levels, including Michael Tutur and Stuart O'Grady. Committee Member, Port Adelaide Historical Society, for many years. Awards include: Volunteer Award, Australian Cycling Federation, 1995."
More on Pud here

Mario reminds me that the cable guides are in a similar position to the Deane Toseland which he dates in the 1950s, and the bar end shifter to operate the rear derailleur is the same setup as his Super Elliott

I am currently thinking that I may build it up with components from 1957, an auspicious year. It would allow another generation of components from that used on the Hobbs (1946), Spearman (1948) and the EA Boult (1952).
Anyone with a Cyclo Benelux RD and single Benelux bar end shifter surplus to their needs?

[Mulger bill]

Wow! The artistry and craftsmanship of the livery is stunning!

Aside from that, can anybody explain or point me towards an understanding of how the front mech pictured works?

Thanks

[Clydesdale Scot]

can anybody explain or point me towards an understanding of how the front mech pictured works?

or jump to the FD in operation

and if you want to see it taken apart and reassembled there is
Disassemble & Re-assemble Campagnolo Gran Sport/Valentino Front Derailleur

[Mulger bill]

can anybody explain or point me towards an understanding of how the front mech pictured works?

or jump to the FD in operation

and if you want to see it taken apart and reassembled there is
Disassemble & Re-assemble Campagnolo Gran Sport/Valentino Front Derailleur

Thank you CS, that's pretty damn cool. I take it the lack of them in modernish groups is down to one con too many?

[Clydesdale Scot]

I asked Shane for his comments. Shane has done extraordinary work on my Spearman* and the Malvern Star 'New Look'.
His advice was it was most likely to be Ron O'Donnell.
He supports the view with images of a Ron Backshall bike built for Steve Wigg. For lining work, Ron Backshall used Les Hall, Ray Greenslade and Andy Shillabeer, but for the Steve Wigg frame it was Ron O'Donnell.












* I should do a thread on the Spearman.

[grantw]

Beautiful Ace.

* I should do a thread on the Spearman.

Yes you should

[Clydesdale Scot]

Ralph's back from his trip to Patagonia and wanted an update on what I had done.

So I gave the following update.
frame: stripped, cleaned and polished, and waxed.
retained stem, and bars
new bearings in headset.
brakes cleaned and retained. New brake shoe holders in the post from a friend. When they arrive I can measure and order the Koolstop pads.
Reproduction Weinmann off white hoods were bought from Spain and have arrived

wheels being built by someone Ralph has known for many years and who is also a life member of Cycling SA (just like Pud Brooks and Ron O'Donnell). I like the continuity and the connections with this bike. Spokes on order from USA
quality 27" rims from another set and I bought a set of Australian made Vew hubs (1950s) 32/40
Williams crankset, Lyotard MB23 platform pedals, with toeclips and straps.
Purchased, cleaned and installed a Cyclo Benelux 4 speed 3/32" rear derailleur.
From the cable guides I assume it has a single bar end shifter. I bought one earlier in the week and it is in the post, a Campagnolo and it should clean up well.
As we couldn't put a firm date on the frame, I decided upon 1957 for the components. The year I was born.
And 1957 was the year the Weinmann brakes were first available in the UK. An option was the anodised blue!

[Clydesdale Scot]

I picked up the wheels yesterday. Gemma did an excellent job. So nice to meet someone who has the skill and a really nice personality.
In the past with a different wheel builder it has taken months and many visits before they were built. Not with Gemma.

The bar end shifter arrived during the week and had a soak in a kero bath, a cleanup in the ultrasonic cleaner then a quick polish. I did not want a showroom finish as that would sit uncomfortably with the patina on the rest of the bike.
After a workaround to deal with the known missing expander collars and spring, it is now held securely.


and I wanted to check the seat post size, the vernier calliper was showing an oval sizing so I needed to go a little deeper.
And now I can


Peter, my extraordinary brother-in-law bought a lathe.
New opportunities
four steps: 26.6, 26.8, 27.0 and 27.2

[Clydesdale Scot]

After a workaround to deal with the known missing expander collars and spring, it is now held securely.

The workaround was a high density rubber plug which expanded against the inside of the handlebar when tensioned.
Peter and the lathe had some more productive time.
NOW it is a three section collet, held in place with an 'O' ring. It is modelled on the early forms. See Classic Lightweights Campagnolo bar-end levers - servicing and fitting

[Clydesdale Scot]

brake cables and gear cable fitted, reproduction Weinmann hoods fitted, brake levers fitted, rear axle swapped over, 4 speed freewheel spaced to suit the 4 speed 3/32" Cyclo Benelux Mark 7 rear derailleur, temporary tyres and tubes fitted, temporary seat post fitted, bars wrapped top down with damp Tressostar tape and tucked into a Velox plug on one side and a Campagnolo bar end lever on the other.

so still to do: tyres, tubes, brake pads, seat post, remove writing on cable outers, fit spring cover onto rear derailleur, clear shellac bar tape, fit chain, tune gears, fit a VW NOS downtube bottle cage (try to find one on the web!)

The aim is to have it finished and test ridden before Treadly's BOUCLE DE BURBS 2016

[find_bruce]

Gorgeous Phillip - wouldn't expect any less

[mmurray]

Reproduction Weinmann off white hoods were bought from Spain and have arrived

Hi

Just wandered in here from Adelaide Cyclists. I was wondering where you got the Weinmann hoods from ?

Thanks Michael

[Clydesdale Scot]

from here
https://translate.google.com.au/transla ... rev=search

and I asked for them to be made in the off white, not the gum.