Gimme a brake!

THE INCREDIBLE

WEINMANN 500

BRAKE CALLIPER SALVAGE

Some people may not believe this story, coming from the disposable world we live in today. It's a bit unbelievable when you consider exactly the circumstances. I was pretty amazed myself in fact that a pair of brake callipers that have been rotting for almost two decades in a garden hedge on a badly rusted Peugeot Carbolite from 1985 are now in full working order! 

Here you can see the Weinmann 500 callipers in their respective places. The centre spindles snapped after a bang of a hammer. These were rotten and unusable but it was the two alloy  arms I was after.

I still had my doubts after removing the adjuster barrels and lock nuts even though they opened pretty easily and without any release spray.

I thought the springs would be red rotten but no, not at all only slightly coated with rust. 

I cut the front nuts off with a hack saw in seconds.

I tapped a big flat screwdriver with a hammer and parted the arms from the spindle.

After a bit of donkey work I am left with what I needed.

Next out with the Brillo and scrub, scrub, scrub!

The pair of 500s freed from garden hedge hell!

There was even a date stamp on them. One was made in January 1985 and the other March 1985. Over thirty years old! Insane!

After rebuilding them on another spindle and attaching the barrel adjuster and locking nut. I also used a very fine emery paper sponger block to shine them up.

The spring was still as good as the day it was abandoned amazingly.

Fitted to another Raleigh 18-23 steel frame project and working.

I have to admit it is a testament to the build quality of Weinmann ,and while they were the bog standard alloy brakes on millions of bikes back in the day, they were certainly built to last. I wonder if some of the Taiwanese bike parts of today would stand the test of time like these did!

A little bit about Weinmann Type 500 Side Pull Brakes

Weinmann were based in the town of Schaffhausen in northern Switzerland and have their origins in the late 1930’s. They started appearing in the British market around 1949. They originally made steel brakes but in the late 40’s began to use forged alloy. Prior to 1946 the brakes did not have a model number.

 The Type 500 for close clearances. These were made until their demise in the late 1980’s. These were, for over thirty years, the core product competitively priced. The 500 was always the cheapest option for equipping a close clearance frame, this design was extremely influencial for the major Far Eastern brake manufacturers. There were longer reach versions the 810, 890 and 1020 originally for balloon tyred bikes. The 730 was also made in the 50’s under another model name, ‘Capella’ these are extremely rare. 

THE VIKINGS ARE COMING!

VIKING SUPERSTAR

Viking Superstar II 10 Speed

I remember these in the early 80s. The competition to my beloved Raleigh. These were made in Derry, Northern Ireland from what I can gather. This one came up on on an adverts site and the asking price was a bargain. What other slice of vintage 80s steel frame bike nostalgia that still runs very well can you get for five clicks under a hundred euro? Not a lot!

As soon as I got it home I stripped it down completely and found zero wear on the headstock and bottom bracket bearings. I cleaned them up and caked them in copper grease!

Superstar it is certainly not but it's fun to ride and you would find it hard to come across an example in this condition. The frame is 23" and ideal for my height. There is slight rust blemishes under the paint but it's nothing really on a bike of this age.

The headstock badge, the holiest of holies on any vintage cycle. If that is missing you are in trouble.  This one is nice if only a sticker and not a brass plate but it's in good nick and not bad for over thirty!

This Huret derailleur, while not the coolest, in fact I think they are not too great at all, shifts away without any problems at all. The chain spoke guard brings back memories! 

Silstar cotterless cranks. Again nothing special but crisp and clean with steady even action. The pedals are steel and were made by Union in West Germany! Huret front changer, steel run of the mill and found on most bikes from this class back then!

Custom SR stem and Sakae alloy handlebar with original cotton bartape I reckon. The brake extentions are horrible and reduce the efficiency of the callipers, so they had to go! Anyway they do not look cool do they?

Huret cast metal gear levers and unbranded callipers but no doubt they are weinmann

along with the levers which are also unbranded. I also removed the lamp bracket as I have hurt my knee off these many a time back in the day!  

Steel Hubs are cool until you see alloy hubs! The wheels are the weak part of the bike, even though they are running pretty true they are noise when breaking due to the serrated rims that seem to chew brake blocks. A nice set of alloys would make this bike a lot better.

New cork bartape and levers would make this machine simply cooler!

Verdict!

I'm sure if you were fifteen and it was 1982 then you would feel like a superstar on this cool 10 speed, but today I am no longer that age but over three times it and the times have changed, a lot in bikeland. Still, it's fun to ride, I gave it severe welly on the flat and it goes like shit off a shovel, handles well and never jolts or jitters. Up steep inclines it's heavy but even standing on the pedals pushing hard it just goes on like an old mule. A nice new set of 27" alloy rims with nice new gumwalls and you'd have a great runaround that looks vintage but runs like new. The 5 speed freewheel has little wear and I'm thinking that this bike was never really used at all but kept in a garage and thankfully out of the rain. Go on, pull the trigger on one if you get the chance, every collection needs a good old Viking for that retro casual ride!

The vest bike is a Viking!!!

Pulsating Wreck

RALEIGH PULSAR WRECK

Take a look at the state of this poor old thing! It is over 30 years old, I know this, as I can remember when it was bought. May 1985 to be precise. A friend asked me to restore it and being the adventurous chap I am, I will have a good stab off it.

Raleigh Pulsar

This bike sported Oval Tubing in '85 and it was a very cool looking machine indeed. There was a Quasar too which had 501 and higher spec.

 At least the 'Raleigh' badge looks cool!

It's the Space Shuttle, still a marvel in the mid 80s!

 18-23 Controlled Carbon High Tensile

Even the handlebar was a special shape.

 Oh, Oh! Rust never sleeps!

Wire brush, sandpaper, elbow grease!

 Shizen! A crack in the right rear chainstay!

Looks like it's Good Night Vienna!