Parliament Road Bike Restoration Part 2

Hello and Welcome, I am feeling much better and have resumed work on the "Custom Built * Parliament * Made in England"

BELOW: I believe we left off with the front wheel cleaned-up. Shown here with a new rim-strip and Kenda K35 Gum-Wall 90 psi. I would not go with anything but gum-walls on this vintage bike. If you want Gum-Walls and you are ordering Kenda(s) make sure you are getting gum-walls and not skin-walls. There is a least one online supplier who is showing "gum wall" on the description and "black and tan" on the actual ordering part. "Gum-Wal" is a pretty clear description as is "Skin-Wall". But apparently "Black and Tan" could be either one. So buyer beware. And to confuse you even more, the pic they have only shows only the tread, not the side-wall. GEEEZE LOUISE! I absolutely hate that kind of rubbish.(not my first word choice)

BELOW: I have two English wheels (rear) that will fit this bike. Both have Sturmey Archer stamped on the "almost" identical pie-plates. The original wheel has a badly bent axle. So "for now" I am going with the other one.(the chrome is not quite as good) I will switch them later, if I am able to repair the other. At this point I am unable to break the free-wheel loose. So I will be taking it to a local bike shop for a repair estimate. Or maybe just have them remove the free-wheel and order me a new axle and bearings. BELOW: My extra wheel on the bike also with a new Kenda K35 gum-wall and rim-strip.

BELOW: The Sun-Tour Honor derailleur (type one 1969) all cleaned-up and ready to roll. After a light coat of Tri Flow that is. I still have a little more cleaning to do on the free-wheel though. I wanted to wait and see how the wheel trued-up first. Check - Out all those adjusters. I am counting 4 including the cable tension adjuster.

BELOW: The Sun-Tour "Spirt" derailleur cleaned -up nicely. I think it might have had some sort of graphite lubricant on it. I was able to remove it using the White-Lightning "Clean-Streak" and also some Turtle-Wax Chrome-Polish & Rust-Remover to get the residue off.

BELOW: Cleaning-up the Weinmann brake calipers, I did something different this time. After taking them apart and polishing each and every part with Mother`s. I then buffed up the parts with the Dremel like tool. I also used the fine brass wheel-brush on the acorn nuts and springs and other small chrome parts. I added the buffing because my "good eye" is still not 100% and I don`t trust my vision yet. I wanted to make sure they were cleaned and polished as good as I could get them.

BELOW: A close-up of the front Weinmann caliper after polishing and re-assembly. I think it looks pretty good. As always the calipers also got a set of new Jag-Wire shoes. Notice the red & white Weinmann labeled cap-nut washers. I have never run across any in quite this good of condition before. They look like new!

BELOW: A "really bad photograph" of the rear caliper after refurbishing and mounting back on the bike. It looks really good, I just did not get the light right for this photograph. I will slip-in a better one when I can.

BELOW: This is where I am at with the restoration as of today. The garage heated -up in the early afternoon and I had to stop. I am going to try to work on it some more tomorrow. It is great to be back to work :)

BELOW: These are the fenders (mud-guards)I am going to use. They are Toba fenders. This will be the first time I have used this brand. So I will be sure to let you know what my opinion is, in regards to "ease of installation" and "performance". I already like the way they look. I chose this pic because it shows the pin-stripe detail.

BELOW: Due to the use of non-adhesive handlebar tape the handlebar clean-up should be a breeze (easy) They are British and are very light weight for their time.

BELOW: The (GB) logo engraved on the bars. Can I assume this stands for "Great Brittan"? Next to the (GB) is engraved "British Made"
UPDATE: The following is from Steve in Texas and I quote "Actually, "GB" stands for "Gerry Burgess." Really! I have a GB stem on my Falcon".
(Hugh) Thanks Steve

BELOW: An upcoming project, a Huffy Le-Grande. I`m gonna have to do this one on the "cheap". Huffys do not bring a very good price. I`ll have to be careful to not over spend. Good news! It has newer tires not dried out or cracked and almost no tread wear. I hope to upgrade the calipers and levers with salvaged ones. That will save some money. It will need a new or newer saddle and better saddle clamp for sure. I`m hoping to only have to buy cables & housings, brake shoes and handlebar tape. The derailleurs are dirty but in working order, that`s a huge plus.(good thing). Let`s see how cheap we can get this thing back on the road "and upgraded". The Huffy Le-Grande should make a good campus-bike for a student on a tight budget.

Well bicycle lovers that`s all I got for today. Thanks again for all the "well wishes". Until next time, RIDE SAFE and Remember to Always RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE
Cheers, Hugh