The way rod brakes work is that they are pulled up to rub off the rim. So they are always narrower than the rim so that it can work. The only way to take the wheel off bikes like this is to take the brake blocks off completely. So I did, and now poor Audrey looks very unhappy altogether missing her mud guard, brake blocks and wheel.
This is what the outside of the tyre looks like. Most of the exterior has fallen off, and it has left a cool looking weaved twine pattern. Is this what modern tyres look like too?
It was impossible to pull off so what I did in the end was wedge a screwdriver underneath it and cut through it with a junior hacksaw. It smelled awful too. Gross. The tube inside was very brittle and i was able to tear it with just my hands. The tape between the rim and the tube was still in great condition. It says "Halford's for cycles and accessories". Apparently Halfords was set up in the late 1800s so this must have been among it's first products. I wonder did they make any other parts of the bike?
This is what the connection looks like from the top of the spoke into the rim. I hope these haven't changed much so I can get a tool to remove them.
1 comment:
Wow, this is sooo awesome! I haven't checked for a while, and I was thrilled to see all your new photos. Would you mind if I wrote another post for the Old Bike Blog with a few of your new photos and excerpts from your blog? I'm really really jealous that you get this fun project. Keep up the good work!
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