This site rocks.
This site rocks.
Those old bikes, called tall bikes, were for short riders. I have one. The geometry is all different, very short top tube. A tall rider‘s knees would hit the handlebars. Fixed gear with a spoon brake. Some had a mounting peg on the rear axle nut. This was before many cars so you didn’t have to put your foot down much. As soon as motorcycles, cars and trucks added congestion the bikes got shorter. Mine is terrifying to ride, fixed gear, no brakes, cramped cockpit and so tall your feet won’t touch the ground when straddling it. I’m 5’8” and my knees hit my hands if I grab the center of the bars while pedaling. The riding position was still influenced by big wheelers. Really uncomfortable to ride an antique tall fixie. A 6’2” bike mechanic said my bike was for him. I told him he wouldn’t fit, he was too tall to pedal it.1920s BSA
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Can I see a pic of yours?Those old bikes, called tall bikes, were for short riders. I have one. The geometry is all different, very short top tube. A tall rider‘s knees would hit the handlebars. Fixed gear with a spoon brake. Some had a mounting peg on the rear axle nut. This was before many cars so you didn’t have to put your foot down much. As soon as motorcycles, cars and trucks added congestion the bikes got shorter. Mine is terrifying to ride, fixed gear, no brakes, cramped cockpit and so tall your feet won’t touch the ground when straddling it. I’m 5’8” and my knees hit my hands if I grab the center of the bars while pedaling. The riding position was still influenced by big wheelers. Really uncomfortable to ride an antique tall fixie. A 6’2” bike mechanic said my bike was for him. I told him he wouldn’t fit, he was too tall to pedal it.
I can just stretch and touch my toes on the ground if I sit uncomfortably with my weight all on the top tube. My knees touch my hands if their off the drop ends. There are way worse ones, like that BSA. Its real uncomfortable to ride, scary too without brakes, can’t get easily off and poor leverage to stop. I can’t lock up to skid around corners and trying to do a hockey stop would probably break something.Can I see a pic of yours?
The crazy part is that they had the seat slammed on the top tube. Then a decade later they figured out you could put your foot down if you made the frame smaller and used a taller post. The red bike above has 7 inch crank arms and look how much pedal clearance there is.I can just stretch and touch my toes on the ground if I sit uncomfortably with my weight all on the top tube. My knees touch my hands if their off the drop ends. There are way worse ones, like that BSA. Its real uncomfortable to ride, scary too without brakes, can’t get easily off and poor leverage to stop. I can’t lock up to skid around corners and trying to do a hockey stop would probably break something.View attachment 216849
Reminds me of this bike that I saw in a local bookstore.I can just stretch and touch my toes on the ground if I sit uncomfortably with my weight all on the top tube. My knees touch my hands if their off the drop ends. There are way worse ones, like that BSA. Its real uncomfortable to ride, scary too without brakes, can’t get easily off and poor leverage to stop. I can’t lock up to skid around corners and trying to do a hockey stop would probably break something.View attachment 216849
Brazing would for sure be better. Most people weld now a days, less gear. if you think brazing is more forgiving to do than welding you’ve never braised. Easy to burn through and blobby until you get skills. I weld something pretty much every week for a few years. I still can’t weld for krp. I’ve welded a lot of frame dents, cracks and broken off seat tube clamps. My welding is better than my brazing, which is really bad.I'd braze that crack with my oxy-acetylene torch and some bronze rod. Much more forgiving than welding, with less chance of blowing through. Could also use silver solder at even lower temperatures.
Wire welding seems pretty iffy, but I'm partial to what I'm used to, and have no skill with electric welding.
I would like to find a bigger frame myself, and I'm only 6'1".
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