Jack Hearne cycle project on the road..

Jack Hearne cycle.

The Jack Hearne cycle project finally hits the road. Featured in an earlier post when nearly finished the final few parts have been sourced and it's a goer once more. Freemans Cycles were a good find for sourcing small bits and bobs for Sturmey hubs and come fully recommended.

The main stalling points were finding a nice pair of period pedals for a reasonable price - have ended up with a pair of SR quills. Not quite period but, hey, I don't really care and they look right and they didn't break the bank. The other time consuming matter was the Sturmey trigger. The older ones don't really look right on a sporting machine and the eighties style triggers are way too plastic. I ended up buying a new model Taiwanese thumbshifter. It's a nice piece of kit and is well made. They do a bar end one too but I didn't fancy drilling the bars to run the cable. Only problem with the shifter was that it isn't the right diameter for drop bars. There's not a lot of spare metal on it but I took the gamble of reaming it out and it worked fine. The trigger is claimed to fit on to braze-on lever mounts so that could have been another option to mount it nicely.

Jack Hearne cycle project finished and ready to roll...

It's turned out a cracking looking pedaller but for me was never destined to be used as it is way too small. It's been on a test ride and rides well. Those Sturmey Steelite drum brakes are impressive, possibly too strong at the front as heavy breaking resulted in a little more flex than I had hoped for. I wouldn't change them though as the clean lines given by the hub brakes work really well with the on-one moustache bars and it's a vintage cycle so who cares too much about practicality. Just don't take too much of a handful when using the front brake...

One more view.

The pleasure has been in the build. I like to always have a cycle project on the go, the next is a Elswick Hopper Lincoln Imp, of which more to follow. The Hearne will live hung up on the garage wall, could be persuaded to part with it though if anyone out there wants a small frame vintage ride.