Viscount bicycles!!

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
busaste
Posts: 369
Joined: 1 Mar 2008, 10:18pm

Viscount bicycles!!

Post by busaste »

I am keen to talk to people who used to work for and/or sell Trusty Viscount/Lambert/Viscount bicycles.
I am a BIG fan (don't laugh!) of these bikes and am just hungry for information, old sales brochures, old road tests, etc.
Hope someone can help!
There must be someone out there?
Thanks!!!!!!!!!!
Big T
Posts: 2105
Joined: 16 Jul 2007, 1:44pm
Location: Nottingham
Contact:

Post by Big T »

I used to have a Viscount in the early 80's. It was very light but the bottom bracket snapped off and you couldn't get replacements for them (they were press fitted). Had to have a new BB shell welded onto the frame and then the seat tube cracked.

A friend had a Lambert and the head tube parted company with the rest of the frame one day. He had to have it welded back together at a local garage in order to get home, then he binned it.
busaste
Posts: 369
Joined: 1 Mar 2008, 10:18pm

Post by busaste »

Thanks for your reply!
Looks like you and your friend did not have much luck!
Which Viscount model did you have? What spec. was it? Any old parts still in the shed?
drossall
Posts: 6107
Joined: 5 Jan 2007, 10:01pm
Location: North Hertfordshire

Post by drossall »

We've still got one - I think it's a Viscount Indy II. It's my wife's that she had before we were married.
Big T
Posts: 2105
Joined: 16 Jul 2007, 1:44pm
Location: Nottingham
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Post by Big T »

I can't remember the model. It was Sky Blue with chrome forks and chainstays. It was a good bike. I did a 2 week tour of Scotland on it.

I might still have the original chainset, but the rest of it is long gone. I transferred most of the bits onto a Falcon Black Diamond frame, which then got stolen!

My friend's Lambert was a rich red/maroon colour.
GrahamG
Posts: 165
Joined: 12 Jan 2007, 5:23pm

Post by GrahamG »

I remember chatting to my LBS mechanic about them after bringing a frame I got given for free. "Every bloody crook in the business was involved with that company at some point or other" was the response!
pigman
Posts: 1917
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 12:23pm
Location: Sheffield UK

Post by pigman »

Big T
it was probably an aerospace grand sport.

the areospace series came in three models, all had essentially the same frame.

sport - the basic version came in royal blue met and ruby met
grand sport - came in sky blue met and another colour (cant remember, poss brown.). spec was a bit better than sport
pro - silver and essentially a racing bike with racing wheels/gears

were a very light, lugless frame and good value for the price except they had a one-piece fork which was 1/2 chromed and was thought suspect, a press-fit BB which was awkward to replace and the frame had a reputation for tubes breaking, several of which i remember. But viscount always replaced broken frames quibble free.

I had the model under the aerospace series - the sebring, in blue met, which was specced as the aerosp. sport, but had a conventional lugged frame. Unfortunately, the seat tube on mine snapped too, but by that time viscount were out of business.

quick edit - were talking late 70's
stoobs
Posts: 1307
Joined: 27 Nov 2007, 4:45am

Post by stoobs »

Image

Ah yes, Classics. A mate of mine had one with the "death fork" - a one-piece casting prone to fatigue. It was replaced rapidly.

Also see this link at the Temple of Cycling:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/lambert.html

And there's plenty of piccies if you google "Viscount Aerospace", but you already know that.

Great bikes at the time
zoot
Posts: 8
Joined: 24 Jan 2008, 5:30pm

viscont frames

Post by zoot »

As an ex mechanic my opinion of these is similar to the quoted local LBS mech.There were also the alloy forks used on some models for which the :barge pole: phrase springs to mind although you probably won,t have a problem with them nowadays as I very much doubt if any of them survived their early stringent test of ten yards steady riding.
busaste
Posts: 369
Joined: 1 Mar 2008, 10:18pm

Viscount bicycles!!

Post by busaste »

I have two Viscount death forks that are 30+ years old. They haven't broke.
Ditto for bottom bracket spindles.
The problem with Viscount especially in their early days was quality control although it was nowhere near as bad as Lamberts. Just as they had really got their act together the company went bust due to a sales collapse in the US market.
Please keep the replies coming - negative or not they make great reading!
Thanks!
busaste
Posts: 369
Joined: 1 Mar 2008, 10:18pm

Viscount bicycles!!

Post by busaste »

Some more pics!Image
Image
Image
thirdcrank
Posts: 36764
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Viscount bicycles!!

Post by thirdcrank »

busaste wrote:I have two Viscount death forks that are 30+ years old. They haven't broke.
Ditto for bottom bracket spindles.
Image


Not so lucky with the chain? :wink:
busaste
Posts: 369
Joined: 1 Mar 2008, 10:18pm

Viscount bicycles!!

Post by busaste »

The chain hadn't been fitted. Or the gear levers. :lol:
Big T
Posts: 2105
Joined: 16 Jul 2007, 1:44pm
Location: Nottingham
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Post by Big T »

Mine was an Aerospace, come to think of it. I bought it in 1979 for the princely sum of £89, to use as a winter/training/touring bike. It lasted about 3 years before the frame broke and I transferred the bits onto a Falcon frame.
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