The Flying Pigeon bicycles we sell were manufactured by the Tianjin Flying Pigeon Company in Tianjin, China. Though the frame geometries are based off of Enlgish roadsters from the early 20th century, the bicycles are milled and threaded to accept bicycle industry standard components. Is this definitive? No. Are our numbers true for every Flying Pigeon? No. This information is what we have collected ourselves based on countless hours of work on these unique and beautiful bicycles we imported. Use it at your own risk.
Here is a list of technical specifications we’ve gathered as we’ve modified, repaired, and retro-fitted Flying Pigeon bicycles:
Seat Tube Inner Diameter: 1″ or 25.4mm
Head Tube Inner Diameter: 30mm
Fork Crown: 27mm
Fork Threading: 24tpi
Steerer Tube Inner Diameter: 7/8″ or 22.2mm
Stem Diameter: 7/8″ or 22.2mm
Bottom Bracket Shell Length: 68mm
Bottom Bracket Threading: English/ISO (or 24tpi) *
Front Fork Over Locknut Distance: 90mm (easily cold pressed to 100mm)
Front Axle Diameter: 5/16″ (24tpi) **
Rear Fork Over Locknut Distance: 110mm (easily cold pressed to 120mm to fit coaster and 3-speed hubs)
Our stock PA-02 and PB-13 bicycles come equipped with a front wheel built with a 32-hole Westwood profile rim and a rear wheel that built with a 40-hole Westwood profile rim. Good luck finding an old 40-hole coaster brake, drum brake, or 3-speed hub! We recommend eBay and a lot of patience.
We sell 36-hole 28 x 1 1/2″ rims and wheels to fit Flying Pigeon bicycles (and other old Dutch and English roadsters). These are box rims and are not compatible with rod brakes. We have built numerous single speed coaster brake, dynamo hub, drum brake, etc. wheels using these hubs and (typically) hubs from Sturmey-Archer. If you’d like to order a custom built 28″ wheel, email us at info@flyingpigeon-la.com and let’s talk!
*We have had success using either 110mm or 113mm bottom brackets and a variety of different crank arms to retrofit our Flying Pigeons. In our experience, the same bottom bracket and crank arms that work on one bike and chaincase will not work on another.
**We have had success machining Flying Pigeon front fork dropouts to accept axles larger than 5/16″. If you are upgrading your bike with a new front wheel we recommend taking it to a professional to have your dropouts symmetrically machined to accept the 3/8″ or 9mm axle the hub on your new wheel is likely to come equipped with.
