tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-296265672024-03-06T04:12:22.468-05:00V-CC New England SectionThe Veteran-Cycle Club: Riding, Researching, ConservingChristopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-90177669761569013852013-09-05T21:47:00.002-05:002013-09-05T21:53:33.023-05:00Wayfarer Illuminates Patterson's Night ScenesOn night runs the New England Section has ridden behind period dynamo and battery lamps that lit a few spokes and a small, dim patch of pavement near the front wheel. An oil lamp barely illuminated the reflector inside it's housing. Vibration made quick work of bulbs in fork-mounted lights. Tire-driven generators were better heard than seen. Speculation on artistic license in Frank Patterson's night scenes was inevitable. The countryside was much darker in the day, but still...<br />
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None of us ever turned out on a bike equipped with a carbide lamp. Even when electricity began to dominate bike lighting, contemporary accounts spoke of the brilliant white light carbide gave off. For eyes trained by the alternatives, it would not have taken much more light to appear brilliant. How much better was the gas light?<br />
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At the time of his tour recounted in <i>Over the Top</i>, Wayfarer was a devotee of the oil lamp. Three years later he switched to carbide. Writing in <i>Cycling</i>, 13 December 1929, he argued that carbide had proven superior for upkeep as well as illumination:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I sit in perfect safety behind the white light of my gas lamp, which illuminates the whole width of an ordinary road and the hedgerows in addition. I can see where I am going. I can locate unlighted (and unlightable) obstructions. I can ride fast - that is to say, fast for me!</span><br />
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It seems that Patterson may not have exaggerated after all.<br />
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<br />Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-16960580700331425662013-08-28T07:30:00.000-05:002013-08-28T12:12:12.381-05:00History Lesson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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No registration<br />
No promotion<br />
No support<br />
No crowd of participants<br />
No merit badge<br />
No suspension, no fatbike, no gravel grinder<br />
No roof rack, no pick-up truck<br />
No iPhone, no Strava<br />
No pandas on Webstagram<br />
No crowing on the web<br />
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The Rough Stuff Fellowship, Winter 1979Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-16217998058239193992013-08-12T23:27:00.000-05:002013-08-12T23:27:34.011-05:00Confidential to No-Way RayFrom "Readers in Council," the <i>CTC Gazette, </i>October 1946...<br />
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<b>Cycle pedals</b><br />
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Shortly after I had bought a second-hand cycle the inner ball bearings of both pedals broke down. Spare spindles and pedals not being available, I removed the balls from the inside bearings, leaving the outer balls in position for axial location.<br />
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Now the inside end of each pedal runs directly on the spindle like a plain bearing on a journal. This technically not-quite-correct solution has so far (nearly 500 miles) been very satisfactory, and I trust that with liberal lubrication it will last quite a bit after the end of the present scarcity of spare pedals. It seems that Mr. R. Tonkin's suggestion [arguing for the introduction of plain journal bearings in pedals as 'I have yet to find a ball-bearing pedal that stands up to real hard work'] in the August <i>Gazette</i> is well justified.<br />
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-L. Rosenfeld<br />
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<img src="webkit-fake-url://2BFDF1A2-00AB-4FAB-8A35-AA0FC34A571E/image.tiff" />Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-91060909864999535162013-04-10T23:14:00.003-05:002013-04-10T23:14:24.701-05:00Westport Run<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Carol Spitzer</span></div>
Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-76219737439222469692012-06-27T11:59:00.000-05:002012-06-27T12:42:41.154-05:00V-CC Vermont Weekend<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headquarters<br />
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Into the barn<br />
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Throw down some fresh hay, he's in for the night.<br />
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Sensory overload<br />
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Our hosts<br />
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Watch your plate, he's on the the make.<br />
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Hatching a plan to get that Hetchins?<br />
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Day Two begins<br />
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The bike jitney arrives.<br />
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Davis arrives.<br />
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At the Charlotte-Essex ferry, with the Adirondacks in the distance<br />
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1951 Dawes<br />
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The weather in NY looks good.<br />
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Looking back toward the Green Mountains<br />
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Back on the road in Essex, NY<br />
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The Adirondacks<br />
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Long hills, few gears<br />
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The view at the top<br />
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Dan, Glenn, and Carol note ominous crack emitted from nearby tree. Bob and Elton continue to talk bikes.<br />
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Unlike the last house we passed, the gnome on this porch is fully clothed.<br />
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First those on hub gears yield, later some on more modern gears will join in the sociable stroll. <br />
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1938 Hetchins Brilliant<br />
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1970s Mel Pinto (Urago) tandem and 1948 RRA<br />
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Thunder and lightning bring a hasty end to lunch.<br />
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1959 Mercian KoM and 1967 Hetchins Vade Mecum<br />
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The ladies were amused by this<br />
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Sometimes they do make 'em like they used to.<br />
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Fellow traveler<br />
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Day Three - swallow's eye view from the barn. 1898 Orient with shaft-drive, 1934 Raleigh RRA.<br />
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One of Davis's <a href="http://davisteselle.com/">drawings</a><br />
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Burlington bike family<br />
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Bridgeport<br />
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<a href="http://blog.maglianero.com/">Maglianero</a><br />
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No New England Section run is complete without a path in the woods. <br />
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Mary leads the way to the Intervale, and my battery fades.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-76713419701121208662012-06-21T18:11:00.000-05:002014-09-22T18:42:53.990-05:00What is veteran cycling? The Veteran-Cycle Club is an organization dedicated to serious research into the history of bikes and cycling. By extension, club runs conducted by local sections of the V-CC are intended to further members' understanding of cycling history through riding old bikes with period parts.<br />
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Choice of the word "veteran" over "vintage" is intentional. Soon after the founding of the Club in 1955, the Committee ruled that "vintage is not a suitable word to use in connection with old machines unless quality is taken into consideration." Old three-speeds and mass-produced lightweights are not vintage, but they are interesting examples of cycling technology and history. Veteran embraces all old bicycles, regardless of quality.<br />
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The V-CC has avoided establishing a cut-off date for machines eligible for club runs. In fact it welcomes members who do not even own a veteran bicycle, for the most important thing is to have is a genuine interest in cycling history. Club rules suggest that for machines on runs, "as a general guide, the older better." Run leaders are free to suggest themes that will bring out certain kinds of machines, or machines of a particular era, for their rides. The rules also acknowledge that history begins yesterday, hence early mountain bikes and even Raleigh Choppers have been seen on club runs.<br />
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The only restrictive measure in the V-CC's rules is, "bitzas <i>(bits of this, bits of that)</i> have no place on club runs." Bitzas suggest what veteran cycling is not. It is not new bikes with old frames, that is, a veteran frame fitted with new or non-period parts. Sheldon Brown-style Frankenbike experiments, thirty-year-old Japanese lightweights made up to look like sixty-year-old French tourers (or fitted with a Sturmey-Archer gear as a "tribute" to pre-war British club bikes), "BOBish" bikes with hodgepodge parts from various eras thrown onto steel frames - any of these can be a nice bike to ride, useful and interesting to it's rider and his riding or Internet pals, but they are not veteran cycles. Better to come out on a new bike, because in the context of a ride affiliated with a cycling history organization, the new bike at least is an exemplar of its era. <br />
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However, "keeper of the flame" has no currency in the V-CC. New bikes made in the style of veteran cycles may be regarded as "classic, " or classily inspired, but they are not veteran cycles. "As a general guide, the older, the better."<br />
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None of this should be taken to mean that V-CC members are so dogmatic about period correctness as to complain, in the words of the late John Pinkerton, "because somebody has the wrong pattern tread on his tires." Period correct certainly is the aim, and we admire the effort that goes into securing such difficult to source parts as period rims and saddles, but we all know that not all veteran bikes come together at once. Nobody turns up a nose at modern brake cable housing, new but classically proportioned box section rims, or 700C tires on bikes that were built for 27s. If a safe, reliable period handlebar has not been found yet, there are Maes bends currently made in widths that suit period lightweights. These are examples of sympathetic parts, as are later production examples of period parts, e.g. '70s Weinmann 500 brakes standing in on a 1950s bike that may have used the same model brake, albeit with an earlier style of maker's stampings. While there can be no doubt that most veteran cyclists would be pained to see a plastic saddle on a pre-1970 bike brought to a club run, we are always pleased to see a Brooks B.17 on any veteran cycle, regardless of whether the saddle was made in 1899, 1949, or nine weeks ago. If your saddle matches the year or decade of your machine, that is a nice touch, but we all know how scarce useful survivors are.<br />
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Nonetheless many period parts are easy to source given the patience and diligence that make veteran cycle projects worthwhile. One who resorts to use a Velo-Orange crank with the old BSA five-bolt pattern on a veteran frame, instead of TA Pro, Stronglight 49D, or a cottered crank, as suits the period, simply is not trying hard enough. Cranks, brakes, pedals, and hubs for post-war machines are numerous on the ground. Period gears, outside certain Campagnolo and Sturmey-Archer items, are scarcer, and often dear. This may contribute to the phenomenon I have observed in the club magazine, where Shimano rear changers are appearing on bikes that otherwise are outfitted in period correct parts. (Of course, this also may reflect the fact that the V-CC is very much an organization dominated by riders over fifty; gears on old machines are few, and there is only so much easy terrain to go around).<br />
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It is fortunate, however, that the price of entry into veteran cycling remains very low. One needs nothing more than an old Raleigh three-speed. In the V-CC, period roadsters have a following as enthusiastic as that for post-war lightweights or for the often magnificent machines of the solid-tire safety era.<br />
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It has been observed many times that the act of dissembling a machine that was used and transformed by one owner over a long period, and fitting it with period components from the date of the frame's manufacture, constitutes destroying the bike's history. A strong case can be made for this viewpoint. A well-used bike with deep patina of age and use usually came to be that way because it was the one machine of a longtime touring and commuting cyclist who made changes to it over the years. It is worthwhile to preserve the evidence of slow evolution, even down to that Shimano derailleur that went on thirty years or more after the bike left its maker's workshop.<br />
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Touring journalist and veteran cyclist Dr. John Dunn wrote more than a decade ago, about a hypothetical Baines Flying Gate of the late '30s, that authenticity rests more truly with the artifact as found after sixty years, not with the artifact as "taken back" to an imagined specification at its origin. He argued for preserving the history of the bike, illustrating one owners' response to the evolution of bicycle technology and to his own changing needs.<br />
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To preserve such an evolved bike is an act of historical consciousness. However this is not license for us to take a bare period frame, fit non-period parts, and call it a veteran cycle. The hypothetical Baines, as it evolved, would be evidence of history. We are not allowed to simulate the process; that would be not history but pastiche - a bitza.<br />
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It must be said, finally, that the considerable satisfaction of riding a period correct machine is always worth the time, effort, and expense that goes into the project. Restoring a veteran cycle teaches and reinforces mechanical skills vital to anyone worthy of the name compleat cyclist. Use of period gears, brakes, and related parts conveys an understanding of cycling history that cannot be gained from a book or chat room. Club runs provide opportunities to enjoy veteran machines with friends who appreciate them, and who seek to learn from each others' projects and investigations in cycle history. In turn, saddle time on veteran machines enlightens those pleasant hours of armchair cycling with Patterson, Wayfarer, Stancer, Kuklos, et al.<br />
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<br />Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-69727998234077297212012-05-30T21:56:00.000-05:002012-07-01T20:58:42.999-05:00531 Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You cannot buy a cool bike. The more you pay, the further off-track you are. Cool bikes are not made under the Vigorelli, in a Connecticut workshop, or in a Parisian workshop. They are not made of carbon fiber in a mold. They are not copies of or tributes to anything. Cool bikes are made on the road and on the trails, in the rain and in the snow, day in, day out, year after year.<br />
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Jobst Brandt told us, "Ride bike!"Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-855969077050160432012-05-29T11:45:00.000-05:002012-05-29T12:29:05.032-05:00Ray's Waterworks RideThe longest and best yet rendition of a New England Rough-stuff Section classic: miles off-road, beginning with two-plus on railroad ballast guarded by poison ivy and an army of ticks - our kind of road. <br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">It was a typical N.E.Section run</span></div>
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One rides these ways aware that mainstream cycling advocates are lobbying to clear and pave them over, so that the unadventurous may ride them as easily as driving down the Mass Pike. Enjoy them while they remain unspoilt.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">A good day for pollen</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Patina that is earned, not bought</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>Pronunciation:</b>
Brit.
<a class="pronunciationLink" href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=29626567" id="pronunciationLink" rel="31770909">
/<span class="phonetics">ˈpatᵻnə</span>/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></div>Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-21056215017633012132012-05-23T20:09:00.000-05:002012-05-24T20:12:17.892-05:00Haven't we met before?Rosa Crown brake lever, Cyclo catalogue,1938:<br />
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<br />Tektro's current FL 750 lever:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOF5QTIAxQYZ0wJf917WjisAy8zhY2un4DPPcq-EjR2n48bGHoK_g3SAp7JYGtnxTfBvLv695a2cfBJhFg5iNmn0CpHzgXqMWcTEE_CrNugEJvMIGHfcfDnFEe7hyphenhyphenKkb-P8EA/s1600/tektro_fl750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOF5QTIAxQYZ0wJf917WjisAy8zhY2un4DPPcq-EjR2n48bGHoK_g3SAp7JYGtnxTfBvLv695a2cfBJhFg5iNmn0CpHzgXqMWcTEE_CrNugEJvMIGHfcfDnFEe7hyphenhyphenKkb-P8EA/s320/tektro_fl750.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-45931188855538224172012-04-05T20:46:00.002-05:002012-04-05T20:53:00.181-05:00Chuck's Home Opener<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SWgEXVfb4Z78E7q1QXezOdnDr4LqbyYj5rLlrgXW6-Qw31JeIdOdqBFdAJhyphenhyphen44JrgDYu8L_J3xVgZlbutV09VhOrgOBbuambSE5m5YYmgdTCIa8go3lVaCc4g6FTDexZmyYM/s1600/IMG_0748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3SWgEXVfb4Z78E7q1QXezOdnDr4LqbyYj5rLlrgXW6-Qw31JeIdOdqBFdAJhyphenhyphen44JrgDYu8L_J3xVgZlbutV09VhOrgOBbuambSE5m5YYmgdTCIa8go3lVaCc4g6FTDexZmyYM/s320/IMG_0748.JPG" width="320" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Thirty rolling miles on a 1951 Flying Scot, 1957 Maclean Eclipse, a mid-50s Elswick Lincoln Imp, and 1960s Robin Hood light roadster, followed by glasses of stout.</div>Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-90308282250575792712011-09-28T22:51:00.004-05:002011-09-28T23:18:23.456-05:00What is rough-stuff cycling?<i>From a letter by Bill Paul, founder of the Rough Stuff Fellowship, to the </i>Rough Stuff Journal<i>, vol. 13 no. 6, 1968:</i><br />
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Having been indulging in this form of escapade since 1921 I am ready to admit that many people will have many opinions, and to simplify the answer to a simple question my answer is - any way, road, track or path which is free from modern tar-macadam! When I first started it was known as pass-storming, for fifty years ago the Llanberis, Honister and similar road passes were all rough and loose metal <i>[gravel] </i>thrown down and spread across. Motor cars were few then and seldom passed along these routes. Then routes along drove roads and sheep tracks were sought out and when Wayfarer publicized, through article-writing and public lecture, his crossing of the Nant Rhyd Wilem that really started something we know today as "rough stuff"....<br />
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On the bicycle itself, does anyone really want a special one? I don't. Any bicycle that you can propel, push, drag, lift or carry, will do. I like something handy and reasonably light and not over done with too many mechanical "aids". Mine is a Parkes Autograph lightweight with Dunlop lightweight high pressure rims, fitted with a speed tyre and a four-speed medium S.A. gear - and what I can't do on or with that I'll leave alone. I have quite a tally of routes achieved, including the crossing of Black Sail with my wife - and a tandem!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8ircLHWgik9Qo8GvqxJzba8q-4KTmrEQHDQXBQsoCXbDdi0nTm3o7KRDB6CeqY5kLvAAxQQkACS8K0E1BG5PO8OQ9_w4fvF4BYJXALyKXYv_Lcjq4lpgkekHa-xot3tC1W0Z/s1600/BillPaul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz8ircLHWgik9Qo8GvqxJzba8q-4KTmrEQHDQXBQsoCXbDdi0nTm3o7KRDB6CeqY5kLvAAxQQkACS8K0E1BG5PO8OQ9_w4fvF4BYJXALyKXYv_Lcjq4lpgkekHa-xot3tC1W0Z/s320/BillPaul.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Rough Stuff Journal, vol. 10 no. 2, 1965</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rsf.org.uk/images/hist%2004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.rsf.org.uk/images/hist%2004.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rsf.org.uk/history.htm"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>"Mountain biking before mountain bikes" </i></span></a><span style="font-size: xx-small;">,</span> <i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">by Steve Griffith</span></i></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ckdMBefaFOghWDDc8nP9KVD5xB6ooYB_ekD2IYuSQ_2ZfRq78S73qPTrjQ6LLmAjwvPdGXq9JOa_fQq1W4XWk5oacxktmWuJ-I_f7UpU2MbGO40DURcIp1Fxn8-5GsKL_ycR/s1600/BlackSail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ckdMBefaFOghWDDc8nP9KVD5xB6ooYB_ekD2IYuSQ_2ZfRq78S73qPTrjQ6LLmAjwvPdGXq9JOa_fQq1W4XWk5oacxktmWuJ-I_f7UpU2MbGO40DURcIp1Fxn8-5GsKL_ycR/s320/BlackSail.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b>Black Sail, from</b> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_274568433">the Road to Springer Mountain</a></span></i><a href="http://30millionsteps.wordpress.com/"><br />
</a></div>Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-73989507938242087752011-09-22T21:42:00.010-05:002012-02-20T18:52:20.651-05:00Plusses and Touring Shoes Not that long ago it would have been hard to anticipate that these people could go about on the street and enter stores without causing a raised eyebrow...<br />
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... yet when these fellows walk across the pub after a ride, some people give them curious or even agitated looks:<br />
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In 1980 one could find plusses (knickers) at any hiking and mountaineering outfitter. They were the standard, practical garb for Nordic skiing, hiking, and climbing. Patagonia, now primarily known as a purveyor of plastic "technical" clothing for suburbanites, sold corduroy and wool plusses along with packs and mountaineering equipment. It was around that time, though, that recreational x-c skiers and cyclists began to effect the look of the pros, adopting the tight-fitting plastic clothing worn by Olympians and professional racers. Wool and corduroy largely disappeared from the shelves of outfitters, hastened by dire (and false) warnings from outdoors magazine writers - in service to their advertisers - that to wear natural fibers was to court hypothermia on the bike path or groomed golf course ski trail. Woolrich's classic, hearty corduroy knickers were dropped from the line.<br />
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Plusses once commonly were worn by European touring cyclists. Although tight, garish clothing has become the norm overseas, too, some British cyclists still ride in the comfort of plusses. Indeed there are enough such cyclists and other sportsmen in Great Britain to support the manufacture of both ready-to-wear and made-to-measure plusses. Furthermore, it still is possible to purchase traditional, normal British cycling shoes - no plastic, no toddler-friendly Velcro, no holes in the sole to let water in, just black leather. Such garments and footwear are staples in the Veteran-Cycle Club.<br />
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New England V-CC members use the products of all the following makers and can vouch for their good quality and capable service to overseas customers.<br />
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<a href="http://www.stamfordclothiers.co.uk/">Stamford Clothiers</a> Ready-to-wear and made to measure plus twos, plus fours, and breeks. Quality is high, service is timely, and prices are reasonable. The breeks are most like Woolrich knickers of old. With your leg bent to ninety degrees in dress trousers or chinos, measure along your inseam with a cloth tape to the length you want below the knee. If ordering breeks, they will be made to this length. Plus twos seem to add four inches, plus fours, eight inches. There is a good selection of fabrics. Cavalry twill is a rugged three-season choice, suitable for skiing but comfortable for spring cycling, too.<br />
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<a href="http://www.reynoldsshoes.co.uk/">Reynolds Shoes</a> Cycling shoes the way they used to be made. They may ask you to try on a pair of Clark's shoes to establish your British size, as Reynold's sizing closely matches that ubiquitous brand (or at least did before Clark's moved to Chinese production - it has been probably ten years since I ordered my Reynold's). My touring shoes are one full size smaller than my American size, but some people buy down only a half-size, so it is good to follow their fitting advice. Unlike French and Italian cycling shoes of yore, the width is reasonable for most. Reynold's shoes can be resoled.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hilltrek.co.uk/">Hilltrek </a>Scottish purveyors of Ventile garments. They make a cycling jacket very similar to the late, lamented Greenspot Nomad. The jacket runs a full size smaller than typical American sizing. There is a reasonably priced made-to-measure option.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Rough Stuff Journal, vol. 15, no. 5, Sept.-Oct.1969</span> </div>Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-51957717339586975092011-06-16T21:45:00.001-05:002011-06-16T21:46:57.758-05:00Selbach Cycles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-DcNsjyU-CCeNqclhwpPqnhsXFlZGn7zmm3JbzSRpc87wulB8eR-1Jn8zvBZeLrThZ5wG-QzBEckRK6J5GsA51fVTSyZ9QOFh0LwYJkhDEjMWN8FBKW3SoSlMLzqCgfPBhlT/s1600/Selbach_ad_1933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-DcNsjyU-CCeNqclhwpPqnhsXFlZGn7zmm3JbzSRpc87wulB8eR-1Jn8zvBZeLrThZ5wG-QzBEckRK6J5GsA51fVTSyZ9QOFh0LwYJkhDEjMWN8FBKW3SoSlMLzqCgfPBhlT/s320/Selbach_ad_1933.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Maurice Selbach was a long-distance time trial competitor of national stature who went into the cycle trade around 1924. In short order his firm became one of the leading builders of lightweight cycles, a status it maintained until his untimely death on a London street in 1935.<br />
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Derek Roberts, co-founder of our club, had a Selbach for his first bicycle in his early teens.<br />
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<i>"I just lived for that bicycle..."</i><br />
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<i>"I used it for everything under the sun... from an errand a hundred yards away, to riding to work... for cycle camping..."</i><br />
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<i>"I didn't realize what I had..."</i><i> </i><br />
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<i>"Like a fool I sold it in the end." </i><br />
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Read Hilary Stone on <a href="http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/designs/hs-selbach.html">Selbach</a> at Classic Lightweights UK.Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-76445427772376828472011-06-13T19:11:00.009-05:002011-06-14T08:06:56.411-05:001938: "How to carry energy in your saddle-bag"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISbql2nvBqmqCqwK52D0Gq6-2kYL1a7D0OQQvGv6EkfaZIoZkV6UanyDWr6h6QsOfe6HW4CW5YlXkpkiji4UPzV9YZYJJ3050ju-hP2urui0VUEKy9DLeEFemdAykPCoGXuBZ/s320/Cadburys.jpg" width="215" /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">MRS. 'BILLIE' DOVEY HAS A MESSAGE FOR WOMEN AWHEEL<br />
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In order to demonstrate to women that cycling keeps them fit and healthy, Mrs. L. I. 'Billie' Dovey is riding a Rudge-Whitworth for a minimum of 25,000 miles in 12 months. When energy flags she finds Cadburys of the greatest use in giving her quick nourishment and new vitality.<br />
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READ WHAT SHE SAYS<br />
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'Cadburys Milk Chocolate in my opinion constitutes an emergency meal for all travellers, particularly cyclists who are often off the beaten track. They, too, can appreciate the 'energy-value' of Cadburys by taking the precaution of always carrying a bar or two in the saddle-bag. Hunger-knock becomes a thing of the past, thanks to the ever-handy 'energy-value' contained in every bar of Cadburys Milk Chocolate...' </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Billie Dovey went on to record 29,899.4 miles in 1938. Thanks to Ray Coffey for the image. </i></span></div>Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-53055466277073687782011-06-10T05:31:00.001-05:002011-06-10T05:49:54.261-05:00Frank Patterson - The Dedlock Arms, RockinghamPat was especially fond of old country inns. Notice the fine detail on the bike: the swan neck stem, bell, and carbide head lamp. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrTfCrjTSkHQwJJmSK5JSCm-uxsrRipOc-0F7UhCzZ5DeE83EkNYdsVDFnUhs6Q6ewAjVj3ThttEkDqDDMOpnBUsRBRlO-0-sxcyHsWARD2H2zaJxBZXOnHTqwwj67948FtNs/s1600/Pat_Dedlock_1933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrTfCrjTSkHQwJJmSK5JSCm-uxsrRipOc-0F7UhCzZ5DeE83EkNYdsVDFnUhs6Q6ewAjVj3ThttEkDqDDMOpnBUsRBRlO-0-sxcyHsWARD2H2zaJxBZXOnHTqwwj67948FtNs/s320/Pat_Dedlock_1933.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-25459120587777258122011-06-07T21:47:00.004-05:002011-06-08T08:53:04.264-05:00April 23 club run... more rough-stuffIn which we test the off-road capability of the Brompton folding bicycle, and crumple another Bluemel's fender.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2-PrvjwWb-BPdnPXAzXp2YWL9rAwrOOh2JZXa8jVA654g9r9v8OWaGpz8Wmm_0we1c55qIO5cm2zXJyXwBFRuded4Nl-wZmfs5iNcLcu5n848Bje5HBKAv7-qVOcqlmZ09Fo/s1600/20110424_ScottEstabrookRd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA2-PrvjwWb-BPdnPXAzXp2YWL9rAwrOOh2JZXa8jVA654g9r9v8OWaGpz8Wmm_0we1c55qIO5cm2zXJyXwBFRuded4Nl-wZmfs5iNcLcu5n848Bje5HBKAv7-qVOcqlmZ09Fo/s320/20110424_ScottEstabrookRd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Into the woods</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdNvDKtClFtFt81TNld-XSn5pfd1Qy82WrCaAuwcsv69FkqDX9mhYeMEcrSmcZ8AerN-zHm-hf7nfTOdPAV1-Jt-COtnxOV18qbVlFaXMYfm5CMK7hvrsLXSweFbnBNERsypV/s1600/20110424_cellar_hole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHdNvDKtClFtFt81TNld-XSn5pfd1Qy82WrCaAuwcsv69FkqDX9mhYeMEcrSmcZ8AerN-zHm-hf7nfTOdPAV1-Jt-COtnxOV18qbVlFaXMYfm5CMK7hvrsLXSweFbnBNERsypV/s320/20110424_cellar_hole.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Exploring a cellar hole</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqB8Y3mzwlRZ52wgzCYxbE8Eutivt-05ZAQO1QLUTk8Iot9wZgIs2aVxQpNDQpFhuwNVMm8J8x9BYBeT9WPXngjdzwiXi77VoKFd3sQw8e7EAwL_xE3xpolkQygW8KSgh6s4_p/s1600/20110424_trivia_winner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqB8Y3mzwlRZ52wgzCYxbE8Eutivt-05ZAQO1QLUTk8Iot9wZgIs2aVxQpNDQpFhuwNVMm8J8x9BYBeT9WPXngjdzwiXi77VoKFd3sQw8e7EAwL_xE3xpolkQygW8KSgh6s4_p/s320/20110424_trivia_winner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Danish trivia contest </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCShtPNk4iwwB-NGymYAak0_1Bk0GvoJtIR64mEqxI57hB0KFHKKbK_PgMfUPZNRi6G5YNqHw625ClAC4PbNg2xn6G0brcxrYfDtXdy3jUK2sYBDYvc1o12HLz9-FnEmGtBz2H/s1600/20110424_Odense.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCShtPNk4iwwB-NGymYAak0_1Bk0GvoJtIR64mEqxI57hB0KFHKKbK_PgMfUPZNRi6G5YNqHw625ClAC4PbNg2xn6G0brcxrYfDtXdy3jUK2sYBDYvc1o12HLz9-FnEmGtBz2H/s320/20110424_Odense.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> A nice prize</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYaU5BFFVZCuUkBovYyOdQcvgHMO60plAycOrQD9d1klZT9CHhsyHgIUcuEsncN5mOMDucp23dBByJHgwygdBK992qm9LFwh4JOldZ7Gtr1iA-KmRwVI04chcRGY_e3rFH0hD/s1600/20110424_ScottTwoRod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYaU5BFFVZCuUkBovYyOdQcvgHMO60plAycOrQD9d1klZT9CHhsyHgIUcuEsncN5mOMDucp23dBByJHgwygdBK992qm9LFwh4JOldZ7Gtr1iA-KmRwVI04chcRGY_e3rFH0hD/s320/20110424_ScottTwoRod.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The road became a watercourse</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaeGNv5qpg1E2aZcm_1sDEBzUokb-kaRy-yP48_9VLtjY5wc-6NdbncDz83WPmPZWTQZJHPDv8ZAJYqvjjkQ4jWNp4SrfmAv-e06FAzeAxqLG1mYSxgkQVSmvaImxThGtLAUHQ/s1600/20110424_mudguard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaeGNv5qpg1E2aZcm_1sDEBzUokb-kaRy-yP48_9VLtjY5wc-6NdbncDz83WPmPZWTQZJHPDv8ZAJYqvjjkQ4jWNp4SrfmAv-e06FAzeAxqLG1mYSxgkQVSmvaImxThGtLAUHQ/s320/20110424_mudguard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Mudguard catastrophe</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHaxofhwdNGMACaZt9Q-51KR5wJnSa6ReAKYpNfJzpsh0v-i3ZPu6zxjQxk3O6_TsmaM8OpeP5oqVmuK8aydcJzJewGO5MrhadsSQbQRNUkWbBgQqa5DrDnXNGydJSv-No2Ce/s1600/20110424_mudguardfix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHaxofhwdNGMACaZt9Q-51KR5wJnSa6ReAKYpNfJzpsh0v-i3ZPu6zxjQxk3O6_TsmaM8OpeP5oqVmuK8aydcJzJewGO5MrhadsSQbQRNUkWbBgQqa5DrDnXNGydJSv-No2Ce/s320/20110424_mudguardfix.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Almost like new</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgueXvJOzLDsiSUuwg1O4uY6uOF5EGpc55W-8fxii9tRqrS31sa_Sn5GuHgdCD8bNCc75Xic8Ia0ZKMU-I_UwAYs5VyNNH8Nhh1PKl6TCzRbeDvpWDPkYn7arsnF2P4zUeC5iUZ/s1600/20110424_ScottMartinTwoRod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgueXvJOzLDsiSUuwg1O4uY6uOF5EGpc55W-8fxii9tRqrS31sa_Sn5GuHgdCD8bNCc75Xic8Ia0ZKMU-I_UwAYs5VyNNH8Nhh1PKl6TCzRbeDvpWDPkYn7arsnF2P4zUeC5iUZ/s320/20110424_ScottMartinTwoRod.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Our kind of road</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WUqM82T0dEcwxYmEvHLcc6mleyw3bztNT0iGrzJO2iRxGmafyjF3TSaiUnBmclaEFgP0_MJhPwcQCwqLmBt6BFvG8oGqPe6Un2_1PRMxcbVXxTN_stBLGSdETAuBWQGcpMEM/s1600/20110424_ScottCarries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WUqM82T0dEcwxYmEvHLcc6mleyw3bztNT0iGrzJO2iRxGmafyjF3TSaiUnBmclaEFgP0_MJhPwcQCwqLmBt6BFvG8oGqPe6Un2_1PRMxcbVXxTN_stBLGSdETAuBWQGcpMEM/s320/20110424_ScottCarries.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Otherwise, not much stopped the Brompton</div>Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-45504306390906328632011-06-03T18:20:00.002-05:002012-07-03T22:38:52.559-05:00Raleigh 1938<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKAiuKUSI4QG5OpDFULnk3ejHi4KpNZDHq6LTmkG15MR3PUfpGDYzgjp3IeyDsJPqkHmUZaiA48w3oOCrXMLABiqdVSGjeCDkDAW5hm2DqVpPDW19NHVD6VMcuCWV9i9F0Qw8/s1600/Raleigh_1938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKAiuKUSI4QG5OpDFULnk3ejHi4KpNZDHq6LTmkG15MR3PUfpGDYzgjp3IeyDsJPqkHmUZaiA48w3oOCrXMLABiqdVSGjeCDkDAW5hm2DqVpPDW19NHVD6VMcuCWV9i9F0Qw8/s320/Raleigh_1938.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Raleigh made a good start in lightweights in the 1930s, with the RRA, the Silver Record, and the Charles Holland models. However, as with the other large manufacturers, it was too little, too late. Small builders such as Selbach, Carpenter, Granby, Evans, and Maclean - there were many others - beat the big concerns to the punch by more than a decade. In the early 1920s Kuklos (Fitzwater Wray) berated the large manufacturers for making heavy bikes to outdated designs, better suited to 19th Century roads than those of the day. Meanwhile small makers adopted lightweight butted tubing, low brackets, 26-inch wheels, and fully brazed stays. These are the machines depicted in most of Patterson's drawings.<br />
<br />
The French manufacturer Bastide is credited with introducing the new lightweight design circa 1912, albeit using Reynolds high-manganese tubing and BSA fittings, which in the period should be taken to mean lugs, bracket shell, bearing cups, and cranks. Therefore it is interesting that Kuklos reports then-current CTC Secretary, G.H. Stancer, having had such a bike (26-inch wheels, low bracket) custom-made for him by one of the large manufacturers around 1903. Kuklos is quite definite about his dates, which he offers as evidence supporting his indictment of the leading manufacturers for not taking up the design for their regular products in the intervening twenty years. Does anyone have a photo of Stancer on this machine?<br />
<br />
Nonetheless Raleigh produced some elegant bicycles before the outbreak of war in 1939. The fishtail lugs - outdated on their post-war RRA and Lenton Sports - were not out of line with the efforts of the small makers in the 1930s. The first fancy lugs appeared (Hobbs and Hetchins, for example) toward the end of the decade. To judge by its saddle the bike in the ad may not be at Raleigh's top-end, but it is indicative of their lightweights' geometry and fittings at the time.<br />
<br />
The example in the photograph below was ridden for decades over the roads of southeastern Massachusetts by Richard Cody, who toured England by bike in the early 1930s and brought one home. After his death in 2005, a New England Section member was able to acquire and preserve the machine. It was not unusual in the 1920s and '30s for seat tubes to be on the short side relative to top tubes, just as the fashion is today, but long stems to make up for lost altitude were in common use.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9SEmUOreqd0kAEzGKS-HmA-3PtwRkrbTjlPWFkCvHCZjOHE9tCbxnDp3Fqv2fvzGf_ncKUxXHLU41dCI0pAuTVinugeqXlu2q-TxnTZYVz94heKVsdTNEj-2i4zz9phr6yiX/s1600/Raleigh_1930s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9SEmUOreqd0kAEzGKS-HmA-3PtwRkrbTjlPWFkCvHCZjOHE9tCbxnDp3Fqv2fvzGf_ncKUxXHLU41dCI0pAuTVinugeqXlu2q-TxnTZYVz94heKVsdTNEj-2i4zz9phr6yiX/s320/Raleigh_1930s.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-90985422525612651162011-06-01T22:10:00.001-05:002011-06-01T22:13:31.967-05:00North Shore Rough Stuff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzge6jfm9WaMxgtHkHxSeEsM6JRdWEvFp6C1XOQfuNQSKLpKOtzJAOmfmxXEr3i7FbgtYX0QXdgXBPoUKyTXS1yie9GcBwn7Wo0I7kBSRPurECG6dQR1yVMHwJZry6v9uWk56/s1600/20110419_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPGgORELt4vCB1YLkc1q1n3_OIf0T_96xaejDJBJGlUUHD3MUhavLTLAXUNDos-JyvB7cx1E1aLjsbefLvrlqSKI7g0NnbS83kssVm77ZaqtrHIm7l-gpRdbFICsRrdjSeNdy/s1600/20110419_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpPGgORELt4vCB1YLkc1q1n3_OIf0T_96xaejDJBJGlUUHD3MUhavLTLAXUNDos-JyvB7cx1E1aLjsbefLvrlqSKI7g0NnbS83kssVm77ZaqtrHIm7l-gpRdbFICsRrdjSeNdy/s320/20110419_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtcCaAlf3ModRASZDsFH6J6zvEQnrXbAV1o5zbt-UI1TlV3bBkQFYq3oALH_8GU1j9_yUBk5PtZcV_y5kGy7gEzEP2euviNLwK11cn5R-Y74ENmWjsMOvvGAZE0xLQE0ajyoA/s1600/DSCN3432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbtcCaAlf3ModRASZDsFH6J6zvEQnrXbAV1o5zbt-UI1TlV3bBkQFYq3oALH_8GU1j9_yUBk5PtZcV_y5kGy7gEzEP2euviNLwK11cn5R-Y74ENmWjsMOvvGAZE0xLQE0ajyoA/s320/DSCN3432.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPP6y5dzn8IFW-fqz7chgxhmUx8bZgy7IhW3oIj3YUqSxaJrb8pvTuGTeUk55YvDS1TBGyyIwymP3Hzt78OqyONisN9jkgmkFYwhh3ccK1yWiMfgAez0i9bHkfOT51QkOlQpc/s1600/20110419_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPP6y5dzn8IFW-fqz7chgxhmUx8bZgy7IhW3oIj3YUqSxaJrb8pvTuGTeUk55YvDS1TBGyyIwymP3Hzt78OqyONisN9jkgmkFYwhh3ccK1yWiMfgAez0i9bHkfOT51QkOlQpc/s320/20110419_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLZfiyRKqqJUBokt28rVLrUPmmydSncifdhdTeRPnMUR4fAaLXTPS07qf-swuhy7sP7XGM4321guxDUl_5Kjz1ou1OzKxkOkY3RdWdXfLluYfwVh5oPk8M3OyjTjBEwqzoYqa/s1600/20110419_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLnzw5tJ_249dygDkMs_EynJkR0V04MOALgFIurF5lHqdTmCZrxzWyI95H9CSMNZZQjK137041vzh21cZM-FB0ceB3_KDr8Yj2Osorq5a4COpFDNuRvk_n0Hp1H3VbpQrb8oNT/s320/20110419_6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzge6jfm9WaMxgtHkHxSeEsM6JRdWEvFp6C1XOQfuNQSKLpKOtzJAOmfmxXEr3i7FbgtYX0QXdgXBPoUKyTXS1yie9GcBwn7Wo0I7kBSRPurECG6dQR1yVMHwJZry6v9uWk56/s1600/20110419_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrzge6jfm9WaMxgtHkHxSeEsM6JRdWEvFp6C1XOQfuNQSKLpKOtzJAOmfmxXEr3i7FbgtYX0QXdgXBPoUKyTXS1yie9GcBwn7Wo0I7kBSRPurECG6dQR1yVMHwJZry6v9uWk56/s320/20110419_7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
Our kind of roads.</div>Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-63581060320814230922011-05-31T09:07:00.002-05:002011-06-13T15:51:18.713-05:00531 Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUy65swH5MvrN8AxHx_wYFB6m_XIg_DRSOzSBgvMsPQ3k0KRIuylwaGzhuWCjLZ_U2eWTP1wzLpmlM6S8wT32KfFZ-W8Xmy2UA2LmLB_iAbdDMLXfxCYWHvCaJBjtTZW3JBCD/s1600/Reynolds+531+Cantiflex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIUy65swH5MvrN8AxHx_wYFB6m_XIg_DRSOzSBgvMsPQ3k0KRIuylwaGzhuWCjLZ_U2eWTP1wzLpmlM6S8wT32KfFZ-W8Xmy2UA2LmLB_iAbdDMLXfxCYWHvCaJBjtTZW3JBCD/s1600/Reynolds+531+Cantiflex.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div>Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-20825499614927757482011-04-03T07:54:00.001-05:002011-06-13T15:50:37.860-05:00Wet and Dry Run, April 2 '11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1959 Mercian "King of Mercia"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5065/5583660896_3f39f80181_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5065/5583660896_3f39f80181_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ken Ryall</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5028/5583662602_738b2c2cd7_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5028/5583662602_738b2c2cd7_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-90690096182845189702011-03-20T20:58:00.018-05:002013-11-15T10:10:02.460-05:00SKS Longboard fenders, improved<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> The following text lampoons certain bike cults, to one of which the author himself belongs. The half-dozen people for whom it is written, most of whom belong to one or both of these cults, will get the joke. Others who come across this piece, if they<br />mark time by the arrival of Bicycle Quarterly, or cannot see a skein of hemp twine without thinking "bicycle," might find these words sanctimonious or preachy - internet speak for "disagrees with me." This is a private conversation amongst friends, conducted on what amounts to a public street, albeit on a very obscure corner. One may not know the speakers or the in-jokes. For those who need a frame around this sort of thing to understand it is a lampoon might go instead <a href="http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2007/09/velo-vengeance-our-day-has-come.html">here</a></i></span>.<br />
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Inseparable from the image of classic British lightweights are their graceful Bluemel's mudguards. Since the demise of that firm, it has been many years since a good fender was available in any color but silver or black. I have a few spare Bluemel's to cover breakage on my veteran cycles. However, for a new steel bike built along traditional lines, one in need of suitable fenders in a nice color has found himself out of luck. Now there is a new fender, the SKS Longboard, which comes in a classic off-white hue that complements many frame colors in the same way that white Bluemel's did years ago.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">SKS Longboard fenders. For our purposes, they need work.</span></div>
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SKS calls them beige, but they are cream-colored. Their design partner for this product is Rivendell Bicycle Works. As one would expect from such provenance, there are aesthetic problems, but these can be overcome with a bit of careful Dremeling, a penknife, and fine-grade sandpaper. In short order these fenders can be made to match the classic shape of the standard SKS P45, a profile that functions beautifully and soothes eyes accustomed to the aesthetic ideals of classic British and Italian bicycles. <br />
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As they come, the Longboard fenders are excessively long. This hardly would be noticeable amongst the clutter of racks, baskets, twine, tweed, and sloping (or extra) frame tubes on Rivendells. Indeed excessively long fenders actually are prized by French bike re-enactors (not that most would go anywhere near plastic fenders). However if rough stuff riding is on the agenda, the long trailing end of the front fender will act as a scoop for brush and leaves. You who ride trails; who do not need to show you spent the maximum possible amount of money for fenders; and who have figured out there are better ways of engaging French culture - for instance reading Flaubert - than trying to make a thirty-year-old UJB look something like like a sixty-year-old Herse... prepare to cut. <br />
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First pry the SKS bling-let from the front fender, and the mudflap from the rear. This corrects SKS's unfortunate fascination with black plastic. Recycle the flap on the front fender of another bike. Next, using standard SKS P45 fenders as your guide, figure out how much length will have to come off the back of the rear fender, the leading edge of the front, and, if you ride off-road, the tailing edge of the front. A straight cut across the tailing edge of the rear Longboard will provide a template for the final cut that matches the length of a P45, and removes the hole left by the departed mud flap. This template is especially useful for tracing your line on the front fender; the brake bolt hanger of a standard front fender prevents it lying flat inside the Longboard to use as a guide to length. Use a Sharpie to mark your cuts. The ink can be removed with rubbing alcohol, or that nasty spiced holiday ale you have not gotten around to throwing out.<br />
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With a cut-off wheel on the Dremel, cut just outside the lines you have traced. Leave a millimeter or so in order to allow for a rough edge and minor melting of the plastic. The aluminum layer inside the fender will present no problem. Carefully trim the edge with a penknife, where needed, and finish off with the sandpaper. You may find it necessary, in order to fit the rear fender to your frame, to reproduce the cut-outs at the bottom bracket end of a P45 rear fender, which the Longboard lacks.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">First ride since knee surgery. What look like rough edges and holes are bits of mud.</span></div>
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On my bike I left the trailing end of the front fender long, at first. This proved fine for road work, but presented problems in the woods that required further trimming to match exactly the length of the P45. The mudflap can be retained for re-attachment. It is a good mud flap, but may not be flexible enough for rough stuff riding.<br />
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As it stands, this traditional, but fairly new (2008) machine now has classic mudguards appropriate to its era. Bluemel's, right for a veteran cycle, would be all wrong here: an anachronistic affectation, and a misuse of a scarce, irreplaceable part.Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-51935395023117658002011-03-15T21:26:00.004-05:002011-03-15T21:32:35.703-05:00Good ReadingV-CC member Tim Dawson maintains <a href="http://www.cycling-books.com/">a web site</a> featuring his erudite reviews of cycling books new and old. "We aim, in time, to review all books in English about all aspects of cycling." Included here are many of Mr. Dawson's articles on cycling topics written for the Sunday Times and other publications.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6GKr_c5-Ga8XGJJelINLA5Z4fjLNdXtCZ8FZsMPHBZzxMEgraLHlMVxmxZYwEMOOn0PuAQ9zKRAAWlW9vX1D1hQMugtLqqWwo5qIExAgvNBnyKOU547H2X0QqAwMktkWYFWRP/s1600/A_Vagabongs_Notebook_Kukloss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6GKr_c5-Ga8XGJJelINLA5Z4fjLNdXtCZ8FZsMPHBZzxMEgraLHlMVxmxZYwEMOOn0PuAQ9zKRAAWlW9vX1D1hQMugtLqqWwo5qIExAgvNBnyKOU547H2X0QqAwMktkWYFWRP/s320/A_Vagabongs_Notebook_Kukloss.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-78901966978105813352011-02-22T18:36:00.000-05:002013-08-28T12:37:16.881-05:00Mercian Campionissimo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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1974 Mercian Campionissimo</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKykEUOhyTVJrJ9hsft2s-iR9hl7EipKH9dECYYyVKDr_OLOlLavZ2dbKvCTIXuEaGDiiYVTXSnI7g4yhVTwAhJlCQGWq4rNN1uwZQNhnpS-gIjOY2nYBO4LOyeEqOUGDjMZ-/s1600/Campionissimo_1981catalog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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1969 catalog copy </div>
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<a href="http://www.merciancycles.co.uk/files/images/1253622723-2882c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.merciancycles.co.uk/files/images/1253622723-2882c.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
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1981 catalog copy </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmvDMRu2s6VuCFgseJiq2jmxt7HYd5i7is8KOx6dwYFw2X0_YZ8niTrNmDN18tvdIFtXoSELpoe-vbs-XJ_KFlbE1EVAYTq4a8c-HCqvM25CRPXuHCjX_LBVbaE_f9mpA6wZMf/s1600/56287+full+BWW+ride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmvDMRu2s6VuCFgseJiq2jmxt7HYd5i7is8KOx6dwYFw2X0_YZ8niTrNmDN18tvdIFtXoSELpoe-vbs-XJ_KFlbE1EVAYTq4a8c-HCqvM25CRPXuHCjX_LBVbaE_f9mpA6wZMf/s320/56287+full+BWW+ride.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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1956 Campionissimo</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzKg-aFHnvNV9cItBtt-I1NehaXuQ6F25Y4SH8g53MhgdtL6OsL57HM9vpJUh_2s6uoSStwqn_zWeTKotbVomnDB82-Mf7n-h8S5Hmclxgzt_aHc_CIhvxKwEkIQhQzxhE1mY/s1600/56287headbadge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzKg-aFHnvNV9cItBtt-I1NehaXuQ6F25Y4SH8g53MhgdtL6OsL57HM9vpJUh_2s6uoSStwqn_zWeTKotbVomnDB82-Mf7n-h8S5Hmclxgzt_aHc_CIhvxKwEkIQhQzxhE1mY/s1600/56287headbadge.jpg" /></a></div>
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The same frame in original paint</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(photo by the Bike Brothers)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJBqvSogN9HGtfGSsMc6SOD11JSsaXet4lDEGrdXcjpI1NLtHz4XDlQnuRWl03zpeIiSK3NE5M6MwJpTk_k_EOh8P0S3XdkelTjgmDp1EiUrdN32VVhfaRMvS2QufIDBndtRA/s1600/56287+head+tube+refinished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJBqvSogN9HGtfGSsMc6SOD11JSsaXet4lDEGrdXcjpI1NLtHz4XDlQnuRWl03zpeIiSK3NE5M6MwJpTk_k_EOh8P0S3XdkelTjgmDp1EiUrdN32VVhfaRMvS2QufIDBndtRA/s320/56287+head+tube+refinished.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Refinished</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(photo by Martin Hanczyc)</span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3oDM-mBo3x0NX8l6TcKJ5ETilUM0dKSBgZenXp5vkf5tfzsNDScdW4T6k0O9ia9KSYaP02jeIreUDWW3yZXrPFtPMG76YxACEvcYFtriq1GqlsLPhtWM-ZynrtC6BKy9kC6hn/s1600/Campionissimo_only.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3oDM-mBo3x0NX8l6TcKJ5ETilUM0dKSBgZenXp5vkf5tfzsNDScdW4T6k0O9ia9KSYaP02jeIreUDWW3yZXrPFtPMG76YxACEvcYFtriq1GqlsLPhtWM-ZynrtC6BKy9kC6hn/s320/Campionissimo_only.jpg" width="204" /></a></div>
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1950s catalog copy</div>
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The <i>Campionissimo</i> was an off-the-peg design built to Mercian's recommended geometry, corresponding to today's <i>Audax</i> model. It provided prospective buyers a small break in price over the custom <i>King of Mercia</i>. The 1974 example pictured above was one among a shipment of frames made for a Savannah, Georgia bike shop. The specification was Reynolds 531C tubing, 73 degrees parallel, with 2-1/8 inch fork offset. Parts included a Stronglight 49D chainset (typically for the day, taking little advantage of the low-gear possibilities), GB stem, GB Maes handlebars, MAFAC Racer brakes, and Suntour Vx derailleurs. </div>
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In 2003 it appeared for sale by consignment in an Oregon bike shop. I acquired the frame - the dirtiest and most neglected I ever saw that was not actually abandoned - refurbished it, and have enjoyed many happy miles of day touring, rough stuff, and general riding.</div>
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The 1956 <i>Campionissimo</i> never achieved a complete, period-correct restoration before its sacrifice to orthodontist's bills. The new owner has done very well by it, fitting period lightweight steel cranks and a period derailleur for three or four sprockets, a configuration which would have pleased the original builders more than the S-A hub seen here. Although many touring and rough stuff riders of the 1950s used hub gears, they were very much out of the fashionable mainstream; specialty lightweight builders did not emphasize such mechanisms in their brochures.</div>
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Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-74393193083577190232011-02-21T12:33:00.000-05:002011-02-21T12:33:17.895-05:00Workshop Day 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIp4zAKTkXFAq513Vy7NVchJ33EUepnZUwvt7uwOH8Md7gKgJJWR-cMNaTcEie0VcnTOriNnLzCB3ZBtSHxvgmwHGpGGyb_8slfowkW9hT2dgSXmRLOe-n4YoyAtNTUH-xJSio/s1600/20110221_workshopBobJ1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIp4zAKTkXFAq513Vy7NVchJ33EUepnZUwvt7uwOH8Md7gKgJJWR-cMNaTcEie0VcnTOriNnLzCB3ZBtSHxvgmwHGpGGyb_8slfowkW9hT2dgSXmRLOe-n4YoyAtNTUH-xJSio/s320/20110221_workshopBobJ1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Uc_h6ijyqhJPZRUN0HtYPSNtrNVJiq_zlztItKV3ZltPSekgOiVEEbHc8ilpIPqfHKODr2YAzIhTYYJ6IUrjwFJ9QwZj9q6wrYu6uwhtW_6bPmVE6ECuc_B-ckN6hGTfiIGG/s1600/20110221_workshopBobW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL8LNDVPaySBNcwdvJvGb1GtmKjWxWSyjNlRLjOSf9R5KiwPxvK5OOaeHmOMHFgdzbwBaESE_M-d7zcYfg1Zcardti96Ekmwg4m6hhFWmdlb3tequBZfUtv6xZdO1NGe1NT54b/s1600/20110221_workshopBobJ6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL8LNDVPaySBNcwdvJvGb1GtmKjWxWSyjNlRLjOSf9R5KiwPxvK5OOaeHmOMHFgdzbwBaESE_M-d7zcYfg1Zcardti96Ekmwg4m6hhFWmdlb3tequBZfUtv6xZdO1NGe1NT54b/s320/20110221_workshopBobJ6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29626567.post-64233350148020066512011-02-16T08:59:00.000-05:002011-02-16T08:59:27.426-05:00Winter with Pat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96lG_U0qV2lWtJaIo_NGnJM9okC-YIihWSVtOvZMDerxznD5FgrCHPj0dg-w-YQVPAGBjCwS6hyphenhyphenxlGGJKP4mrFu6x1fi42DoR_O65fbdD_okXDhDv0glscVhr-OG2WiDSUDMZ/s1600/Patterson+Byway+Riding+%2528snow%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96lG_U0qV2lWtJaIo_NGnJM9okC-YIihWSVtOvZMDerxznD5FgrCHPj0dg-w-YQVPAGBjCwS6hyphenhyphenxlGGJKP4mrFu6x1fi42DoR_O65fbdD_okXDhDv0glscVhr-OG2WiDSUDMZ/s320/Patterson+Byway+Riding+%2528snow%2529.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>Drawing by Frank Patterson. It has been a good, snowy winter in New England.Christopher Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10267146094583508815noreply@blogger.com