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So, lots has been happening with my bike collection! All the MTB's have gone, the only casualty being the yellow ladies thing that was to rusty. All as you would expect, the apollo was solid but heavy (still quite alright as a simple bike though) and the raliegh max areo confirmed by dispapointment with the qulality of the parts on it (although they were better than a halfords special 'wolverine' which aside from being very heavy was rubbish). The mtb i was most impressed with was the peugeot, which i took down a few trails for some muddy fun! It certaintly was pretty capable, as a fairly hefty peice of kit its wasnt light, but having said that it was lighter than you may imaging and felt very well built, really felt like it could take abuse... and what abuse i could give it took well!π Still didnt much forgive it for falling off of the pile and cracking me on the nut mind you.... π‘ So with all the mtbs gone, i was able to attend to more interesting retro/vintage matters! The ladies Derby three is not in the picture as it was again spotted mid set-up and bought, i'm begining to wonder who spies on me! Which left me with the Emmelle (finished, works but nobdy wants it) the unbranded 60s/70s gents town bike (was quite keen on fixing this) and the racer (was NOT quite so kewn on fixing this!) π However.... Doesnt look to bad i think! Now what i usually do, is get the bike pedalling so i can take it for a little pedal-around-the-block, then i can get a feel for it and what needs doing ect. Well as ordered i got the racer going, took my man pills (and worried about my man pods!) And hopped on for a go! I got about 7 yards, then hit a fence. Then fell off. π Basically leaving my shed the carpark slopes down, so i got some momentum but as i started moving, discovered i wasnt in the correct gear. lent down to adjust it, the gear cable snapped, the chain went awol, i wobbled to the right as i was still leaning down tk the gear shifter, recovered, realsied i was now pointing towards the fence, tried to reach the brakes, (which of course this being a racer are not where i expected them to be!!) Fumbled, wobbled and bounced into said fence. Then tumbled over. Looked up, fortunately no neighbours were in sight! Oh how my bigger offspring laughed!! If anyone is spying on me though, i must have looked very brave... i hate racers. The only saving grace being that i fell off so quickly i didnt damage any delicate regions π Once i had 'calmly' returned the racer to the shed i decided it was not for me! Sold it too a guy nearby who wanted to use it for wedding transport. Perhaps he heard how quickly i fell off it and thought it would be a good way of getting 'sympathy' from his wife to be! π review wise though, it was pretty light! Oweing to a very helpful chap who spied it online i discovered it was a 'Saxon split frame' and possible made by Claude Butler. Was pretty knackered though, even beyond my favourit 'patina'. Tbh though i have touted scruffier things, but this racer just really wasnt my flavour! It also never felt right, a mate of mine took it for a quick ride and confirmed it had the good cycling qualities of a teaspoon. Although he didnt fall off. I am hopeful my next racer adventure, if/whennit happens will not involve any fences. Anyway, on to the next bike! Quickly π
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Last Edit: Mar 9, 2017 23:01:01 GMT by s1105117
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Ha ha haaaa... Sounds like you should come riding racers with me!! I've never had much luck riding them either! I like the emmelle myself, infact i nearly picked an identical model up myself today, but left it for fear that it would become another part of my collection that i couldn't sell!
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Haha, would probably be quite a short journey! perhaps starting 7 yards from a pub would be a good plan! It is looking dangerously like the Emmelle may be lingering in my collection a while, I ldo like it, i like the looks of it, it sort of has an endearing-ness to it (to me at least) even if it is not the best of its breed! (currently working on a metaphor for it.. ) still, it isnt the worst looking bike to have decorating the shed, and at least all of it works! one of my 'shed visitors' did ask me if the emmelle rode the same as my Esquire... as they look similar. in a word said I... "no" and in two words "very no". the emmelle is harmless enough, its not brilliant, but its not bad. The esquire is better though! in every way, a more acomplished, quality item. the emmelle is for pottering, the raleigh is for riding. I know i am biased as the esquire is mine and is staying, but because the emmelle is not as good as it the emmelle annoys me a little bit as a result! still, i don't mind an inofensive little potter on it occasionally though!
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Plenty more bicycle things have been happening! Firstly the unbranded vintage gents bike. I decided that i would make it into a kind of 'rat-look' bike, scruffy (not hard this bit, the bike was very scruffy to start with!) and using whatever i had laying around. Although whilst trying to save as many original bits as poss, the old bell and the gear shifter on the bar, (which i assume is fairly old!)a shimano one no less, had to survive! Anyway, here it is! Looks alright... in the photo! Tbh its not too bad in the metal, and pretty cool imo. The frame is plenty scratched/faded/surface-rusty so this is why i went for a rough-style. Wears it well though! π rides pretty nicely too, better than the emmelle... handlebar grips are waay wrong but offspring the bigger insisted, but hey its rough-look! Not a speed machine, but pleasant to ride. quite pleased with it! Will be riding it a bit more and will see how it goes, its buried undee stuff atm so will at least hang around until k dig it out! I have also visited the place of thousands of bicycles! Have some quick pics. Good explore! Didnt get much, a few parts,4 fairly decent mtb's (Raleigh Activator and Giant GSR100 the most interesting) and a modern hybrid that at only 2 years old was in worse nick than plenty of 50year old machines. After perusing for a fair while (plenty of stuff to have a butchers at!) I did dig out a Raliegh budgie, as i really fancy it for the offspring (offspring the bigger actually spotted it!). Howevee negotiatioms are still ongoing about it.....π&nbs
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Last Edit: Mar 9, 2017 23:09:56 GMT by s1105117
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I also dug these out (apologies for the 5hit photo, i was mud falling over an errant shopper bike!) Three Raleigh Grifters. Not really my thang, however i have got dibs on one just for the heck of it π So far my shed has 4 complete fairly modern mountain bikes (for sale!!) All the kids stuff (bikes/trikes and tools!) The Emmelle (get the feeling that i will have tk force whoever buys my house tl buy that too!) The scruffy town bike, the mighty Esquire and a knackered hybrid (may hang onto this, less worried about leaving it in the town centre!π) and maybe a budgie amd a grifter (ralieghs obviously!π) and i may head back to the cycle hanger thus weekend.. argh, too many bikes to choose!!!
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Last Edit: Mar 9, 2017 22:55:57 GMT by s1105117
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I need to go to this place, although I've just showed the pictures to Mrs Pistonpopper, and she's given me a stout NO! Oh well, she's at we work tomorrow so I'll be completely unsupervised lol.
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Mar 10, 2017 13:50:36 GMT
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I need to go to this place, although I've just showed the pictures to Mrs Pistonpopper, and she's given me a stout NO! Oh well, she's at we work tomorrow so I'll be completely unsupervised lol. Hehe, it's open from 10 on saturday mate.... π bit of a drive to Hampton St, Tetbury GL8 8LD though? π they got a jumblesale going on there this sat actually.. i think i may head down, i want to did out a raleigh grifter! Plus i need to look for spares for this modern hybrid, couple of years old only and needs a total rebuild.. old stuff rules π
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Mar 18, 2017 21:54:53 GMT
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Sooo, i recently decided i needed another bicycle! This really is the need for a commuter bike, one that i could leave chained in town without fear of it getting nicked, (i like the Esquire, so i worry about it!) but whilst also being reasonably capable and alright to ride. This bike would serve the purpose of pedalling along less fun cycle rides (to a place of work for example..) but also must be nice enough to enjoy the ride home again! This would save the raliegh for nicer pedalling trips (as well as some commutes, as i like riding the raleigh!) And also hopefully lessen the chances of anyone getting tempted to 'borrow' the old thing (as its mine!!!! hehe) Anyway, step foward this; This is a modern, (a few years old!) Ridgeback speed hybrid. All the kit, rapid fire gears, supposedly lightweight etc etc etc. it should be nice. Its not. I have serviced it, replaced as many of the rusted bits and bobs as possible and mended what could be mended. Its still feels, well just not nice enough! ride is nothing special, it was a students bike in oxford so i expect it has been rather abused!The gears constantly slip, which after new cables and a proper set up shouldnt happen, it actually weighs more than the Raleigh, the seat is hard and everytime i mend something something else lets go. And its not exactly old!! Grr, frustrating thing. Anyway, my neighbour popped over for a chat, and he wants it! But this leaves me with a dilema, as it does fulfil the criteria of being a cheap hack.. However when i was chatting to said neighbour, suggesting i may need to ride it, he pointed at the Dawes frame on the wall behind me, where I had lovingly placed it upon its arrival, and said, why don't you ride that!? To which i responded by pointing out all the bits that i hadnt fitted yet. However said neighbour did then say, why doent you mend it then!? Now i obviously do want to mend it, infact i have been lokimg forward to it, however when i do i may not be too keen on leaving it chained up here there and everywhere either! Problem is, the Dawes then kept drawing my attention... as it deserves to be a complete bike! but the requirement in question initially was yhat i needed a nothing-to-special bike, not to be cared about! However...... What to do... the Rigdgeback did ride very badly, i did not get on with it... so! The dawes was carried in abode de la offsprings and before you know it... Brand new chainset, bottom bracket,pedals,tyres,tubes cables, chain and a bit more fettling (and waay more money than I had planned) to give me this! it must be said, I am rather pleased with it, why have a rubish bike, when you can have a very decent one! this is more like it, two bicycles in my collectioj now! (the raleigh remaons the favourite, But this is close second!) Still need some grips, but i have spent too much already! Got to sell of some more of the pile of bikes in the shed, finish this one and get it pedalling! Hopefully it wont rain.
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Last Edit: Mar 21, 2017 0:14:03 GMT by s1105117
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Mar 29, 2017 20:43:46 GMT
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Thanks buddy! it rides pretty nicely too, and the turquoise has grown on me to the point that i like the colour on it! spent waay to much on the bike though, even added Β£20 worth of posh ergonomic grips as a finishing touch I was hoping to get a nice photo of it hen i was out and about, some trees or something photogenic etc, however i settled for.... i suppose an accurate fill shot would be me eating a pasty and drinking a fizzy beverage (i've been told to cut back on the unleaded), but i'm a messy eater, so here we are
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Last Edit: Oct 17, 2017 22:38:09 GMT by s1105117
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mgmrw
Part of things
Posts: 701
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Apr 18, 2017 19:51:58 GMT
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Amazing. Thought I was alone in this. Over the last couple of years I've had;
- Kona scrap jump bike - BSA weekender road bike - BSA metro shopper c/w sturmey archer - Claud Butler arc 1000 full suspension MTB - specialized Rockhopper frame, single speed conversion and custom paint - Avanti (think) hybrid, built for the Mrs - Kona hoss deluxe XL MTB
And the trusty Trek 810 single-track that i inherited from my dad.
Might be collecting a Dawes road bike, to turn into a single speed on Thursday
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May 18, 2017 19:41:56 GMT
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Amazing. Thought I was alone in this. Over the last couple of years I've had; - Kona scrap jump bike - BSA weekender road bike - BSA metro shopper c/w sturmey archer - Claud Butler arc 1000 full suspension MTB - specialized Rockhopper frame, single speed conversion and custom paint - Avanti (think) hybrid, built for the Mrs - Kona hoss deluxe XL MTB And the trusty Trek 810 single-track that i inherited from my dad. Might be collecting a Dawes road bike, to turn into a single speed on Thursday Sounds like a good collection there chap! Trek make very good bikes, a very friendly older gentleman at the allotment has one he rides to the site, is a very capable bike. He has a few others too and the names of which have entirely escaped me! Dawes road bike sounds cool too!
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Last Edit: Oct 17, 2017 22:43:23 GMT by s1105117
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mgmrw
Part of things
Posts: 701
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May 18, 2017 20:18:01 GMT
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Amazing. Thought I was alone in this. Over the last couple of years I've had; - Kona scrap jump bike - BSA weekender road bike - BSA metro shopper c/w sturmey archer - Claud Butler arc 1000 full suspension MTB - specialized Rockhopper frame, single speed conversion and custom paint - Avanti (think) hybrid, built for the Mrs - Kona hoss deluxe XL MTB And the trusty Trek 810 single-track that i inherited from my dad. Might be collecting a Dawes road bike, to turn into a single speed on Thursday Sounds like a good collection there chap! Trek make very good bikes, a very friendly older gentleman at SWMBO's allotment has one he rides to the site, is a very capable bike. He has a few others too and the names of which have entirely escaped me! Dawes road bike sounds cool too! Dawes fell through as the guy wasn't in when I was that way on. I'm down to 3 now; Orbea road bike, kona hoss deluxe, trek 810. The 810 is FUBAR cosmetically, but I can leave it anywhere, take it all over the steelworks, and it's capable of cruising at 16-18mph. The original "system" fitment SYNC forks are on their ass. Beyond repair. Have been for 4 year. Yet it still rides daily.
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May 18, 2017 21:09:14 GMT
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Now alas not much has been going on in my bicycle world of late.. mostly down to some gits of neighbours spoiling my fun. and a house move that has faltered and rumbled since last December! in fact only the ones for keeping, the offspring's trikes and bikes and my Esquire, remain! in fact all, Esquire itself even, currently in storage, safely locked up awaiting me to liberate them. I Even sold the Dawes, nice bike, but i prefer the raleigh considerably and with not really haveing any space to store it (storage has no space, and a bigger unit would be to expensive for Simon Cowell!) better it went to someone who really wanted it and would use it. I did just manage to break even, to the pound, on that bike! however, after getting talking to a colleague she said how she would really like me to build here a bike. A vintage/retro one. well, might as well! I should stress at this point that she hasnt seen it yet, so if she doesnt like it then its bids on here and ebay for it! anyway, went and got this bike of the bay of E for a decent price, looks ok really. Its a Marlborough (no idea about them!) is nicely patinated, and has a Sturmey Archer three Speed. and a front wheel, I just misplaced it for this photo shoot! (if you look at some of my pics in this thread, i do tend to do this!) anyway, today after escaping my mud shovelling duties at the boss's allotment, i wandered home with both offsprings. The smaller of which fell asleep en route home, meaning that carrying him insde would wake him up and ensue pandemonium. well may as well fix the bike up then! bit of a clean up, (more cleaning required!) all parts freed up and where needed WD40'd up, new tubes and we're away! few more minor adjustments, and it actually rides pretty well! Sturmey was good as gold, really just needed setting up a smidgin, and same for the brakes. I now nothing about this bike, but it looks rather nice and this particular example has held up very well indeed! Saddle (Brooks I believe?) is intact unlike the one on my Esquire... and even comfortably supported 6ft plus of me. not bad at all! missus and our friendly neighbour like it! but with the person who i technically built it for will it be popular? we shall see! i even made sure the bell works
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Last Edit: May 18, 2017 21:12:58 GMT by s1105117
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A Marlborough eh? I reckon they were designed for fags!! Are you sure its not a Marlboro? Anyway, whatever it is it looks quite nice! I'd lose that seventies reflector thingy though! I've never had one of these, but i'd had plenty of Raleighs, Puchs, BSAs, Coventry Eagles, Triumphs, Hercules, and even Halfords bikes and they all pretty much look like this. My feeling is that they were all made by Tube Investments Group and then badged up with various different manufacturers logos and stickers! Good find though, did the person who it was intended for like it?
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Oct 17, 2017 22:33:38 GMT
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So I think I will update this thread!
quick reference to the marlbourough above, the intended recepient was delighted with it and is indeed still talking to me so that is good!
Anyway... I have been a bit absent from RR for a while, as my long awaited, and rater protracted escape from the psycho of my former partner has been occurring! so life ha been in need of an important restructuring.. new job hunt still ongoing, all the old cars are gone, in their place a Β£100 2001 Fiesta (AMAZING little car actually, i shall blab about it if anybody is interested lol) and the bike shed is no more.
Positively I have a new partner, still moving around a bit but are waiting to settle into a new abode in the new year! in the meanwhile the kiddies bikes survive and the might ralieg esquire is in my possesion still (kinda, i gotta scroung the wedge to pay the extortionate fees selfstorage demand to retrieve it!) so.. adventures in life underway atm! !! however fear not.. bicycle tinkering will comence again! esp as i have most of a dawes duchess and two spare expensive mtb wheels that need me to find bikes to attach them too!
TTFN (and wish me luck) Chris
Additional: the new missus (3 months in!) is not a psycho (shes awesome),she is keen on cars (has pinched the fizer already lol) and her dad has a fully equiped workshop and an old Creg landy! RESULT. (the missus, not the worskshop lol)
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Last Edit: Oct 17, 2017 22:37:20 GMT by s1105117
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Oct 19, 2017 11:43:38 GMT
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I just finished my BMX. You like it?
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Oct 22, 2017 16:25:59 GMT
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I just finished my BMX. You like it? I do like it! I must admit that I knw very little about BMX's though.. I always though i was too tall for them! :-P looks really good tough, frame at base of the seat post looks unusaul (to my eyes anyway!) sweet tho!
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I just finished my BMX. You like it? I do like it! I must admit that I knw very little about BMX's though.. I always though i was too tall for them! :-P looks really good tough, frame at base of the seat post looks unusaul (to my eyes anyway!) sweet tho! This is an mid-school Mongoose KO frame with much newer wheels, handle bars, seat and sprockets. I built about 3 or 4 of these bikes a year. I never ride them though....I am to old and to heavy to ride them. I don't even enjoy riding them. How can a 6ft 2 bloke fit a bike like this? But I like building them. They are easy to built and gives me something to do between other projects. I sell these bikes at cost. Just a nice little side hobby that doesn't cost me a cent.
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Jan 21, 2018 12:15:48 GMT
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Soo, at present the esquire is in my storage container, requiring putting back together. Took it apart to move house, and so re-fettle will be required! however, its winter, so its not getting ridden much, and its a sentimental thing, so will get it done in the summer owever, I'm not working in the city, and put a bit of weight on over the Christmas period! so a cycle could help to save getting stuck in traffic and lose the belly! with that in mind... i bid on an auction of two bikes! the first bike is this A well used ladies bike. Its scruffy, and i didnt want this one! but... i have fettled it, and its all good! ready to ride! so back to ebay it goes!! was expecting more of a tinker, but still, at least i can still put a bicycle together! the reason i bid on the auction however was this A basically brand new Claud Butler urban 500 hybrid! massive thing, mint condition! the seller said his passion is canoeing (hence the plastic tubs in the background of these photos i guess!) and he bought it to help rehab when he broke both ankles, however not his thing! been stored inside all its life, so was bassically new! Only thing i have done to it is replace the ladies saddle for a gents one, so if anybody needs a ladies saddle i now have a collection!I Have ridden the CB to work, and it rides really nicely, light weight, and massive! not as nice as the esquire, but for commuting purpose it it great! so far, only been knocked off once! and both bike and bonse survived unscathed So 2 bikes for the bargain price of Β£40 the pair! (advert showed the ladies bike first!) and as a result, i have remembered that i like tinkering with bicycles a bit!
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