On yer bike!

[Mike1973]

We didn't let the weather put us off! 22 members of the Veteran Cycle Club turned up for the ride Sunday, but most are more interested in old bikes than wearing period cycling gear.
We started in Fareham, and took in a lot of the historic Naval establishments and Palmerston Forts down through Gosport and then back again. Easy 25 miles, rained pretty much all day. [huh]

David and I with our plus fours acting as sails on Lee-on-Solent seafront!
David is riding a splendid '37 Claud Butler, me on a rather more humble '33 BSA Sports.

And we are stood facing these monsters!
http://www.hovercraft-museum.org/museum.html

A few brave souls riding along Stokes Bay to the cafe stop.

My faithful BSA and Lucas acetylene lamp. (Works a treat, when I can get carbide for it.)

Soaked but happy! Last ride I did with the club was July, and it was so hot the tarmac was melting :eusa_doh:

 

[Salv]

Very nice Mike. Is the BSA fixed or single-free?

Oddly enough I was thinking of watching my London-Holyhead video this evening if I got time. The bike's aren't quite the same vintage as your bike (1962 and 1964) but the racing is excellent.

 

[Mike1973]

Very nice Mike. Is the BSA fixed or single-free?

I ride it on it's single-free cog. Flipped the back wheel once onto the fixed cog but just couldn't get the hang of it:eusa_doh:
The frame and fork angles are quite slack, and the front wheel has a tendency to flip back all the time, but once you are used to it no problem.

I picked up a nice 1966 Viking Severn Valley from our local tip a couple of years ago. By far the nicest bike I've ever ridden! Not old enough for me though so ended up swapping for a 1946 Hobbs of Barbican.

 

[Salv]

I ride it on it's single-free cog. Flipped the back wheel once onto the fixed cog but just couldn't get the hang of it:eusa_doh:
The frame and fork angles are quite slack, and the front wheel has a tendency to flip back all the time, but once you are used to it no problem.

I picked up a nice 1966 Viking Severn Valley from our local tip a couple of years ago. By far the nicest bike I've ever ridden! Not old enough for me though so ended up swapping for a 1946 Hobbs of Barbican.

I've never fancied riding fixed, especially after seeing one of my club-mates descending on a fixed, with his legs spinning at what seemed like 180 rpm.

Have you seen the Trad Tex jerseys? Most of them would be too modern for you I think - mostly 50s and 60s trade teams, but the range of polo neck jerseys would be good for winter rides:

 

[fortworthgal]

David and I with our plus fours acting as sails on Lee-on-Solent seafront!
David is riding a splendid '37 Claud Butler, me on a rather more humble '33 BSA Sports.

I believe I spy a Brooks saddle and bag combo there!

 

[Mike1973]

Great link Salv!

Those jerseys are superb! How come I haven't spotted them before? Pricey though... better start saving...

Now if they did a '30's/'40's style racing jersey, with pointed collar, that would really make my day...

Fortworthgal, the saddle is definately a Brooks, you'd be hard pushed to find a classic british lightweight with anything else! 90% sure the saddle bag is a Brooks...
My BSA just sports an old Great War army haversack, with loops added to fit to the saddle. Looking through post war cycle mags it's amazing the amount of adverts selling off army surplus for the camping/touring market - lamps, tents, even dyed battledress!

 

[Salv]

Those jerseys are superb! How come I haven't spotted them before? Pricey though... better start saving...

Now if they did a '30's/'40's style racing jersey, with pointed collar, that would really make my day...

Prendas had a few late '40s style Bianchi jerseys for sale in the late '90s that were made especially for an Italian made-for-TV film about Fausto Coppi. As far as I can recall Santini made them using old looms, but with a mix of wool/polyester rather than pure merino. I bought one - it looks very authentic, apart from the slightly synthetic feel of the material: pointed collars, two chest pockets, three rear pockets, button up placket, button at the rear of the collar, and proper stitched lettering. The battery on my camera has just died so I can't provide a photo at the moment, but it's a copy of Fausto's jersey below

 

[Sefton]

That looks like fun! Is there a large community of vintage bicyclists there? Do any of the collectors ride bikes that are passed down within the family or are they more recently purchased?

 

[jamespowers]

I am afraid I would be riding my BSA Bantam along with you. I have to pedal less that way. Looks like quite a well attended event.
BTW, I like your humble BSA better if you ask me.

Regards,

J

 

[BellyTank]

But that's a Motorcycle...

Hey, my Dad has a BSA Bantam and a James Captain too.

B
T

 

[jamespowers]

Hey, my Dad has a BSA Bantam and a James Captain too.

B
T

Very good. I didn't think anyone was going to notice that my reference was to a motorcycle.
Your father has a very versatile motorcycle there. There are parts out there that can really make it a fast runner. I have four in various states of running. [huh]
I just figured we needed another type of BSA mentioned.

Regards,

J

 

[Mike1973]

Go and talk motorcycles somewhere else!

Only kidding! My wife has a BSA M20 sitting under my bicycle rack in the garage

Salv, be interested to see your Coppi copy, sounds spot on!

 

[Salv]

Bianchi repro

As worn by Il Campionissimo

Now all I need is this bike and I'll be set:

 

[Mike1973]

cheer Salv...

and in pink...

http://store.bianchiusa.com/product.php?productid=16477&cat=288&page=1

A snip at $160 dollars

Better keep saving!

 

[fortworthgal]

Fortworthgal, the saddle is definately a Brooks, you'd be hard pushed to find a classic british lightweight with anything else! 90% sure the saddle bag is a Brooks...
My BSA just sports an old Great War army haversack, with loops added to fit to the saddle. Looking through post war cycle mags it's amazing the amount of adverts selling off army surplus for the camping/touring market - lamps, tents, even dyed battledress!

Excellent!

Here's my Raleigh with the Brooks saddle & bag combo:

 

[Salv]

and in pink...

...

http://store.bianchiusa.com/product.php?productid=16477&cat=288&page=1

A snip at $160 dollars

Better keep saving!

Oooohhhhhhh, want one!

 

[Mike1973]

That looks like fun! Is there a large community of vintage bicyclists there? Do any of the collectors ride bikes that are passed down within the family or are they more recently purchased?

The Veteren Cycle Club is one of several vintage bicycle clubs in the UK. My local group is the Hampshire Lightweight Section, who do one or more rides a month, usually about 30ish miles. A lot of members are a fair bit older than me, and usually ride the bikes the hankered after in their youth in the '50'S and '60's, but could never afford then! I'm always suprised when fellas old enough to be my grandad leave me for dust! :eusa_clap

It's good to get on the road with people who appriciate vintage cycles. Me and David are trying to push the lycra brigade into wearing garb more sympathetic to the age of their machine though. We get a fair bit of stick for wearing plus fours, which we don't mind at all, but coming from older gentlemen, with more 'relaxed' figures than their youth, wearing skin tight lycra Now come on, who do you think looks more silly lol

 

[Sefton]

Mike 1973 wrote: "coming from older gentlemen, with more 'relaxed' figures than their youth..."
That's a very kind way of phrasing it!lol

 

[Salv]

The Veteren Cycle Club is one of several vintage bicycle clubs in the UK. My local group is the Hampshire Lightweight Section, who do one or more rides a month, usually about 30ish miles. A lot of members are a fair bit older than me, and usually ride the bikes the hankered after in their youth in the '50'S and '60's, but could never afford then! I'm always suprised when fellas old enough to be my grandad leave me for dust! :eusa_clap

...

I rewatched the London-Holyhead video I mentioned earlier, and I'd forgotten that the tape also includes two 1950s British documentaries, one a round up of the 1952 racing season which also features a meet by a veteran cycling group at Hampton Court. It showed various octogenarian gentlemen and ladies arriving at the meet on their 1920s and '30s machines, some of the members having ridden down from Birmingham.

The documentary also covers the '52 Tour de France, which Coppi won in fantastic style. If you've ever seen Belleville Rendez-vous you'll see exactly where the film makers got the inspiration for Champion.

 

[feltfan]

As a fan of vintage bicycles and espresso machines,
I wear this jersey:

http://www.vintagevelos.com/jer-faema1.html

Nice wool, nice construction.