GLB
Dirt Disciple
The gold one (The Beloved) was the love of my life and much missed - it was lost in a fire in 1988. This is the only photo I have of it. I bought the frame in Jan 1980 from Holdsworths in Putney and had great enjoyment starting my racing career on it in club (Gravesend CC) and Kent time trials. 4hrs55 in the KCA 100 on 20? July 1980 was my personal favourite result.
531DB of course, 22.5" seat tube, 74 degrees parallel from memory, v tight clearances and a short rear end. Chrome Campag drop outs, vertical at the rear, and chrome Italian fork crown. Little ace of clubs cut outs on the head tube lugs and under the bottom bracket.
TTT bars, stem and seat pin.
Campag SF hubs and Mavic sprint rims.
Maillard compact 13 up 6 speed block.
(Also some very old CampagLF 32 front, 40 rear hubs on unnamed sprint rims with a SunTour 13-21 6 speed compact block for training.)
Galli rear mech and Campag brazed on lever.
Shimano 600 brakes.
TA 50T single chainset.
Sedisport chain.
Brooks Professional saddle.
Olympic pedals with Christophe clips and straps.
Tubs were Clement.
Black(ish) Tressor handlebar tape.
Later (as pictured) it got a Campag record rear mech, a 52T chainring (after revving out going down the Swanscombe cutting on the Q25/3 - just missed the hour but never summoned up the courage to race on any of the dual carriageway dragstrips again) and towards the end of its life the rims were replaced with the new 700c wired on tyres. It was beautiful.
The silver one is interesting. I bought it in April 1994 from an advert in the comic. Someone in Richmond I think. It had been resprayed, but Holdsworth in Putney authenticated the frame number. I'd been fairly inactive for a while as far as cycling was concerned, done a bit of mountain biking with my son (see my thread about my Saracen Trekker in the MTB section), but fancied maybe doing some club 10's on fixed. I'd ridden fixed on my hack bike throught the late 70's and 80's. This was perfect - it's a real road/track frame from, I guess the mid 70's, with front and rear brake drillings, top tube cable guides and mudguard clearance and eyes. 22.5" seat tube, not sure of the angles, but maybe about 72.5 degrees. Not too tight at the back and fairly relaxed forks. No tube label, but I imagine it's 531DB. Much plainer lugwork than The Beloved.
I initially built it up as the photo with Campag headset fitted by Ken Bird of Orpington, Miche LF on 28H Mavic OpenCD rims with Michelin wire bead tyres built at Geoff Wiles shop in Strood. Cinelli bars and stem, anonymous seatpin and a very 80's saddle. Can't remember the name, but it's in the cupboard and I can check if anyone's interested. Shimano 105 brakes and levers. The 3/32 chainset and bottom bracket was ancient and had sort of survived the 1988 fire. It wasn't very concentric and I had to run the chain quite loose. With the light wheels which kept breaking spokes, and the fact that I never got back to racing, I hardly used it.
At some point I put on a Campag Chorus seat pin from ebay and it had a Turbo saddle quite soon.
About 4 years ago I had new Ambrosio 36 hole wheels and a Miche Primato track 1/8" chainset put on by Ian Whitehead at Ruxley Cycles. It's 48x19 - 68" Still didn't get round to using it much, but it looked good in my flat. A mega expensive Brooks Swallow (honey coloured) saddle last year and this year, with retirement looming, I've done more riding, used it quite a bit and love it to bits.
Great site this, and it's really dragging out the memories.
On to my current geared road bike next, a circa 1990 Ken Bird.
531DB of course, 22.5" seat tube, 74 degrees parallel from memory, v tight clearances and a short rear end. Chrome Campag drop outs, vertical at the rear, and chrome Italian fork crown. Little ace of clubs cut outs on the head tube lugs and under the bottom bracket.
TTT bars, stem and seat pin.
Campag SF hubs and Mavic sprint rims.
Maillard compact 13 up 6 speed block.
(Also some very old CampagLF 32 front, 40 rear hubs on unnamed sprint rims with a SunTour 13-21 6 speed compact block for training.)
Galli rear mech and Campag brazed on lever.
Shimano 600 brakes.
TA 50T single chainset.
Sedisport chain.
Brooks Professional saddle.
Olympic pedals with Christophe clips and straps.
Tubs were Clement.
Black(ish) Tressor handlebar tape.
Later (as pictured) it got a Campag record rear mech, a 52T chainring (after revving out going down the Swanscombe cutting on the Q25/3 - just missed the hour but never summoned up the courage to race on any of the dual carriageway dragstrips again) and towards the end of its life the rims were replaced with the new 700c wired on tyres. It was beautiful.
The silver one is interesting. I bought it in April 1994 from an advert in the comic. Someone in Richmond I think. It had been resprayed, but Holdsworth in Putney authenticated the frame number. I'd been fairly inactive for a while as far as cycling was concerned, done a bit of mountain biking with my son (see my thread about my Saracen Trekker in the MTB section), but fancied maybe doing some club 10's on fixed. I'd ridden fixed on my hack bike throught the late 70's and 80's. This was perfect - it's a real road/track frame from, I guess the mid 70's, with front and rear brake drillings, top tube cable guides and mudguard clearance and eyes. 22.5" seat tube, not sure of the angles, but maybe about 72.5 degrees. Not too tight at the back and fairly relaxed forks. No tube label, but I imagine it's 531DB. Much plainer lugwork than The Beloved.
I initially built it up as the photo with Campag headset fitted by Ken Bird of Orpington, Miche LF on 28H Mavic OpenCD rims with Michelin wire bead tyres built at Geoff Wiles shop in Strood. Cinelli bars and stem, anonymous seatpin and a very 80's saddle. Can't remember the name, but it's in the cupboard and I can check if anyone's interested. Shimano 105 brakes and levers. The 3/32 chainset and bottom bracket was ancient and had sort of survived the 1988 fire. It wasn't very concentric and I had to run the chain quite loose. With the light wheels which kept breaking spokes, and the fact that I never got back to racing, I hardly used it.
At some point I put on a Campag Chorus seat pin from ebay and it had a Turbo saddle quite soon.
About 4 years ago I had new Ambrosio 36 hole wheels and a Miche Primato track 1/8" chainset put on by Ian Whitehead at Ruxley Cycles. It's 48x19 - 68" Still didn't get round to using it much, but it looked good in my flat. A mega expensive Brooks Swallow (honey coloured) saddle last year and this year, with retirement looming, I've done more riding, used it quite a bit and love it to bits.
Great site this, and it's really dragging out the memories.
On to my current geared road bike next, a circa 1990 Ken Bird.
