Not met the fella but did travel to Iceland with his company many years ago. Dick Phillips - a founder member of the RSF.
http://www.gregshut.org.uk/files/Dick Phillips.pdf
http://www.gregshut.org.uk/files/Dick Phillips.pdf
Gravel bike packing, its all done wrong IMO
- Thread starter Mangizmo
- Start date
Guinessisgoodforyou
rBotM Winner
Well said mateI think it just a different take on a type "of riding " back in the day folk rode what ever bike they had for work etc . Early rough stuff fellowship riders really cut the trails, pass storming on rough roads etc . I take my hat of to them
For those who have not heard of this band of these intrepid souls you may find this interesting .
https://www.rsf.org.uk/about-us/history-and-beginnings.html
I ride both new and classic bikes ,and enjoy them all . I think we are sold a dream by the marketing men " you need one of these".
For me a light bike means" it makes going slower, easier"
For a long time after the change from 27x1x1 1/4 {and a good choice of tread patterns} ,to 700c and having narrow tyres was the thing . I just found them dam uncomfortable . Guess what!? wide tyres are now the thing to have . {and they stop my fillings falling out} . There is really nothing new in cycling apart from time and getting us to part with our hard earnt money .
At least now bikes have more sensible gears .52/42 was once the norm now 46/30 is common .
Most of my bikes since the 1970s are square taper b/b good riddance to cotter pins .
The late Ray Booty once said "its no good having a £1,000 bike if you only have a £100 pair of legs" I plead guilty to this .
I need a copy of that book.It's interesting looking at their photo archive on Instagram that panniers are present but many bikes are set up with gear higher up in the same location as modern bar bags & seat packs.
https://www.instagram.com/rsfarchive/
Also if you look at photo's of their recent rides they're not averse to 'silly bags dangling off the toptube'
https://www.instagram.com/rsfarchive/
Also if you look at photo's of their recent rides they're not averse to 'silly bags dangling off the toptube'
Guinessisgoodforyou
rBotM Winner
Is it not the case since the "Rover Safety " replaced the "Ordinary" not that much has really changed apart from the materials used {and some components} . Other than a few odd ball designs the basic frame design is the same . How we choose the decorate it ,is up to the individual .
Hobby horse anyone ?
More good reading here .
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/how-bicycles-transformed-world
Hobby horse anyone ?
More good reading here .
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/how-bicycles-transformed-world
On the point on mudguards I have mounts (I think) for them, and racks, but this combo of mudguards covers the muddy fields and off road I ride around East Devon. And given the state of where I ride are much less likely to be ripped off by brambles and hedges etc then the fixed wired ones
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Kingswindsor
Dirt Disciple
In the eighties, there was a school of thought that saddlebags and handlebar bags were too loose and didn't help handling. I therefore kitted my cycle camping tourer of the time out with the newly available Blackburn rear rack (triangulated aluminium and very rigid) and 'Low riders'. Low riders held the front panniers low - adjacent to the front hub - and didn't affect the feel of the steering in the way a handlebar bag or normal front panniers would. Frame is needed for the pump and battle cage; optional bottle under the down tube. Primus stove with special brazed on clamp mounted on the handlebars so it didn't leak paraffin everywhere. Triple TA chainring 46/36/26 with 14-28 on the rear could get up most things. Worked beautifully on rough stuff. The (heavy) weight was well distributed front & rear and held firmly so the bike handled well on fast mountain descents and kept the front wheel on the ground going up Hardknott Pass. Here are a couple of pictures - one going over a drove road in the Cairngorms.
Having eulogised about the old days, I should say that I love my 1x11 set up and the availability of decent gravel tyres, and like the idea of frame bags. As long as what you are carrying is rigidly held. Some gravel bike frame builders are still catering for the rack/mudguard fraternity - e.g. the Laverack GRiT albeit with some of the bespoke options. And there is the debate over hub vs derailleur gears too, or dynamos!
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Mangizmo
Raleigh Fan
Excellent, in my opinion that is the proper way to lug a load on a bike as in your pics, just the way I do it
Guinessisgoodforyou
rBotM Winner
I like your bike.
