Highpath advice sought please. Just bought one in Edinburgh

[GrahamJohnWallace]

Re: Plea! Parts wanted to finish my Highpath

I'm also looking for a good condition retro seat for the same bike.

That could only be a Brooks, surely anything else would just be wrang.

Historically, there is no correct saddle for a Highpath, or Cleland for that matter. Clelands came with cheap saddles in the expectation that the owners would change them. Highpaths were fitted with the saddle specified by the customer.

Here are my memories on the saddles that people fitted and why:

*David Wrath-Sharman used unsprung Brooks, often brown.
*Geoff Apps often used sprung Brooks
*I did try a sprung Brooks B66 back in 1985 but it was heavy, stiffly sprung, and the leather stretched until it touched the saddle rails, and could not be tightened any more. The fact that I rode in all weathers and the saddle often got wet may have had something to do with this. Ever since I have used plastic, waterproof sprung saddles. My favorite are wide and flat Iscaselle ones fitted with soft springs.
I would say that most riders used a variety of light, cheap and durable sprung saddles, though Brooks were fairly common.

Today I still use an Iscaselle on my Cleland. My Highpath is fitted with a Cane Creek' ThudBuster, suspension seat-post and an unsprung plastic saddle. These parallelogram type seat-posts are far better than sprung saddles. Unlike telescopic suspension seat-posts which are a waste of time, they react correctly to the direction of the forces from the rear wheel. Suntour also make two models of budget parallelogram seat-post that are good, but heavier than the ThudBuster.

"Riding on the pegs"
The Highpaths are superb bikes for riding "on the pegs."
However it is difficult and tiring to pedal out of the saddle for prolonged periods. Recently I bought a Gravity Dropper seat post. This is an overpriced piece of kit, but it does allow the saddle to be dropped well out of the way when riding on the pegs.

 

[somerled]

GJW - cheers man, you seem to know more about these magnificent machines than GA and DWS

So, I can pretty much use what I deem as a suitable and appropriate saddle then?

I'm looking at Brooks, Avocet and ....... Bontrager as a sort of hat tip to the Colonials in an ironic stylee.

I take your point about being up on the pegs, and on a Highpath it certainly is way 'up'. My problem with offroad bicycles is that everytime I come up to a log or a rock I instinctively bounce down on the non existent suspension and blip the non existent throttle to get the front end up.....then make more than a nodding acquaintence with the handlebars.

Thanks for the info, it's really helpful.

Pete

 

[GrahamJohnWallace]

....So, I can pretty much use what I deem as a suitable and appropriate saddle then?.....
.....you seem to know more about these magnificent machines than GA and DWS

Yes

Some people look upon these bikes as pieces of cycling history, which is correct. However the way they can cope with mud and other soft surfaces is yet to be bettered and this makes them valid and useful in modern terms. So where appropriate I fit them with modern components. I have recently fitted my Highpath with low rolling resistance 2.25" Schwalbe' Racing Ralph tyres and lightweight but wide inner-tubes and am most impressed by their low pressure abilities.

I don't know as much as GA and DWS. However I was a customer of both companies and was a regular participant of both the Guildford and Wendover rides. So my knowledge is broad, though not necessarily deep. :?

The picture shows my Highpath circa 2008 with ThudBuster suspension seat-post and modern saddle.

 

[somerled]

It's FINISHED !

I have just finished the Highpath today and it's ready to roll.

I'll take it out tomorrow (Sunday) and see how it performs on the local cycleway. I can't wait.

Thanks to all of the Retrobikers who offered invaluable advice and quite a few appropriate parts, some just for the postage! Nice one.

To finish the resto I have fitted and nice old Brooks B17 saddle, some nice Suntour thumbies and a pair of Outland lock-on grips which look and feel the part.

Here are the latest pics.

 

[somerled]

and more pics

 

[Tad]

Good job! It's been a great thread to read with some fascinating contributions.

Looking forward to a ride report and some mid ride pics.

 

[somerled]

Highpath first ride today

Hi folks, just back from my first outing on the Highpath. It was just a gentle ride around the cyclepaths of Edinburgh and Leith to see how the bike performed and sort out any glitches.

Jumping on and riding away I was immediately struck by the riding position. It is high and upright, but very comfortable. The bike is short too and handles beautifully.

The brakes are simply amazing, plenty of initial bite which sheds speed very quickly, but in a very controlled way. They certainly give you a lot of confidence. The Yamaha levers are perfect, not too long, not too short and they give plenty of feedback.

The gearchange is silky smooth and I was chuffed that it didn't require any tweaking. No dramas there.

I have to say that I found the Brooks saddle really comfy and it feels like you could pedal for lots and lots of miles in comfort.

The Nokia SL-35 tyres running 15 - yes 15 psi, are uncannily quiet and absorb all the lumps and bumps that you usually feel in places you don't want to.

The handling is very predictable and despite the apparent high centre of gravity it's a solid platform, especially when you are up on the pedals. Geoff Apps and David Wrath-Sharman sure do know their design onions. Highpath is a strange beast to ride, the thing feels alive and eager - it has something, some weird quality or synergy that creates an almost perfect symbiosis between man and metal. (sorry girls!)

All in all I am very pleased with the Highpath, and it's great to see the puzzlement on other cyclists faces whenever I stopped to take pics.

Here are few pics.

 

[somerled]

more pics

more pics

 

[Tad]

Lovely get in entered for BOTM next month!

 

[legrandefromage]

that is a rare, rare bicycle and needs its own front page feature.