Show us what you did today, thread
- Thread starter clockworkgazz
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To be fair it is a bit far to start out with, he has done 10 miles before on his little 16inch singlespeeder so it's doable but I imagine a good bit of it done on the back of the Dummy. Mainly for my peace of mind the small sections of main road. Two sections we have no real choice and he can't be riding on it with NC500'ers whizzing past at 60 odd mile an hour.
Jamie
Jamie
Re:
You'd be surprised Jamie - Harry did a 24 miler when he was 6 without much persuasion, just go to go at their pace and allow a few decent rest stops - and feed a jelly baby into his mouth every 100metres on a climb. Climbs were the hardest on him but a light bike and 6 gears will be fine - just tell him what gear to be in - they tend to over crank.
You'd be surprised Jamie - Harry did a 24 miler when he was 6 without much persuasion, just go to go at their pace and allow a few decent rest stops - and feed a jelly baby into his mouth every 100metres on a climb. Climbs were the hardest on him but a light bike and 6 gears will be fine - just tell him what gear to be in - they tend to over crank.
epicyclo
Senior Retro Guru
On Sunday went on a run with the Highland Classic Bike group on old roadsters along the Cromarty Firth to Invergordon.
We spent some time peering through the windows of this derelict boarded up bike shop. Some of you may recognise something special in there amongst the dross...
Took my 1940s Rudge Roadster which is blessed with 4, count them yes 4, gears! I thought this would be a great help seeing as I have to climb nearly 500 feet in the first mile and a bit. I wasn't going to try to hike a 50lb singlespeed up there...
Bike prepped, chain oiled, rod brakes oiled. Gears carefully adjusted to the mark. Everything worked perfectly on a test run. About 50 yards into the hill it slipped out of gear and wouldn't stay in it. No problem, plenty more gears. Nup, repeat until I hit top gear which worked perfectly. Poor bike must have a few rounded off dogs in the hub and it must have been ridden like that for years for it to be so bad. At least now I have an excuse to strip the hub down.
Thus Sunday walkers were treated to the sight of an old man dressed like a 1940s workman struggling up hill in top gear muttering some choice 1940s profanities. Made it though and enjoyed the hurtle down the other side with minimal retardation from the rod brakes.
Otherwise the bike ran beautifully so it ended up as a great ride. I did of course have to ride up the back of the same hill on the way home, but by that time I was suitably fueled with cake and coffee so it was nae bother.
As a bonus I noticed a standing stone I hadn't spotted before, so I'll be back to investigate it*.
Not every ride has its very own banjoist.
He was playing as he was riding!
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*(NH 6810 6902) Clach a' Mhearlich (NAT)
OS 6" map, (1959)
Clach a' Mheirlich, or the "Thief's Stone" is a Class I (ie. probably 7th -9th century) symbol stone.
It is a sandstone pillar, 6ft x 1ft 6ins square, bearing on the front a 'step' symbol and on the left side what appears to be traces of a crescent symbol with, below, what could be either a pair of pincers or a 'tuning fork' symbol. Clach a' Mheirlich (ONB 1874).
We spent some time peering through the windows of this derelict boarded up bike shop. Some of you may recognise something special in there amongst the dross...
Took my 1940s Rudge Roadster which is blessed with 4, count them yes 4, gears! I thought this would be a great help seeing as I have to climb nearly 500 feet in the first mile and a bit. I wasn't going to try to hike a 50lb singlespeed up there...
Bike prepped, chain oiled, rod brakes oiled. Gears carefully adjusted to the mark. Everything worked perfectly on a test run. About 50 yards into the hill it slipped out of gear and wouldn't stay in it. No problem, plenty more gears. Nup, repeat until I hit top gear which worked perfectly. Poor bike must have a few rounded off dogs in the hub and it must have been ridden like that for years for it to be so bad. At least now I have an excuse to strip the hub down.
Thus Sunday walkers were treated to the sight of an old man dressed like a 1940s workman struggling up hill in top gear muttering some choice 1940s profanities. Made it though and enjoyed the hurtle down the other side with minimal retardation from the rod brakes.
Otherwise the bike ran beautifully so it ended up as a great ride. I did of course have to ride up the back of the same hill on the way home, but by that time I was suitably fueled with cake and coffee so it was nae bother.
As a bonus I noticed a standing stone I hadn't spotted before, so I'll be back to investigate it*.
Not every ride has its very own banjoist.
He was playing as he was riding!
-----------------------------------------------
*(NH 6810 6902) Clach a' Mhearlich (NAT)
OS 6" map, (1959)
Clach a' Mheirlich, or the "Thief's Stone" is a Class I (ie. probably 7th -9th century) symbol stone.
It is a sandstone pillar, 6ft x 1ft 6ins square, bearing on the front a 'step' symbol and on the left side what appears to be traces of a crescent symbol with, below, what could be either a pair of pincers or a 'tuning fork' symbol. Clach a' Mheirlich (ONB 1874).
old_coyote_pedaller
MacRetro Rider
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Brian, that bike looks like the first bike my brother had, in the '60s. He was given it by a neighbour along the road, an "older" guy, so it would probably be from the '40s too. Does yours have a lock in the fork crown?
Don't know if you are getting PM notifications but I sent you a PM last week about something but as yet unread.
Thought the info would be interesting to you. Let me know either way.
Brian, that bike looks like the first bike my brother had, in the '60s. He was given it by a neighbour along the road, an "older" guy, so it would probably be from the '40s too. Does yours have a lock in the fork crown?
Don't know if you are getting PM notifications but I sent you a PM last week about something but as yet unread.
Thought the info would be interesting to you. Let me know either way.
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Has Aubrey mentioned the stone? Was that his entry?
Has Aubrey mentioned the stone? Was that his entry?
epicyclo":2p5i1b8g said:
That must be Ken Ross Cycles? I had no idea the premises was still intact like that if so, I've forgotten which side street it's on... me and my brothers fixed our own bikes but any wheelbuilding was farmed out to Ken. My brother also bought a new bike there in the mid 90s - a really strange Raleigh MTB with a fairly decent lugged frame married to an utterly useless (no - worse than useless!) Activator fork.
It was a "real" bike shop of the most traditional mould though, a universe away from the modern Alpine Bikes etc... I feel really old just remembering the atmosphere in there!
