Townsend Bikes

[velomaniac]

Re:

Im glad you enjoyed the one that was sold you, you missed the point entirely, call it what you will, snobbery or fact, but for sure, upgrading every customer i could............. i called it a "FAVOUR".

I did get what you were saying, I do understand you did not like Townsends and didn't like having to fettle them into a better state for your customers because factory quality control was poor. However doing the customer a "Favour" seems a strange statement when you were in fact, regardless of how unpleasant, doing your job :shock:

 

[sinnerman]

Re: Re:

Im glad you enjoyed the one that was sold you, you missed the point entirely, call it what you will, snobbery or fact, but for sure, upgrading every customer i could............. i called it a "FAVOUR".

I did get what you were saying, I do understand you did not like Townsends and didn't like having to fettle them into a better state for your customers because factory quality control was poor. However doing the customer a "Favour" seems a strange statement when you were in fact, regardless of how unpleasant, doing your job :shock:

I would hope that whilst a job pays a wage/salary, I would still be allowed to have a level of discretion to safe guard any of my customers investment in there purchase, and indeed my conscience After all, the business doesn't loose out at all if the customer spends there money with that business.

The Favour was simple. The customer could buy a product which was poorly finished, poorly factory assembled, and required repairs even prior to being on display, OR for a very small amount more, they could be directed to another brand that was better in finish and assembly, with a far more rewarding spec to enhance there experience.

Most people have a budget, educating the customer more often than not, left room to take the person who wanted to buy a "Fashionable" mountain bike for a sunday ride, to the potential level of them really enjoying the hassle free freedom that could be gained from Mountain biking, and actually became life long converts to the benefits of Mountain biking.

as I say, your experience did lead you to the latter, which is a good thing, and yours did its job admirably. BUT you cant change what was going on behind the scenes up and down the country to make it so.

 

[Oldskool13]

Damn, I pre typed this response before seeing the above replies.

To be honest I’ve never ridden a Kona etc. (I didn’t have the budget anyway), so I’ve nothing to compare it with. All I wanted was something to get me back on two wheels after Cancer treatment. My knowledge was limited but I knew Reynolds frames were above average for a bike so I bought the Townsend with no pre-conceived opinions.
All I can say is it cost peanuts, rides nice and fits me well. In the two years I’ve owned it I’ve only replaced the headset bearings and put new tyres on it. I took it to a LBS for safety check and even they were impressed with it. I don’t know if it’s up to serious off road riding. (Although the guy I bought it off put in a lot of miles on and around Salisbury Plain apparently.) Anyway, for what I want it’s fine and a damn sight lighter than my old modern £600 Hardtail.

As far as I can tell it’s identical to Claude Butler bikes that came out of the same Brigg factory. But because at the end of the production line they slapped a Townsend decal on the frame it’s condemned as a POS.

Sinnerman is obviously more knowledgeable and coming from a different perspective and expertise than me, but I still think to say all Townsends are BSO shite is a tad unfair.

 

[sinnerman]

Re:

I laughed to myself at the snob comment, had it not been for a second hand "Abbey" Mountain bike (I use the term "mountain bike" very loosely), I myself may never have wanted to race off road. Had it not been for the "abysmal" Townsend Apocalypse followed by the Shaniko being bought in bulk, I may never have wanted to enter the bicycle trade.

And perhaps my experience does differ to others here who thank them for being that step that got them into/back into mountain bikes, and however you fellas have arrived here, im thankful for it, but i will never apologise for calling a spade a spade.

And thank Townsend for that.

 

[Captain Stupido]

Re:

On a side note, and I’m not thinking about Townsend here, in fact I’m not really thinking about bikes at all... but IME a retailer/dealer/mechanic’s perspective is often very different to that of the general (buying) public.

In the trade, quality control, reliability, anything that avoids the customer coming back with problems after sale is what you want. Oh and distributors who keep stuff in stock and provide parts and backup when you need it. Not to mention margins, etc... more importantly, if you’ve seen the same cheap part cause issues numerous times you get put off... even if most punters end up happy with what they’ve bought.

I’ve worked in audio visual retail over the years and there’s plenty of stuff that I wouldn’t go near that people own, love, and keep for years. Maybe Townsend bikes are a bit like that? I hate anything that keeps bouncing back to the workshop...

Also, 20 to 30 years on, most old bikes have their issues... often stuff needs replacing, upgrading, that’s all part of the fun. The better Townsends were imo decent frames built up with very basic components. They cut corners where they could to try to stay competitive. Saracen were mentioned before, and they make an interesting comparison because imo while the finish was usually superb, and the components well-specced, the frames themselves (and particularly their ride quality) are perhaps no better than average. I love my trekker, but I also appreciate the less “cred” lugged British-built frames of the day, which is why I have a Reynolds 500 tubed Dawes Escape frame awaiting a build. I’d be just as happy to have a similar Townsend frame to hang the same components on.

 

[legrandefromage]

Claud.

 

[sherlylock]

Interesting to see differing points of view on this. My experience - at the age of 10 my folks could only afford a lower end MTB - which happened to be a Townsend 2000.

At the age of 14 I was lucky enough to have enough money to buy a 1 yr old second hand Marin Bear Valley. The difference between the bikes was like night and day......I rode mile and miles on the BV, because it was enjoyable. Had I not been fortunate enough to make that step up then I may have assumed that all bikes were heavy and sluggish.....but having the opportunity to ride something better left me with the opinion that the Townsend was a POS and that not all bikes were the same.

Maybe there were other "better" Townsends in the range...........?

Now I've got kids of my own I'm bypassing the lower end Halfords type stuff and putting them on slightly better secondhand bikes (the likes of Islabikes/Specialized/Frog) to give them a headstart in both learning to ride and in maybe enjoying it too. Snobbery? I don't think so.....just wanting the best tools for the job that I can afford (coupled with a bit of bike knowledge that my folks didn't have).

Having said that if a Townsend 2000 came up for sale I'd probably buy it - for the memories.......but would probably end up in a bidding war with Once A Hero.....

Sinnerman - sounds like you had experience of building Townsends up before selling them. Presumably you owned/worked in a bike shop.....?

 

[Oldskool13]

Re: Re:

I laughed to myself at the snob comment, had it not been for a second hand "Abbey" Mountain bike (I use the term "mountain bike" very loosely), I myself may never have wanted to race off road. Had it not been for the "abysmal" Townsend Apocalypse followed by the Shaniko being bought in bulk, I may never have wanted to enter the bicycle trade.

And perhaps my experience does differ to others here who thank them for being that step that got them into/back into mountain bikes, and however you fellas have arrived here, im thankful for it, but i will never apologise for calling a spade a spade.

And thank Townsend for that.

Aha you admit it, Townsend were good for something! :mrgreen:

I think Bluetomgold is right, it’s like the old British Leyland cars of the 70’s which had a bad reputation for poor quality and unreliability. The cars remaining today have had the “issues” fixed and are 100% better than when they left the factory, so maybe well looked after low end bikes are the same? The frame on my Colorado is good IMHO, perhaps better suited to touring and gravel. I don’t know what the original spec was, the guy I bought it off had it from new maybe he did some upgrades over the years. Which might explain why my LBS was surprised by it (in a good way).

Trouble is, now the Falcon is finished('ish), thanks to Sinnerman, I have a nagging doubt in the back of my mind that maybe the next project should be something slightly more upmarket if funds allow. (I just missed out on a Marin)

<Exits stage left pursued by a Bear (Valley)>

 

[sinnerman]

And then some i guess.

My first foray with Townsend was the Apocplypse.

To give you a better idea, have a good look at a Townsend Apocolypse, bmx bottom bracket, Steel black anodised rims, one piece steel crank, steel cantilevers, steel seatpost, almost plastic tyres (although im sure there had to be rubber in there some where) friction shifting but it did have a shimano rear mech...! But it had Neon Paint and looked the Part. BUY 50 and the trade price was £38.00 Plus VAT.

The Townsend Shaniko was marginally better, the gears where Indexed. I think the trade value on these were £68. + VAT.

Then came the alloy range of framed bikes, better components, red/black/ blue/black, shared with Alcarter and every other brand named owned by the same company, far better spec, alloy rims on these and the later ones even had rapid fire shimano, and WOW did it look the part. The alloy tubing was so poor, frames came out of the box needing alignment, hi ten steel forks bent etc etc etc. Base model Tade price £99, retail from £199 to 249 dependant on where it was bought.

The Colorado in yellow, shared the frame with all the other brands, just enough Reynolds in it to get the sticker on the tube, far better spec, came delivered in a clear shrink wrapped plastic with a piece of cardboard holding the wheels and the bars and saddle. Trade price from memory just over the hundred, they were stacked in that tight and SOOOOO poorly packaged and assembled, frames, wheels, Bars, all bent, before you even started to be able to give it a tune up. To be fair as a Townsend goes, it was probably up there with the best, and it did indeed share the frame with the start of the range bikes from there premium brand like Claud Butler, obviously common sense tells us all, the better the tubing level and spec the better the bike will be to ride.

All i can say to anyone who has found themselves here, how genuinely lucky you are, we all are.

Putting aside a person own bike history, if you havent yet had rides on multiple different bikes, specs and prices, you really have come to the right place.
everyone has there own experience and between us all we have hit the hurdles, road blocks, and overcome them. ANd we all have out favorites.

If you clearly like your british brand names, my only advice would be to work out your size and budget, and keep an eye out for a handbuilt frame and fork, perhaps with a custom builders name on it,, for the sum of £100 you could end up with a tatty start, that has been meticulously fillet brazed with full butted steel with a high grade tubeset.

A great start, a really great start.

no one need go NOS, simply buy a complete donor bike with a run of the mill higher end group DX.XT,XC and transplant as much as you can, if your really starting to love the process, splash out on some decent tyres, grips, saddle. and then take it for a ride.

IT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND.

and if your lucky you will have done it for under £300 with some luck.

Once you"ve finished, come back here and re read the thread, im sure you will agree, this place is awesome.

 

[Once A Hero]

Having said that if a Townsend 2000 came up for sale I'd probably buy it - for the memories.......but would probably end up in a bidding war with Once A Hero.....

I think it would have to be immaculate, cheap and very near by for me to consider it - so i think your chances are good!