Why RetroBike?........

[rusty bodie]

yup, great times indeed. nigel was a wee chap with fair-ish
hair as i remember..steve joughin proportions and a pocket
rocket if ever there was one!

 

[mAdam]

Is that an old BRC jersey?

Certainly is Richard, were you around in those days?

Fantastic post rusty bodie, love the photos, great to see i'm not the only one riding around on steel frames and wearing 23 year old Time shoes

 

[onegoodbike]

+1 on the 'fantastic post' rusty bodie, really enjoyed the read and photos, and i've just watched the clip of the climb in my teabreak so cheers for posting that too, it makes a wonderful contrast with the photo of you at the finish a day later!. Matt

 

[Old Ned]

yup, great times indeed. nigel was a wee chap with fair-ish
hair as i remember..steve joughin proportions and a pocket
rocket if ever there was one!

Definitely not Nigel Wilson then! He'd make at least 2 pocket rockets.

 

[TGR]

mAdam,

I did TT's in my youth - are you still in Ballymena? I would have been in John Carey and Andrew Moss's era. Probably 1984/85. I have been in contact with Sammy Connor recently regarding rebuilding wheels he must have straightened 30 times or more about 27 years ago. And i used to have a beer with Billy Kerr in the Fountain, miss him a lot!

Richard

 

[mAdam]

TGR

I'm still local (Broughshane), but have not been a BRC member since '93 or so when i hung up my wheels. 'Mossy' and of course the late, great Billy Kerr had both made their return to club racing when i was a schoolboy. I remember looking up to them a lot. Lots of great memories from those days. Billy Kerr was a legend and always had advice for us young riders. If he was'nt racing himself he would ride to an event and give support or would help out with organisation. I have a photo somewhere of him pushing me off at the start of a club 10 mile TT. I've had a pint or two over the years in the Fountain as well, i'd know a few regulars. Its amazing to think Sammy Connor is still building wheels All my wheels were built by Sammy in the late '80's early 90's and are still going strong. He must have built thousands of sets of wheels over the years. Sammy was just as famous for his TT efforts back in the day and he always used to amaze us 'young bucks' by using abnormally big gears! something like a 56 big ring and 12's & 13's on the back!

 

[TGR]

It would be interesting to know how many wheels Sammy has built - he had 10 sitting about last week for various people. So 10 a week for a year - 520 times how many years? And he still rides - he is heading to Majorca soon for a week - i am rather jealous but no way i could stay with him or his senior colleagues!!!

Are you cycling much yourself? I have been bitten by retro but i am not using the bikes (see a long post i made a while ago). If you fancy a pint in the Fountain or other local establishment - give me a shout.

Richard

 

[mAdam]

a retro chat over a pint in the Fountain sounds good Richard. I'm kept very busy with a few RetroBike projects and restorations that are always ongoing. Any cycling so far this year has been on the turbo trainer, i'm too old now for the wind and rain Hopefully i'll get out on the roads soon, although as i write this my wife is 38 weeks pregnant with our first child, so priorities are about to change for me.........in a good way of course the odd post on here may be all i have time for

Adam

 

[notsofast]

Was an active member of the East Grinstead Cycling Club in the late seventies and early eighties

Still got my road/tt bike and here we are in action, the Brighton Mitre 29mile Team Time Trial .. sometime in 1979

(that's me on the front..I wonder if any of the others frequent "retrobike")





I posted this pic in another thread but this one seems appropriate

Cheers

Mike

 

[TGR]

Adam

We need to get a pint before your new arrival!!!! I will be in touch,

Richard