A flying vist with a Flying Gate

[vernon]

I'm about to set off for Reeth to meet Trevor Jarvis a frame builder from Burton Upon Trent. I'm taking my Flying Gate frame that he built back in 1983 to him for a rebuild. It will be a nice drive north and I'll drop in and see some pals while I'm at it.

Why Reeth? - he's been attending a 2CV rally at the Tan Hill and is staying over at Reeth. I'd been planning to go to the Tan Hill today but discovered the 2CV rally was meeting there and decided to give it a miss - too crowded.

Cant wait to ressurect the Flying Gate - it's very distinctive. I might even get it restoved in retina searing Orange to match my Dave Yates Randonneur.

I bought s/h it in fixed wheel guise and it has been partially butchered by it's previous owner. I didn't get on with fixed wheel so I'm converting it back to a geared light tourer. The sale of the wheels and chainset should get me some new bits for the conversion.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Hope you had a pleasant drive to Reeth. It's a beautiful place which Mrs A and I love along with Swaledale in general.

I pricked up my ears (eyes?) at the mention of a Dave Yates frame because I've been wrestling with the question of buying a bespoke tourer now for some time and Dave Yates is one of the builders on my possible list. Have you any opinions/observations you can give which might help make up my mind?

Comments from any others also most welcome.

 

[vernon]

Hope you had a pleasant drive to Reeth. It's a beautiful place which Mrs A and I love along with Swaledale in general.

I pricked up my ears (eyes?) at the mention of a Dave Yates frame because I've been wrestling with the question of buying a bespoke tourer now for some time and Dave Yates is one of the builders on my possible list. Have you any opinions/observations you can give which might help make up my mind?

Comments from any others also most welcome.

The post sunset sky was very attractive. I know the area intimately as I am originally from Darlington and the area used to be our play ground on motor cycles and, more recently, on my bike.

Trevor Jarvis was a real gent. We met up in the Kings Arms Hotel where he was staying the night after today's Citroen 2CV rally at The Tan Hill Inn. He gave my frame a once over and listed the proposed changes that he'd make in addition to the ones I had asked for. He also put my mind to rest when I raised concerns about aa barely perceptable bend in the top tube after the seat post junction - it's a feature not a fault

Onto the Dave Yates frame. There's no doubt about it, it builds into a very nice bike. It's been comfortable from the outset and has a stable geometry. Even so I am not sure that the £740 or so that a new frame costs represents that much better value/performance over say a £500 Woodrup frame. I'm counting my blessings that I got the Yates' frame in an unused, unmarked condition for £240 from Ebay.

Onto the riding of the Yates' bike I've only done two 100km audaxes on it plus a couple of 20km rides. The audaxes were ridden in fairly strong headwinds yet I managed to match, more or less the times taken for identical routes in still air ridden using a Dawes galaxy. I also felt fresher after the two audaxes.