Around 60 years ago when I was around eight I lived opposite a young guy in his late teens who got seriously into cycling . His mothers conservatory soon became packed with stuff. Frames,wheels,bars,seats and all the bit's associated with competitive cycling . I seem to remember there were even some wooden rims ?. Iv'e always had a liking for things mechanical and precision made so this 'Alladins Cave' has stayed in my mind ever since . Like most kids I persauded my parents to but me a 'racer' and when Christmas came around there it was, a brand new metallic blue Raleigh . From about ten to the car licence stage I used this bike for every thing. Work,pleasure and yes we did mountain biking having swopped the drop bars for a pair of upturns . Me and my buddies jumped over logs,through ditches and anywhere that a road bike shouldn't go . Helmets didn't exist(for boys like us) and I can never remember a bike being broken or a wheel being bent . When the car licence arrived a couple of months past my 17th the old bike was retired to a corner of the shed having covered many hundreds of miles . Now at 68 years Iv'e got the bug again(blame Bradley,Lizzie and Co) I walk a lot, weigh about nine and a half stone so wish me luck.
and good luck, Rex!
