biggs682
Itching to get back on my bike's
- Location
- Northamptonshire
Fair enough
Show us your steel.....its real...
- Thread starter Cooperman
- Start date
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Fair enough
BalkanExpress
Legendary Member
- Location
- Brussels
On this cold snowy day
some steel in the sunshine 
.Merckx MX Leader: a total monster
Lemond Team Z replica: Pave killer
Concorde Aquila, the old Columbus SL version: smooth as a smooth thing
Peugeot PY 10: race horse, not cart horse
youngoldbloke
The older I get, the faster I used to be ...
Please sort out that Peugeot! Saddle height, bars height, bars angle. Pedals?
biggs682
Itching to get back on my bike's
- Location
- Northamptonshire
@BalkanExpress very nice indeed
simon.r
Person
- Location
- Nottingham
Italian steel with a difference
. Bicicapace:
. Bicicapace:
Spoked Wheels
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bournemouth
Surly Ogre 2018
I have a Pugsley but I've always wanted a troll/ogre.
Bonefish Blues
Banging donk
- Location
- 52 Festive Road
And the QR whilst he's at it
Spoked Wheels
Legendary Member
- Location
- Bournemouth
Bikes come and go in my house but we've had the puglsey longest.loving the Ogre and I'd like a Pugsley in the future
booze and cake
probably out cycling
I've just had some new wheels built for my Brian Rourke to alternate with the deep rimmed Shamal's I've been using on this bike. 10 speed Chorus hubs, Mavic Open Pro rims and Sapim spokes. Too shiny to be ridden in this rubbish weather, or rather too much of a hassle to keep clean after riding in this weather
A shiny new chain is due to arrive tomorrow as that ones thrashed, dirty and decidedly un-silver
EDIT: now with new Vittoria Corsa G+ tyres and chain fitted.
A shiny new chain is due to arrive tomorrow as that ones thrashed, dirty and decidedly un-silver
EDIT: now with new Vittoria Corsa G+ tyres and chain fitted.
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Specialeyes
Guru
- Location
- Essex
Can't believe I missed this thread!
I've just realised, I've continuously had a steel bike since 1973. Lots have come and gone while a few have stuck around - some of which are below.
Here's the thing though: half of the bikes below are older than me and all of the bikes below will outlast me, which makes me feel more like a temporary custodian than an owner.
Bianchi Folgorissima (1952)
Campagnolo Paris-Roubaix gearing, but a slightly incongruous colour scheme (should be more like the Saetta, below). One of this winter's projects is to fit period-correct Universal callipers and levers. The correct levers are a lot more spindly and curve away from the bars, not with them. Still needs a few bits doing to it, as the tinkering never stops.
Bianchi Rekord (1970s)
My first 'classic' and not exactly a lightweight, we've done thousands of miles, multiple Eroicas, the Retro Ronde and many others. Campagnolo throughout but a nice, friendly square taper triple replaced the original cottered crankset and it'll now climb the side of a house.
Bianchi Saetta (1930s)
Vittoria Margherita gearing and wooden rims make this a sunny Sunday bike. It does get plenty of outings though.
Bianchi X3 - 1984
One size too small but a small frame and lots of seatpost work for me and it goes like a bloody rocket. I've since replaced the modern Celeste saddle with a Selle. If the bike store was on fire and I had to grab one bike... (then I'd send the wife and kids in to rescue the Folgorissima, Saetta and Hetchins!)
Bates Volante
Unlike the X3, this one's a gnat's too big for me, but I bloomin' love riding it. There were a lot of innovative frame types (Hetchins, Saxon, Flying Gate, Paris Galibier as examples) that probably seemed like a good idea at the time in the years either side of WWII, but the Diadrant Forks and Cantiflex Tubing of the Bates were a genuinely good idea and still are. Look at most modern, carbon bikes and you'll see variations on those themes. It's even got a 1x groupset!
Hetchins Vade Mecum (1955)
Couldn't resist a Curly Hetchins. Along with Swallow and Frank Kirk, Hetchins and Bates were our local, South East Essex builders at various points in time. (Hence my continuing search for a Kirk Precision). Williams chainset and original Campagnolo gearing, Fiamme alloy clincher rims and Supalite high-flange hubs and still in its original paintwork with 64 years' worth of light touch-ups.
Colnago Super - with lightly modernised drivetrain
The subject of some debate, I modernised this to be my fast commuter.
Colnago Saronni Super (a proper Colnago one, with club cutouts everywhere, not one of the later Tecnotrats)
This was in a very sorry, hand-painted state when I got it, so I had to give it some love: a Bob Jackson respray and rechrome and Campagnolo throughout. Geometrically, it's exactly the same as the Super above it, so the poor thing doesn't get ridden as much as it should. One for my daughter to grow into.
Raleigh Chopper MkII
This probably weighs as much as all of the bikes above it, but it's largely original, rides as crappily as Choppers always did and both I and my 13 y/o daughter ride it regularly and love it.
I've just realised, I've continuously had a steel bike since 1973. Lots have come and gone while a few have stuck around - some of which are below.
Here's the thing though: half of the bikes below are older than me and all of the bikes below will outlast me, which makes me feel more like a temporary custodian than an owner.
Bianchi Folgorissima (1952)
Campagnolo Paris-Roubaix gearing, but a slightly incongruous colour scheme (should be more like the Saetta, below). One of this winter's projects is to fit period-correct Universal callipers and levers. The correct levers are a lot more spindly and curve away from the bars, not with them. Still needs a few bits doing to it, as the tinkering never stops.
Bianchi Rekord (1970s)
My first 'classic' and not exactly a lightweight, we've done thousands of miles, multiple Eroicas, the Retro Ronde and many others. Campagnolo throughout but a nice, friendly square taper triple replaced the original cottered crankset and it'll now climb the side of a house.
Bianchi Saetta (1930s)
Vittoria Margherita gearing and wooden rims make this a sunny Sunday bike. It does get plenty of outings though.
Bianchi X3 - 1984
One size too small but a small frame and lots of seatpost work for me and it goes like a bloody rocket. I've since replaced the modern Celeste saddle with a Selle. If the bike store was on fire and I had to grab one bike... (then I'd send the wife and kids in to rescue the Folgorissima, Saetta and Hetchins!
)Bates Volante
Unlike the X3, this one's a gnat's too big for me, but I bloomin' love riding it. There were a lot of innovative frame types (Hetchins, Saxon, Flying Gate, Paris Galibier as examples) that probably seemed like a good idea at the time in the years either side of WWII, but the Diadrant Forks and Cantiflex Tubing of the Bates were a genuinely good idea and still are. Look at most modern, carbon bikes and you'll see variations on those themes. It's even got a 1x groupset!
Hetchins Vade Mecum (1955)
Couldn't resist a Curly Hetchins. Along with Swallow and Frank Kirk, Hetchins and Bates were our local, South East Essex builders at various points in time. (Hence my continuing search for a Kirk Precision). Williams chainset and original Campagnolo gearing, Fiamme alloy clincher rims and Supalite high-flange hubs and still in its original paintwork with 64 years' worth of light touch-ups.
Colnago Super - with lightly modernised drivetrain
The subject of some debate, I modernised this to be my fast commuter.
Colnago Saronni Super (a proper Colnago one, with club cutouts everywhere, not one of the later Tecnotrats)
This was in a very sorry, hand-painted state when I got it, so I had to give it some love: a Bob Jackson respray and rechrome and Campagnolo throughout. Geometrically, it's exactly the same as the Super above it, so the poor thing doesn't get ridden as much as it should. One for my daughter to grow into.
Raleigh Chopper MkII
This probably weighs as much as all of the bikes above it, but it's largely original, rides as crappily as Choppers always did and both I and my 13 y/o daughter ride it regularly and love it.
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booze and cake
probably out cycling
Last edited:
Pumpkin the robot
Guru
I have had this for 25 years now. I bought the frame set from Bike chain Ricci in Redruth, Cornwall.
A few years back I had it powder coated, which I kind of regret, as the paint was not that bad, and I lost the chrome on the rear stay. It does not get used much these days, but I cannot bring myself to sell it.
