PDA

View Full Version : Old bike



John Little
12-Jul-11, 21:01
When I lived on Calder Drive I had a bike. When I was learning to ride I had those little wheels at the back. Eventually my dad decided that I did not need the stabilisers and removed them. I still remember falling off my bike where St Peter's Drive joins Calder drive and falling flat on my face- blood everywhere and a nose like a squashed tomato. For some reason it did not break.
It did not stop me being envious of the kids at number 1 who had a red scooter with a brake...

I loved that bike and rode up and round the estates on it quite happily until one day....

You'll note as you pass Calder Drive that number 1 has a slope up to it - not much of a slope by adult standards but by kid standards quite enough to perch your bike at the top of and ramp down. As I did that one day I fell off my bike and made a car do an emergency stop with its wheel 3 inches from my head.

My bike disappeared and for the rest of my time in Thurso I had to be a fast runner to keep up with my friends who did have bikes.

So eventually I was trusted with a bike again and was bought a second hand one in 1969 - a three speed Sturmey Archer one with 531 tubing and steel wheels.

Last month I had it resprayed. The wheels I cleaned up but are original. The gears work very well. Today I rode it down into town and wondered how I survived teenage because the brakes are very dodgy - I have bought replacements for them which I shall fit tomorrow. The bike is really too small for me and I do not wish step grandchildren to come a cropper- I've done it up for their use.

The three speed gears are severe - I must have had hard legs when a kid for I found the hills today much more difficult than on my hybrid.

But they made good bikes in Britain then - it's between 50 and 60 years old and still good.

Beat Bug
12-Jul-11, 21:25
Sadly, they don't make them like that any more! And it's the same with everything!

Corrie 3
12-Jul-11, 21:54
Sweat, blood and tears at the Raleigh Factory in Nottingham John, sadly today all their parts are made in Taiwan. Was it a green sit up and beg model?

C3......;)

John Little
12-Jul-11, 22:01
No - strangely this three speed came to me second hand with randonneur handlebars. But I'm too old for that malarkey so I've replaced them with a pair of slightly swept back ones.

Under the bottom bracket is stamped 'Made in England' so I guess Nottingham is the prime candidate.

Whitewater
12-Jul-11, 23:08
The old 3 speed Sturmey Archer was good in its day, but as you get older the legs get weaker and the newer bikes have many gears on them to help make life easier, some have 21 maybe more, I don't know, my one has 14 I think. Now on the steep hills I feel I should have a few extra gears on the lower end. It comes with old age.
A great form of exercise I still enjoy it, but I don't do the distances now, it is just used for going round the town and perhaps a run to Reiss beach on the warm days.