My first bike!
Bike 1: The Trike (see right)
Bike 2: The bike I learned to ride on, and did my first ever “bike ride”, to Sywell with brother Lee (12 miles).
Bike 3: The first bike I ever had from new, a Puch 3 speed, either a Christmas or birthday present, or quite possibly both. I did my first every long ride on this, 50 miles to Banbury and back, with 4 friends, although Nick was on a moped! I remember being so tired that I kept hitting the kerb as I crossed over the M1.
Bike 4: BSA Tour de France, bought 2nd hand from a mate of my brother for £46, 13 May 1978. Frame no. WN6000/44. 40/49×14-25. Wrote off the rear wheel 4 days after getting the bike and replaced it with a wheel bought second hand from someone for a fiver, new wheel had a more useful 14-28 block. The bike I did the epic 180 mile ride to Swansea on.
Bike 2, that’s me in the front, about to set off for Sywell.
Was stolen from school, replaced by…
Bike 5: A Viscount Aerospace Sport. Frame no. 105069. Bought via Uncle Roy’s company discount, Mark H also bought one (a Grand Sport for him, posh git!). These were the bikes we did the 1979 Lakes/Wales tour on, and took us up the Struggle (Kirkstone pass) on a 44/28 (42/28 for Mark) gear fully loaded.
Bike 6: Made up from frame and parts given to me from a pub regular. Became my racing bike. An old Vindec frame. Probably only have the Wrights leather saddle (swallow style) left from this now. The saddle is currently on the tandem.
Bike 7: Rory O’Brien Track iron, bought 2nd hand from a club mate with two sets of sprints.
Bike 8: Built up from a lovely Bromwich 531 frame bought 2nd hand from a small shop in Northampton. Still have the Campag Super Record headset from this, and the forks which will become a wheel building jig. Although really a touring frame I raced a bit on this until I got Bike 9.
Bike 9: Brian Rourke steel 531 frame custom built for me.
Bike 10: Hack bike from hybrid frame bought from place near Cambridge. Currently on load to my son.
Bike 11: Dawes Horizon Tandem
Bike 12: Revolution Country Explorer, my touring bike.
Bike 13: Raleigh SPD Titanium frame that never made it to bike status.
Lady Georgina
Bike 14: George Longstaff Tandem Trike
Bike 15: Pearson, aluminium frame, Campag Centaur equipped. Bought second hand for £250 as a winter/commuter bike. Did all my PBP qualifiers on it.
Bike 16: Merckx Mourenx 69
Bike 17: A 1986 Puch Mistral Royal Force, Columrbus SL frame and Shimano 600 equipped.