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HAVE BIKE WILL TRAVEL

A "BACKMARKERS" STORY OF OVER 50 YEAR IN CYCLING

BY DAVID RUTTER

With something in the region of over fifty years in the sport of cycling, I have either written, competed, supported, belonged to or volunteered in races, committees and organisations, hence the title of my own book, looking back as well as the present in cycling through my experiences as a "back marker" amongst other things. Normally one would have a book penned by a well known writer or possibly ghost written on behalf of a winning cyclist, athough basically for each one a winning rider there are a hundred behind in a supporting role, including me. Without the likes of these riders who participate, the actual winner becomes meanningless.

Through "my role" first as a bystander thinking in terms of "maybe" it doesn't look so hard, to be completely shot off the back in the very first race, and recapping what one needs to do to keep up with the other riders as it is totally down to the individual to sort it out! Basically becoming a slog as well as spending bundles of money in the idea that just by looking the part is half way in getting there!

My story starts in the 1960s, then weaves itself through to the following decades - 1970s - 1980s - 1990s - 2000s - 2010s , with my personal experiences of what happened in the circle of cycling, who I meet, who I remember, where I ended up , why I did this, was it all worth it?

The magic of the frame and two wheels will never go away, and has vastly increased in the recent years, I suspect a majority of it coming down to former riders from those decades who having has done "their time" on the race circuit have gone into other areas of the sport as do professional football players, either media, management, coaching etc.

This paperback sized book when finished will hopefully be around 400 pages, available Christmas 2019.

Above left, me with a "unhappy" face, neither one or other, maybe at the time still trying to get rid of the niggling leg problem that had been going on for months. "Suited and booted" and "posing" in the retro but modern Cinzano cycle clothing with the old but also new parts Claud Butler. Somewhere in the future it will be used for some "casual" cyclo cross events, hence the cyclocross styled chainring - courtesy of Sturmey Archer - a 42 tooth steel chainset - getting older, not so worried about all the uptodate gear and weight. Above right, wasn't totally sure what I was going to do with the Peugeot frame as the seat tube broke when I "managed" to go down a pot hole. Months of indecision that ended with me getting it totally repaired. Originally blue and white when first bought as well as it's first respray, this time around I went against a dark colour that I would normally go down, hence the cream although this was by "default"! Happy with how it turned out with the red contrast and total retro look including the handlebar end shifters. Everything in the end got replaced bar the front changer which is stil the original from when I first purchased the whole bike in 2000. The bike has been stiffened and strengthened more fully than before as the frame renovators have capped the new seat tube with a lug that the other tubes have been brazed on to (see image top right), almost like riding a track bike with gears such is the nippiness of it now!

Bargain time at eBay? left images of a pair of wheels that have replaced the original ones on the Claud Butler.

These came up at one would call a really good price - or course may well be definitely surplus to requirements?

Can't believe there are too many around who wanted something such as these, but then again we all dream?

Anyway with my ongoing project (s) IE; the Legnano retro style bike rides I needed, either additional set of hubs to be built into wheels which in todays market would have entailed the same mark up in price, and then the same again money wise to be made into a pair of wheel.

With my "old school sense" concerning bicycles, found these lurking around the "back roads" of eBay.

Build of wheels;- source is 1970s Campagnolo Nouvo Tipo hubs coupled with a pair of Shimano quick release screwers aligned with Mavic touring rims. The freewheel - well this is five speed - could it be anything else? Fourteen for "speed" thirtyfour for "hills"!

Not only did I get the "right" wheels, but came with inner tubes and a decent pair of tyres for the road.

The wheels that have been taken off, a wait my build up of the Legnano, for the ongoing steel frame rides. These original wheels cost me twice the amount to have built even with the hubs I had. Irrespective and whichever way, all the equipment is being well used once more, even after forty to fifty years - if these hubs could talk - what stories they could tell - I'm sure there is a book title in there somewhere?