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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! Probably a 500 page paperback book, 90% text 10% images, limited edition. 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 possibly a majority of this coming down to riders from former decades who having has done "their time" on the race circuit have now gone into other areas of cycling, as do other retired sports people, either media, management, coaching etc.

Me the Author

Why these books?

"They say" the author when he/she writes as I have done here with these numerous titles, the author has an interest in the subject, I certainly have, even to the point that I actually was a hand bookbinder and bound my own numerous titled magazines and football programmes that I read and collected in the 1970s, such as Tottenham Hotspur, QPR, Man Utd in the football range. Then there was Autosport, mainly any type of motor racing come what may, and the latest write up on the sports cars, an era where the imagination "went wild" and the British ideas bought fruitation - Lotus, BRM, McLaren, Porsche, GT model you name it, mostly British made. With transportation, I was kind of born in that realm, hence the coaches - the family business, and then later driving on numerous buses and keeping diaries of the routes and griefs that one was bestowed upon! Cycling, that being a "real sport", one if you don't used anything electrical, is REAL. Me being very "old school", if you don't feel any hardship - tiredness in getting to a workout then really you are not "trying", I have many English and French magazines, once more from the 1970s I bound and still in impeccable condition as when I bought them. The pictures within, taken by the photographers who probably had a not too dissimilar hardship in getting to the right positions as the riders did themselves, taking what one could describe as "outstanding" pictures - the rider or riders in different action modes, climbing or descending against the mountains, as well as the countryside. Alas, nowadays with the media at work those days are gone, and maybe why my thoughts terminate at the end of that decade.

That title and emblem?

It transfers itself from the former family business - note the Horseshoe Coaches page. Irrespective of closing down many years ago I have kept the Horseshoe name part and insignia going as well as adding links to it in different ways to what it was originally intended for. Hence the facebook page, this website etc. The emblem was used noting the contents of the business, Horseshoe Coaches being the parent company, and a smaller number of off shoots within it. The Horseshoe shape at the time was transparant, whereas I have gone for a solid coloured one, both for the website favicon and when I use online as now. I also have it printed inside the books as well as on the outside back cover and spine. Basically both these are my personal trade marks.

Lets Talk?

As we get older so we gain more knowledge hopefully on the subjects we hold favourably towards. Hence the books I have written, it has been noted to me as to offer groups a talk about the subject that has been the vocal point. Within this offering is a case of not only chatting about the book but also showing images relating to it as well as possibly physical items which have significant meanings on this subject. If this maybe of interest about a presentation by me, then please get in touch to discuss the best way forward. Although this website significantly about bicycle sport, there is also the "opportunity" relating to obviously bus but more so coach travel.

The two frame images on the right

Nearest to the left the original Claud Butler 1970s "clubman frame" having unfortunately come somewhat redundant, and no takers to buy as it had been in the "wars" on more than one occasion in it's earlier life that were noticable, hence the next picture. Far right, now completely transformed into a grass track frame with all the original brazings removed and the rear ends replaced with new track ends. Resprayed flamboyant blue all over, and once back I replaced the chrome forks with the frame's original steel headset and placed on some different styled Claud Butler decals.

Neare

Renovation

To the left, a pair of bike frames, vastly a part in some ways but of the same era. The Italian built Blue GIOS- Torino 1st generation frames from the 1970s, having never been resprayed since being built then, and an item used for the Brooklyn Chewing Gum Cycle team book talks.

In front of the GIOS, a Claud Butler Electron clubman frame, basic faulk tubing Made in England. However, originally renovated for usage till it was returned to me. The Golden Yellow respray along with the new brazings tipped the scales that at the moment this frame will keep the GIOS company such has been the quality of the frame as it just looks like it has come out of the factory when it was originally built.

Although the two images note "the frame builder" as Mercier - it isn't! Another renovation job, and the cheapest one I have paid for simply because the "only"requirement was to spray the frame from it's dowdy blue (probably around 40 years old give or take a year) to the shown magenta as per the Mercier bikes in the 1970s. I couldn't actually make out the British frame builder's name. The fact so many of the British professional cyclists in that era used the craftman frame builders in the UK, I felt exonerated. In point of fact it is neither here or there as it has been done for my own pleasure and a frame in "my stables" for usage at a later date. It is made with Reynolds double butted tubing - 27.2mm and the ends are Suntour, with the rears short and snug with no adjusters, There are also allowances for mudguards with the eyes both on the front forks and the rear ends.