Raleigh Superbe 1982 to 2010.
Bought 1982 after my Yamaha XS750 got stolen. Karon had one too and we went without a car for 18 months. We carried a set of four dining chairs home on them once and regularly overloaded them with the week’s groceries. They were heavy but fun to ride though the rod-pull brakes were pathetic.
After owning these for nearly 30 years, we decided to donate the pair to the St Micheal’s Hospice Charity Shop.
Raleigh Activator II c1992 – 95
Raleigh Activator II. My first proper? MTB. Went to Chelmsford – The Army and Navy – to see the Hamsters in about ’92. Stopped off in Cambridge on the way home the next day and I saw it in a sale.
My first rides consisted of pootles through the local woods around Tadley, 2-3 miles being an achievement. It never dawned on me that footpaths were out-of-bounds so I followed everything I could. After about three years my riding had improved (say I) to a degree where the bike felt heavy and limiting, so I traded it in…
Marin Rocky Ridge circa ’95
Originally it had rigid forks but after about six months and endless rides with ‘itchy’ forearms I had the Rockshox fitted. I tried my first Trailbreak MTBO event at Nettlebed on it and failed miserably. I punctured and was ill-prepared and then lost my punchcard – on the way to my second checkpoint. Then I managed to drop the chain off the inner ring and got it firmly jammed. Over time I learned and started to do reasonably well. After a couple of years I decided I needed a full susser if I wanted to improve my placings.
Marin Mount Vision c1998 – 2000
Marin Mount Vision – I bought it in May ’98 after we’d spent less on holiday than I’d budgeted for. I had it for three years and may well have kept it, but for the fact that it lacked disc mounts. It certainly improved my placings on the Trailbreak events and I think I managed third overall in the ‘Vets’ for three Series on the trot. My only gripe was the V brakes…not their performance, for after a year I’d gone through the rims so replaced them with ceramic coated ones which were almost as good as discs. Unfortunately the brakes were where the mud collected and I felt I needed discs to get round the problem.
My Whyte PRST-1 c2000 – 03
In November 2000 I traded in my aging Mount Vision for a Whyte PRST-1. Ugly as sin, but for my type of riding, perfect (almost). The Hope C2’s provided plenty of clearance and stopping power and I loved the design of the front forks. The high front suited me and my back. The rear triangle was replaced under warranty as it was out of alignment and the early cable routing was not very good, but overall it did me well.
Whyte/Marin hybrid Jan 2004 – Nov 07
My only real criticism of the PRST-1 was the rear triangle. I thought it was overcomplicated and it had a remarkable ability to collect mud behind the bottom bracket.
The bike’s designer, Jon Whyte obviously felt the rear end of the PRST-1 needed a change too, for it was redesigned as a four bar link ‘Quad’ in the PRST-4. Although the Quad is used extensively through the Marin range, I wasn’t too sure about it. One of the pivots ran behind the seat tube – making an ideal ‘ledge’ for any mud dropping off the rear wheel. The clearance on my Mount Vision had been very good and I thought the perfect solution lay in mating a pre ‘Quad’ Marin rear swinging arm with the Whyte front end. Jack Peterson (Numbplumz) had the same idea and with more confidence (and skill no doubt) actually did it.
In September 2003 during a visit to his website, I saw that Jack was thinning his stable and was thinking of parting with the bike. I emailed him and as a result bought the frame/swinger and shocks…
Pedal On built up the wheels and fitted the drivetrain and brakes. In it’s original form it consisted: Mavic X317 rims on Hope XC hubs with DT Revolution spokes. Tyres; Panaracer Dart 2.1 and Continental Gravity 2.3. Hope Mini Mono disc’s. XT Hollowtech II drivetrain, (48/36/22), SRAM PC89 chain. XT 2003 shifters with Flak Jacket cables. Oval M600 bars and seat post, Whyte stem and Specialized Body Geometry Gel Comp saddle, Look eggbeater pedals.
The ‘Whybrids’ first outing was the 2004 Salisbury Plain Challenge and I was impressed all round. It was light (then) at about 26.5 lbs and with the suspension set stiff, very fast. I loved the front end – partly because it looked different but more-so because it worked so well. A lock-out on the front shock would have been good as it bobbed a bit on climbs. The rear end was not quite as laterally stiff as the original triangle and I would be have been happier with the big grippers rather than a quick release. A coupe of times, on really rough, fast downhill tracks the chain jumped off the front rings. A couple of minor niggles, but all-in-all it was an impressive and good all-rounder and I put in a lot of miles on it.
In November 2007 I sold the bike on eBay and ordered a Giant Trance X Zero to be my future full-susser.
Lemond Nevada City Nov 2004 -06
During 2004 I joined several CTC road rides and as a result decided to get a road bike. I would also use it to commute into work when I could.
I enjoyed getting out on the Lemond – the light weight, minimal rolling resistance and very stiff rear end all made it very quick to accelerate and it seemed to have been designed for out-of-the-saddle climbing. The carbon forks took the edge off the bumps. With the stem reversed and a stack of spacers the bar height was just right for me. I had expected some back pain, but it was never a problem. However, I found that I was not confident riding the bike in winter on wet, greasy roads and after a couple of spills (23mm tyres) I decided to sell it.
Giant CRS Alliance Jan 2008-October 2010
For a while I used my Solitude (see below) to commute and all was fine until it got stolen from my work in November 2007. Having sold the Whybrid a couple of weeks earlier, I was now bikeless apart from the Raleigh Superbe. I commuted on that for a while, but the brakes were pathetic and in rush hour traffic it was dangerous. So I decided to buy a commuter bike while I waited for the Rolly-Solly replacement and the Giant Trance X Zero I had on back order (not due until March 2008).
I plumped for a Giant CRS Alliance with a light alloy/carbon frame, 27” wheels and v brakes with 32mm tyres.
I liked this bike. It was light, quick and comfortable and with riser bars the riding position is not unlike my off-road bikes. With bar ends I could ‘honk’ out of the saddle on climbs and the 32mm tyres made it an all-season bike.
Giant Trance X Zero March 2008 – 2014
This was the replacement for my long serving Whyte so it had a lot to live up to. I tried a couple of demo bikes before deciding on this one. Mud clearance wasn’t great, but for that I had the Solitude and Qubic (see below). Surprisingly light for its looks, had five inches of travel and climbed really well. I changed the saddle to an SDG Bel Air and ran it with Continental Vapours as I didn’t like the stock Devo saddle or Kenda tires. It was a bit low at the back under compression but overall it was a good steady and versatile off-roader.
Rohloff geared Solitude and Qubic
Solitude: July 2006 – present (stolen Nov ‘07, recovered Feb ‘08).
At the 2006 Salisbury Plain Winter Challenge I lost my rear mech to the mud. Not the first time the vulnerabilities of deralieur gears had showed themselves and it set me thinking…In the soft going of winter mud, full suspension is probably more a hinderance than help. And why dangle all that gearing where the mud can take its toll? A hub gear could be better and the Rohloff Speedhub seems such a good idea with all the working parts sealed away inside the hub.
I thought a Rohloff geared steel hardtail would make the perfect off-road bike.
Qubic: Insurance replacement for Solitude, March ’08 – present – and yes, I did tell them I’d recovered the Solitude after I got it back. They said “keep it for spares”!!! So then I had Rohloff twins.
More about the ‘Solly’ and Qubic.
Fuji Track bike October 2009 – 2014
Each winter for a few years, I’d been riding track at Calshot Velodrome. When the bike hire charges went up quite a bit, I decided to get a cheap track bike from Evans rather than keep hiring a track bike every time I went. This is it in its summer guise, with brakes, aero-bars and a free-wheel. Every September I changed it back to track spec for the coming season on track. Sold on eBay when the club I rode track with stopped organising sessions.
Surly Cross-Check October 2010 – May 2015
Karon and I had been eyeing up tandems for a while so when an immaculate Thorn Explorer came up for sale from one of the local CTC members, we decided to delve into the art of riding on a bicycle made for two. We kept the Thorn for a couple of years and decided we were happy tandeming, so started to look for one that suited us better – the Thorn wasn’t quite the right size for us – too short at the front and too long at the back.
Much as I liked the Giant CRS for commuting I found the ride a bit harsh and a lack of fittings for a rack (I used a QR beam rack) was a short-coming for commuting. In October 2010 I decided to sell it on e-bay and bought a Surly Cross-Check frame which I built up with V-brakes. Being steel, the ride was more forgiving and the lightweight rack I fitted allowed me to use a pannier or bag. In the summer I ran it with drops and 25mm tyres, in the winter MTB bars and 32mm tyres.
Brompton 2015 – present
Karon had tried out a Brompton when we were in London for the London Freeride, and after a trip to Oxford, where we parked some distance from the centre, we thought a pair of Bromptons would be good for the back of the car when we didn’t have the tandem with us. So we went into Reading and ordered a pair from the Evans Cycle shop there. A few weeks later we were back to collect them.
They are great for the bus or train into London and we’ve taken them to Paris on the Eurostar too.
While Karon rarely rides hers now, mine is in regular use for popping up to the shops or putting in the back of a car when it goes in for servicing… I can ride home after dropping it off.
Lynskey Vialé June 2015 – present
When the running gear on my Surly wore out, rather than spend on that, I sold it and put the money towards a Lynskey Vialé light tourer titanium frame and carbon fork. I wanted discs too. I bought the frame and fork online along with the bars, stem and post. Pedal On built the wheels and put it together for me and this way I ended up paying just over half what it would have cost at a Lynskey dealer, off the shelf. It’s light and fast on 28mm tyres with Shimano 105; 50,34 x 11-32. It’s also tough enough for my commute.
Thorn Explorer Tandem 2009 – 2011
Something I always fancied owning for a while – a recumbent trike. I was toying with the idea but was put off by the price of full spec new ones. I wanted one with suspension as our local roads and lanes are so neglected. I spotted this second hand one on the web so contacted the owner and the following weekend took a drive up to Lancashire to have a look. We came back with it.
Hase Pino Allround semi-recumbent Tandem May 2011 – present
Though heavier than a ‘traditional’ tandem, the Pino has a few advantages that made it a very attractive replacement to the Thorn. Karon had just undergone surgery on her shoulder and couldn’t ride an upright. on the Pino she sits on the front and can spend all day out without any saddle discomfort. She can see where we’re going (shuts her eyes sometimes) and the connecting drive has a free-wheel, so she can stop pedaling when she wants to, leaving me to spin. It’s a bit weighty for the Hampshire hills but perfect for the flat lands just across the channel. It’s certainly a head turner and often sparks interest – even in Germany where they are made.
No longer white – the extra 80€ we paid for the non-standard white was a bit of a let-down as it flaked quite early on around the welds, so I had the frame resprayed at Bob Jacksons.
HPV Scorpion FS Recumbent trike September 2014 – present
The ride is good and the position very comfy though it’s not as quick as a solo. I’ve ridden (gently) up and down kerbs. It’s great fun on cycle paths but on the road you need to ride more defensively as it’s not as nimble as a two-wheeler, but a lot of drivers will give more space as they percieve it as low and dangerous – even though it’s still perfectly visible. I had fewer close-passes on the HPV than any upright I’ve ridden.
Cannondale T2 Tandem
While the Pino is great for longer rides and touring, we were missing out on sportives and short, faster rides on a tandem. We wanted a ‘traditional’ upright as an alternative to the Pino. A trip to JD Tandems in Gargrave and test rides on a few different machines resulted in us coming home with the ‘Dale. Better still it was reduced in a sale! Unfortunately, Karon broke her elbow, falling off her Brompton, just as I put the ‘Dale together, ready for its first ride, so it had to wait until her arm
