Hi, I'm a new member and I'd like to introduce myself. However, I am standin g, head bowed, in awe at the depth of knowledge you all have!
My name is Geoff Margetts, English, but living in Germany for the last 27 ye ars.
I first had a bike when I was 14, (a BSA "Gold-something-or-other", 4-speed Sturmey-Archer) and learnt to love bike riding, moving up a year or two late r to a Raleigh "Record Ace", the road version of the track bikes that Reg Ha rris used (but with a 4-speed close ratio Sturmey-Archer)
Next step was a 2nd-hand "Youngs" (a South-London bike shop) - Stronglight 4 9D cranks, TA adaptor and chain rings, 10-speed Simplex gears, Mafac brakes.
This I had re-sprayed in 1963 and upgraded to 10-speed Campag "Record" front & rear mechs with handlebar control levers, Campag "Record" hubs with Weinm ann rims (27" high pressures <clinchers>)
Then, with a group of like-minded friends/fanatics, I joined the Delaune CC (www.delaunecc.org) at the beginning of 1964 (I'm 61, to save you trying to work it out)
This was a great time, mixing with riders that, until then, I'd only been re ading about in cycling magazines! Time trials, track racing, road racing - n one of it with any success, but it was great fun, although painful when I fe ll off, which I did regularly :-)
I upgraded bikes, getting a new "Youngs" frame made to measure - shorter top tube than the then standard, a shorter rear triangle, head and seat tubes a t 73° parallel, 2" fork rake and extended lugs everywhere. It was livel y, responsive and frightened me for weeks every time I hit a bump until I go t used to it. I still used my Stronglight/TA/Campag/Mafac set up but went cr azy and ordered new sprints - Fiamme rims on large, extremely large, bi gger-than-Campagnolo large-flange "Airlite Continental" hubs, topped off wit h 9 ounce Pirelli tubs <sew-ups>.
On the track I used a bright orange Holdsworth, Fiamme on Campag large flang e "Record" for wheels, and with a Cinelli "Major Taylor" adjustable stem.
I gave up in 1970, and moved on to the cars / motorbikes / marriage / childr en part of life.
I had a heart attack in 1997, which does tend to make you focus and wonder w hether you've got your priorities right.
In the rehab. they put us on stationary exercise bikes every day ... and I w as the group "champion" ..... which is a big deal after you've nearly left t he scene! The result was that I discovered biking again
Came out, bought an MTB and encountered modern bike technology. Got healthie r, certainly happier and started riding to work, building up to 80 miles a w eek, and on up to my now regular weekly minimum of 100 miles a week. Discove red Ebay at about the time I was hankering after a racing bike and started t o buy.
Now I've got my faithful (updated) MTB, a single-speed 62" fixed winter work bike, a Raleigh "Pursuit", 1980 or so, modified to 8-speed with STI for lon g winter rides, A Bianchi 905, about 1982, with the early Shimano 105 group, a Bianchi 609, totally modernized with 18-speed Shimano + STI for long Summ er rides .. but ....
I also have a Raleigh "Competition" from 1977, mostly SunTour parts, which I 'm restoring.
I haven't checked the frame number out yet, so I don't know what the origina l equipment was. It could be that a previous owner has "modified" it, but it looks good and I think I'm going to go for the spirit of the bike rather th an 100% historical accuracy.
However, this is just a practice for the master plan - to restore my old "Yo ungs" road bike to its 1970 condition.
I still have the frame and I'm slowly tracking down the parts. One day .. :- )
Geoff Margetts
Dreieich
Germany