Classic bike, classic holiday
Four decades of use from a trusty Brooks saddle, and 40 years since the first of many cycling holidays with Bicycle Beano.
Everything but the Dales *
The mid-Wales valleys {1}, rather than the Yorkshire Dales, are the more natural home of my Claud Butler ‘Dalesman’ bicycle, acquired June 1984. Just 6 weeks before going on the first Bicycle Beano, a week in the Upper Wye Valley starting from 4th August. The first of over fifty Beanos as punter and then crew member, and other trips with Rob and Jane, who ran the show. All told making a big difference to my cycling life.
The ‘classic’ Wye Valley Beano was based up the lane from the Wheelwrights pub in Erwood, but this 1984 version was across the valley at Ciliau. An equally big climb to the temporary campsite, near what was later recognised as an historic farm house {2}, some miles further to the pub. A previous bike was damaged by items working loose while hacking up and down hills, fully loaded, on a solo camping holiday just after purchase. So I was grateful that early Beanos were helpful in checking over the bike. Rob’s guidance on ‘bike fit’, especially saddle positioning, was also invaluable.
A couple of queries from the receipt above – why did they need to fit the Ever Cruddy light? – perhaps just convenience. And when was the Blackburn rear rack added? – there must have been some type of carrier put on in readiness for the Beano.
* I’ve always been known for carrying everything but the kitchen sink, then I added one of those too (a dolls house version).
A (re-)fitting celebration
The Dalesman saw me through every Beano, but has been enjoying a few years’ retirement. It had got rather out of condition, with the last major overhaul over 30 years ago {3}, so what better way to celebrate a double anniversary than a second refit to get the bike out on the road again?
My pedalling position might have been OK, but reaching the brakes was always a bit of a stretch. So, first up was a shorter handlebar stem (quill style), which I managed to fit myself after finding a way to exert sufficient leverage to extract the old one. Then over to the friendly local bike shop to put in a new chainset and block that I had sourced {4}. Many thanks to Matt at Detour for his skill and persistence in removing a very recalcitrant bottom bracket, even more seized up than the stem – some nail-biting this end waiting to see if he’d succeed before going off on family hols.
The biggest gamble was opting for shorter cranks. I greatly prefer the 170mm cranks on the Tour de Fer over the default 175mm on the Dalesman. Would going further to 165mm be a step too far (or too short)? {5} At time of writing I have only ridden a little way back from the bike shop, a very easy ride, but the 165s felt right.
Old cycling pals will no doubt be disappointed to learn that I no longer carry double panniers for the whole year, with instead a more compact rack-top bag (still Carradice) and a small bar bag during the warmer months.
Note replacement saddle, a Brooks B17. The original saddle was swapped over to the new steed in 2018 and continues in regular use.
No, this is not a Brooks B17, rather a B32 I believe (for some reason B18 had crept into my notes, but surely wrong). Not that there’s much difference to the B17 anyway. It didn’t really need any breaking in, at some point early on got the Neats Foot Oil treatment and was then pretty much ignored for several decades.
Notes
- And shush, don’t tell Rob, there are hills too.
- See entry on Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales website. There’s also a pdf report from a 2017 visit by Painscastle and Rhosgoch Community Council (shows the layout).
- The first refit back in 1991: 700c wheels rebuilt from 27″ ones with Campag hubs (which are still in use). This meant repositioning brake bosses so a chance to turn centre pulls into cantilevers. Ten speed (2×5) to 18 (3×6), and a sealed bottom bracket. The new chainset had 175mm cranks, a mistake but other sizes were too expensive. The bill was still over £500, and worth it!
- For those interested in this sort of detail: a Spa Cycles Stronglight mash-up, with a 24 tooth steel inner. This change from a 26 (originally 28) front largely compensates for the demise of 6-speed rear blocks with a lowest 32 tooth cog. (Yes you can get ones that go to 40, but with a huge jump in ratios.)
- One of the reasons for the newer bike being less tiring to ride (along with close ratio gears) is undoubtedly having 170mm on this Small model. The XS, which in some ways might have been a better choice, had 165s. A calculation done ages ago had suggested that 168 was the optimum length, with ’rounding down’ to the nearest available size recommended.