Old Bloke On An Old Bike

The story of the restoration of a 1950s classic bicycle for a Land's End – John O'Groats charity ride in aid of Alzheimer's Society

30 May 2015: Training begins….

A chance to do a long ride yesterday, to begin the year-long training campaign. We arranged to meet some of the family for lunch at 12.15 at Hemingford Grey – … Continue reading

May 31, 2015

15 May 2015: The joy of cycling museums!

I’m very lucky – I have lots of opportunity to travel for work. I’m writing this in Italy, where I’ve made a detour to Florence to visit the Museo “Gino … Continue reading

May 15, 2015

25 Apr 2015: We have a logo!

I am assured by my friends in PR (who are not numerous) that every serious enterprise needs a logo. So here it is, cunningly constructed from two letters “O” in … Continue reading

April 25, 2015

12 Apr 2015: Our first test – Eroica Britannia

The Ellis-Briggs will face her first serious test in June, at the Eroica Britannia – a wonderful festival for vintage (pre-1987) bikes, held in Bakewell Derbyshire. There are three routes … Continue reading

April 12, 2015 · 1 Comment

12 Apr 2015: Nearly done!

Well, she’s now built up and nearly complete – 14 months early. I had thought it would take much longer to track down the right sort of old components and … Continue reading

April 12, 2015

10 Apr 2015: The dangers of addiction…

The Ellis-Briggs is nearing completion and she’s lovely. The only problem is… I’ve so enjoyed building her that I’m now a cycle restoration addict.  So much so that I’ve now … Continue reading

April 10, 2015 · 1 Comment

1 Mar 2015: Action!

After ages messing about with the spacing of the hub and freewheel, I think I’ve managed to get the chainline more or less right, so that the drivetrain now works (sort … Continue reading

March 1, 2015

28 Feb 2015: Lights!

If there’s one area of cycle development that has really transformed things, it’s lighting. LED lights and rechargeable Nickel-Cadmium or Nickel-metal Hydride batteries are so much brighter and more efficient … Continue reading

March 1, 2015

8 Feb 2015: The first ride…

… of at least 20 metres! Well, I put tyres on the wheel rims and, after an age fiddling around with spacers, managed to get the back wheel centred, and … Continue reading

February 8, 2015

26 Jan 2016: Wheels!

The wheels are a worry – if one breaks catastrophically on a fast descent, I’ll be in deep trouble. The problem is that 65 year-old rims and hubs were poorly … Continue reading

January 26, 2015