I`ve always regretted giving away my.........

Dawes Galaxy which once again I brought from Rory O`Brien in 1980, I really can`t remember how much I paid for it. But in those days Dawes Cycles were manufacture in Birmingham Eangland, and with every new cycle you got a 22 page owners manual. Which covered everything from riding technique to the derailleur system, also it had your model name and frame number, the Galaxy  number was CJ5823.

The Galaxy was the start of my touring, with Rough Stuff weekend along the Southdown Way, camping weekends in Suffolk & Cambridgeshire. Week long Youth Hostel tours, plus I rode the Galaxy on most club runs.

I can`t remember the year I had it respray black or why black? But the saddlebage in both photo`s is still in use today unlike those every-ready lamps!

I gave the Galaxy away to a neighbour in I think 1992 I didn`t ask anything for it just that he as much enjoyment on it that I had, the neighbour moved away sometime afterwards so I don`t know what happen to it!

I don`t know who wrote this but it always makes me smile....

CTC WEATHER

When Sunday dawns and it`s time to go

The wind gets up and it begins to snow

Through floods and storms we make our way

For the C.T.C this is a normal day.                                             

I joined the Youth Hostel Association in 1985 when......

Essex had four Youth Hostels, they were Colchester, Castle Hedingham, Epping and Saffron Walden, today they have all gone! But it wasn`t just Essex that lost their Hostels it was all over the country that Hostels were disappearing! And because of that I never renewed my membership in 2010.

Colchester seen above was the first to go in 1996, while Castle Hedingham was the last to go in 2008.
I used all of Essex Hostels mostly as a starting point for the start of my tours or coming back from them. Plus long weekend breaks were enjoyed either on my own or with club mates.

The Hostel above looks a bit remote but its only 1 mile along a rough track to Coniston in the Lake District. Coniston Coppermines is a lovely Hostel and I really enjoyed my 3 nights I stayed there, after an 8 day ride to reach it!
But my all time favourite Hostel is or was in Suffolk and called Alpheton and run by a guy called Vic. It was just right for me to have a steady day ride from home to this Hostel and I spent many long weekends here. It was a very simple Hostel, no hot water so you had to boil the kettle up for everything. It alway felt damp inside there even in the middle of a heatwave! But loved going there and was shocked when Vic who wasn`t that old died suddenly and his family sold up and moved away in 2000.

Alpheton Youth Hostel gone but never forgotten by me.

Another change of handlebars but this time on my......

Raleigh XC which I normally used as a winter bike, which I bought in 1990 from Bikechain (another cycle shop which is no longer) in Ardleigh Green, Hornchurch. I say bought, I part exchange it for my Ridgeback which I got for cycling to work in 1989 from Rory O`Brien. Paid £368 plus extra`s like for rear rack and mudguards.

I can`t remember how much extra I paid for the Raleigh, but again I had to have a rear rack put on. Do you like those pink toe-straps?

Of course over the years I`ve made some changes, like replacing the Shimano Biopace (non-round) chainrings, with a normal one. Tell you the truth I never really found it any different!

And so here`s the Raleigh today with its new straight handlebars, which I hope will keep me cycling a bit longer!

On my ride yesterday morning...

I met a cyclist who asked if I was on tour? No I said just out for a short ride to stretch the old legs! What confuse him and it does to many cyclists I meet, is my large saddlebag. I`ve always ridden with a saddlebag unless camping then it would be panniers. When I told this cyclist what I carry in my saddlebag he seemed a bit shocked! As all he carries is a mobile phone and a energy drink, and if he gets a puuncture or anything a phone call to the wife and out she comes with the car to collect him!
I`ve met a few cyclists in my time that never carry spares and I`ve always like a mug stop to help them out if I can, and normally it one of my spare inner tube I give away!
Anyway what`s in my saddlebag, well I always have a waterproof strapped on the top of the saddlebag even in the middle of a heatwave. In my tool pouch which fits nicely in a side pocket: puncture repair kit,3 tyre levers, assortment of spanners & allen keys, small screwdriver, small pilers, small penkife, spoke key, chain link extractor, small tube of oil and spare gear/brake cable.
In other side pocket my wallet, mobile phone, then in the main compartment 2 spare inner tubes, disposable gloves & rag, first aid kit, camera, notebook & pen, spare glasses, and lock. If I`m out all day then a packed lunch even though I may go into a cafe/pub for lunch. But on all my rides I always carry a couple of slices of Soreen Malt loaf, which I find will keep the bonk or hunger knock away.

Its not really a....

Rory O`Brien it started out as a Romany R2 made in England by Revell and distributed by Madison Cycles of London. I saw it advertise in the Freewheel catalogue and thought yes that my new tourer! So I ordered it from Rory O`Brien  with a £30 deposit on it and picked it up on Feb 6th 1987 and paid £500 plus £26 for a Blackburn rear carrier. After many happy miles of touring/club rides I decide to have a respray done and a nice new colour, so back to Rory O`Brien in 1998 to get it done. Six weeks later I went to collect it, there she is said the shop assistant, looking good innit? Where? There he said, oh I said yer got the colour right but it was a Romany now its Rory O`Brien! I knew it was my frame as two years earlier I had knocked my workstand over and it had fell onto the top tube and left a small dent there.
Hmmm, okay sorry about this but its such a lovely frame it should have been one of ours, said the shop assistant, but if you want another respray it will take another 6-8 weeks. I was going on tour in two weeks so I paid the bill and really did mean to go back after my tour, which of course I never did.
Most of my club mates know this story, whilst cyclists I meet on the road and say what lovely looking Rory O`Brien you have there, I just agree with them. But those cyclists that look with knowing eyes that its not what it says on the frame I come clean with them and tell the story. So even if its not really what its says on the frame it given me many happy cycling miles and more to come I hope.

Before:

After:

Today:

My love of cycling...

...really started in 1979 when the local Bus company decide to change its Sunday morning timetable. Meaning that after a 12 hours night shift I had a choice of either walking the 7 miles home or wait for 2 hours for the first Bus. I didn`t fancy either and with no driving license and I still don`t have one I decide to get a Bike! So off to Rory O`Brien Cycle shop in North Street, Romford I went and came out with a Dawes Lightning. Having not ridden a cycle since my teens (about 12 years) I found the 11 miles ride home a bit wobbly at first but got there in the end. The plan was just to cycle into work on my weekend night shifts, but I got the cycling bug and started going out on my days off. I joined the Cyclists Touring Club in August 1980 and still a member today.
The most memorable ride on the Lightning was to Mersea Island, can`t remember what the mileage was though I did have a Huret Cyclometer but never kept a record of my mileage in those days. To reach Mersea Island you have to cross the Strood, which was dry going but coming back the tide had come in, oops! I waited around for awhile but in the end I decide to go for it and learned a lesson that day, seawater and bottom brackets not good! Still I made it home even if there was a strange noise coming from the bottom bracket.
I really can`t remember what happen to the Dawes Lightning must have either sold it or gave it away.