They’re stoked, are you?

As you can see Charlie Kelly, Gary Fisher, Joe Breeze, Charlie Cunningham and Fairfax Pat are getting stoked by the idea of OWMTBC09, are you? It’s just six weeks until 4th and 5th September 2009 and there are still some places available but you need to be quick – see www.owmtbc.org for an entry form and more information. Sponsored by Retrobike and Howies there will be plenty of prizes and the format means that the fastest rider is very unlikely to win – how cool would it be to be World Champion?

There will only be one chance to be at the first World Champs dedicated solely to old bikes and in years to come many people will lay a claim and proudly announce “I was there”. Don’t just make the claim, actually be there!

See you in Holland

The OWMTBC09 Organisers

Another month another outstanding bike. This 1991 Funk Pro Comp belongs to Felixdelrio aka Andreas, the site’s #1 purveyor of leftfield brands!

Felixdelrio & 1991 Funk Pro Comp

As you all might know I am the e-stay maniac. This is my fav ecs bike the 1991 Funk Pro Comp with the quite rare Black/Magenta/Fluo-Green paint scheme and matching Big Fork. I bought this bike back in 2005 from a Berlin based collector. At this time the bike was unridden, a true virgin. During the last years I changed a lot of parts and now everything is perfect. Most of the parts are NOS. I rode the Funk mostly 1-2 times per week it’s truly a dream ride … FUNKY!

1991 Funk Pro Comp rear end detail

1991 Funk Pro Comp handlebar detail

A class build from one of retrobike’s #1 builders. Over to retroking#1 for a brief write up on his Ritchey Team Comp

Retroking#1’s Ritchey Team Comp

Like a lot of you when you find retrobike you start reading threads on bikes and parts you knew nothing about. As a result I got interested in building a early bike and when I met velomaniac at Cannock, riding the McSchwinn, and knowing al was advertising a Ritchey frame and fork I was hooked. A few PMs to al and I had got myself what turned out to be a Ritchey Team Comp frame and fork. Using the link from this site I found http://www.oldmountainbikes.com so now I knew what I had to find. So with the help of ebay I found the bars, rims, mechs, cranks, shifters, levers, brakes, saddle, seatpost and bottom bracket in the USA. Cassette, headset and rear hub came from Germany. Front hub was from Israel. Pedals, cables and tyres were from cycle jumbles here in the UK.

After putting it all together I added it to the readers bikes section and waited to be slaughtered by the guys in the USA. Instead I got a pleasant surprise so once again thanks to all!

And the best bit I get to use it………

Retroking#1’s Ritchey Team Comp apres ride

Following from it’s feature on the front page Sinnett177’s Raleigh takes a win in the June 2009 “team bike special” edition bike of the month.

Next up in the twenty questions series is an interview with Ross Shafer of Salsa Cycles fame. Enjoy!

Ross Shafer at work

Retrobike: Hi Ross, how’s life?

Ross Shafer: Howdy Auggie, life is quite grand all considered, I’ve got a dream wife, an awesome home in the country, a talented son who actually took my advice (imagine that!) to follow his heart instead of other’s expectations and is just beginning his career as a tattoo artist, a bitchin’ new job, I’m playing guitar in a great band with an awesome songwriter, and after 40 years of wanting to do so I’ve finally taken the plunge and am learning to play the pedal steel guitar! Oh yeah, I’ve still got all my hair and it ain’t even gray yet! Just call me lucky!

RB: What’s your favourite (music) album?

RS: Shit man, that’s a tough one…hmmm…can’t pick a single fave. Three of my all time favorites are The Lamb lies down on Broadway by Genesis, Tales to Topographic Oceans by Yes and Larks Tongue in Aspic by Kind Crimson, but then there’s anything by Stevie Ray Vaughn and Robben Ford…that said the only CD’s I’ve been listening to for the last 6 months are two pedal steel discs by Bobbe Seymour who runs Steel Guitar Nashville. Oops, that’s more than three faves isn’t it…. I’m kinda schizo when it comes to music.

RB: Why the name Salsa? Latin spirit flowing through Cali? Or spill some on your flip flops at a “Let’s start a bike company, but what are we going to call it?” meeting and see the lightbulbs switch on around the (pool)* table?

*we know how you smooth laid back Californians do things, all pool tables instead of boardroom tables and beach meetings with babes and tequila…. (envious – ed).

RS: I was never very good at pool….or swimming for that matter. Actually, I just got tired of trying to explain the name I used before Salsa, “Red Bush” (if you can’t figure it out on your own, don’t ask!) and I was eating a bottle of Salsa everyday for lunch at the time….some of which definitely found its way into my Birkenstocks. The babes and tequila came into play after renaming my frames “Salsa”.

Ross Shafer at work

RB: Of all of them, what is your favourite Salsa bike part/ frame?

RS: Favorite Salsa bike part…damn, you ask hard questions….Probably the lycra and lace “Helmet Panties”. I like the red lace best. Yes, I know, its not technically a bike part…sue me. We sold a shitload of those suckers. Too bad helmets all have boring plastic with goony graphics covering them now.

(more…)

There are only three weeks to go until the inaugural RetroBike Big Dirty Weekender which this year is located in “God’s own Yorkshire”.

It’s shaping up to be a great weekend with some quality riding and general retro goodness over two days. We have a superb 15 mile old skool route on the Saturday through the glorious forests and moorland of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park and RetroBike’s Gil_M will be leading us around some of his favourite parts of Dalby Forest on the Sunday. We hope to have around 80 retro bikes on display including the largest ever gathering of old skool PACE bikes. We also have The Repack Downhill Challenge, a stage event over the two days of riding, a concours event with several classes and prizes, The ‘Cock o The North’ trials event, special guests, trade stands and Saturday night BBQ, music, drinks and chat into the early hours.
We have secured the exclusive use of a campsite behind a traditional country pub serving fine ales and good food. Secure storage is available for bikes whilst we are out riding and we have been guaranteed a great Yorkshire welcome by our hosts.

Camping is payable on the day and is just £7. Cooked breakfasts will be available on Sunday morning. Limited edition T-shirts are available (please pre order) for just £8. Further details can be found here.

Hope to see you all up on’t moor

Dr. S for the North East and Yorkshire Area Group