Mustang. Maverick. Cobra. All names from history of the UK MTB scene which stir the hearts of the true connoisseur. Yes, they were built from hi-tensile steel. Yes, they were better suited to the paper round than genuine off road. But still these early Raleigh’s and their ilk hold fond memories for many retrobikers of a certain age. The Retrobike West Midlands crew decided to celebrate these 35lbs plus behemoths with their Scrapyard challenge ride. Several brave riders toughed out the rain in the Forest of Dean with their side pull calipers and five speed friction shift gears to take on the first scrapyard challenge, check the full aftermath here.
(more…)

Sunday 28th April saw the belated kick off of the Retrobike National Event Series 2013 at Shropshire’s Long Mynd.

Twenty four riders turned out on a fine selection of (mostly) retro machinery to tackle the excellent trails of the Long Mynd and equally excellent ale and food at the lunchtime pub stop.

Highlights include

*The cracking Long Mynd trails (naturally)

*The tank (soon to be seen on a street near Coventry)

*The pub stop (did we mention that)

*The descent off the Mynd opposite Minton Batch

To check the full Retrobike Long Mynd Aftermath thread please click here.

Next ride is Aviemore in May, see you there (more…)

To quote Jean-Luc Godard, a story should have a beginning, middle and end but not necessarily in that order. Previous readers will have noticed a distinct theme – enthusiastic amateur cyclist takes on a decent but definitely attainable challenge, fails to prepare bike or body, has an unfortunate toilet related incident, suffers a setback that surely heralds failure but somehow muddles through to the end. But not this time baby, oh no. And not only because I didn’t have cause to utter waar is het toilet alstublieft? once.

I really wasn’t having much fun. And I only had myself to blame. The wind was bitter, my shoulders slumped and I’d last seen my cycling companions a couple of hours previously. I also had no idea where I was or how far I had to go. But what I did know was that I had Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg still to come plus “a 10 mile slow tap” back to the campsite afterwards. Suddenly the gung ho bragging the night before about not carrying food and drink didn’t seem so clever. Clearly I’d cooked my own spleen, farted into a fan if you will.

I’d ridden the Ronde van Vlaanderen with Ruddock and The Mechanic in 2012 and, quite bizarrely, wanted to return. This time I was with a different group, keen and lean cyclists all who were thinking nothing of riding 10 miles to the start (easy enough) and then 10 miles home again at the end (dear god). Weighing myself before leaving home, I was just shy of 16 stone and with the defined musculature of Spam. Julian, who I was travelling with, was 11 stone and had written strategies for food, clothing and hydration. But I’m getting well ahead of myself so, embracing the spirit of La Nouvelle Vague, I’ll go back to the start.
(more…)

Retrobike rides are a great way to meet other forum members, see some fantastic bikes and ride some great terrain.
As always there will be plenty going on this year.
Anyone is welcome to come along and join in.

• Click for details of the eight round Retrobike National MTB Event Series.

• The new Retrobike RetroRoadRide Series is here, click for details.

• and you can find out what’s going on each month on the Retrobike National & Regional Rides Calendar.

• Retrobike members will riding be at Mountain Mayhem and The Fat Tyre Festival in Fort William.

You can also find out what’s going on in your local area group too by checking out the Area Group forum.

:: Date: Thursday 27th December 2012
:: Distance/time: 18 miles or so spread out over a day’s riding with plenty of fuel stops and banter. Several short cut options available too.
:: Meeting at: Birches Valley Car Park, Cannock Chase. Please arrive by 10 a.m. for a 10.30 a.m. start.
:: Directions: Postcode: WS15 2UQ
:: Terrain: Forest trails, mainly man made.
:: Route: The morning will be the ‘Monkey Trail’, and after a stop for food we may head off for some more riding and perhaps a bit of off piste stuff.

It’s the day after Boxing Day and you’ll no doubt still be bitterly disappointed about the lack of NOS XTR M900 in your Xmas stocking. You’ll probably want to drown your sorrows in fizzy beer and consume your own body weight in mince pies and mulled wine.
If so, snap out of it!
This will be the perfect opportunity to escape from the Xmas food fest and shed a pound or two in the Cannockshire mud.

This ride has attracted nearly 50 riders in the past so it’s a great place to put some faces to those forum names.

After some riding there will be a fine selection of mulled wine, mince pies and maybe some fine ale.
There will also probably be a bit of a cycle jumble going on after the ride, so bring along any bits you want to swap, sell or give away as part of the festivities.

The winners and runners up in the Retrobike National Series will also be announced after the ride.

There will probably be a few people keen to get there for an 8am ‘early bird’ ride. For the rest it’s a 10am meet up with a 10:30am ride start.

Sign up on this thread!

Right, let’s get something straight from the off. I like cycling, enjoy company and love red wine. Put all three together in Tuscany sounded perfect with nothing that could possibly deflect from sheer, unrelenting enjoyment. No matter what follows, I just want to be clear about that before I get started, that’s all.

L’Eroica (“the heroic one”) is an annual event in Tuscany that celebrates the great, bygone era of cycling before doping, science and sideburns were so prevalent. Based in Gaiole in Chianti, l’Eroica started in 1997 as a way to celebrate cycling history but also to halt the paving over of the strade bianche, the white dirt roads that cross cross the region. 15 years on, l’Eroica is wildly popular with entry list closing almost as fast as it opens – there is even a professional event in the Spring and the Giro has used the strade bianche in recent years too (cue images of ghostly looking riders, covered from head to toe in ‘Tuscan toothpaste’). The concept is simple – ride one of a series of distances, on an old bike, in period clothing, stopping only to snack on cured meats, local cheeses and robust red wines from the region. Bike wise there are really only three rules – downtube shifters, exposed brake cables and pedals with toeclips and straps although many take it further with 1930s (and earlier) bikes and period clothing including Breton style heavy sweaters and goggles. I’d had a go in 2010 on a relatively modern Nuovo Record equipped Raleigh Panasonic and this years running allowed for an extended stay in the region to coincide with my 46th birthday – what was not to like? Staying up until midnight to ensure an entry, I was in. So were James and Melvin. Bring on la belle epoch!

Click here to read the full article.

Sunday saw the first running of a National Series ride on Shropshire’s Long Mynd – apparently the most westerly part of the East Midlands. Thirty riders and their retro bikes took part in an excellent 20 miles of riding under blue skies. Thanks once again to Bikefood for their excellent support. The full Retrobike Long Mynd aftermath thread can be found here

I blame Pervy Bob. Or his dad. Or possibly even his beautiful, unobtainable, older sister (she was two years older which meant that at the time she was pretty much Mrs. Robinson. Oh, and she spoke fluent French which only added to the unobtainable mystique). Actually, most of all I blame Pervy Bob, and not only for the effect the following had on me.

Back in 1986 I was at college and Pervy Bob invited me for a weekend in Nelson; despite his name this was in no way sinister. Having enjoyed a pleasantly boozy Saturday night I was a bit put out to be raised from my slumber in the attic at some unearthly hour the next morning to go and watch Pervy Bob’s dad perform unspeakable acts in public. I must admit that I was a little unnerved to be standing on a desolate and godforsaken hillside with no idea what to come – and then men appeared racing down the grass on bikes. Very fragile looking bikes heading at top speed down a gradient that would have given me pause for thought about walking down. Occassionally one rider would decide to leave his bike behind while performming acrobatic feats rarely seen outside of Billy Smart’s Big Top – I swear to this day that one bearded fellow exited over the bars, performed a perfect forward roll to standing and proceeded to run down the hill (no mean acomplishment when the bike was fitted with toeclips and straps pulled tight and he was wearing studded Walsh fell running shoes), although the effect was slightly spoiled when he had to return up the slope to retrieve his bike. Memory may be betraying me (again) but the fact that it was a grassy slope indicates that I was spectating on the descent off Ingleborough near Cold Cotes but I was awestruck by what I was seeing – this was well before the days that mountainbikes were ubiquitous and I wasn’t one of those kids who went scrambling around the local woods on a hopped up Raleigh Arena – and there was no way that I would ever achieve the levels of fitness never mind skill to match these wiry men of iron. But I was intrigued and an itch started that wouldn’t even be mentioned, let alone scratched, until 21 years later in 2007.

Click here to read the full article.

Iconic East Coast framebuilders Fat City are celebrating 30 years by holding a gathering in Vermont this weekend.

“We are celebrating all the fun, joy and excitement folks have had riding their Fats all over the world. We’re gathering the last weekend in September in Morrisville, VT, to ride, eat, drink, share our stories and exploits…and more! All are welcome, especially if you have a good story, love Fats or have an old Fat to bring and ride. Share your Fat story with founder Chris Chance. He will love to hear it!”

Check the webpage or the post on FatCOGs for more details.

Another year, another excellent Peaks meet. For 2012 the meet was part of the Retrobike 2012 National Events series and was kindly supported by Bikefood. Once again the meet proved to be one of the most well attended of the season with almost forty riders out. Plenty of quality old school metal was on display, everything from a 80s Dawes to a box fresh Klein. The full Retrobike Peaks Ride aftermath thread can be found here

Round 5 of the Retrobike National Event Series with support from Bikefood took place North of the Border at Innerleithen. Another great day out, click here for full aftermath.

The fourth round of the 2012 Retrobike National Event Series with support from Bikefood saw twenty brave riders ignore the Met Office forecast and enjoy the excellent trails on the Yorkshire Dales. Click here for full aftermath.

Another year, another outstanding Retrobike raid on Mountain Mayhem. The weather may have made the main event a little flat but the retrobike camp was bigger and better than ever –we’ve almost got our own event within an event 8)
Check the Retrobike MM12 aftermath thread for the full reports.
Highlights include-
• Camp Retrobike. A ray of sunshine amongst the mud. Or something.
• Support from Bikefood and Church End Brewery.
• Retrobike Beer, BBQ and tunes.
• Some riding. It was muddy.
• Supporting / heckling riders.

Bring on the sunshine for MM 2013

Mountain Mayhem 2012 is looking to be the biggest and best ever for Retrobike. The weekend’s schedule is now finalised. So whether you’re racing solo or just coming along to hang out and heckle there will be something for you. Click here for full schedule. Once again we’ll be supported in our efforts by Bikefood who will be supplying Sports Nutrition. We’re also getting support from Church End Brewery who’ll be supplying some Retrobike Beer

Highlights include
• The Retrobike Concours Show
• BBQ
• Retrobike Beer
• International Dual Jenga Knockout
• Flea Market
• DJ Isosceles
• The Blagathon
• Trackside heckle tent
• The megaphone
• The intruder
• Some racing (perhaps).

See you at MM

Church End Brewery in North Warwickshire UK have brewed up this fine ale which is available now and for the next three weeks from selected pubs in the region and from the brewery direct. Brewers Karl and Spencer who are Retrobike regulars organised a road ride from the brewery over the weekend, click here for the aftermath, the retrobike beer was of course sampled mid and apres ride. In the name of journalistic integrity your correspondent sampled numerous pints of the ale over the long weekend (here in the UK at least) and is pleased to report the Retrobike ale not only has a fine taste but also has the desired and expected effects. If you can’t get hold of any from the brewery you’ll have a chance to sample some Retrobike beer at Mountain Mayhem