Back in 1995 the iconic UK MTB video Dirt was filmed in and around the grounds of Pete Tomkins’ house in Yorkshire. Tragically one of the stars would never see the finished cut – UK MTB legend Jason McRoy’s life was cut short in August 1995.

The McRoy family have owned the bike Jason rode since then but have now decided to place it up for sale, click here to see JMC’s Specialized S-Works from Dirt auction on ebay and click here to discuss in the forum.

The bike has been cherished ever since and is specced as it was for the video – with the exception of the pedals and saddle. The small S-Works frame features carbon specialized suspension forks up front, partial XT groupset, Avid brakeset, DT hugi hubs, Azonic risers and of course a red Dave’s Chain Device aka the DCD. This S-Works was also raced by JMC on the dual slalom circuit that year. This is a unique chance to own a genuine piece of UK MTB history. Read on for more images of the bike..
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The April 2013 Photo of The Month #PoTM contest was won by yo-Nate-y’s ‘Continuity’.

Now taking nominations for the May 2013 contest entitled ‘The Great Escape’.

Click here to see yo-Nate-y’s shot in all it’s glory (more…)

What is the most iconic retro mountain bike component of all time? We here at retrobike plan to try and find out or at least gain some sort of consensus from the forum. Simply make your nomination on the iconic retro mtb component thread here and see if the retrobike massive agree with your reasoning.

Will it be the XT thumbshifter? Cooks cranks? Grafton cantis? XT v-brake? 200lx plastic coated cranks?

We’ll leave it with you….

Further to the last post the forum is back up following the software upgrade (as it has been for many many days). Check the upgraded retro bike forum here.

As some may have noticed the forum is down for maintenance, hopefully back up later today, 30th January 2013.

Three monthly retrobike polls are now up

The Bike of The Month (BoTM) poll for November 2012 is now up, click here to get your votes in now!

Road Bike of The Month (rBoTM) poll for October / November 2012 is also now up. Click here to get your votes in now!

Photo of The Month (PoTM) poll for November 2012 is also now up. Click here to get your votes in now!

The Bike of The Month 98+ contest is currently taking nominations for the November / December Winter Special contest.

Here is your chance to get hold of one of the late great Jason McRoy’s jerseys, this is the one he wore at the ’92 Worlds in Bromont. The Jason McRoy jersey is currently on eBay, all proceeds go to Children in Need, click here to view the auction (and bid) or click here to discuss on the forum.

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.

UK based online retailer Kinetic Rush have dug out their John Tomac Raleigh for display in their Leamington shop, John Atkins Cycles. What this means for us is they’ve done a whole load of great pictures of this iconic machine, enjoy the images This Tomac Raleigh was purchased direct from Raleigh UK by the store owner back in the 90s and is believed to be a Merlin built model.
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Bigger and better Bespoked Bristol rides back into town!

Bespoked Bristol, The UK Handmade Bicycle Show, returns from March 23rd to 25th 2012. With over 70 leading independent makers from the UK, Italy, France, USA and Germany coming to Brunel’s Old Station to showcase some of the most beautiful and desirable cycles on earth.
Now in its second year, the event provides a platform for the public, industry and press to meet artisan bicycle makers and share ideas.
Organisers Phil and Tessa Taylor are promising a bigger and better show for 2012: exhibitor numbers have doubled since last June’s inaugural event at Paintworks, Bristol, requiring a move to a larger venue. This will allow space for more stands, a dedicated area highlighting the work of up-and-coming frame builders.
Phil said: “This is the place for the public, industry and press to meet independent makers and designers of everything bicycle. We are working hard at putting together the best show we possibly can for Bespoked Bristol 2012. On the strength of last year’s show, we have managed to exceed all our expectations and pull in some of the best builders from the UK, Italy, France, USA and Germany.”
Among the confirmed exhibitors are UK legends Rourke, Roberts, Mercian, Mather, Condor and Argos. New young builders Donhou, Feather, Demon and Ted James. Italian maestros Pegoretti, Cinelli, Zullo (Mosquito) and US innovators Crisp, Independent Fabrication, Moots and Waterford. (more…)

Paul Brodie (of Brodie bicycle fame) is running a frame building course in conjunction with the University of Fraser Valley (UFV) in Abbotsford, BC, Canada. The course is titled “Brodie Frame Building School 101″ and includes a brief MTB history, frame design/geometry, tube selection, full-scale drawing, shop safety, tube-mitreing, jigs and fixtures, welding/brazing, frame alignment, and finish work. Full details of timing and how to sign up on the UFV website > http://www.ufv.ca/bicycleframe.

Retrobike member Milko aka Matt Burton has had several of his illustrations published in the latest issue of Peloton magazine. The illustrations can be seen in issue 9 of Peloton which is out in the UK this week, full details on the Peloton website. Check Matt’s website http://www.milkoillustration.co.uk/ for more examples of his work.

DaCorsa are a group of German enthusiasts who restore and ride retro road bikes part as hobby part as business. There are some top draw bikes and pictures on the site including some shots from L’Eroica 2011, well worth a look here > www.dacorsa.de . Click here to discuss in the forum.

The Bicycle Academy sounds like a great project happening here in Somerset, UK. Check full details in their press release below.

“A place to learn how to make bikes. You keep the skills, your first bike goes to someone who really needs it”

The Bicycle Academy is a new enterprise providing people with the skills and facilities to design and make their own bikes. Frame building will be taught by the legendary Brian Curtis as evening classes or short weekday courses from The Bicycle Academy workshop in Frome, Somerset. As part of the learning process each student will make a frame to be donated to people in Africa, then once graduated students will be able to use The Bicycle Academy workshop to hone their skills and build their own frames. (more…)

So August draws to a close after a superb month of riding. The weather perhaps hasn’t been ideal for most of use but the local and national RetroBike rides scene has been in full flow. The national series crossed the border into Scotland for a memorable ride around Drumlanrig. The hospitality was amasing and with the Tunnocks weighing heavy we took on the slippery roots and rocks with smiles from ear to ear. A full aftermath more pictures than you shake a stick at, can be found here.

September is as always a Peaks month. On Saturday September 10th we will once more be tackling the stunning Peak District, starting out from Hope. Full details can found here. As always RetroRides are free to attend, leisurely paced and great banter is guaranteed.

Click here to read full retrobike rides September 2011 newsletter.