In 1990 football came home and it was a great summer, at least if you were English and believed the Holy trinity of New Order, Keith Allen and John Barnes. Momentous as that was, I remember summer 1991 with a touch more fndness.
I was at University and had sold my bike (Marin Palisades) because I needed the money. I then got a call from a friend, a sub 50 minute 10 mile runner, that we had entered the first Polaris. Sounded great, but I didn't have a bike. I was swiftly told "get yourself to Geoffrey Butler's, big man" where a Stumpjumper was waiting for me, paid for by my friend (I had to pay him back I may add). Cutting back through Richmond Park on the way home, all felt good. The Polaris was great too, made all the better by my mate's quivering bottom lip as I pushed him up the climbs (he was in charge of food and had bought a fun size back of Boost, a fun size pack of Mars and 57p worth of bananas. For 2. For 2 days).
I won't bore further/again with my vaguely Stumpjumper related tales. Before Christmas I decided I should get a Stumpjumper again and was surprised when my search did not yield instant results - I thought these bikes were reasonably common BITD. Anyway, I was contacted by an American guy off here who offered me one pretty much complete for postage only. I was and an staggered by this generosity. Many, many thanks Steve.
So what we have here is the finished article, unridden as I'm currently in the latter stages of manflu. The only bits I needed to add were forks, wheels, bars, shifters and saddle. I haven't tried to make it exactly like what I had in the 90s but to get it how I want it now and I'm really pleased with the result on the round the garden ride - it felt like home.
Altogether now "It's coming home, it's coming home, it's coming, football's coming home"
I was at University and had sold my bike (Marin Palisades) because I needed the money. I then got a call from a friend, a sub 50 minute 10 mile runner, that we had entered the first Polaris. Sounded great, but I didn't have a bike. I was swiftly told "get yourself to Geoffrey Butler's, big man" where a Stumpjumper was waiting for me, paid for by my friend (I had to pay him back I may add). Cutting back through Richmond Park on the way home, all felt good. The Polaris was great too, made all the better by my mate's quivering bottom lip as I pushed him up the climbs (he was in charge of food and had bought a fun size back of Boost, a fun size pack of Mars and 57p worth of bananas. For 2. For 2 days).
I won't bore further/again with my vaguely Stumpjumper related tales. Before Christmas I decided I should get a Stumpjumper again and was surprised when my search did not yield instant results - I thought these bikes were reasonably common BITD. Anyway, I was contacted by an American guy off here who offered me one pretty much complete for postage only. I was and an staggered by this generosity. Many, many thanks Steve.
So what we have here is the finished article, unridden as I'm currently in the latter stages of manflu. The only bits I needed to add were forks, wheels, bars, shifters and saddle. I haven't tried to make it exactly like what I had in the 90s but to get it how I want it now and I'm really pleased with the result on the round the garden ride - it felt like home.
Altogether now "It's coming home, it's coming home, it's coming, football's coming home"
