Cleland Highpath Birthday Ride - Wendover??

mrkawasaki

http://www.james-walters.net/cleland/the-birthday-ride.html

Anyone know if there is a ride this Sunday?

Mr K

GrahamJohnWallace · Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 11:47 pm Post subject:

I organise the annual Cleland/Highpath owners reunion ride.

This is a very small event/meeting, of people involved in the early days of the sport in Britain. There are only a handful of bikes still in running order as they are 20 to 30 years old. (in some cases the owners have worn out before their bikes)

The event is usually attended by Geoff Apps, the father of British Mountain biking, who comes down from Scotland for the event.

It takes place whatever the weather and usually runs on after dark.

Details are on the Cleland Website.

http://www.james-walters.net/cleland/the-birthday-ride.html

Thanks,

Graham Wallace

GrahamJohnWallace · Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 9:07 pm Post subject:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEOFF Very Happy

May all today's "digital shifts" be smoother than ever Exclamation

GrahamJohnWallace · Posted: Fri Sep 11, 2009 8:07 pm Post subject: The 2009 Wendover 'Birthday' Bash

2009 Birthday ride

This year's annual 'Cleland' reunion ride will take place on Sunday 6th December 2009.

Starting from the Petit Cafe (formally the Landon Tearooms) in Wendover Buckinghamshire.

This ride has a long tradition going back to when back in 1982, Geoff Apps' no getting off for the tricky bits philosophy, changed the nature of the local Roughstuff Fellowship ride forever.

GrahamJohnWallace · Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2009 11:30 pm Post subject:

Preparations for the 2009 "Cleland" Birthday Ride are well underway.

This years Highlights include:

* Geoff Apps and his new 2010 model 29er Cleland

* a recently re-discovered and unrestored, 1983 Cleland Aventura (photo)

* rediscovered friends, from the pioneering days of mountain biking, joining
the ride once more

* lots of mud

RetroBikers welcome Very Happy

mrkawasaki · Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 12:04 am Post subject:

That bicycle is a peach - get it in BoTM pronto!

What's the story behind the find??

Mr K

GrahamJohnWallace · Posted: Wed Dec 02, 2009 2:02 pm Post subject:

Geoff Apps' new 2010 prototype, 29er Cleland.

robertpb · Newbie Joined: 09 Dec 2008 Posts: 3 Location: ESSEX

It was a good ride, with no precipitation, but plenty of mud.

At one point I thought I saw Geoff with an oxygen mask on as he was so high up on the new bike.

That 27 years visiting the same cafe, must be an MTB record.

The ultimate rolling mountain bike history lesson.

Thanks everyone for the chat and the good company, we'll do it all again next year, by then I'll have my bus pass, Ill also keep up the training.

Smile

John · Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 6:34 pm Post subject:

robertpb · Newbie Joined: 09 Dec 2008 Posts: 3 Location: ESSEX

No doubt Graham will be along soon with some pics.

GrahamJohnWallace · Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 7:47 pm Post subject:

I will post a few pictures soon, though I mostly recorded the ride on video with my new "Hat Cam" I will find out about putting some footage on YouTube.

The day did indeed go well apart from a modern bike that packed up about 1pm with a split front tyre and rubbing front brakes and a leaky airshock, and all before we found the serious mud. They don’t make bikes like they used to as the 1983 Cleland (No5) and the 1986 Highpath (No1), had no problems all day.

The new owner of the 1983 Cleland only started enjoying the ride after I let about 50 psi of air pressure out of his tyres at lunchtime. He did not realize that the tyres are traditionally run at about 15 psi. And no, you don't get pinch punctures with Cleland tyres. I have never had a pinch puncture in 25 years of riding this way).

I again won the cleanest (end of ride) chain prize with my new Cleland/NRS design. This was mainly due to the plastic tubes I have installed around the chain. Although the fact that I was the only judge may have helped.

All in all a very good ride, and due to the mild-ish weather, we achieved a talking to riding ratio of about 8:2. With global warming, this record may be broken next year. In which case the ride could be a keen contender for the ride with the longest stops record as well as that of the oldest annual mountain bike ride in Britain.

Graham.

robertpb · Newbie Joined: 09 Dec 2008 Posts: 3 Location: ESSEX

Well I'm going to claim the steepest climb of the day fastest bike of the day and the most hammered bike of the day, with no break-downs.

Commencal Meta 5.5 2008.

GrahamJohnWallace · Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 11:40 pm Post subject:

Hi Robert.

Can I claim the steepest climb, whilst maintaining the cleanest chain, on the day before the ride?

This of course takes precedence to anything that happened on the ride itself. Very Happy

GrahamJohnWallace · Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 12:17 am Post subject:

Some 2009 Birthday Ride Photos

mrkawasaki · Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 3:30 am Post subject:

Thanks for the report - sorry to have missed this (again)!

Hopefully we can see a Highpath/Cleland or two in Wales next September...

Mr K