ooh a toughie for me ... still cant decide as I'm writing.
On one hand I luv the viscount. A 70's bike that was way ahead of the opposition and around at the time I first started out with the CTC. Even by todays standards this was a light steel frame. and remember, it was no custom build special it was a shop stock special competing with raleighs and vikings. The death fork and cartridge bottom bracket were a mistake (IMO). A very well turned out bike evoking nostalgia.

and then theres the gazelle - soo nice, great colour, lovely set up and altho' retro, could still cut it as a serious club run racer in todays world. Wish it were mine (too big anyway).

So, which to go for?? Viscount, thanks for the nostalgic memories

Easy this month , the Somec , by a country mile. Anyone can throw a NOS frame and groupset together (anyone with deep pockets that is ) and have a "period perfect " classic racer , but it takes skill and a real eye for detail to create a machine as classy as this . Love the paint job with the full chrome rear end and the subtle graphics. Extra kudos for the polishing on the cranks and brakes. Going for Record chainrings and seatpost instead of the more obvious Super Record is genius , gives the bike a real classic 70t's feel . One of the best bikes I've seen on the forum.

Very interesting comments thus far, but I do find inconsistencies in the"criticism", on the one hand is RBOTM about originality or something else?

Perhaps the something else is subjectivity, clearly and this is not a negative critique, but surely the vote is largely subjective, I take the point about no pedals, saddle orientation, stem length, lever position (but stem length and lever position is about ergonomics and not looks - well in my case it is).

And how many here (or on any RBOTM) are"new"builds, one comment mentions about building up NOS frames etc. And how many bikes are older than their owners?

For my part, and my entry, we've been together since new and the bike, apart from its new spokes has not changed since it was rebuilt BITD with the then newly launched Shimano 600 groupset.

Very difficult to argue against subjectivity, my own preferences are for"British", having owned and had stolen a Bianchi BITD, Italian machines always look pretty, but to me a default choice based on"consensus"- like buying a BMW car (and I'm with Clarkson on that).

For me, I'll sit upon the fence as they are all very nice. If pushed then I prefer the one built by the TdF mechanic!

I look forward to"competing"again.

Rk.

Somec for me - first time I've voted for a road bike on here; maybe because I now have 2 of my own...

If one gets a bespoke bike built, there are a number of things that no builder would accept to do. Most of these are related to how a bike is set up. It is on this basis that I say that certain set-ups are not "proper" from a custom bike point of view. If, as is the case here, you are largely dealing with bikes that are not custom made for the present owner, you WILL find people needing to make do to get the correct riding position with odd stem heights and lengths or odd positioning of the brake levers or other such elements. This does not mean that it becomes proper. Likewise for saddle orientation, speak to any saddle maker anywhere in the world and you will not find any that recommends anything other than a level saddle. They are aware that certain people will not be able to achieve a perfect level setting because of limitations of the saddle fixation (seatpin or clamp or whatever). Therefore if you are "showing off" your bike for public viewing, it only makes sense that you set the bike up in a way that a framebuilder or saddle-maker would expect them to be set up and would be happy to see them displayed. (BTW, your Raleigh has what I feel to be great set-up.)



I have a few bikes that I have owned for over 30 years, however they tend to be special application bikes that are not regularly used. All the bikes that I have owned long-term that have seen regular use have seen so many miles that there has been a need for large scale replacement of parts. This generally means that the parts were replaced with the best replacement parts that my pocket could afford at the time and that were current at the time of replacement. This usually meant an upgrade over the original components. In a few cases, as the bikes reach old age, when faced with the need to replace used parts, I have returned them to how they were originally assembled. Others have been upgraded with the newest and finest. The way I go on each particular bike is largely dependent on my pocketbook and the particular bike. If it is a noteworthy bike that is particularly relevant to its period of creation, I will usually return it to its original condition, if it is a rather common bike with no provenance or particularly relevant build characteristics, I will generally go the route of the best modern components that I can justify from an economic point of view.



Consensus is achieved when a feature/event or in the case, a bicycle type, has been shown to represent an idea for a large number of people. I don't believe you can apply the word consensus to what pushes people to buy something coming from a country, there are simply too many differences on offer in teh various countries. Consensus could push people to buy from a relatively large producer like Colnago over what is arguably a better product from a smaller less-known builder like Somec. Consensus could push people to eschew perfectly good products like your Raleigh for flashier more exotic brands. I would also like to know what you define as being "British". When I look at your Raleigh, I do not see anything British whatsoever but rather a standardized world bike.

I too like the idea of a framebuilder also having some actual race experience as a mechanic, but I often find that years of experience with a spanner do not help at all with building a frame well, something that you only achieve after years and years.

I am in broad agreement with you. I recall, as an example, when I ordered my SBDU from the SBDU, Go'D advised that I should not have shot-in seat stays on my 531Pro frame. My Lightweight Unit Corsa, on the other hand, bought new whilst I was a mere undergraduate was chosen largely using what I might now pompously call a price vs peformance ratio-I had graduated by the time the 600 group was fitted and the bike rebuilt by a very well known English TdF mechanic; who, incidentally wrote a book BITD and is named in another famous book, recently cited by one magazine as the best ever written about pro cycling.

My comment about"consensus"- note the commas - is a criticism of the very"reasons"many choose to buy what they do: in other words and very crudely:"I am unsure what to buy, therefore I'll follow the herd"(in the case of BMWs), or trend or other quasi-objective reason (bounded rationality if you will).

Your comment about, for example, eschewing Raleigh for"flashier more exotic brands"is a case in point about bounded rationality, and brands broadly these days are more introspective than nationality based - one bought a Mercedes BITD because the objective product quality was there, they buy them now because of the halo created by marketing people.

Generally you do not buy a Mercedes because it is German, whereas you did BITD: as being German was associated with objective product quality in cars.

My definition of British, or English is a very simple one. It is a thing, in this case a bicycle made by craftmen on these shores.

My definition of exotic is not per se about a brand, brands aren't in themselves exotic. Exotic for me is something intrinsic in the thing, the bicycle frame in this case would be built to the highest standards with the best for the purpose components (lugs, tubeset etc).

I do not consider myself a collector, the majority of my bikes have either a direct or indirect connection with me - the two Raleighs bought new, the 1978 Mistral bought new, the 1951 Hobbs bought new, the 1947 Hetchins bought new, the 1967 Geoffrey Butler bought new...I won't go on, but that said I am not old enough to have bought the 40s and 50s or 60s bikes new!

Some I have collected, but because of a certain"connection".

Interesting stuff Cdm.

Rk.

Would, therefore, an all original complete groupset on a 30-40 year old bike be more desirable for a collector than a bike that had parts successively replaced? For me yes, because that's how it left the workshop and thus historically correct.
Because there may be wear and tear affecting performance, one wouldn't want to ride it long distance and reserve it for 'sunday best'. I'd feel abusive if I rode the Somec because it's impeccable and a stone chip or graze would kill it dead, but as a work of bike art it's pure quality.
I love my Bertin because it's a complete and I believe original groupset, the paint is very good indeed but shows signs of honest wear so I won't lose sleep riding it in the wet, I'm sure many other bikes in BOTM fall into that category...

Some interesting comments on what makes a bike 'correct' although not sure that I'd necessarily subscribe to them all including that a bike should be set up in a particular way to be entered although I may have misunderstood. Actually, in line with the last, perhaps we could have a Special Month with two photos of the bike, one a standard pose and the other of it out and about?

Still not sure where to vote however. Lots of love for the Somec and initially and I initially thought 'wow' but seeing lack of pedals (which for me does not make it complete) and the open bottle bosses made me reflect. I'm wavering towards the Bertin, Colnago and Gazelle in no particular order. Hmm, this isn't getting any easier

I'm in trouble!

I detect a clear bias toward"foreign"bicycles here.

As opposed to"English"or British ones.

Oooh...eerrr; now have I got anything blingy and foreign to attract the voters .

God help me, I'm gonna have to become a"collector".

Rk.

"quote"
God help me, I'm gonna have to become a"collector".

Rk.
_________________
Founder of The Last Bastion Society and owner of - 1985 SBDU Raleigh SdeC. 1984 LU Raleigh Corsa. 1982 Holdsworth Classic 531sl. 1980 Allin Stan Butler Special(ex Alex Flinders)one of Allin's last. 1978 Holdsworth Mistral. 1964 Allin Stan/Keith Butler"Belgique"Special. 1967 Geoffrey Butler. 1955 R.O Harrison Super Circuit. 1952 Hobbs of Barbican Ladyweight(Wife's). 1951 Hobbs of Barbican Clubweight. 1949 Hobbs of Barbican Sportsweight. 1947 Hetchins Super Special. MTB's 1988 Specialized Stumpjumper,Chas Roberts repaint. 1988 Muddy Fox Courier(Wife's).

^^I'll be happy to help you avoid this dreaded fate by buying that harrison off you ^^

Respect.

I could possible be persuaded to part with it...it was bought new by a member of my family...I try to kid myself that I'm not a"collector"because of these connections.

Cheers, Rk.

Not from me! I have voted Raleigh's last two months and a Mercian this! Although nearly went for the Raleigh again

Hi wired,

my comment; a little tongue in cheek.

Rk.

Snap!

Very close result between the two front runners and the Colnago, with very few comments, has slipped under the radar.

A really worthy winner but can we have a Special Month with the theme 'Mark can't enter one of his beautiful bikes' to give the rest of us a chance