Johnny Ragwort
Dirt Disciple
I was given this by a mate, who was given it new for his 14th birthday 42 years ago. It's a Fred Williams, built in plain gauge Reynolds 531. When I got it, it had been refinished in yellow (it was originally black) and fitted with straight bars. Sadly, whoever fitted the straight bars and STI shifters butchered the gear lever bosses to act as cable stops; I removed them with a blowtorch and bought band-on shifters instead. As well as belonging to a friend, this also has some value because I spent a lot of time (and money!) in Fred Williams' Wolverhampton shop in the 1990s when I lived there: in fact, it's where I bought the Brooks saddle which will probaby find its way onto this very bike. Here are some pics of it when it arrived...