Overbury in The Guardian

[DM]

There was a question in today's Guardian re. modernising an Overbury Peakfinder.

I had no idea The Guardian had a "Bike Doctor" Q&A section - How cool is that for a national newspaper...?

We need to get the owner on here!
(Or track him down via t'interweb & offer him a fiver for his bike! )

Anyway, here's the online version:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2229947,00.html

Matt Seaton
Thursday December 20, 2007
The Guardian

Dear Matt,

I have a beloved but old mountain bike built by Overburys of Bristol. It really needs a complete overhaul, respray and upgrade. There seems to be a lot of reasonable-quality bikes at remarkably reasonable prices. I need to decide whether to spend more money on getting the Peakfinder back in A1 condition or go for one of the mass-produced bikes. What's your advice?

Nigel Evans, Weston-super-Mare, via email

Answer:
You sound very attached to the Overbury bike, which is a good reason to invest in overhauling it. What would influence me is the quality of the original. You can quite easily spend more upgrading a bike than you would on a new one, so it has to be worth it. One thing to bear in mind is that MTB technology has really moved on - with disc brakes, full suspension, more gears, etc. If your Peakfinder was a high-quality and/or handmade frame of its era, then I'd say go ahead with the overhaul. If, in reality, it's a heavy old clunker, now desperately outmoded, then you might find spending your budget on a new bike more rewarding.

 

[Kestonian]

I read that as "Overbury in the garden" and thought it was going to be a story of a fabulous find!

 

[orange71]

doesn't sound like (s)he's heard of Overbury :?

 

[grahame]

Matt Seaton is a pretty good (1st cat, maybe even elite at the moment) road racer, he has been known to do the odd bit of mountainbiking, but is not an expert.

 

[scant]

Matt Seaton is a pretty good (1st cat, maybe even elite at the moment) road racer, he has been known to do the odd bit of mountainbiking, but is not an expert.

I know a matt seaton, i guess theres more than 1!

a real shame that the guardian journo doesnt know who overburys are!
the sunday times has a small bike section as well.

 

[ededwards]

Matt Seaton
Thursday December 20, 2007
The Guardian

Dear Matt,

I have a beloved but old mountain bike built by Overburys of Bristol. It really needs a complete overhaul, respray and upgrade. There seems to be a lot of reasonable-quality bikes at remarkably reasonable prices. I need to decide whether to spend more money on getting the Peakfinder back in A1 condition or go for one of the mass-produced bikes. What's your advice?

Nigel Evans, Weston-super-Mare, via email

Answer:
You sound very attached to the Overbury bike, which is a good reason to invest in overhauling it. What would influence me is the quality of the original. You can quite easily spend more upgrading a bike than you would on a new one, so it has to be worth it. One thing to bear in mind is that MTB technology has really moved on - with disc brakes, full suspension, more gears, etc. If your Peakfinder was a high-quality and/or handmade frame of its era, then I'd say go ahead with the overhaul. If, in reality, it's a heavy old clunker, now desperately outmoded, then you might find spending your budget on a new bike more rewarding.

Matt Seaton (well, the one in The Guardian) wrote a very good book about cycling and changing priorities/responsibilities, "The Escape Artist". Made me feel a trifle shallow and selfish but the good thing about being shallow is that I'm unlikely to drown in a trailside puddle.

Very worried by the bit 'if it's an desperately outmoded old clunker invest in a new bike' bit, surely elite road riding has left the man deranged?

 

[DM]

Very worried by the bit 'if it's an desperately outmoded old clunker invest in a new bike' bit, surely elite road riding has left the man deranged?

Yes, it's obviously clouded his judgement.
What he should have said was:

"If it's a desperately outmoded old clunker... Get yourself over to Retrobike, where you'll be made welcome and stand a good chance of winning Bike Of The Month".

 

[orange71]

who's going to put him right then?