Salford Park R.I.P.

Because I am entering this I thought it about time I joined some sort of real bona fide cycling club so I can get my regular ride on, plus some good experience of riding in a large pack. Anyway, looking around on the club website that has been recommended to me by several, Beacon Roads CC I came across these great photographs of them racing at Salford Park in the 1980s.

I can remember myself trying to cane it around these very banks on my illuminous green Raleigh Lizard. It is ashame because Salford park is now a 5’a’side football complex. That said I suppose it was outdoors, and concrete, and crumbling to pieces. Heck I am sure I even got a puncture on there!

Nice photographs though.

Source.

11th August 1960.

My Tin Tin Coppi special Purchased from a flea market in Paris, July 2009 for 2 euros.

Bridgestone Up Close.

See more of this beast here.

Cyclocross.

Apologies for the lack of posts of late my friends. Technical difficulties at home prevented me from posting anything but anyway. I am now back in the game, so here goes.

Last Sunday I popped along to the National Cyclocross Championships in Sutton Park and here are some images of what I saw.

See more cyclocross goodness here at my flickr spot.

Detroit Pro-Am 1983.

The second one has to be my fave. Like a sea of black shorts, different today, of course where riders look like super heroes in skin-suits of top to toe colour and logo emblazonment. I have nothing against sponsor’s logos or colour may I add, I myself have several jerseys in what I might call a ‘dayglo’ colour-way. My shorts however must always be black, always.

Spotted here.

And this photo gallery from the same photograper entitled “The Summer of 79” is also must see.

I fancy this.

Mo TT Hotness.

My love for TT bikes continues.

Cycle Sports.

Taken from the book entitled ‘Cycling and cycle sports’ by DK publications.

Quite an interesting book for the novice and also a lot of amusing pictures of what appear to be 80s cyclists too. Look out for the triathlete… Wow is all I am saying!

Giro 91.

Posted a link to these pics last week from the brilliant La Gazzetta della Bici but the link alone did them no justice so here I include a few more pics for you.

See more.

Periodic Goodness.

Races are ordered from top-to-bottom in rough order of importance, with vertical series representing geographic location of events. Stage races tend toward the left side of the table, one-days toward the right, and colors correspond with UCI ranking of individual events.

More here.

1988.

Pics taken from the awesome La Gazzetta Della Bici.

For more great photographs you may also want to check this, this and definately this.

Mussette.

There is something quite great about a basic vessel that is not technical in the slightest, heck these were originally designed to be slung away after the domestiques had gripped all the food and water out of them.

Every cyclist has one of these and if they don’t then they need one. So with that in mind keep em peeled for an addition to the Spinwell Projects line – Production commences soon!

Ruling.

Loving the post over at Rapha about the rules of the road.

My favourite has to be the first ‘rule’.

1. Road riding is a serious business
You wouldn’t go to a business meeting wearing all the colours of the rainbow. World champion stripes should only be worn if you are a world champion.

Love it! Well written Joe.

Killer.

I still love the fact that they call one of these wheels a “Killing System”. I am guessing this has something to do with vibration deadening but you still wouldn’t want to race against someone with a “Killing System” would you?

Seen.

Keirin goodness.

Killer Softride that one…. funny that because if you are in the market for one of those there is a Cougar/Softride on Ebay right now and it’s at 99p ( not for much longer I suspect ). Peep here.

Seen.

TT Hotness.

Steel is real smashing it again with his Biddle TT bike complete with full NOS Suntour Superbe group. Hot!

Sidecar Radness.

Mountain.

What I wouldn’t do for one of these right now.

This is the Killer San Andreas Mountain Cycle from the early 90s. Everyone I knew back then either wanted one of these or a Foes Fab in red.

I love how Downhill bikes back then still had long ass stems and bar ends. It was all about the multi discipline I guess. What we would call today ‘Freeriding’, go everywhere, do everything riding. The difference being a full suspension bike of old would climb hills like a fat person on a space hopper… Nowadays you could have 5″ of travel all around and still climb effortlessly with absolutely no hinderance from the bike whatsoever.

Just mentioning this subject makes me want to build something. A hardtail SS for sure but watch this space!

Bianchi is 125.

One of the oldest cycle manufacturers Bianchi is 125 years old this year and The italian cycling journal has a great write up on the history of the brand so if you have a spare few minutes head over and check it out.

Mo Rafael.

Rafael editions – Airbus, Barcelona and Frankfurt.

Inspired by their respective object / cities my favourite looking has to be the Frankfurt edition followed closely by Barcelona. I am loving the Gaudi inspired paintwork here which you can see all over the wonderful city of Barca.

Von Rafael.