[Jack Sexty]

We’ve just got talking about this in the office so thought we’d throw it out to everyone else! For me it’s some More Mile bib tights bought in around 2009, and news editor Simon still uses these winter gloves bought from Condor Cycles some time in the 90’s. 

Feel free to share (pics preferable), we’ll throw it out on our Facebook and Twitter too and there will be a prize for the oldest!

Topic

[RMurphy195]

My saddle, rear rack and

My saddle, rear rack and mudguards date from c 1990, transferred from my old bike to my new one. Apart from that, its me, circa 1950’s or thereabouts!

[Bmblbzzz]

Every summer, I go on holiday

Every summer, I go on holiday in the Madison touring shorts I bought back in 1985. 

[Bmblbzzz]

matthewn5 wrote:

I still ride this Raleigh Record I bought in 1973, when I visit my brother’s place (where it’s stored now). Gave it a bit of TLC a few years ago. It’s very heavy but very smooth.

Top bookshelves! They beat white goods or a garden fence as a bike backdrop any day. 

[IanGlasgow]

TheBillder wrote:

TheBillder wrote:

Just tonight I found the Mafac brake levers from the Elswick Mistral I got when I was 12 in 1980. That was a lovely bike – heavy frame but Shimano Uniglide 400 derailleurs and beautiful Mafac centre-pull brakes. Converted to flat bars in about 1988 for my sister and sadly nicked from her student flat in York in about 1991.

But the upside is I still have the levers, drilled for lightness and with barrel adjusters in the hoods. I hope they will go onto my 1988 531 tourer if I ever get it back on the road.

I used to commute to university in York (from a farm house near Stamford Bridge) on an Elswick Sovereign I got when I was 12 in 1980.
Unfortunately it got stolen in 1989. The thieves didn’t take my girlfriend’s Peugeot which was a much lighter bike – the Elswick was ridiculously heavy.

[Boatsie]

My eyes are older than my
My eyes are older than my teeth.

Stuck at moment. My 32mm road bike was stolen, my fixie and old road bike were burnt. Carbon fork melted, etc. Both frames +10 hours =ok.
Looking at gravel bike. But had 100+km hilly daily easy on 14.5 kg hybrid and at moment 11kg gravel or hybrid are 250-300 quid. Lifetime warranty, well made, skimp on 7 -9 speeds with mechanical -hydraulic discs.
Wanted drop bars, narrower throw into store of campervan, faster. But flatbars made city gutters a piece of art.
Argggh.. Flatbar gets 3*8 or 3*9 with hydraulic responses. Be awesome to climb with.
Dropbar gets 2*7 with faster rolls. Wind tops me about 70 on flatbars, 100+ crouched in drops. Kmph.
Might get 3*8 mechanical flatbar and dropbar that. Ease to climb.
Oldest bit of kit.. Mmm. At moment probably a 24 inch bmx. Too much thought. I think I’ll go without and just ride that. Gets about 15kmph ave across city distances, up/down hills. Just gotta walk it abit up. Ain’t shiny now. Had it 25 years bought used.
Works guts more than road bikes, sort of might be lack of discipline to hold speeds on roadies though.

[Fluffed]

A Turbomatic 2 saddle, from

A Turbomatic 2 saddle, from the first bike I bought myself (a Rossin in Columbus SLX), sometime in the early 90s. It lives on my Brompton now.

[Mungecrundle]

Dingaling wrote:

Dingaling wrote:

Cycle House wrote:

An old metallic bottle from the 80s. Lovely piece of kit and not even a stain after having carried over 60000 litres of water. Bought it as a college student and have been carrying it on 6 different bikes since then. Still do.

That is over a gallon a day, 365 days a year for 35 years. What were you doing with the water? Washing all the bikes at bike club?

Maybe it is a really big 60,000l bidon?

[Dingaling]

Cycle House wrote:

An old metallic bottle from the 80s. Lovely piece of kit and not even a stain after having carried over 60000 litres of water. Bought it as a college student and have been carrying it on 6 different bikes since then. Still do.

That is over a gallon a day, 365 days a year for 35 years. What were you doing with the water? Washing all the bikes at bike club?

[Cycle House]

An old metallic bottle from

An old metallic bottle from the 80s. Lovely piece of kit and not even a stain after having carried over 60000 litres of water. Bought it as a college student and have been carrying it on 6 different bikes since then. Still do.

[matthewn5]

I still ride this Raleigh

I still ride this Raleigh Record I bought in 1973, when I visit my brother’s place (where it’s stored now). Gave it a bit of TLC a few years ago. It’s very heavy but very smooth.

[TheBillder]

Just tonight I found the

Just tonight I found the Mafac brake levers from the Elswick Mistral I got when I was 12 in 1980. That was a lovely bike – heavy frame but Shimano Uniglide 400 derailleurs and beautiful Mafac centre-pull brakes. Converted to flat bars in about 1988 for my sister and sadly nicked from her student flat in York in about 1991.

But the upside is I still have the levers, drilled for lightness and with barrel adjusters in the hoods. I hope they will go onto my 1988 531 tourer if I ever get it back on the road.

[MrGear]

I bought this 1964 Triumph
I bought this 1964 Triumph bike for my friend who I was trying to talk into cycle commuting. It cost just £17 on eBay. However, I loved her bike so much I didn’t want to give it to her. But a freak of fate meant that the men’s version came up on eBay too. Same year, 1964, same colour, and even the same price… £17!

Both bikes are original, unrestored, and in full working order being used at least once a week. You can’t beat a British 3 speed steel bike for soul.

[CyclingInGawler]

The frame, stem and saddle

The frame, stem and saddle post of my 1983 Orbit Gold Medal. Over the years it’s been resprayed twice (the first time by Orbit under warranty!) and in around 2003 I had it converted to 8 speed Sora with a triple chainring (and given its second respray).  Brought it with me to South Australia, and when I persuade myself to start cycle commuting again it will be back in regular service. Rough estimate is that it has around 100,000 miles on it, so kudos to Reynolds 531c.

[IanEdward]

Ah… the XC 717, became an
Ah… the XC 717, became an annual tradition of re-rimming my wheels after wearing through a set of 717s every winter.

Lovely rims to build with

[ktache]

I have only just retired my

I have only just retired my getting to work bike earlier this year, ’91/2 Marin Pine mountain, purchased 2nd hand before I moved to Brum in ’97.  Still had 3×7 and cantis, though changed from DX to XT and curves.  Had to retire her, Mavic stopped making the XC 717 26 inch rim brake rim.  Everything had been replaced at least once, apart from the frame, even changed the cable guide under the bb about 8 years ago, the rear cable had worn through.

Good XT 8 speed casettes were becoming very expensive as well, and SRAM had stopped making good 8 speed chains.

Best £250 I had ever spent.

I still have some Pearl Izumi tops from the early 00s, though could have been late 90s.

[Author]

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