My old bike. A Cycle ride through the Cotswolds England, hand built bike
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2024
- The old bike is a Revell Romany. Revell were a British bike manufacturer that built high quality bikes using Reynolds 531 steel tubing.
All music sourced from RUclips creator studio
I owned a Romany in grey in 1986. I cycled through France in 1986 with my then girlfriend (we are still friends), anyway we had a great time and and its one of my best memories. I paid £450 in 1986 for it. I've been searching for a 21.5 inch romany for years. I finally found a 22 inch in blue that I'm going to restore. I can't wait to ride it. All my other bikes are carbon and Ti worth shed loads but leave me cold when looking at my Romany. Happy days. 🙃
That's it ! i'm going to dig out my old Dawes Super Galaxy circa 1984 ( no really ! ) and take her for a ride ! Thank you Sandy for bringing back some great memories of great bikes.
Sometimes the sentimental value of an object is far beyond what others call economic value to repair. Keep it going Sandy it’s far more valuable than people understand.
You go for it Sandy.
That would be a fun project. Steel frames give a very comfortable ride . Carbon fiber is all the rage now, but a hand built steel frame is definitely worth restoring. Have fun with it.
Great - tea and cakes in every village and ordinary clothes and bicycle clips. Proper period ride.
Excellent, just got into cycling again…please do more get those wheels sorted, regards Dave
Absolutely love the freedom of this video 🙂I'm going to do something like this,iv always wanted to go on a cycling holiday so would be fab to do a camping one 🙂love all your videos Sandy 🙂
Beautiful Countryside. Nice ride and bike.
You'd love it over here John. Lots of history.
I was thinking about my old Romany last night and wondered if there were any videos on RUclips. Yours is the only one. I hope you did restore it as it's a fantastic frame as you know. Thank you for the memory.
Thanks Badger yes it is a fantastic bike, I have found a source of free wheels that fit but haven't fully restored the bike yet, been using my ATB style bike for most of my riding
Lovely bike! Still looks brand new
What a great bike! Keep the patina. I wish my bike looked as good as that. I have a Freddy Grubb, fixed wheel track bike from 1955 (same age as me). I have owned it for over 40 years. Now quite scruffy, but still goes well. And really light. Only 8.25 kgs. Amazing for a steel framed bike of that age. You inspire me to get out and ride. Sadly I don't have beautiful Cotswold lanes down here in Spain.
Nice old classic touring bike, amongst those little lanes and cotswold stone.
I used to ride Cotswold and wiltshire cycle way regularly before we emigrated. Have also been back and done LEJOG 5 years ago
Hi Steve,
I did the LEJOG too but back in the early 1990's. I'm going to do it again maybe next year
I have a Brooks B17 on my early 90's model Cannondale. Absolutely love it. I am lucky and can buy Walkers cookies here on the Beach in Florida at my local grocery store. I buy a box for Beth and I every Sunday and we eat them after dinner while we watch Midsomer Murders. Watching them on DVD. On season 15 now. Nice ride. Enjoyed riding along with you. SS-Stan
Thats a nice way to spend a Sunday Stan:)
That’s a fantastic quality bike you have Sandy and the quality of components is high as well. I would simply strip it all fully, service it and put it all back together just replacing cables, bearings and break pads, the saddle is fantastic as well. Something like that now would cost a small fortune. I would do it all yourself, New bottom bracket but I’m not sure about replacing the chaniset or gears, are the teeth hooked? If not simply service, it would be a great winter project for you to do. I don’t know why nowadays people think they have to go to a bike shop to have their bikes serviced, it costs a fortune. Buy a few tools, look on eBay for used ones and have the fun and satisfaction of doing it yourself. Your good at metal work, you could easily rig up a bike service stand it of some scrap metal tubing.
Hi Ian, the chain and cassette need replacing as they slip now when under pressure on the hills. The difficult thing is the type of cassette fitted to my bike is no longer available so I have to upgrade the wheel which is no bad thing cos modern wheels have sealed bearings. That is where most of the expense will be as they need to be 36 spoke touring hubs.
Wiltshire Man ahh that’s a shame but having said that the frame deserves good wheels. I love these Reynolds DB frames, I still think they make the best real world frame material as you have the stiffness at the joints which gives a really responsive ride but at the same time the thinner middle sections give wonderful comfort. Honestly though, you are a really skilled person with your hands and the extra you would have spent in labour you could either save or use to get even better quality components which befit a frame of this quality. Also, the bike has a lot of meaning for you so bringing this beauty back to full working order will add to that personal story.
I’m really looking forward to seeing what you do with this, it’s old school class Sandy, you chose well all those years ago!
@@sharkmentality9717 So a £1400 spend (plus frame spreading braze ons, etc.,) rather than a £100 - 150 upgrade to a perfectly sound touring bike?
@@sharkmentality9717 This is a classic bike and requires period components. Serious modification would be needed to fit a hub gear, which would change the bike's character.
If the owner wanted a Rohloff he'd be better off buying a bike with one fitted or going custom. I never found derailleurs grief prone, the last one that failed me was a SunTour VX in 1982. I also got along with various 3 and 4 speed Sturmey-Archer setups.
Nice video Sandy, I used to live that way so it brought back nice memories. Bikes are funny, the frame can almost be the cheap but, the money is in the components. If it isn't broken, don't fix it. I had an old hand built bike, it was perfect, was stolen and the replacement was never the same.
Hi Giles, sorry to hear about your old bike getting nicked. With this bike the frame was hand built from a steel they call "Reynolds 531". Apparently it is or was the best you could get. To buy a modern brand new frame made form the stuff is almost a 4 figure sum!
You look in great shape Sandy and what a nice bike although those fluorescent green pedals made me shudder.. ATB Marc Belgium
I like the pedals Marc:)
enjoyed it Sandy , , , nice day for a trip through all the 'shires' , , looks like the old girl still got it , , didn't see him passing you much , lol . . thought the black poodle dog was gonna wreck you for sure , wow .. : - )
Great vlog sandy and nothing better than a good bike trek
that is a superb high quality touring bike. Good luck with it.
Lovely bike Sandy I am riding a 1985 steel mountain bike over the ridgeway, old steel bikes like these are really worth hanging onto.
I have built and fussed with many bikes over the years, for yours I would do the following.
New sealed bottom bracket those old BB are a pain sealed will go on for ever
New wheels freewheel and chain, this is the heart of the bike and renew these ensure nice carefree cycling with no serious problems.You can relpace just the freewheel and chain, but if it was me I would dothe whole lot its not a huge cost and will bring cycling joy to you the way a new set of wheels skim down the road. someone mentioned replacing chain but its likely it wont sit on your old freewheel you will get the same slipping.
Rear and front gears and brakes and all levers if these work leave them, but maybe replace blocks
Put a bit of grease on the headset but frankly I would leave it if it feels fine. Nice brooks saddle couldnt be a better choice
This wont cost loads !
Best pass these ideas under the nose of Austin he knows about bikes!
Happy cycling look forward to more vids
Sam
Commute to work on my old Muddy Fox Courier Comp :)
I used to have one of those!
I go along the Ridgeway quite often on my Diamond back. May meet you up there one of these days Sam.
Yes hope so, whatever bike shop gave you a figure of 700 quid was way way over what you need, get the transmission right , {wheels, chain, bottom bracket} the rest of the stuff on your bike is static operating parts which last forever and replacing these wont make a lot of difference, I still have a 20 year old rear derailier on my tourer and in my lifetime of cycling using fairly middle range cheap bits have never had a failure that has stopped a ride.
That bike Sandy is a thing of beauty as was this adventure fuelled by tea, coffee and cake. I have a few cycle trips to upload, one from your neck of the woods around South Cerney recently so must get on with it 😊👍
We will have to have a meet up Paul.
@@WiltshireMan Yes Sandy we must 😊👍
Gorgeous countryside Sandy. another well done video. I always enjoy your trips and tagging along. Aren't we due for a Hamshack Sunday soon? been awhile. miss those too!. Always enjoy your wfforts. thanks again Sandy es 73 gud dx. de WA1RKS
LOL Yes. I will do hamshack vid soon. Got a nice qrp tuner I want to show off.
I just completed a complete rebuild on my 1980 Claud Butler before having heart surgery this January "Thanks for sharing, Sandy 👍
On behalf of both of us Sandy and myself (neither strangers to intervention procedures) good luck in your fight back to health!!!!
Yes indeed. as Yankeein says, good luck and I hope you are able to ride that bike again soon.
Thanks for sharing nice scenery. I subscribed and let's stay connected.
I have a custom Bob Jackson touring bike from 1974, based off of an old Raleigh Pro. I found it too big for me as I have aged and shrunk 30mm over the years with the waist getting in the way a bit now. The need to sit up more upright and not have the neck hurt so much was evident. Friction bar ends and Suntour 600 does the trick for gearing with Shimano 42/32/22 front and a 13/30 7 speed in the back which has a new wheel with casette gearing and is forced to spread to fit. The tubing is 531 as well and I had it built to accommodate my 700c wheels with Campy Nuovo brakes along with Campy for the rest of the bike for a while. I had it painted a bright fire engine yellow so I could be seen too, from the dull grey. Your video brings back memories. :)
Very interesting. I wonder what axle width the old frame was originally built to accommodate Mine has an opening of 125mm. How much was the frame forced to spread?
@@WiltshireMan Will have to measure. The brake bridge cracked and I had to have a local frame builder clean it up, as I guess the cold forge of bending was a little too much. :) I will get back to you about the width in a day or so. I used to use a straight 6 block 13-18 Regina when I was racing with a Campy 54-42 up front.
Oh Sandy, thanks for the nostalgic ride. My first trip to the mother country was in 1976 during the summer of what we called our Bicentennial, but what you folks correctly referred to as our Bicentenary. (By the way, I was really favorably impressed and surprised that Britain as a whole was actually celebrating it with us to an extent. Awfully gracious, I thought, considering whom we broke away from.) One of the things my wife at the time and I did was take the train from London to Cirencester and rent a car to visit her childhood choir mistress who had retired to return to her native England. She lived in the Cotswolds in part of the 16th C. equivalent of row houses that had housed (according to her) some Dutch craftsmen. I have photos looking over her back garden to the hills beyond crisscrossed with picturesque fences of native stone. The sign announcing Chedworth that you passed reminded me of the half-day we spent at the remains of the Roman Villa of Chedworth. Memories fondly cherished. Thanks, again Sandy.
I remember that weekend July 1976. I like Sandy was a licensed radio amateur then, and went to visit the Special Event Station WG1JFK operating under FCC rules
from Runnymede Surrey at the JFK Memorial, which is USA territory. Lovely weekend.
Hi Craig, Interesting to know you know something about the area. Those Cotswold villages are very picturesque.
Bibury otherwise none as little china lol. Was there not very long ago taking pictures. Another enjoyable video.
It's always worth fixing up your old bike, you don't need to do it all at once. Bikes are such personal things, they allow you freedom you otherwise cannot get and take you on adventures you cannot plan, if you let them.
I've got a set of those tyres, a drawing pin went in deep just off center, I pulled it out, no puncture! Loving the bright DMR pedals too!
Lovely area Sandy, thank you for sharing. I suggest you put the kettle on "wife where's my coffee" then look at each individual part that needs updating, budget accordingly and proceed part by part if that's what the budget allows. Take care.
I'm still riding a Falcon I got after my o levels in '81. Old steel frames are still the most comfortable and 40 years of memories. Love your old bike, improve it sensitivly and keep its character. Best of alll you dont need lycra to ride a classic.
What a lovely old bike that is, lugged frame, Reyolds tubing, lovely touring geometry, its well worth shelling out a few quid on, id hang on to that one, especially as youve got history together. Got to say that Brooks saddle doesnt look like its done many miles though, its still looks in new shape i.e. no butt dents on it. Anyway great video thanks for sharing, all the best and ride safe
The brooks was a replacement for the original a few years ago. I fitted the brooks and yes it's not done many miles since then. Most of my cycling recently has been on an ATB.
As always a class act !!!!! All the best
Great vid, loved the heads up view 👍🏻
Ja man has a good point Sandy I don't think it would take a lot to get her running like new great vid I love the trips through your neck of the woods wonderful scenery all the best and 73 VE3TVB Danial
wow those brakes. come on full lycra shots to follow? just playing. nice vid guys
Nice to see you out and about!! The bike is a classic Sandy, looks good & well maintained!! Go for it, have an adventure with that, you'll think of something !! :) Thank you for bringing us along!!! Nice tour, enjoyed the views. Thanks for sharing!! :D
Nice video the 531 is a good workhorse and worth the rebuild in second hand or new gear also a bit envious (end to end) always been on my bucket list. Keep feeding that Brooks seat they need it.
Lovely bike journey.. you went past my mums home village of Meysey Hampton.. next village down from Down Ampney (Vaughn Williams home village) Hope you refurbish the bike, it'll be worth every penny.
Maysey Hampton and all those villages out there are proper old Cotswold Englishness at it's best:)
Hi Sandy! Well it would seem the consensus is to take your time and do the rebuild over the winter. Im in the camp of “ if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” by the look of it and the fact you just did a 50 miler, it needs very little doing to it to bring it back to pristine, that a bit of elbow grease wouldn’t fix😂 As one of the subscribers said, start with a complete strip down and reassess. Happy to help financially if the project is a goer, just let us know how. Kind regards Clive from deepest Dorset
LOl Thanks Clive. No need to send any money though:)
You’re more than welcome Sandy👍
Cotswold this time of year is one of the most beautiful plces in the world to cycle throgh. loooking forward to see the bike rebuild Cheers Mate
Sandy is the most civilized man on the planet!!!!
Super vid, if a bit hair raising at times. Assume that is because I’m not accustomed to flying down the road on the lefthand side. 😱
All the best from the Oregon Coast, Diana
LOL in that case I completely understand:)
I suspect that bike has very many years left in it. Remember bike shops are in the business of selling bikes. Wheels maybe a good option, if you do, consider a modern hub dynamo...they are brilliant (literally) and can even charge up GPS cameras etc.
Hi Sam. I can rebuild it. I can make it bionic. Maybe even fit a small two stroke motor and remove the pedals..... No..Never. (I don't know where that came from)..:)
The biggest problem with the bike is the chain and cassette are badly worn especially the middle gear and the chain just slips when I apply pressure. The cassette is an old 5 speed screw on type and the axle width is 125mm which is a bit narrow compared to modern bikes (they tend to be 135mm upwards).
A few folk have said a wider axle can be shoehorned in which is what I will have to do. Also I fancy upgrading the wheels to the modern sealed bearing type but the rebuild will be done in small stages.
Next job will be to replace the handle bar tape, brake levers, cables and brake pads. Maybe strip and regrease the cup and cone bearings so the old wheels will last a bit longer and maybe ride over to Old Allens with it:)
Thumbs up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Clark and Virginia
Brilliant video real inspiration!
I need a lay down after all that peddling Sandy, thanks for taking us along.
atb t ..
Nice trip, time for the classic bikes to make a comeback.
Nice old school bike, had to give up my drop handlebar one, too much neck ache after a long ride
Hi Garry, I only use the drops when going into the wind
You should try getting cross bar brake levers fitted, you have a lot more choice about riding posture.
same here my 47 year old back dosent agree with those bikes so much nowadays. When you look at long haul tourers like Thorn the front bars are way up high which is much better posture. Adjustable stems are the way to go they have settled into good quality now and you can get them as quills for older bikes, there is great joy in putting them in loosen the allen bolts and pull up the handlebars on the quill height and angle the rise then when you are grinning tighten it all up and cycle off down the road realising what you have been missing in bicycle comfort !
Sandy, it was a nice ride yesterday and the video was a good one. Give us a tinkle when you are ready for a bit of engineering and I can see that I am going to have to ban you from buying anything for the bike without adult supervision if those green peddles are anything to go by! I have a plan or two for the next ride, Oxfordshire or Dorset?
Both those locations sound great to me Tony. We will do them both over the next few months perhaps. Looking forward to improving the old bike bit by bit. Thanks for the help and advice too .
Sandy
Nice video Sandy, all you really need is two new wheels and something to attach them to. 😂 Seriously though I would say, if it brings back memories & makes you feel good then go for it. ATB Adam
You'll have someone's eye out with those pedals!
They are a bit bright:)
Hi Sandy, lovely video my friend, we are lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the country, when you got to Bibury, i thought you were in one of those themed villages that they have in China. I know it was done for visual affect, but you seemed to be playing catch up all through this video lol.
Nav was my responsibility, leading from the front!
Tony is a bit faster than me Terry. I put it down to him having better bearings in his hubs:)
What a lovely relaxing video to watch of your journey across the border into my county of Gloucestershire. The bike looks good for shorter journeys so I'd keep hold of it, plus with that much history between the two you, it must feel like, going out with an old friend. Another inspiring video!
Really impressed with your routes. Could you please do a video on cycle route planning please?!
Generally if I plan a route I use Komoot, it's quite straight forward
Another great adventure from you Sandy and lovely to see you out on the old girl. How about a trip to Ireland, im sure you will be well and truly welcomed.
Now thats a thought. I've never been over there.
@@WiltshireMan
Cheap ferry, scenic countryside and friendly folk. Rich sea food and proper Guinness all combined to make a worthwhile visit. So give it a thought Sandy you and a friend would be more than welcome... Céad míle fáilte :-).
What a beauty!
Top video very good-
Thanks, Sandy. It's great to see the country this way. ATB. 👍🙂
That was very enjoyable. In 1964 my grandad gave me his old 'racing' bike from the early 1920s, it had 3 gears. I rode it every day for about eight years - I wish I still had it.
Lovely to see some of my old haunts, cheers and all the best to you and yours
Beautiful old girl
Lovely ride out in great and beautiful surroundings, grub on the way, accompanied by a buddy, carried along by an old and trusted steed... brilliant. I understand the sentiment about the bike as I have my first proper road bike bought in 83 stored in the loft with similar aspirations.
Time to bring it out of storage:)
Thanks for a relaxing tour of the Cotswolds. Cheers!
Love it Sandy, no matter what type of video you do, they always de-stress me. I raced a push bike in the early 70s on and off until the mid 80s and after several illnesses and about a 50lb gain in weight I've bought myself an old eddy merckx bike, new bars and stem new seat post now I want to do l'eroica! Thanks for yet another great video, keep up the good work :-)
Really enjoyed you guys what we call in NZ a "Tiki Tour" of the country side near where you live and there was some beautiful views through your lens too. They are making a walk and cycle way to the next town from us and will be the only safe way to get there as roads around are so dangerous for cyclists now days. All the best
Really good to watch this . Nice photography. Thanks
I've still got my Falcon ATB Fat Track, I bought in summer '91. Straight crossbar, straight handlebars with thumb shifters.
I once cycled from Blackpool to Cupar (Fife)on it, in 4 days, 60-70 miles a day, thru the Lake District and Edinburgh.
Barnsley is south Yorkshire sandy,, nice ride out
I ride a bike much like that here in Western Australia, the MAMILs (middle aged men in Lycra) insist on taking photos of it. They think it's me that looks peculiar!
Avoid going out with anyone with an electric bike, it spoils everything when they zoom off ahead. A totally different experience, more motorbiking than cycling.
Lovely video. You've convinced me that I should finally give my 503/501 (Eagle which I bought new in '87) a serious revamp and plan a proper trip somewhere. Thanks for the inspiration! MoLeary Dublin.
thanks for taking us along Sandy - beautiful countryside
A nice ride through the English countryside Sandy,thanks 👍
Great video. A lot of people could not have accomplished what you did.
I imagined Freddy Mercury singing about bicycles. Have a great weekend and all the best to you Sandy.
Terrific video Sandy. Must admit watching you and Tony had me reminiscing about our South Downs Way walk. You’ve got a great bike there, a sympathetic restoration would be great and would love to follow your bikes journey to its former glory. ATB. Bill.
Hi Bill, I do enjoy a good bike ride. You'll be interested to know I have also brought a Lanshan 2 to compliment my Lanshan 1. It's a great tent but I have not worked out what the extra piece of cordage they supply is for? Any ideas?
The bike looks good 👍 for a bike you got in 1989. Love your videos, Sandy keep up the good work brother.
This is why my motorbikes are really just an extension of my push bike collection, they have value money can't buy.
Sealed bearing wheels and bottom bracket and it'll be new again.
Great old bike Sandy. I’ve got a Specialized I paid dearly for. Thousands of miles on it.
Always good to “Have Something Brewing” Sandy. 😊
Lovely ride Sandy.
I remember your old bike. A bit of a thoroughbred and worth restoring as time and money permits.
Makes me want to get my bike out too.
Noel
Get on ur bike Noel. It'll do ya good. Infact you can cycle over to my place in a few weeks and then the two of us can cycle over to Sams at Old Allens. Just think of the petrol you would save.
@@WiltshireMan Oh yeah - and which of us will be carrying all that heavy camping gear we always take to Old Allen's?
Nice video, I like old bikes. I have a Graham Weigh with Reynolds 753 tubing. What has happened to Joe's hoopedbivy wildcamper channel, it seems to have disappeared.
Nice to have the fitness and good health, to enjoy such things 👍
Wow a Revell Romany, I had one of those probably about the same time as you bought yours. My first real commuter bike when I was an apprentice. It lasted well but I succombed to a nice shiny Thorn Audax eventually, still got the index levers in my bits and bobs box....enjoy your adventure may be Lowestoft to Ardnamurchan (the 'east to west') thats a great ride
Nice one :)
Great ride and commentary.
Nice scenery, Barnsley is in South Yorkshire 👍🏻
I’m sure that bike would be serviceable, the money well spent as for cost. What would you need to pay to get anything much better? £1500? £2000 more!
Never knew there was another Barnsley, great vid Sandy 👍🏼
great vid
That's a cracking bike thanks for sharing atvb jimmy 😎 😎
A lovely video Sandy ,how I love the Cotswolds although where we live is beautiful too, your video made me think about my very first bike ,I think I was about 4 ,always a tomboy lol always playing cricket and climbing trees later,😊 and it was a red Noddy tricycle with a boot on the back painted on top with Noddy ,my first ride was into town because there wasn't any buses lol 😂 Blessings xxxShaz
LOL that sounds like a wonderful old bike Shaz. My first bike had solid rubber tyres. I remember telling my dad that I wanted a bike with pump up tyres when I was young.
Thumbs up!!!
Clark
That was fantastic love the bike I would restore it because of the memory's
All praise to John Kemp Starley, 1885. A marvel to the modern World. Long live the Rover.
What ever it is, you wont be too long before you are out again. thanks for sharing enjoyed watching.
That was a good ride and you seem to keep a good speed for old fellows , i'm 66 and still ride but not long rides like you chaps . Yes recondition the old bike but so far the pedals are not old school and look out of place being lime green :-)
Great project! Nice high quality old bike.
Very cool, thanks for the tour.
Another good one Sandy, but that Brooks saddle looked a tad urgent, must be my age :)
i love your videos very much....Hope to see many more. Thank you.
Lovely video WM thanks for sharing. atb
thats a nice bike well worth doing a bit of work on
The bike looks in BLOODY GOOD SHAPE.; a testimony to its QUALITY! Is this still available - NEW?
No longer available. Revell went out of business years ago.
Nice bike sandy. Not many of these left so am aware of.