Hi all...I've been following the list for about a week now since I stumbled on it and signed up, so thought I'd introduce myself. I currently live in the central USA...St Louis, although I grew up in the UK. I grew up around cycling, both my parents were (and still are) avid cyclists, and I spent many weekends as a youth handing out feed bottles at Severn Road Club (Bristol, UK) time trials. My first road bike was a WW2 era Claud Butler, which I rode for many years before handing it off to my younger brothers. After that I graduated to what I remember as a very short wheelbase Peugeot, probably 1960's vintage. I finally sold this in the late 1970's as I temporarily lost interest in cycling. I recently retrieved the Claud Butler from my parents basement with an eye to restoring it, hence my interest in this list. I've also regained possession of several other bikes I've owned in the past, including a 1950's Viking, which is currently my fixed gear ride, and what I think is a Carlton of indeterminate age. I do have lots of questions on both the Claud Butler and Carlton which I'll ask in a separate post. My current rides (besides the fg Viking, which I'm still getting accustomed to) are an Ultegra equipped 1987 Raleigh Technium with 7-speed SIS, and an Ultegra equipped 1992 Trek 1500 with 8-speed STI. I understand both of these are outside the scope of this list, so I won't say any more about them. I've receieved quite a bit of good advice and wisdom from list members already, and look forward to continuing this, with the hope that ultimately I'll be able to offer like in return. Through my parents (both in their mid-70's) I have access to their main rides, a 1951 Flying Scot Continental Supreme, and a similar vintage Westland road bike. While the Westland is probably far too big a bike for me, I must confess that I do covet the Flying Scot; it's both the right size for me, and holds a special place in my heart as I spent my early childhood being carted around by it in a special sidecar that my mother had...cars were beyond our means in those days and people went everywhere by bike.
Michael Davies St Louis