I have really enjoyed the touring posts.
> Howard Darr
> Clymer PA
Me too. It's kind of refreshing to escape the "tyranny of the tubulars". Please no flaming, I'm just being poetic. I've enjoyed the "in my youth" stories. In my 50's and I still do about one short tour a month and 3 week-longs each year. Like Sheldon, my heavy duty tourer (jeep roads in the mountains) is a Rohloff mounted on my K.of the F. Rivvy AR. But for pure, exhilarating, vintage pleasure (pavement/hardpack gravel) I pull out my '70 HR Morris. Mafacs with Matthausers, Campy Rally, Phil Woods on 27" Super Champions, 44/32 TA. British blue collar simplicity and ruggedness. 531, plain lugs, full wrap arounds, Cinelli fork crown, reinforcing tangs on forks and brake bridge. It feels alive unloaded (72 parallel/40.5 wb) but gets better fully-loaded. I can glide down hills at 25 mph, hands on my hips, and just think myself into curves. This is the best argument there is for having yourself a honest-to-goodness-designed-for-touring tourer. Titch had that magic touch and I thank him. His knowledge and skill has given me more pleasure than any other machine in the stable (my Viking Path is close). Touring on a vintage machine is a gas, be it motelling or camp touring, though I'm spoiled living in the West. It's a bike camper's heaven and there isn't a motel on this planet that can match a desert's night sky, cowboy coffee, a shot of brandy, and the red-hued glint of a Campagnolo Rally reflecting a campfire. Whoa Craig, settle down...just started back to work after 6 weeks, sorry.
Craig Montgomery
Tucson
> I have really enjoyed the touring posts.
>
> Mine was
> Serotta Club Series frame Reynolds 531 Campagnolo ends Vaugner crown and
> Haden long point lugs. Only one braze on for the rear der. on the stay.
>
> TA triple crank 32 x 42 x 52
> Suntour Spirt Front Der.
> Shimano Crane GS Rear Der.
> Sedis Chain
> Suntour Winner 13 x 26
> Shimano Dura Ace hubs 36 hole Small flange
> Torrington Double Butted spokes
> Rigida 13 x 19 rims
> Suntour Bar Cons
> SR Seat post stem and handlebars
> Weinmann CP Brakes and handles with the QR that dived under the hood.
> Steel rack that wasn't very good but looked sexier that the Pletcher (SP)
> rack. Also I couldn't bear to clamp a rack on to the frame.
> Cannonade handlebar bag
> Schwinn seat bag. Remember the really big black one?
> TA water bottle and cage and a hiking water bottle in the handlebar bag.
>
> Before that I had souped up two department store bikes. Imagine a Mafac
> brakes, Shimano Crane, and "proper" down tube shifters on a department
store
> huffy.
>
> I was never interested in racing. Touring is what interested me. I tend
to
> be a loner by nature and riding alone was great. I rode department store
> bikes while I saved my money to buy the bike of my dreams. In 1977 I
> purchased a Serotta Club Series frame. My Dad drove me 2 hours to pick up
> the frame in Pittsburgh PA. The big surprise was that while I was there I
> was drooling over a TA triple crank. To my amazement and great joy he
> bought it for me. Mind you this crank cost as much as my last two
> department store bikes together.
>
>
>
> Howard Darr
> Clymer PA