Hi, Dan--
Yes, I couldn't agree with you more about the video. It makes one realize that "progress" isn't always what it's cracked up to be. And I'm afraid England has lost a great deal in the wide adoption of the four-wheeled monster which tears up villages and generates needless sprawl. It makes one long for but one more invention which has not yet come to be---a time machine.
But there is a way in which to create a verisimilitude of those bygone days---
Regarding touring, if you ever make it out to the Midwest there is an arcane group of cyclists who every Spring don plus fours and ride their hub-geared cycles around Lake Pepin.
In the fall they also hold a rally and ride---
I've been twice and it's jolly good fun.
Even if you can't attend the events, you can enjoy the photos on the web site and participate in their discussion group--- The Gentleman Cyclist. You'll find a link to it in the left-hand margin of the 3-speed tour page.
There is a kindred group in the UK, called, appropriately enough, The Tweed Cycling Club---
And these two British sites have some wonderful photos of club cyclists---
http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/
http://homepages.tesco.net/
As to vintage time trialing footage, veteran Brit expatriot and List Member John Crump sometimes offers a DVD version of a film called SPINNING WHEELS, which opens with some footage of the Bath Road Club on a run, then goes into highlights of, I believe, the 1952 racing season. It includes a segment on time trialing, and spotlight pieces on two top gamers, Eileen Sheridan and my personal favorite speedman of all time, the great Ken Joy. John may be reached at Crumpy6204@aol.com.
Hope this helps.
Cheerio,
Peter Jourdain
Whitewater, Wisconsin US of A
> I can't emphasise enough what a cool video these two
> film segments are
> if you haven't looked, a CTC outing in the fifties
> by train. Great
> details of the clothing, a good look at fifies club
> bicycles, describing
> the wide range of gears available, 29 to 83 inches
> with as many as ten
> speeds, how the CTC managed to get train cars fitted
> for carrying
> bicycles, when I can't even take a bike on a train
> locally. It makes me
> want to be able to dress the part. Going full
> screen and pausing at
> times gives some really nice history. There's a
> close up of a(n) Rene'
> Herse in the second half at their lunch stop. I had
> a very short stint
> with the Chesapeake Wheelmen racing club in
> Baltimore in the early
> '70's, and own a few road bikes, but I'm a dyed in
> the wool tourist,
> both loaded and traveling light. I've never toured
> quite like the large
> seatbag and fenders outings shown and would love to
> give it a try.
> Craig Montgomery has some great photos of that kind
> of ride posted I
> believe on the fixed gear gallery, I believe riding
> his Ephgrave.
>
> Has anyone in the UK gotten video of the time
> trialing I've heard so
> much about prior to open road racing, that might be
> posted to a web
> hosting site like You-Tube? It would be
> exhilarating to see the riders,
> bikes and kit for that as well.
>
> Happy trails,
>
> Dan Artley in Parkton, Maryland USA
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