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Good infos Clubman.
Was there also an equipment difference between the League and Union cyclists?
Aside from obvious massed start vs time trialist gear.I’m thinking of putting these on my Gillott - but they’re a bit over the top maybe.
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absurdbird
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I'm certain there were differences between the League and the others, but I'm not quite old enough to be expert on this.
I think generally the BLRC supporters would try to look 'continental' and would laugh at fixed wheel time triallists riding out to events with mudguards and saddlebags.
Two of them have told me that they would travel up to the West End to buy Miroir Sprint and But et Club even though they couldn't read a word of French.
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Those bottles to go on your 1952 Gillott with Simplex TdF etc? Works for me! 2 bottles for a long stage.
I've got a TdF planned for my 1948 Hobbs but it's a pretty small spread of teeth. 16 total I think with 26 biggest rear. I've got the T.A. double I posted previously with 44/50, looking out for a suitable 14-24 freewheel. I know @clubman will think I'm a wuss but I don't think I could tackle an Alpine stage with that setup. Not without the second bottle full of amphetamine laced porridge.
If you're a VCC member, have a read of the Wally Summers article starting on page A2 of 'Cycling, Second Series, 1947 01 08 Jan'. I really enjoyed that. Gives a flavour of the time. There's another article in reminiscences on classiclightweights where the writer remembers senior club members going across to France and Belgium to race and coming back with rims and spokes (I think). It's a little later in the 50s if I remember, but even if Mavic sprints, TA rings, etc. weren't available in Britain directly I can imagine them coming back in suitcases and being drooled over.
clubman
veloham
Down Tube H/Bar Bottle Cages
This seems to have been a 'generational ' choice.
Pre-war and well into the fifties handlebar mounted cages were the norm but, for some reason unknown to me there was a change, probably complete by the early sixties, so that no 'gen' cyclist would be seen dead without a down tube bottle cage. Much the same thing, although somewhat later, happened with handlebar gear controls.
There's nothing wrong with either arangement, but it seems that there comes a time when the new kids on the block decide to disassociate themselves from the previous generation.