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leggy_blonde
clubman
Another sort of Longevity
'Dragonfly'
In use 1934-1995
Now living in retirement in France.
This was my Mum's bike. It was a 21st birthday present which she continued using until she gave up riding at the age of 82.
It wasn't a particularly good machine even when new - its original price had been 4 guineas (£4.20p) but my Grandfather shrewdly purchased it as old stock for 3 guineas. The Williams C34 chainset you can see in the photo might suggest reasonable quality, but it's not original - I fitted it towards the end in order to reduce her gearing slightly, from 46 to 44x18 (63").
My dad and I often told her she should have a better bike, and on at least two occasions she was given one. She did try them, but in the end always reverted to the Dragonfly.
At one point, about 1980, she complained to me that there was something wrong - it didn't feel right and the chain had gone very tight. When I looked at it the problem was obvious - both chainstays had broken and it was only the chain that was holding it up. My reaction was 'Well, that's it, you really will have to get a new one now.' Her response: 'No, please find a way to mend it'.
If you look at the top picture you can see where plates have been brazed onto the chainstays. We didn't dismantle it - just did the brazing in situ and painted over it. This lasted the rest of her life.
I can't really explain her attitude, but she was like this about other things she owned (sewing machine, fountain pen etc). I think the fact she'd done some interesting sounding Youth Hostelling on the bike when she was young may have been a particular factor with the bike - this included one day of 150 miles riding from Wilderhope YH (near Ludlow) back home to Teddington - carrying touring luggage.
She could reasonably have claimed to have a very modest carbon footprint so far as travel was concerned!