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Interesting to hear Phil Liggett talk about the low gear some of the riders were having fitted to their bikes prior to the stage. 34 chainring, 32 sprocket. That's more like a touring ratio. Mind you, a constant near 20% gradient for 2 miles at the end of a mountain stage........you'd need it, especially if you were a big lad. Some of those Spanish climbs seem to go on forever (I speak from experience). We've nothing like that in this country.

Have sent you a PM

That's lovely! If anyone is looking at this and doesn't know who Mike Mullett is - Mike was the foreman at Raleigh’s Special Products Division at their Ilkeston works which produced the 753 frames for the Ti-Raleigh team. He knows a thing or two about proper frame building!

Good luck with the sale.

Brilliant event. Great atmosphere. Thousands of like-minded people having a magical time. Challenging route, great weather, fantastic organisation.

What's not to like about all that?

Bargain for someone. Good luck with the sale.

Half man, half bike?

That's the one.

Being an old git, I followed Eddy Merckx's career from his first days as a pro for Peugeot. I've just read this book which served to remind me of how incredible this man was as a rider. The best ever - and I do mean ever. Read the book, I implore you.

Re Merckx frames - when he was a pro, most of his frames were built by Colnago - as many as 27 in one season. The frame on which he broke the hour record in Mexico was 200 hours in the building - by Colnago himself. When Merckx retired from racing, De Rosa helped him set up his frame factory in Belgium.

It's all in the book - read it and prepare to be blown away at the magnificence of the man and the athlete.

Fantastic viewing. Hats off to Guy Martin and all the team. More bottle than a Coca Cola factory. Stunning bike build by Jason too. Love Rourke frames!

I'm glad you said that. The Carlton was the cheapest to buy when new, by a long way. The Tony Oliver I specifically ordered in a low-key, single colour with no maker's decals (other than the tiny one on the head tube) to deter thievery - having already had one very nice touring bike nicked.

The Raleigh Randonneur is in just as good condition as the Carlton, if not better - see below. Sadly, it just doesn't get used, so come next Spring, I may decide to sell it. How many touring bikes does one man need?

Custom frame built for me by Tony Oliver. Reynolds 708 main tubes, Columbus SP forks & stays, 26" wheels.

1990 Raleigh Randonneur. Reynolds 531ST frame. All original equipment.

Still have all the original bits and pieces supplied when new

Just like the sales brochure.

Carlton Corsair. Reynolds 531 main tubes. All original equipment. On loan to a local bicycle museum.

Lovely looking bike. Only downside I can see is that it's a tad too high-geared for a fully laden touring bike. It really needs a triple chainset and a minimum 28T rear sprocket (those could be retro-fitted, but would cost, of course). Braze-ons on the forks for a front rack would help too - along the lines of a Dawes Super Galaxy or a Raleigh Randonneur of the same period.

Would make a good Audax bike, though and perfect for the E'roica Brittanica.

Good luck with the sale.

Gorgeous. Good luck with the sale.

I still have the Tony Oliver touring/ expedition bike I built up in 1994 from a frame that Tony custom built for me at the time. I had just spent a year on a "round the world with bike" trip on a Dawes Super Galaxy (good bike btw) which gave me many days in the saddle planning how my ultimate long-distance bike would be. I then read Tony's book from cover to cover and quickly realised that this pragmatic, common sense bloke understood cyclists and frame building. Being a metallurgist - he knew about tubes, brazing and all the other technical stuff too.

I took on board the advice in the book and ended up with just what I wanted. The frame Tony built rides like a dream, both fully laden with camping gear or unladen for day rides. It's supremely comfortable and ironically, its design and features are almost exactly the same as the Thorn range of touring frames - which came onto the market a few years after my frame was completed. Kevin Sayles, chief frame builder at Woodrups in Leeds built Thorn frames from 1999 onwards before returning to Woodrups a few years ago - so a case of great minds think alike, perhaps?

Here's couple of photos of the bike - still wearing its original bottle green enamel paint - I elected to have a plain paint finish with no frame decals other than the one on the head tube - to make it less attractive to bike thieves.

I still have the original order form and spec sheets.

The main tubes are Reynolds 708 (silver brazed). Forks and seat stays are Columbus SP, and chainstays are Columbus Cyber OR - with a cast bottom bracket, fork crown and Prugnat lugs. The forks have an old fashioned shallow rake to give ample clearance with mudguards fitted and to be more comfortable on rough roads. Built for 26" wheels with sufficient clearance to take mountain bike tyres - because mountain bike size tyres are universally available - unlike 700c touring tyres - as I found to my cost in some remote areas when riding the Dawes.

Shame Tony doesn't build frames any more. The book is a a must read for any bike enthusiast.

Let's see if a down to earth Lancashire lad can put UCI money where his mouth is. I do hope so. Can't do any worse than his predecessors (plural).

We hear quite a few complaints about the drivers or RMS tipper lorries, but not this one deathwish cyclist - YouTube

A good friend of mine was squashed by a truck doing exactly this routine. His widow still thinks of him every day - more than 15 years later.

I went to school with Brian Cookson - he was a year or two younger than me and was a decent lad back in those days. Haven't seen him for quite a while but he's certainly put his (unpaid) time into British Cycling over the years from the grass roots up to his current role as President of B. C. Since he took on the role, British Cycling have done a pretty good job at winning things and there's been a huge boom in cycling in the UK in recent years.

Would be nice to see him take on the job and give it a good go. Chris Hoy and Seb Coe seem to think so too.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/other-sports/cycling/sir-chris-hoy-backing-brian-2250605

http://www.briancookson.org/files/6313/7208/9499/Manifesto_BC_English.pdf

Can't do any worse than Fat Pat.

Just received this today by post. Also sent me a set of 531 forks last week - exactly what I needed. Top bloke to deal with - extremely helpful, so I thought I'd just say thanks......

I'd be very happy to buy from Skull & Biscuits any time.

2nd dibs, if the first one drops out.

Makes one of these look a tad expensive........

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/FBHOPRO/holdsworth_professional_bike

dibs. Pm'd.

Dumbfounded? Just plain Dumb, I'd say. Well out of order. Definitely due at least a 50% refund, minimum.

2nd dibs dura-ace

Dibs on beater 531 forks, if still available. PM'd

2nd dibs on the Tektro rear brake if you'll post at cost. Have sent PM

Stumbled across this on Gumtree today. If you want a good laugh, read the ad.

Apparently, it was "used in the 1970-71 Olympics".

http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/classic-rare-racing-raleigh-olympics-bike-1970/1024302503

there were no winter Olympics held in 1970...... and the Munich Olympics were held in 1972........

.....and £750 for that nasty old relic?

Do behave!