Shop

Ok get your sleuthing caps on.

This old geezer turned up last week (the bike not the fella who brought it) and we’re having trouble identifying it in detail.

Click on the pic for some more.

We know it dates from 1940’s France when there were numerous small frame builders for the 1000’s of touriste riders in the country. The lugs in this picture have ‘Nervex 73′ cut into the top and bottom which denotes the angle in degrees of the head tube. It has Le Cyclo cranks, an Atax stem and a Radios front lamp. It’s had a makeover since new, probably two because the wheels are only a few years old, the front and rear callipers are different and the saddle is new.

Any information about this vintage bicycle would be greatly received.

Two good friends of the shoppe and Team Bad members have gone to Africa to cycle 5500 miles across it.

Pete & Dave set off on Saturday 10th January to Addis Abeba in Ethipoia to begin their 3 month adventure but it didn’t start well! You can learn about that and other stories from their adventure here a the Team Bad website (click on the link):

You can sponsor Pete & Dave who are raising money for the Overgate Hospice in Halifax by visiting Justgiving.com/5000miles or by clicking on this link below:

Just Giving – MAKE A DONATION

Cheers.

Happy New Year all.

We get loads of broken bikes through the workshop and sometimes they look like this poor thing:

Whether mangled by the elements or chewed up by the owner there’s something about the destruction that fascinates us, it’s like rubbernecking (Generally, any act of observation in a manner considered unduly overt or otherwise unseemly) for bike enthusiasts!

So based on this fascination of the broken we’ve started a collection of pictures on this theme and would welcome any pictures you might have, please email them in the usual way and we add them here:

CRUNCH Pictures

Wear your helmet but try not to use it.

At last, the waiting is over.

Firth Cycles now has an online store where you (yes you!) can buy lovely things for your bike. Click on the screen shot below to take you there.

Johnnie Walker and I hope you like it. Its simple clean layout means it’s all about the products and not about the interest free credit, special offers or adverts for mobile phones flashing up all over the place.

Firth Cycles is a real shop run by real people and we wanted the online store to reflect that a bit. One of the first simple things we did was to put the address and phone number on the bottom of every page so you can contact us easily should you need to.

We are listing more of our products every day (except on Sunday’s when we ride our bikes) so please keep checking the home page or alternatively let us know what you’re after and we’ll do our best to sort it out for you. All the prices on the site are the same as those in the store so no surprises if you want to come and collect in person.

Enjoy.

Yeah I know it’s been a long time since my last post but I’ve been a bit busy what with getting married, going on honeymoon, having a hectic summer of repairs and …err…oh, only three things then. Well maybe it’s true, I have been neglecting the blog but I’m back now and there’ll be more to come. Spent some of my summer helping Johnnie Walker build up his new bike (can I blame him for lack of posts?) and here is a picture of the hub/lacing pattern he went for:

Click the pic for more.

An interesting pair of wheels with 32 hole crow’s foot lacing (interesting in that crow’s foot is usually seen on 36 hole wheels), System EX sealed bearing track hubs, DT Swiss TK 7.1 touring rims and DT Swiss Champion double butted spokes. I’m hoping to convince to John to do a post so you can see what the rest of the bike looks like.
Watch this space.
B.

Click on the pic for more…

Despit the snowy and frosty conditions, a few Firth Cycle’s regulars joined Jim and I for a jaunt around Calder Valley on Sunday morning. The route was led by Terry (his first and last – thanks for the tarmac memeories Terry) and went like this: started at the shop in Queensbury, then Ogden Water, Oxenhope, Leeshaw Reservoir, Bodkin Lane, Stairs Lane, down the side of Crimsworth Dean, Hardcastle Crags/New Bridge, up to Pecket Well then a monster road climb up Bedlam Hill on the Hebden Bridge road and finally a sneaky right onto the drainage channel back to Ogden and then back to Queensbury. 25 miles in total. A great trip out as you can see from the pics but the best news had to be that the Withens Pub is set to re-open in the near future and is currently doing tea and cakes which makes a nice stopping point.

We are planning to collate a mailing list of other like minded riders so if you would like notice of other rides please send me your email and i’ll add you to that list.

The BBC news said (amongst other things) that the budget would prove expensive for smokers, drinker and motorists. The best solution? Get a bike! (you knew that was coming right?). Give up the fags, drink less booze, buy less fuel and get out on your bike. Yeah drive a 3.5L V8 gas guzzling Landy if that’s your bag but commute on your bike when you can – balance it out. I get fed up feeling like I must ‘go green’ overnight but it isn’t practical for everyone to give up their cars tomorrow, if you ride your bike to work or to the shops once a week then it’s a start – and you’ll feel better physically and financially. Rant over.

Click on the picture for a few more shots…

We were so impressed with the recon job done on these PACE Air Force forks that we thought we should tell you all about it.

These beauties belong to Mr John Walker and are usually attached to his 1996 Bontrager Race Light which is currently in the workshop for some TLC (thats Tighten, Lube & Clean!). Since Pace forks were bought by DT Swiss they no longer service any models older than 2003 – a shame I know especially since (in my opinion) they are one of the limited brands that has a heritage that should be shouted about. Anyway, one man’s loss is another’s gain and that man is Tim Price who is now servicing the older stuff. He is based in Pickering, North Yorkshire, and be contacted on 01751 476815. Thanks Tim.

£50 million is up for grabs from the Big Lottery Fund and it could be invested in cycling and walking across the UK but only if you really want it.

Sustrans needs you to vote for Connect2 , one of four projects competing on ITV1 in the Big Lottery Fund’s: The People’s £50 Million Contest with the winner decided by public vote. Online voting will open on 26th November at www.thepeoples50million.org.uk and telephone voting takes place over the weekend 7th-10th December.

Do one of the following today so that they can remind you how and when to vote.

• Text CONNECT2 to 80010
• Complete the online form at www.sustransconnect2.org.uk (also has more information about the projects) or
• Call 0845 058 1373 to leave your contact details.

Go on then…..

Spent last weekend in the Scottish borders with a bunch of mates doing what we do best – breaking stuff!  We stayed here at the Criffel Inn and would recommend it to anyone (including families) who want to explore the 7Staines.  Great digs and food and the owners are bikers too so they understood our strange ways (mostly pre-ride fettling in the car park).  The photo above shows young Jim on the left, Andy Moore in the middle and Craig Tabiner on the right, check out more photo’s from the trip by clicking on the pic or just go there yourself.