Classic & Vintage - Reunited with an old friend .

A number of years ago I had a bike built by an English framebuilder of long experience. This framebuilder, Derek Bailey had emigrated to Canada after getting his experience in places such as Holdsworth and Geoffrey Butler.

In Canada he built custom frames and also got together with some friends of his and founded a little company based in Vancouver, the company was called Rocky Mountain Bicycles.

The bike he built me was y best friend for many years and was my only bike for many years.

We traveled and rode and explored for many years. The bike fit like a glove and rode like a dream.

I decided this year that it was time for “Pink”, the name my daughters have given this bike, to get a new Prom Dress, so I stripped it down and sent it off for painting. While it was there, I thought, I may as well have a couple of other things added.

This bike was outfitted with C-Record from the day I got it, so I stripped all the parts down and cleaned, polished, re-lubed, re-packed, etc.

These are some pictures of the bike, before it got sent away.

So, as I said while the frame was getting done, I re-built the C-Record.

This stuff polishes up like no tomorrow.

Emery cloth; 400 / 600 / 1000 followed by lots of elbow grease and McGuire’s Chrome polish.

The Crank arms are grooved, right into the aluminium from all the years of my toe straps rotating past them. It’s a mark of love.

I sent the frame to Sam Whittingham of Naked Bicycles and Designs on Quadra Island in BC for the make over.

He sent me an email telling me Pink was on the way home and I got a phone call from the Greyhound depot the next morning, a delivery for me.

So went to get her, and did some playing with the frame when I got it home.

I'm glad you stuck with the original paint scheme - looks fantastic!!

So I put the girl back together on the weekend.

The C-Record rear derailleur is still on the workbench and will get re-installed at some point. I decided that I wanted to stick with the Super Record brake calipers instead of putting the Deltas back on. The Super Record calipers simply look more elegant, so they stay. The Deltas didn’t make the cut.

I got the old girl all back together in time to noodle around the neighbourhood last night, and can honestly say I had forgotten how wonderful this bike is, it rides like a dream and fits like a glove – the way any bike should be.

A love affair re-born and hopefully we will have many more years together and much travel to come.

I'm glad you stuck with the original paint scheme - looks fantastic!!

Thank you.

So am I. I had actually thought about changing it but my daughters rebelled and insisted I stay with the scheme.

Now that I have it home, I glad I did.

Phew...relieved...I'm glad you stuck with pink, too...love it!! ;o)

Phew...relieved...I'm glad you stuck with pink, too...love it!! ;o)

Thank you, the more I look at it, the happier I am that I stayed with it . :)

Phew...relieved...I'm glad you stuck with pink, too...love it!! ;o)

I'm asssuming you are a female!:rolleyes:

Do you break down your bike frequently for shipping or transport? How do you like the S&S couplers? Notice any change in the frame's flex characteristics?

Do you break down your bike frequently for shipping or transport? How do you like the S&S couplers? Notice any change in the frame's flex characteristics?

I just got this one done so all I can say is I love the couplers.

MAny people on RBR have reported no noticeable change in the bikes character as a result of the couplers, possibly the tubes are a mite stiffer where the couplers have been inserted.