Paul Gittins

I've found this forum from surfing various classic bike sites. Don't know which one led me here but that's not important. I'm 60, retired from work and what you might call a 'lapsed' cyclist. Still got the bikes in the shed (Giant TCR and Specialized Stumpjumper Pro. both c. 2000) and the clothes in the drawer but not the willpower in the head! I think that my interest now is mainly in recreating my youth (when I was Time Trialling and Road Racing every weekend) and seeing racing machines from the 50's to the 80's, thinking 'I used to have one of those!' If only I'd kept my Campag chainsets etc. I discovered classic bikes to late as a few years ago I gave a box of assorted bits to a member of the local 'Bygone Bikes' club. In it were Mafac stirrups and levers, Ballila levers, Harden hubs, Williams AB77 chainset, TA cotterless with the 'Triangular' axle, LAM brake stirrups and all sorts of things, probably worth a fortune now to the right people! What I do have is a 'Dave Russell' frame (531 lugless) from the 1972 Harrogate Show built by a guy called, I think, Wally Grey who was a Claud Butler builder at one time. I can hang a reasonable selection of period parts on it if I dig through the shed and might do it when I get back from holiday in a couple of weeks.

East Hill

Hello Paul, you will be a welcome addition to the Classic & Vintage forum. I know I will be looking for those photos .

Welcome to BF!

East Hill

Paul Gittins

Thanks for the welcome. I don't have any pure bike shots but plenty of racing ones. These of any interest?

East Hill

Absolutely! Anything that has to do with vintage cycling is great .

East Hill

Paul Gittins

Vintage is to old! I'm only a Classic!

East Hill

Classic is even better, we all like to think of ourselves as 'classics' .

East Hill

phantazy

Hi, I'm in London and had a Dave Russell in blue with a stuck seatpost that had to be drilled out. Dave Russell had a shop in Slough and also apparently somewhere in High Wycombe. He had connections with Claud Butler, who started out in Strattons at East Hill Wandsworth (coincidence with previous poster!). I'm having a Terry Dolan serviced there today, and e discussed the old English names like HE Green, Bates and Holdsworth. I grew up next to the Holdsworth store in Putney, and passed it on my way to school.
phantazy

phantazy

Hi Paul, I've got a Campag 80's rear derailleur going a begging if you're interested.
phantazy

anakin_chivs

Hi Paul, apologies for being a bit of a stalker, but I've been going through my parents slides from 60s / 70s and found some titled "Cyclo-cross - Paul Gittins 1969" could this be you by any chance? Unfortunately this forum won't let me post a pic until I've made 10 comments.
Kind regards, Anna

Trsnrtr

Welcome to both of you. Glad that you found us.