Velognome 

Smart a$$, there's a Vintage Touring Bike thread for those.

Velognome 

isn't Hercules Greek?



Guy Pelly, English Clubman

Gasbag

I think fenders were mandatory by law in England as was the white tip on the rear fender. Other than that, right. A Clubman was an all 'rounder. From my reading, most clubs required lights be installed as they would stage evening events.

Think Raleigh Lenton and Hercules Kestrel to name a couple. They were sold in various configurations as far as driveline and were adaptable to multi use. A Raleigh Sport was also be suitable if that is what your income dictated.

The word "Clubman" was as much a social conotation as a style of bicycle.

Path racers on the other hand were more purposeful though if the money was tight would also serve as a commuter and club bike.

Sixty Fiver

From Retro Raleighs by Peter Kohler

One of the great traditions of British cycling was "club riding": small, local groups of cyclists organized into clubs for regular sporting or recreational rides. These could comprise long or short tours, day trips, time trials or roadracing. The emphasis in many clubs was more camaraderie than competitive but it was not always a pub crawl. Many group rides were multi-day affairs and as varied as the British countryside.
The sheer variety of club rides and riders demanded a versatile and popularly priced mount, one that was lightweight, but with more relaxed frame angles than a pure racing type, as well as mudguards and lighting equipment for all-year, all-weather use. By the 1930s, most cycle manufacturers offered a specific range of "club" cycles ranging from simple derivations of the steel-framed, cable-braked "sports light roadsters" to the most sophisticated machines of their day with light steel tubing, celluloid mudguards, Sturmey Archer hub gears, alloy fitments and 26" x 1 1/4" (597 mm) lightweight steel wheels, quick release wing nut hubs and high pressure (70 psi) tires.

A bicycle did not have to say "Clubman" to be a suitable mount for club riders, this was a descriptor used by manufacturers like Raleigh to promote these models to those riders.

My 1955 Raleigh Lenton is a classic club bicycle that was fitted with a fixed drive instead of a Sturmey Archer 3 speed and still rolls on Dunlop 26 by 1 1/4 stainless rims.

My 1951 and 1954 Sports were entry level club bicycles fitted with 3 speed hubs.

My 1951 CCM is a Path / Road bicycle.

(My site is down for a tune up - pictures will follow)

noglider 

Be fair, Rudi. It really doesn't have to be a bicycle.

rhm

You make a good point. I was forgetting something.

Velognome 

your picture didn't post..maybe...this...?

rhm

Strange, it showed up on my computer at work! But yes, that's more or less what I posted, but mine had a license plate that said Mini Clubman.

Velognome 

How 'bout one ......Drifting

wahoonc

My take on the Clubman was a bike made with usually a decent grade of steel tubing, fenders, IGH/(possibly fixed gear single speed), Lauterwauser or flipped North roads, lightweight fenders and usable for all conditions. I consider the Raleigh Clubman from the 1940-50's to be a sterling example. From what I gather they only came in one frame size from Raleigh, unfortunately too small for me. I have a Dawes Galaxy frameset that I will be building one up with. I have a NOS FW hub that I plan to use on it, or possibly and FG that I might convert to a 5 speed.

Aaron

Velognome 

I think the flipped Northroads are more iconic today than they were during the period, seems most Clubman had drops. I also believe the Clubman was simply a sporting bike suitable for club activities; some fast rides, light tours, maybe a friendly time trial. I think we've made more out of the style than it really ever was.

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Gasbag

Eggzactly.

Clubman bikes were closer to their French counterparts, the Randonneur and Demi-course, than they were with path racers.

If I was going to define characteristics of the British Clubman a few things that I would include would be light weight mudguards, lighting, tire repair equipment, a seat bag with enough volume for repair items and clothing for unexpected weather, wing nuts for quick fender and wheel removal.

Derailleur equipped bikes also have a long history with the British Clubman bikes. Cyclo-Benelux made kits for adding two - three gears to the IGH bikes. Sale adds show the factory offering them in later years as a factory installed option. Cyclo-Benelux also offered 3,4, and 5 speed rear cogs for standard hubs that were also popular with the club riders. At the chainring, the early rod shifted and later cable shifted Benelux were offered as factory options and again were popular amongst club riders. Huret and Campy would occasionally be seen on club bikes with Huret taking the reins from Benelux in the very early 1960's.

Velognome 

Awake O Zombie thread, your time has come....Fixed gear (?) Mercian with a hubbrake...so nice!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/redmax...p/14250283956/

Crappy Flicker won't let me post

NormanF

Yup. A path racer would have high end Reynolds 531 steel unlike the mild steel used on three speed Raleigh Sports and it was built for fast day rides. But it was more comfortable to ride than a typical road bike due to its more relaxed frame geometry. Its a good choice for those wanting an upgrade in an all around bicycle over the Raleigh Sports.

WNG

Velognome 

Thanks WNG....how'd ya do it?

WNG

;-) We geeks rule the world.

There was a Flickr rant thread over their change to the undesirable new interface. Work arounds were posted there.
The new 'look' also doesn't allow you easy access to the other sizes. Unless the owner selects to share/downloadable option.
If they do, you have the option to view and download by clicking on the "..." on the right side. Once you open the size you want, copy the image location and paste it here.

If the owner doesn't allow downloads....simply switch the language to any other than English and you'll retrieve the old interface. I use FRENCH, since I can read some of it.

Sixty Fiver

1951 CCM


1954 Raleigh Sports


1955 Raleigh Lenton


1950 Raleigh Sports

Velognome 

Thanks WNG

1962 Raleigh Sports

fixed1313

Very cool!!!!!

NormanF

A modern interpretation of the classic club bicycle, path racer:



Its understated classic appearance is what makes it look at home on the road - and on the trails.

dddd

A time, a place, and a market/pricepoint.


Relaxed angles @ 71 degrees, check.

Super-low price to meet the volume-point in the U.S. market, so hence, no fenders or lights.

A 1960's bike, basically, but based on even older frame geometry and with derailer gears by now, even as production survived well into the 70's.

But, above all, it says "Clubman" in bold, fancy script on the downtube.

Behold, a good bike for all but my wet-weather riding: Club rides and training rides, check.
Plastic derailers: What were they thinking?

Velognome 

Seems the Clubman name and concept gets recycled every decade or so.

nlerner

Other than the fact that they're both bicycles, I can't even remotely imagine a connection to clubman or path racers.

NormanF

Put fenders on and you have a club bicycle.

Everything is coming with disk brakes nowadays. I like the mix of classic design and new tech.