A bit of 1930's cycling style

[Baggy]

On a recent trip to the family home Mama unearthed some pics featuring my gran, grandad and their tandem. They're c1936. Although I've inherited the cycling gene my Gran's sense of style appears to have bypassed me completely.

Gran with Micky the dog. Judging by her immaculately waved hair this was before setting out. Also note her strong, sensible cycling footwear

And here, demonstrating that foul weather need not stand in the way of outdoor entertainment if you own a rain cape. Given this is in Lancashire it was probably taken in mid-summer... Gran and grandad are the couple cunningly disguised as a French Resistance fighter and James Dean.

There's another one somewhere of them sitting on the tandem sharing a well-earned and invigorating Capstan full strength

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Nice pics, I have some somewhere that are similar, taken in the late fifties, early sixties with my parents and their tandem and sidecar. Fixed gear gallery had this restored bike
posted recently http://fixedgeargallery.com/2009/oct/2/Y.Tseng.htm.

 

[postman]

Lancashire mid summer-like it.

 

[longers]

Excellent pics

They did well to get all five on the tandem!

 

[Baggy]

They did well to get all five on the tandem!

They're probably hiding a triplet under their capes!

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Those are great pictures, Baggy.

 

[wafflycat]

Most excellent pics

 

[Globalti]

When I started climbing mountains at the age of 8 in 1964 the only waterproofs available were oilskin cycling capes and sou' westers like those. They were interesting in wind. Then in about 1970 somebody called Peter Storm invented this wonder nylon garment called a cagoule, which made you sweat like a rapist. The rest is history.

 

[Rob S]

Isn't this a Rapha ad!!??

 

[NickM]

Excellent! I wonder if, like that couple in many a Patterson picture, they went on camping holidays and managed to fit a whole set of camping and cooking gear, plus tools, a change of clothes, a towel and a washing line, all in two small saddlebags?

Here they are, having afternoon tea.

 

[Baggy]

Here they are, having afternoon tea.

They probably had Micky the dog wedged in there as well.

Am pondering if it was unusual to have a tandem with a derailleur at the time the pictures were taken. Wonder what happened to it...

 

[Hilldodger]

Looks like 20th century Devon to me.

Did I say that out loud?

 

[Hilldodger]

Am pondering if it was unusual to have a tandem with a derailleur at the time the pictures were taken. Wonder what happened to it...

Not unusual at all. We have half a dozen tandems like that just waiting for someone to come along and fix/restore them.

 

[Yellow Fang]

On a recent trip to the family home Mama unearthed some pics featuring my gran, grandad and their tandem. They're c1936. Although I've inherited the cycling gene my Gran's sense of style appears to have bypassed me completely.

Gran with Micky the dog. Judging by her immaculately waved hair this was before setting out. Also note her strong, sensible cycling footwear

And here, demonstrating that foul weather need not stand in the way of outdoor entertainment if you own a rain cape. Given this is in Lancashire it was probably taken in mid-summer... Gran and grandad are the couple cunningly disguised as a French Resistance fighter and James Dean.

There's another one somewhere of them sitting on the tandem sharing a well-earned and invigorating Capstan full strength

Seems to be quite a sunny day, so why are they wearing their capes? Your grandparents weren't rubber fetishists, were they?

 

[Baggy]

Looks like 20th century Devon to me.

Did I say that out loud?

Nah, we all ride around on tractors down here

I'd be almost tempted to take on a tandem restoration but think we'd spend most of the time pushing it uphill rather than riding it.