Venerable old Claud seen outside Waitrose

[Fab Foodie]

When I saw the title of this thread, I thought it was somebody having dig at theclaud!

Who would have the temerity to do that...

 

[Christopher]

nice bike - cotterless cranks and is that butted Reynolds tubing?

I think that Mercian do make this type of frame on demand. Bob Jackson might too.

 

[fossyant]

That black bike in the background could do with being locked better too......

 

[Arch]

I used to have one of those front lights must have been 25 to 30 years ago. Two D cell batteries weighed a ton

I saw one today (an Ever Ready light), for sale in a charity shop, £1.50. Nearly bought it for a laugh, but sense prevailed. I really don't need a collection of vintage bike accessories.

Do I?

No, no, I must not!

 

[Hacienda71]

I saw one today (an Ever Ready light), for sale in a charity shop, £1.50. Nearly bought it for a laugh, but sense prevailed. I really don't need a collection of vintage bike accessories.

Do I?

No, no, I must not!

Funny I thought they were made by Eveready but wasn't 100% sure.

 

[Crankarm]

Funny I thought they were made by Eveready but wasn't 100% sure.

The irony .

 

[dellzeqq]

That front light must be at least 35 years old. Wonder if it is still on the original set of batteries ?

The owner could do with locking it properly and with a decent D-lock.

iirc the plastic version of that light came in about 1982. I had the earlier version, which was pressed metal - it went the way of all flesh when I hit a pothole and it jumped off it's little bracket thingy. I then went to a dynamo, which blew the bulb everytime I went down hill at any speed at all.

All a far cry from the Hope Vision 1 and the EL530

 

[betty swollocks]

nice bike - cotterless cranks and is that butted Reynolds tubing?

I think that Mercian do make this type of frame on demand. Bob Jackson might too.

Yes it was Reynolds 531: the semi-intact decal was on the top of the seat tube. So at least the main tubes were. Didn't look to see if the fork blades had that one.

While we're on the subject of bike lights; anyone remember (maybe they're best forgotten) the Wonderlights, with the plastic bracket and ball and socket joint? Their rattling sent you insane and they died at the most inconvenient moments.
Found a pic:-

Happy times: heigh-ho!

 

[betty swollocks]

Yep: just had a look at my pic - 531 fork blades too.

 

[Fab Foodie]

iirc the plastic version of that light came in about 1982. I had the earlier version, which was pressed metal - it went the way of all flesh when I hit a pothole and it jumped off it's little bracket thingy. I then went to a dynamo, which blew the bulb everytime I went down hill at any speed at all.

All a far cry from the Hope Vision 1 and the EL530

Same here.
IIRC, my metal one had a 'shade' over the light with a chunk of plastic in it so you could see that the light was on! Well you'd never tell by looking at the road in front of you. 2 excited glow-worms in a jam-jar would have been brighter.

I also had the Wonder lights and to be honest they were kinda OK. Like Dellzeqq I also had a bottle dynamo and went through rear bulbs almost on a nightly basis. The wonderlights were quite reliable in comparison.

 

[andyfromotley]

I thought this was a 'theclaud' spotted thread??

In waitrose!!!

 

[rich p]

Commanding respect through age, dignity and sagacity -theclaud to a T

 

[dellzeqq]

Yes it was Reynolds 531: the semi-intact decal was on the top of the seat tube. So at least the main tubes were. Didn't look to see if the fork blades had that one.

While we're on the subject of bike lights; anyone remember (maybe they're best forgotten) the Wonderlights, with the plastic bracket and ball and socket joint? Their rattling sent you insane and they died at the most inconvenient moments.
Found a pic:-

Happy times: heigh-ho!

the Wonder light. Indeed. I had a length of fibre optic cable glued in to a small hole in the rear light, which was then threaded to the handlebars - so I could check to see if the thing was on.

Didn't stop me being rear-ended...

 

[mistral]

Brings back fond memories, my wife had one of these in the good old days, can't imagine why we let it go.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

'tis a nice bike, not as classic an old claud as this though…