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vickster
Squire
Carbon Pearson Pave. I was going to get an alu Bianchi but I got my arm twisted by the LBS (Pearsons obvs). Was about double what I planned to spend 
still got it but I barely ride it, other bikes more practical!
You can Google for pics of it
Are you looking to buy a bike? If so, asking what the first was might not be terribly helpful for you as some could have had for donkeys years (ive had mine since 2011)
still got it but I barely ride it, other bikes more practical!You can Google for pics of it
Are you looking to buy a bike? If so, asking what the first was might not be terribly helpful for you as some could have had for donkeys years (ive had mine since 2011)
numbnuts
Squire
- Location
- Gone over the hill and far away
I wanted a steel touring bike so I could have all the screw rack fittings, Thorn make there frames in different lengths of top tubes as I have a spine injury I didn't want a flat out riding position so I bought a large frame with a short top tube and fitted me perfectly out of the box.
I could have gone down the made to measurer route, but it would have cost me more.
I could have gone down the made to measurer route, but it would have cost me more.
Mrs M
Guru
- Location
- Aberdeenshire
NorthernDave
Never used Über Member
- Location
- The real Northern Powerhouse
Of modern times* 
it was a Boardman Road Comp
A fine bike, and I was sad to see it go but I needed the room after buying the Giant late last year.
I'd bought a hybrid when I started cycling again, but I was doing more and more road riding and the hybrid was really slanted towards the MTB side of things so while it was fun it was slow, heavy and undergeared for the road. So I bought a proper road bike and never looked back.
Still go offroading occasionally on the hybrid though.
* - back in the day I had a Falcon, a Claud Butler and a Peugeot, but I couldn't tell you the models now. I'm fairly sure that the Peugeot was a fancy pants 12-speed.
it was a Boardman Road CompA fine bike, and I was sad to see it go but I needed the room after buying the Giant late last year.
I'd bought a hybrid when I started cycling again, but I was doing more and more road riding and the hybrid was really slanted towards the MTB side of things so while it was fun it was slow, heavy and undergeared for the road. So I bought a proper road bike and never looked back.
Still go offroading occasionally on the hybrid though.
* - back in the day I had a Falcon, a Claud Butler and a Peugeot, but I couldn't tell you the models now. I'm fairly sure that the Peugeot was a fancy pants 12-speed.
- Location
- Somewhere wet & hilly in NW England.
Carlton 10 in 1972 (my Mum bought this for me as I was still at school). This is not my bike btw as I never took a pic' of it.
I was sold on it due to the rubber hoods on the brake levers (most were bare metal then), the natty little mudguards (useless really) and the Brookes Professional Saddle (that collapsed in the middle whenever it got soaking wet).
I was sold on it due to the rubber hoods on the brake levers (most were bare metal then), the natty little mudguards (useless really) and the Brookes Professional Saddle (that collapsed in the middle whenever it got soaking wet).
Vantage
Carbon fibre... LMAO!!!
- Location
- Behind everyone else, Bolton
The first one I had was a Raleigh Flyer when I was about 14.
I swung straight across the lane heading to a right turn off and neglected to do shoulder check...or signal. The driving instructor who was about to pass me had no chance of avoiding me and the rear wheel was pringled. Dad fixed it.
Couple weeks later I was riding on the footpath at night in the rain without lights and a guy in a Rover Montego was pulling into his driveway.
Passenger side door ended up with a costly (to my dad) dent and the frame was a write off. No more flying for the Flyer.
The first one I bought personally was a Giant Peleton which I then parked into the side of a fence at 25 mph ish somewhere near Pendle in my early 20's.
edit...Not my pics.
I swung straight across the lane heading to a right turn off and neglected to do shoulder check...or signal. The driving instructor who was about to pass me had no chance of avoiding me and the rear wheel was pringled. Dad fixed it.
Couple weeks later I was riding on the footpath at night in the rain without lights and a guy in a Rover Montego was pulling into his driveway.
Passenger side door ended up with a costly (to my dad) dent and the frame was a write off. No more flying for the Flyer.
The first one I bought personally was a Giant Peleton which I then parked into the side of a fence at 25 mph ish somewhere near Pendle in my early 20's.
edit...Not my pics.
Does this count?
Not my image, doubt it was ever photographed (mine was pretty tidy). I didn't really choose it though, it was pretty cheap- they used to run a regular ad. in The Mirror.
I did my first rides beyond my immediate neighbourhood on this, maybe 15-20 miles away from where I lived. In retrospect it was a piece of shoot, lots of people have stories of these bikes just falling apart (like fork blades coming loose and stuff) but mine was reasonably reliable beyond the frequent punctures and the sticky freewheel.
Theres some more shoot about Tensor in this earlier thread. Worth it for the information that some of the bikes shipped with 'Dai Yung' brand tyres.
Not my image, doubt it was ever photographed (mine was pretty tidy). I didn't really choose it though, it was pretty cheap- they used to run a regular ad. in The Mirror.
I did my first rides beyond my immediate neighbourhood on this, maybe 15-20 miles away from where I lived. In retrospect it was a piece of shoot, lots of people have stories of these bikes just falling apart (like fork blades coming loose and stuff) but mine was reasonably reliable beyond the frequent punctures and the sticky freewheel.
Theres some more shoot about Tensor in this earlier thread. Worth it for the information that some of the bikes shipped with 'Dai Yung' brand tyres.
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gbb
Squire
- Location
- Peterborough
The first I remember was an old Carlton Continental given to me by a friend of my wife. I might have had something else but it' the first I remember.
My first I brought for myself...a Raleigh Chimera.
Both served me extremely well...many many miles commuted on them.
Why road bikes ? I can't and never could potter around. I push, even if it was on an ancient three speed gents bike with 26 x 1 and 3/8 wheels. Racing / road bikes were an obvious attraction.
My first I brought for myself...a Raleigh Chimera.
Both served me extremely well...many many miles commuted on them.
Why road bikes ? I can't and never could potter around. I push, even if it was on an ancient three speed gents bike with 26 x 1 and 3/8 wheels. Racing / road bikes were an obvious attraction.
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HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
A bianchi 928. I wasn't going to go carbon but I wanted something slightly unique (and there wasn't many Bianchi's in my area then). It was kind of an impulse buy after a visit to a previous lbs shop to buy a custom frame. They only wanted to sell me a stock Giant. Great bike from reviews but a bit too common. So I walked down the road to another lbs and bought the 928.
A Hill Special, 2nd hand, bought from one of my dad's club mates for my 10th birthday. And it was a fixed wheel bike as most were in those days.
Rode it for a few years until it was sadly nicked from outside Woolies.
My second bike was a mongrel, from a doner heavy roadster given to me from my neighbour. Added drop bars and repainted it and it even looked like a "racer".
Rode it for a few years until it was sadly nicked from outside Woolies.
My second bike was a mongrel, from a doner heavy roadster given to me from my neighbour. Added drop bars and repainted it and it even looked like a "racer".
And my third was the bike I'm riding in my avatar picture. An EG Bates, with the curly front forks. My first bike with gears. I must have been 14 when I got it and lasted until I was 17. Think I did a "6" on it, inspite of it having 26" HP's and steel handlebars and chainset.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
A 1982 Triumph 10 speed bought new. I got it because it was identical the the Raleighs, but had classy blue metallic paint and was a bit different with the Triumph badge.
Oldfentiger
Veteran
- Location
- Pendle, Lancs
A light blue step through girls bike, when I was 5. Bought for me by my Grandad second hand.
I remember that the right hand crank was bent so it clanked on the chain guard every turn of the pedals.
First new bike was a dark blue Single speed roadster when I was 7.
Next was a Raleigh racer, gold with Huret Alvit derailleur, which I ruined by riding into the back of a stationary minivan.
Grandad came up with a replacement- a Humber Sports with Dunlop war grade tyres. I’v Never clapped eyes on anything less sporty in my life, but beggars can’ Be choosers
Then I started work, bought a car and discovered the fairer sex.
I remember that the right hand crank was bent so it clanked on the chain guard every turn of the pedals.
First new bike was a dark blue Single speed roadster when I was 7.
Next was a Raleigh racer, gold with Huret Alvit derailleur, which I ruined by riding into the back of a stationary minivan.
Grandad came up with a replacement- a Humber Sports with Dunlop war grade tyres. I’v Never clapped eyes on anything less sporty in my life, but beggars can’ Be choosers
Then I started work, bought a car and discovered the fairer sex.
Jenkins
Legendary Member
- Location
- Felixstowe
First time round as a youth in the mid-late 70s my first road bike (or racer as they were then) would have ben some form of second hand cheap gas pipe special as mum didn't have a lot of money.
Second time round as I got back into cycling in my 40s, I purchased a basket case Viscount Aerospace to a) see if I could still ride road bikes with a shoulder injury (I could) and b) as a test of my mechanical ability (useless, but it was back on the road for under £80 including the purrchase price). My first modern road bike was a Boardman Team Carbon - one of the original versions fitted with full SRAM Rival.
Second time round as I got back into cycling in my 40s, I purchased a basket case Viscount Aerospace to a) see if I could still ride road bikes with a shoulder injury (I could) and b) as a test of my mechanical ability (useless, but it was back on the road for under £80 including the purrchase price). My first modern road bike was a Boardman Team Carbon - one of the original versions fitted with full SRAM Rival.
