what is your oldest piece of cycling kit?

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
jawaka
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Joined: 6 Dec 2007, 2:46pm

what is your oldest piece of cycling kit?

Post by jawaka »

I've got a CTC shirt which I had in the mid 1990s. Still in fine condition, I have only had to stitch a back pocket where it had a small hole.

Shimano shoes again from the mid 90s still going strong. In contrast the pair I bought about 10 years ago have plastic straps which is wearing off: they don't make 'em like they used to.

pump from the same era.

1st bike from 1994 which I am converting to winter bike/tourer.

My paramo jacket is 25 years old

I always thought it wasteful to ditch things.
Bmblbzzz
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Location: From here to there.

Re: what is your oldest piece of cycling kit?

Post by Bmblbzzz »

A pair of unpadded by cycling-specific shorts from 1987. I'll be very disappointed if no one on this forum has an item they personally have been continuously using since before 1975.
PDQ Mobile
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Re: what is your oldest piece of cycling kit?

Post by PDQ Mobile »

A chain tool from the thirties.

Otherwise probably myself! :shock:
borisface
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Re: what is your oldest piece of cycling kit?

Post by borisface »

I have a couple of long sleeve jackets from the late 1980s. One is Assos and still gets worn by my wife, the other is decca which was a Belgian brand back in the day and was worn an awful lot by myself when I were a lad it still looks to be in great condition, although I haven't worn it for a while.

I also have a long sleeve track top from pre-1983, I know that as it still has my 1983 and 1985 BCF division champion's cloth badges sewn onto it!
PDQ Mobile
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Re: what is your oldest piece of cycling kit?

Post by PDQ Mobile »

It struck me that perhaps the OP meant clothing?

Rather than puncture repair kit and the like.

An age thing?
Change in meaning?
Militarisation of the English language? :shock:
nirakaro
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Re: what is your oldest piece of cycling kit?

Post by nirakaro »

I've got a pair of Karrimor panniers that were quite old when I borrowed them in 1983 (the buckles are metal, not plastic!). I suppose I really should return them. :shock:
thirdcrank
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Re: what is your oldest piece of cycling kit?

Post by thirdcrank »

I've a Campag T spanner from the 1960s and a Campag two-bolt seatpin from the same era. Come to think of it, I've a Brooks Pro saddle bought in 1964 to replace one on a bike I had nicked and got back
tatanab
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Re: what is your oldest piece of cycling kit?

Post by tatanab »

I have lots of parts from the 1960s/70s. Campag hubs, saddle pillars and tools ---------- yes, and a Brooks Pro with a Vilosport attachment for it. Of course I have a Carradice Camper Longflap saddlebag from 1973 which is in daily use.

Clothing - I have at least one top from 1990. It was only a couple of years ago that I ditched a winter top from the late 80s.
thirdcrank
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Re: what is your oldest piece of cycling kit?

Post by thirdcrank »

My Camper Longflap - also bought in 1964 to replace the one that wasn't recovered with the stolen bike, finally disintegrated some time ago. There's a tale somewhere on here about a chap on the Carradice stall at the York Rally rebuking me for praising their trigger's broom repair service. (He got out a ball of shredded duck - cotton, not the tasty meat - and explained somebody had expected them to repair it on my recommendation.)
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Mick F
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Re: what is your oldest piece of cycling kit?

Post by Mick F »

I have bike spanners going back to the late 60s - you know the ones. Combination spanners that fitted everything on your Raleigh!
I have a crank extractor dating back to the early 1980's when I first went to a tapered BB from cotter pins. Still fits my modern Campag.

Clothing, I still have a lined Goretex jacket from the late 1980's still waterproof though the yellow is very faded. Bought it from Devon Cycles, Frankfort Gate, in Plymouth ........... long since gone. :cry:

Also a Mercian LS jumper from 1986 when I bought my Mercian frame. Mail order from Mercian themselves.
Mick F. Cornwall
rjb
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Location: Somerset (originally 60/70's Plymouth)

Re: what is your oldest piece of cycling kit?

Post by rjb »

Mick F wrote: 12 Oct 2021, 3:18pm
Clothing, I still have a lined Goretex jacket from the late 1980's still waterproof though the yellow is very faded. Bought it from Devon Cycles, Frankfort Gate, in Plymouth ........... long since gone. :cry:
I remember Devon Cycles. :D
The owner established the shop on the back of a pools or premium bond win in the late 1960's
Bought lots of bike bits from him, none of which i now have, apart from a pair of acrylic socks to stop the bottom of my jeans catching in the chain. :oops:
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
axel_knutt
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Re: what is your oldest piece of cycling kit?

Post by axel_knutt »

My father's cycle tools are likely to be about 80 odd years old. I don't know if that's the age of the spoke key, which is about the only one I still use.
“I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
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Mick F
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Re: what is your oldest piece of cycling kit?

Post by Mick F »

rjb wrote: 12 Oct 2021, 4:11pm
Mick F wrote: 12 Oct 2021, 3:18pm
Clothing, I still have a lined Goretex jacket from the late 1980's still waterproof though the yellow is very faded. Bought it from Devon Cycles, Frankfort Gate, in Plymouth ........... long since gone. :cry:
I remember Devon Cycles. :D
The owner established the shop on the back of a pools or premium bond win in the late 1960's
Bought lots of bike bits from him, none of which i now have, apart from a pair of acrylic socks to stop the bottom of my jeans catching in the chain. :oops:
Devon Cycles eh?
Wonderful memories. :D

They had a glass cabinet under the counter with it sectioned off with Campag on one side and "other stuff" on the other.
I remember them saying that Campag was getting so expensive, they were going to stop selling it.

At the far end of the shop, they had the racks of clothing, and that's where my "Freestyle" Goretex jacket was hanging.
£80 ish back then, but it was worth it, as I still wear it ......... riding or dog-walking.

This is where the shop was.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.37188 ... 384!8i8192
Plymouth isn't the place it used to be.
Maybe all town centres have gone the way Plymouth has.
Mick F. Cornwall
borisface
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Re: what is your oldest piece of cycling kit?

Post by borisface »

Just as an aside, is anyone still using old wool shorts with a proper chamois?
rjb
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Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 10:25am
Location: Somerset (originally 60/70's Plymouth)

Re: what is your oldest piece of cycling kit?

Post by rjb »

Devon Cycles eh?
Wonderful memories. :D

Thats it spent hours looking in the windows when i was broke. Club runs would start from there if going into Cornwall. Even the Market is still there opposite. Virgin records had a shop round the corner in Cornwall street with access from the market. Records were stacked in wooden boxes off the floor. Look were he is now. :mrgreen:
At the last count:- Peugeot 531 pro, Dawes Discovery Tandem, Dawes Kingpin X3, Raleigh 20 stowaway, 1965 Moulton deluxe, Falcon K2 MTB dropped bar tourer, Rudge Bi frame folder, Longstaff trike conversion on a Giant XTC 840 :D
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