Touring in the 50's

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
slowster
Moderator
Posts: 4629
Joined: 7 Jul 2017, 10:37am

Re: Touring in the 50's

Post by slowster »

With regard to the qualty of the rear racks, I think that prior to Blackburn racks coming onto the market in the 1980s, rear panniers had tended to be smaller, like those in the photograph below of a Rough Stuff Fellowship trip. Karrimor made bigger rear panniers in the late 1970s, but the number of people who bought them was probably tiny compared with the percentage of cyclists who have a pair of large panniers nowadays for commuting, shopping or touring. The vast majority of the racks of that era were never designed or intended for the sort of loads often carried in a pair of large panniers, which was presumably what drove Karrimor to make their own racks for a while before the Blackburn racks and copies came on the market..

Image
simonhill
Posts: 5226
Joined: 13 Jan 2007, 11:28am
Location: Essex

Re: Touring in the 50's

Post by simonhill »

My first touring rack (carrier) was a Blackburn. It was the recommended rack, probably from the CTC mag. I hadn't realised it was so ground breaking. Bought from Spa in 1990 along with Super C's and camping gear.

I do remember the floppy carriers on previous bikes sometimes with that spring loaded flap.
millimole
Posts: 909
Joined: 18 Feb 2007, 5:41pm
Location: Leicester

Re: Touring in the 50's

Post by millimole »

When I went off hostelling in 1972 - 5 I had a rear carrier rack (and may still have it).
The panniers were a kind of patterned plastic, and I've a vague recollection they were sold as 'suitable for mopeds and bicycles '.
I've no idea where I got the rack from, I doubt I'd have bought it new, and I'm pretty certain it was unbranded.
Leicester; Riding my Hetchins since 1971; Day rides on my Dawes; Going to the shops on a Decathlon Hoprider
User avatar
robgul
Posts: 3088
Joined: 8 Jan 2007, 8:40pm
Contact:

Re: Touring in the 50's

Post by robgul »

My (few!) forays into cycle camping in the late 1950s used a rack similar to the one up-thread and two Govt surplus army "webbing packs" - on a gas-pipe bike with 4 speed Cyclo Benelux rear mech and single chainring on the front (my best mate had a "double clanger" on the front with the old style twist lever on the seat tube)

Those were the days - time marches on and my tourer is now Ti with a Ti rack and Ortliebs - but no camping :D
E2E http://www.cycle-endtoend.org.uk
HoECC http://www.heartofenglandcyclingclub.org.uk
Cytech accredited mechanic . . . and woodworker
Jdsk
Posts: 24635
Joined: 5 Mar 2019, 5:42pm

Re: Touring in the 50's

Post by Jdsk »

freiston wrote: 24 Sep 2021, 11:42pmBefore my cycling days, I remember using 1950s (or earlier?) canvas "bivouac tents" with poncho groundsheets when camping with the CCF.
The Night Exercises from Kinloss carrying ammunition boxes. How we laughed.

Jonathan
Slowroad
Posts: 995
Joined: 28 Jun 2008, 9:58pm
Location: Nottingham, UK

Re: Touring in the 50's

Post by Slowroad »

I started cycle touring in 1981, an exciting time for camping and outdoors activities as new fabrics were just getting going. I'd done DoE 'expeditions' with Vango Force 10 canvas tents, using an old canvas rucsac and and 'Icelandic Mummy' sleeping bag. We were very excited about Karrimats when they arrived! My first tent was a strange one, pyramid shaped with two poles and a second door in the inner to a storage space. A good design for lowland camping but blown to pieces in Glencoe. Then I got an 'Ultimate Tramp' much to the amusement of my uni friends! (I was anything but!) I'd bought a Trangia for £16 and lugged the huge thing around, with a Sigg bottle or meths, for years. I always took a book, and suitable scale maps for cycling were more available then. No Sustrans routes! I dread to think how much this all weighed, no wonder I pushed up many Scottish hills. (I had a 5-speed Raleigh Winner!) But no radio, phone, MP3 player, battery bank, etc., that I consider essential now.
“My two favourite things in life are libraries and bicycles. They both move people forward without wasting anything. The perfect day: riding a bike to the library.”
― Peter Golkin
rjb
Posts: 7200
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 10:25am
Location: Somerset (originally 60/70's Plymouth)

Re: Touring in the 50's

Post by rjb »

Some nice pictures there of life in a bygone era, but I couldn't see anyone with a primus stove stored on the infamous Terry's primus clip. :lol:
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
Greystoke
Posts: 482
Joined: 8 May 2018, 7:41am
Location: Lincolnshire

Re: Touring in the 50's

Post by Greystoke »

similar experience to slowroad above, we cycled round Scotland in '85 with a big tent spread between 3 of us, the 4th person carried the cooking gear.
10 speed bikes with bottom gears way too big for my legs now.
Did we still have fun......yeah we did. :D
One thing springs to mind tho, has the modern tourist gone super lightweight so that they can carry all the tech around and is the overall weight the same because of it? I would imagine not quite but it's n interesting concept.
Vorpal
Moderator
Posts: 20700
Joined: 19 Jan 2009, 3:34pm
Location: Not there ;)

Re: Touring in the 50's

Post by Vorpal »

My first proper bike had a floppy rack. It had 3 attachment points, one on each side of the rear dropouts and one at the top of the seat tube. IIRC there was a metal tab that was attached at the seat pin bolt.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
climo
Posts: 590
Joined: 29 Apr 2009, 8:08am
Location: Warminster

Re: Touring in the 50's

Post by climo »

You lot 'ad it easy! Lived in t'cardboard box, 'handful of hot gravel for breakfast. Worked 30 hour days, got up before we went to bed.....
:D
Vorpal
Moderator
Posts: 20700
Joined: 19 Jan 2009, 3:34pm
Location: Not there ;)

Re: Touring in the 50's

Post by Vorpal »

climo wrote: 28 Sep 2021, 2:34pm You lot 'ad it easy! Lived in t'cardboard box, 'handful of hot gravel for breakfast. Worked 30 hour days, got up before we went to bed.....
:D
:lol: :lol: :lol:
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
thirdcrank
Posts: 36776
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Touring in the 50's

Post by thirdcrank »

Capstick on a bicycle - except we were too poor to have bikes
scottg
Posts: 1218
Joined: 10 Jan 2008, 8:44pm
Location: Highland Heights Kentucky,, USA

Re: Touring in the 50's

Post by scottg »

climo wrote: 28 Sep 2021, 2:34pm You lot 'ad it easy! Lived in t'cardboard box, 'handful of hot gravel for breakfast. Worked 30 hour days, got up before we went to bed.....
:D
Ahhh, those were the good old days, gone forever, back before the Normans wasn't it ?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-AG
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
9494arnold
Posts: 1208
Joined: 21 Jan 2007, 3:13pm

Re: Touring in the 50's

Post by 9494arnold »

If you have a look at the National Cycle Museum Webpage there's a photo of a 50's camping themed exhibit there.
Better still, come and see it for yourself.! :lol:
User avatar
pedalsheep
Posts: 1324
Joined: 11 Aug 2009, 7:57pm

Re: Touring in the 50's

Post by pedalsheep »

9494arnold wrote: 1 Oct 2021, 7:34pm If you have a look at the National Cycle Museum Webpage there's a photo of a 50's camping themed exhibit there.
Better still, come and see it for yourself.! :lol:
Been there, done that, bought the T shirt. Well 2 Patterson mugs anyway! :D
'Why cycling for joy is not the most popular pastime on earth is still a mystery to me.'
Frank J Urry, Salute to Cycling, 1956.
Post Reply