Early Rough Stuff Fellowship Bikes

[Carlton green]

’I never go for a walk without taking my bike’ was sort of a motto of the early Rough Suff Fellowship members and to me it is quite remarkable where they managed to take their bikes to. From what I see of those early bikes they weren’t remotely like todays Mountain Bikes yet they managed with them, how?

In terns of improved day to day reliability, and making what you have work well for any ride anywhere (one bike for everything imaginable), I think that there must be something to learn from those old bikes. Narrow wheels and a single chain-wheel driving a small freewheel or basic hub gear saw riders covering many miles both on and off road.

Does anyone have any information or insights into what those early ‘pioneers’ used and how they managed to make what they adapted work so well?

[foxyrider]

My parents were both RSF members back in the '50's.

The bikes they used were the same ones that they commuted, toured and did everything else on, reasonably lightweight, 27" wheels, drop bars etc. with i think 5sp SA gears as was the norm.

Maybe they weren't as adventurous as some but they did Rannoch Moor and Cape Wrath and a yearly highlight was the off road '100 in 8' run by their DA on the South Downs.

Sadly photos were not taken as commonly as today, who'd 'waste' a precios shot by photographing the bikes?

[pwa]

Even as late as the early 70s I was cycling along bumpy farm tracks on 27 x 1 1/4" tyres, in the years just before MTBs became a thing. You just avoided big hits. I imagine the Rough Stuff people were just happy to get off and walk when required. Walking is and always has been the true "bottom gear".

[Mike Sales]

I believe the first bike up Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) was an ordinary.

[pwa]

Some images of RSF and similar here, for anyone who doesn't do Instagram

https://grassupthemiddle.com/2017/09/14 ... ellowship/

[Brucey]

I don't think the average RSF bike was wildly different from many other touring bikes of the time; good mudguard clearance and being sure to use tyres with some tread on rather than none, that would be about it.

The bikes didn't break that often because they were not ridden in the hardest sections and when they were ridden, they were ridden fairly slowly and considerately. I've done a fair amount of rough-stuffing and the main thing is that you have to know when it is a good idea to ride, push or carry. For example I've been over Black Sail pass with a bike; however because I knew I'd be doing a lot of carrying, I took a lightweight road bike rather than a touring bike.

cheers

[Ugly]

Possibly the nearest to a specialist roughstuff bike were those built by Major Brothers of Croydon. I can remember the shop, just, very old fashioned, to my teenage eye, bits and pieces in the window. I never went in there with Allins, Leader and Jensen close and Geoffrey Butler not far away there was no need to. Have a look at Classic Lightweights site under builders.

[iandriver]

Going uphill is one thing. Descending the other side on muddy rims is quite another. Is suspect they had a few rather hairy moments.

[Carlton green]

Possibly the nearest to a specialist roughstuff bike were those built by Major Brothers of Croydon. I can remember the shop, just, very old fashioned, to my teenage eye, bits and pieces in the window. I never went in there with Allins, Leader and Jensen close and Geoffrey Butler not far away there was no need to. Have a look at Classic Lightweights site under builders.

Thank you for that lead, it has proved helpful and I found this: http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/bi ... th-rb.html . This is possibly amongst the Rolls Royce versions but gave a few pointers:
# small (44T) chain-set.
# 26” wheels - tougher than 27’s.
# four speed hub gear.
# mudguards with increased clearance sought.
# flat pedals (no toe clips).
# drop handlebars.

The alloy rims fitted to that bike were probably not that common for that time (for enthusiasts only) and likewise cantilever brakes - but now I look I see cantilever brakes on some other photos and sometimes deep drop centre-pulls too. The brake levers are quite unusual but I think point towards getting the best out of what braking might be possible.
The rear wheel being laced 4 cross was a surprise, but perhaps it was both unusual and gave a better ride plus stronger wheel for rough ground.

[hondated]

Possibly the nearest to a specialist roughstuff bike were those built by Major Brothers of Croydon. I can remember the shop, just, very old fashioned, to my teenage eye, bits and pieces in the window. I never went in there with Allins, Leader and Jensen close and Geoffrey Butler not far away there was no need to. Have a look at Classic Lightweights site under builders.

That's interesting being a Croydonian. I know where GB were & Allins but I have never heard of the others. I,d be interested in learning where they were if you can remember. Do you also remember Flint the wheel builder in Tamworth Road.

[Brucey]

re four-cross wheels; most rear wheels on roadsters were build four cross in the 1950s, quite a few lightweights were built this way too.

cheers

[hodge]

This rather wonderful archive reveals all;

https://www.instagram.com/rsfarchive/

tandems too!

[LollyKat]

Bolt-on cantilevers were available in the early 1930s, made by Resilion (and others?). My dad's bike had them, but when my brother took it over in the late 50s he changed them to calipers.

I'm sure Brucey will know more about them, and when braze-ons became available - probably much earlier than we think!

[531colin]

My parents were both RSF members back in the '50's.

The bikes they used were the same ones that they commuted, toured and did everything else on, reasonably lightweight, 27" wheels, drop bars etc. with i think 5sp SA gears as was the norm.

Maybe they weren't as adventurous as some but they did Rannoch Moor and Cape Wrath and a yearly highlight was the off road '100 in 8' run by their DA on the South Downs.

Sadly photos were not taken as commonly as today, who'd 'waste' a precios shot by photographing the bikes?

50's SA gears were either 3 or 4 speed; 5 came much later.
100 miles in 8 hours was a CTC standard ride on the road; its a pretty big ask to do 100 in 8 if it includes a significant amount of tracks.

[531colin]

’I never go for a walk without taking my bike’ was sort of a motto of the early Rough Suff Fellowship members and to me it is quite remarkable where they managed to take their bikes to. From what I see of those early bikes they weren’t remotely like todays Mountain Bikes yet they managed with them, how?

In terns of improved day to day reliability, and making what you have work well for any ride anywhere (one bike for everything imaginable), I think that there must be something to learn from those old bikes. Narrow wheels and a single chain-wheel driving a small freewheel or basic hub gear saw riders covering many miles both on and off road.

Does anyone have any information or insights into what those early ‘pioneers’ used and how they managed to make what they adapted work so well?

It works by "riding" the bike, not getting the biggest tyres and longest travel suspension you can find and just charging at an obstacle.. Set the saddle low enough so that you can pedal in contact with the saddle but with no real weight on the saddle. Set the saddle far enough back so that you can un-weight the front wheel. On a bumpy track the bike moves under you like a rocking horse. Descending with the brakes on, hang your backside over the back of the saddle and you can still un-weight the front wheel - but you need the bars level with the saddle, not below it, and you need a short-ish reach, and the front wheel out in front not underneath you.