Cliff Shrubb/Dave Legrys speed record bike fund raiser

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
Jesper
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Cliff Shrubb/Dave Legrys speed record bike fund raiser

Post by Jesper »

There is a fund raiser to acquire the 1986 UK motorpaced speed record bike built by Shrubb and ridden by Dave Legrys. Legrys "donated" the bike to a museum and lost control of it when the museum went bust.

Here is the link:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/davidlegrys.


Shrubb, Cliff c.'86 Dave Le Grys motorpaced British record bike.jpg
(photo credit: steel-vintage)
Last edited by Jesper on 11 Apr 2023, 8:09pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Jesper
rjb
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Re: Cliff Shrubb/Dave Legrys speed record bike fund raiser

Post by rjb »

What's on the front of the head tube operated by the left brake lever. :!:
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
Jdsk
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Re: Cliff Shrubb/Dave Legrys speed record bike fund raiser

Post by Jdsk »

The quick release mechanism to detach from the towing car?

Jonathan

Image
rjb
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Re: Cliff Shrubb/Dave Legrys speed record bike fund raiser

Post by rjb »

Bit more info here. Yours for £5269 :shock:
The left brake lever releases a hitch so was towed up to some initial speed. Does that count as cheating. :?
:oops: crossed with Jonathan whilst posting.
https://steel-vintage.com/products/gb-s ... -bike-1986
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
Jesper
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Re: Cliff Shrubb/Dave Legrys speed record bike fund raiser

Post by Jesper »

This type of record is done with a pace car and fairing in order for the rider to draft behind. The rules allow for this. Rider is towed up to speed and needs to maintain a given speed for a specified time/distance.

Technically, considering the history behind the bike, its designer, and its rider it is a great deal for purchasing a historical bike; but I hope it ends up back where it belongs for others to be able to view for years to come.
Please donate if possible.
Take care,
Jesper
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Paul Smith SRCC
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Re: Cliff Shrubb/Dave Legrys speed record bike fund raiser

Post by Paul Smith SRCC »

Here is a picture of Dave Le Grys on that bike. Some trivia about Cliff and that bike; he never got paid for it and for a long time he did not know what had become of it. Guy Martin broke Dave's record on a bike that was based on Cliff's.
325946310_1558019534715423_1767307610349395687_n.jpg
Cliff did build for others in the trade, including Allin Cycles, Pearson Cycles, lots more for Geoffrey Butler (including Tony Doyle who won the first of his world pursuit time titles on one), Peugeot; (Sean Yates pursuit bike below, bars straight onto the forks, he later used this frame with gears for time trialling when he reverted to amateur after retiring as a Pro)
DOYLE-BETTER.jpg
Yates.jpg
I still have my Raleigh that had a broken dropout repaired and brazed by Cliff so in my head it's a Shrubby 😋😀. A right of passage in the cycle trade is you make a 'pub bike' out of upcycled recycled broken bits and he gave that broken frame some more life...20 years and counting more so far. Cliff was my colleague, my next door neighbour and my friend, I spent many enjoyable hours in his company both on and off the bike. Watching him work was wonderful, a true craftsmen; even to see him use a hammer was therapeutic!

He had a gullibility and sense of humour that endeared him to many; me especially. I recall one time he had a poorly foot and he read somewhere that a farmer once had lame cows, but he relocated them to a new field with a stream running along the side and the cows would drink this water, after a few days mysteriously they were no longer lame and the famer thought the water contributed to this phenomenon and started to bottle it an try to sell some! Cliffy being Cliffy bought bottles and bottles of it, but surprise surprise it didn't work and sure enough they remained piled up on the corner of in his garage/workshop collecting dust. I would often shoot the breeze for hours on end in there as he tinkered with another frame and one day I mentioned that this pile of bottles looked bigger, "Yes they didn't work of course Paulie boy;...... so I thought I had better buy some more"

Another example of his quick humour was on a scorching hot day I bumped into him outside our flats in the communal garden and could see he was grumpy and he confessed that not only was it too hot but he couldn't get his hair cut which made him feel even hotter! I clip my own hair as I am pretty much bald, so I volunteered to have a go at cutting his in the communal garden; much to my surprise he agreed! I bought a stool from my kitchen outside, to give him an old fashioned barber experience I placed another chair next to it with a few magazines of the variety that were often sold in old fashioned barbers back in the days when I was a lad, and of course a box of condoms; Cliffy didn't spot the latter. We were quite the attraction as naturally in spite of my best efforts I was totally destroying his hair with each pass of the clippers then trying to rescue it by going shorter and shorter! Near completion our neighbour walked past chuckling as she could see the horror of what I was doing to his hair, her chuckles turned to laughter when she spotted the condoms which turned to hysterics when she screamed "they are sooooo out of date"; quick as a flash Cliffy came back with "It's OK Annie; I only know out of date women"

Sadly Cliff died on 31st May 2014, I'm sure many of us have wondered how we will end our days and I dare say said to ourselves "I don't want to go like that..." (fill in the end that we dread as appropriate). I know Cliffy did; he actually died on his bike on a club run, one second he was cycling and the next to use an expression of his "biff boff I'm off"; a fitting way to go and one many of us would choose over "sitting in a care home hitting my Jelly with a spoon"; that being another one of his sayings!

I miss him terribly; a class human being on ever level. My 'Shrubby' shown below and a few of him, the first at Henfold lakes, the second with Tommy the Terrier and the last one on a bench at Brockham
196816971_5556459384428840_8487118246567335271_n.jpg
195960532_5556523677755744_1872614639847667120_n.jpg

Some Cliff Shrubb links that maybe of interest:

Facebook Appreciation group
Classic Lightweights
Road Cycling An appreciation
SGS Cyclery
Cliff Shrubb on you tube
He also gets referenced in the following video by Richard Hallett
Last edited by Paul Smith SRCC on 14 Apr 2023, 10:58am, edited 2 times in total.
Paul Smith. 37 Years in the Cycle Trade
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Barrowman
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Re: Cliff Shrubb/Dave Legrys speed record bike fund raiser

Post by Barrowman »

I remember the Chris Barber/Geoffrey Butler Cyclo Cross Team .
And Dave Le Grys . Inspired me to do some (very amateur) Track Racing.
Good luck with the crowdfunding :D
TheBomber
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Re: Cliff Shrubb/Dave Legrys speed record bike fund raiser

Post by TheBomber »

Paul Smith SRCC wrote: 13 Apr 2023, 2:26pm I still have my Raleigh that had a broken dropout repaired and brazed by Cliff so in my head it's a Shrubby 😋😀. A right of passage in the cycle trade is you make a 'pub bike' out of upcycled recycled broken bits and he gave that broken frame some more life...20 years and counting more so far.
Now there’s a coincidence, as I too have a GT bike which had its dropout repaired by Cliff about 20 years ago. It was my brother’s commuter at the time, having been retired from mountain bike duties. Now it is my hack.
tatanab
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Re: Cliff Shrubb/Dave Legrys speed record bike fund raiser

Post by tatanab »

Barrowman wrote: 13 Apr 2023, 5:18pm I remember the Chris Barber/Geoffrey Butler Cyclo Cross Team .
Here is Chris Barber with his various sponsorship interests. It looks like part sponsorship by Sun. This is a greetings card I was sent some years ago.
EPSON002.JPG
Back to Cliff Shrubb - my current touring bike has a Geoffrey Butler frame from about 1990 which I have been told is a Cliff Shrubb. It certainly rides very nicely.
Jdsk
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Re: Cliff Shrubb/Dave Legrys speed record bike fund raiser

Post by Jdsk »

Paul: Lovely memoir. I hope that you're publishing that somewhere where it won't be lost.

Jonathan
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Re: Cliff Shrubb/Dave Legrys speed record bike fund raiser

Post by Paul Smith SRCC »

Jdsk wrote: 14 Apr 2023, 8:35am Paul: Lovely memoir. I hope that you're publishing that somewhere where it won't be lost..
Yes I have that on his Facebook Appreciation group Jonathan; it's worth joining as there are quite a few interesting posts
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Re: Cliff Shrubb/Dave Legrys speed record bike fund raiser

Post by Jdsk »

Thanks

Jonathan
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Re: Cliff Shrubb/Dave Legrys speed record bike fund raiser

Post by Paul Smith SRCC »

It's a shame that Cliff was not paid yet someone is now asking thousands for it; he always assumed it was in a bicycle museum, I actually think he was OK with that, I recall him laughing along the lines of "I've no clue where it is and surprise surprise I was never paid for it"; he was like that, he could be very philosophical about things; I wonder what his reaction would be now if he was still alive knowing that someone is making a profit out of it!

Personally I hope it ends up somewhere like Brooklands who have quite a good section dedicated to Cycling for example, one of which is Bruce Burford's Ultimate cycle, Cliff's would compliment that display perfectly in my opinion.

Cycle_exhibition_wide_view.jpg
R.jpg
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Jesper
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Re: Cliff Shrubb/Dave Legrys speed record bike fund raiser

Post by Jesper »

Paul Smith SRCC wrote: 14 Apr 2023, 11:11am It's a shame that Cliff was not paid yet someone is now asking thousands for it; he always assumed it was in a bicycle museum, I actually think he was OK with that, I recall him laughing along the lines of "I've no clue where it is and surprise surprise I was never paid for it"; he was like that, he could be very philosophical about things; I wonder what his reaction would be now if he was still alive knowing that someone is making a profit out of it!

Personally I hope it ends up somewhere like Brooklands who have quite a good section dedicated to Cycling for example, one of which is Bruce Burford's Ultimate cycle, Cliff's would compliment that display perfectly in my opinion.
Paul,
Thank you for your anecdotes regarding Cliff. Most of us in the US are unaware of his history in British cycling.
From what I gathered, Mr. Legrys ended up in possession of the bike at sometime, but unknown exactly how long after he set the record on it. His words are that he "donated" the bike to a museum; but by the way he makes it sound it was actually a loan, or possibly a "conditional donation" in which the museum was not given full ownership rights since Dave states that a museum sold the bike without his "knowledge or permission". It would seem that bike ended up in private hands before it now being for sale by Steel-Vintage. The fund raiser is specifically being done to put back into Dave's possession; but there is no indication as to what he will do with it should he regain possession of it.
Take care,
Jesper
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Re: Cliff Shrubb/Dave Legrys speed record bike fund raiser

Post by pq »

I'm in a FB group frequented by Dave Le Grys and he was talking about this bike. It was essentially a copy of the track bike he was riding at the time, obviously with the additional stuff for the transmission and the tow rope. He reckoned a bike he was very used to riding would be ideal, but of course it wasn't, it was never designed to go at those speeds and was unstable when it did. Its instability made what Dave Le Grys did on it all the more impressive/brave/foolhardy. If you look at bikes used later for similar records they have longer wheelbases and other differences which make them very different from a bike you'd use for any other purpose. I don't think that reflects on Cliff Shrubb at all, he built what he was asked to build and did it very well, but to be blunt it wasn't really fit for purpose. I hope it ends up in a museum, that's very much where it belongs.
One link to your website is enough. G
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