Pictures of your bike(s)
Re: Pictures of your bike(s)
Bringing it all down to Earth, what about the RSW14 I had?
Nobody wanted it, so it went to the recycling.
Nobody wanted it, so it went to the recycling.
Mick F. Cornwall
Re: Pictures of your bike(s)
RSW16 on the other hand, is now in the National Cycling Museum at Llandindrod Wells.
Mick F. Cornwall
Re: Pictures of your bike(s)
I've been riding a 1991'ish British Eagle Touristique lately, Biopace rings and a bit higher geared than my normal bikes (28F/28R) I find myself riding faster (still not very fast), on this bike whether it's the Biopace or the gearing, I don't know. It seems to encourage a bit more effort somehow. I got given this bike by a fellow RSF member (thanks again Dave), and just added some odds and ends to get it going.
It's a lovely comfortable springy ride, possibly the shallow head angle helps the forks flex a bit more, I've no idea what the offset is on them. Reynolds 531 Super Tourist frame tubes & forks.
Does anyone have a British Eagle catalogue with the geometry in it ? The steering is very floppy at low speed and the bike is very strongly affected by side-winds. I wonder perhaps if the fact they are both the smallest size-nominally 20'' seat tube has any bearing on the handling (shorter wheel-base combined with the slack front-end geometry), the standard bars are quite narrow as well, 38cm ?). The top tube comes up at 20 &1/2'' (52cm) so quite short for the frame size. Most of my drop bar bikes are slightly too long for me at 21" (53cm). My Bob Jackson comes up at that length in a 19&1/2'' (50cm size).
The Touristiques also have a 10mm longer axle-crown length (380cm) over that of the BJ.
I've just bought another one with almost exactly the same age components on it, but with a slatey bluey colour rather than the gunmetal metallic grey finish of this one and a different headbadge design,.I'm just building that one up with the bits off of my Bob Jackson, lower gears (24F/32R) & wider bars, whilst I decide whether to repair/refinish the BJ's frame.
The second bike had a pair of 700x38 tyres fitted to it when I picked it up, the unusually named 'Hohing Special Sulky', these actually measured up as 35mm and there was still only just about a couple of millimetre total clearance at the most at the chain stays, if they'd come up at the correct width they would have fouled the frame. I'm fitting the 28mm Marathon Supremes off of the BJ on it.
These later Touristiques are fitted with Exage components and Rigida Rims and have a 130mm rear end which is handy if you want to 'upgrade' to 8/9/10 cassette, no need to spring the frame wider. I've seen earlier ones fitted with Suntour rear derailleurs, Maillard hubs, Stronglight chainsets & Modolo Canti's I imagine that these are spaced 126mm. I have seen at least one Coventry Eagle Touristique on line as well.
First one; on er.... 'Active Service' (blue towels) on the way back from the Car-Boot today; marvellous camouflage growing on the ex-Army lorry behind. I didn't like the way this bike rode when I first got, and in fact had relegated it to the turbo-trainer during the Covid lockdown
period; I'm glad I put it back on the road now. There are still plenty of these selling for around the £100 mark on ebay, there have even been a couple sold at around the £30 mark recently, which is crazy cheap. Compared to the mad money people want for the same era and similar spec' Dawes Galaxy (for instance), these are a bargain if you can find a good 'un.
Second one, as I picked it up with with fat tyres last weekend, pictured at Preston Railway Station (£100 paid). Hohing Special Sulky ! Edit; info with reference to earlier models, equipment etc added.
Edit; Reynolds 531 Super Tourist not Special Tourist of course.
It's a lovely comfortable springy ride, possibly the shallow head angle helps the forks flex a bit more, I've no idea what the offset is on them. Reynolds 531 Super Tourist frame tubes & forks.
Does anyone have a British Eagle catalogue with the geometry in it ? The steering is very floppy at low speed and the bike is very strongly affected by side-winds. I wonder perhaps if the fact they are both the smallest size-nominally 20'' seat tube has any bearing on the handling (shorter wheel-base combined with the slack front-end geometry), the standard bars are quite narrow as well, 38cm ?). The top tube comes up at 20 &1/2'' (52cm) so quite short for the frame size. Most of my drop bar bikes are slightly too long for me at 21" (53cm). My Bob Jackson comes up at that length in a 19&1/2'' (50cm size).
The Touristiques also have a 10mm longer axle-crown length (380cm) over that of the BJ.
I've just bought another one with almost exactly the same age components on it, but with a slatey bluey colour rather than the gunmetal metallic grey finish of this one and a different headbadge design,.I'm just building that one up with the bits off of my Bob Jackson, lower gears (24F/32R) & wider bars, whilst I decide whether to repair/refinish the BJ's frame.
The second bike had a pair of 700x38 tyres fitted to it when I picked it up, the unusually named 'Hohing Special Sulky', these actually measured up as 35mm and there was still only just about a couple of millimetre total clearance at the most at the chain stays, if they'd come up at the correct width they would have fouled the frame. I'm fitting the 28mm Marathon Supremes off of the BJ on it.
These later Touristiques are fitted with Exage components and Rigida Rims and have a 130mm rear end which is handy if you want to 'upgrade' to 8/9/10 cassette, no need to spring the frame wider. I've seen earlier ones fitted with Suntour rear derailleurs, Maillard hubs, Stronglight chainsets & Modolo Canti's I imagine that these are spaced 126mm. I have seen at least one Coventry Eagle Touristique on line as well.
First one; on er.... 'Active Service' (blue towels) on the way back from the Car-Boot today; marvellous camouflage growing on the ex-Army lorry behind. I didn't like the way this bike rode when I first got, and in fact had relegated it to the turbo-trainer during the Covid lockdown
period; I'm glad I put it back on the road now. There are still plenty of these selling for around the £100 mark on ebay, there have even been a couple sold at around the £30 mark recently, which is crazy cheap. Compared to the mad money people want for the same era and similar spec' Dawes Galaxy (for instance), these are a bargain if you can find a good 'un.
Second one, as I picked it up with with fat tyres last weekend, pictured at Preston Railway Station (£100 paid). Hohing Special Sulky ! Edit; info with reference to earlier models, equipment etc added.
Edit; Reynolds 531 Super Tourist not Special Tourist of course.
Last edited by colin54 on 29 Jul 2022, 8:07pm, edited 2 times in total.
Nu-Fogey
Re: Pictures of your bike(s)
Nice bikes.
I was envious of your British eagle when I saw it in the flesh! mine is my beat up winter bike with a poorly applied blue paint finish. I'll find a picture sometime.
Might look for a proper tourer esp if cheaper than galaxy / royal etc.
Cheers James
I was envious of your British eagle when I saw it in the flesh! mine is my beat up winter bike with a poorly applied blue paint finish. I'll find a picture sometime.
Might look for a proper tourer esp if cheaper than galaxy / royal etc.
Cheers James
Re: Pictures of your bike(s)
Yes I just saw that one James, Suntour rear mech and Maillard large flange hubs- it's an earlier one so likely to have a narrower (126mm spaced rear end) with a freewheel. Looks tidy tho'.
Nu-Fogey
Re: Pictures of your bike(s)
I think comparing your bike and the eBay bike, your has a slacker head tube angle probably to reduce toe overlap on the front wheel??colin54 wrote: ↑10 Oct 2021, 11:53pm I've been riding a 1991'ish British Eagle Touristique lately, Biopace rings and a bit higher geared than my normal bikes (28F/28R) I find myself riding faster (still not very fast), on this bike whether it's the Biopace or the gearing, I don't know. It seems to encourage a bit more effort somehow. I got given this bike by a fellow RSF member (thanks again Dave), and just added some odds and ends to get it going.
It's a lovely comfortable springy ride, possibly the shallow head angle helps the forks flex a bit more, I've no idea what the offset is on them. Reynolds 531 Special Tourist frame tubes & forks.
Does anyone have a British Eagle catalogue with the geometry in it ? The steering is very floppy at low speed and the bike is very strongly affected by side-winds. I wonder perhaps if the fact they are both the smallest size-nominally 20'' seat tube has any bearing on the handling (shorter wheel-base combined with the slack front-end geometry), the standard bars are quite narrow as well, 38cm ?). The top tube comes up at 20 &1/2'' (52cm) so quite short for the frame size. Most of my drop bar bikes are slightly too long for me at 21" (53cm). My Bob Jackson comes up at that length in a 19&1/2'' (50cm size).
The Touristiques also have a 10mm longer axle-crown length (380cm) over that of the BJ.
I've just bought another one with almost exactly the same age components on it, but with a slatey bluey colour rather than the gunmetal metallic grey finish of this one and a different headbadge design,.I'm just building that one up with the bits off of my Bob Jackson, lower gears (24F/32R) & wider bars, whilst I decide whether to repair/refinish the BJ's frame.
The second bike had a pair of 700x38 tyres fitted to it when I picked it up, the unusually named 'Hohing Special Sulky', these actually measured up as 35mm and there was still only just about a couple of millimetre clearance at the most at the chainstays, if they'd come up at the correct width they would have fouled the frame. I'm fitting the 28mm Marathon Supremes off of the BJ on it.
These later Touristiques are fitted with Exage components and Rigida Rims and have a 130mm rear end which is handy if you want to 'upgrade' to 8/9/10 cassette, no need to spring the frame wider. I've seen earlier ones fitted with Suntour rear derailleurs, Maillard hubs, Stronglight chainsets & Modolo Canti's I imagine that these are spaced 126mm. I have seen at least one Coventry Eagle Touristique on line as well.
First one; on er.... 'Active Service' (blue towels) on the way back from the Car-Boot today; marvellous camouflage growing on the ex-Army lorry behind.
P1150488.JPG
I didn't like the way this bike rode when I first got, and in fact had relegated it to the turbo-trainer during the Covid lockdown
period; I'm glad I put it back on the road now. There are still plenty of these selling for around the £100 mark on ebay, there have even been a couple sold at around the £30 mark recently, which is crazy cheap. Compared to the mad money people want for the same era and similar spec' Dawes Galaxy (for instance), these are a bargain if you can find a good 'un.
Second one, as I picked it up with with fat tyres last weekend, pictured at Preston Railway Station (£100 paid).
P1150230.JPG
Hohing Special Sulky !
P1150237.JPG
Edit; info with reference to earlier models, equipment etc added.
I guess that's the downside of a smaller frame.
Cheers James
Re: Pictures of your bike(s)
My own had those same graphics so about the same era. Caliper brakes though.
Re: Pictures of your bike(s)
Wheel flop is invariably associated with long trail. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_a ... e_geometry
....my fashionable "new geometry" Longitude has it. (shallow head angle with 45mm offset fork)
As somebody already said, its almost certainly due to specifying a shallower head angle on the small(est?) size to avoid toe overlap.
.......but if a shallow head angle is paired with a longer offset fork, this will not only return the steering to "normal" it will also further increase the front centre dimension. I guess they sacrificed that to commerce...... having just one fork offset for every size. Missed opportunity really!
To measure fork offset, measure front centre, reverse the fork and measure again.....offset is half the difference, as close as you need to know.
"angle finder" apps are available for smartphones.....being a dumb operator I have never tried, but if you exercise reasonable caution it might be informative. (eg....stand the bike level, measure the angle on both sides of the tube, with both sides of the phone; question discrepancies)
....my fashionable "new geometry" Longitude has it. (shallow head angle with 45mm offset fork)
As somebody already said, its almost certainly due to specifying a shallower head angle on the small(est?) size to avoid toe overlap.
.......but if a shallow head angle is paired with a longer offset fork, this will not only return the steering to "normal" it will also further increase the front centre dimension. I guess they sacrificed that to commerce...... having just one fork offset for every size. Missed opportunity really!
To measure fork offset, measure front centre, reverse the fork and measure again.....offset is half the difference, as close as you need to know.
"angle finder" apps are available for smartphones.....being a dumb operator I have never tried, but if you exercise reasonable caution it might be informative. (eg....stand the bike level, measure the angle on both sides of the tube, with both sides of the phone; question discrepancies)
Bike fitting D.I.Y. .....http://wheel-easy.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/bike-set-up-2017a.pdf
Tracks in the Dales etc...http://www.flickr.com/photos/52358536@N06/collections/
Tracks in the Dales etc...http://www.flickr.com/photos/52358536@N06/collections/
Re: Pictures of your bike(s)
Hi Col, Thanks for that, I'll give it a bit of ponderation. Some more traits the bike displays are; doesn't steer smoothly when out of the saddle (uphill for example), I've started to shift my weight forward if I stand, to try to do this more smoothly, it also tends to want to go straight on in faster sharp corners , I consciously have to steer it- (slow steering ?) . I'm using my Bob Jackson as a bench mark which seemed to steer by thought alone almost, with very little input on my part-(quick steering ?). This has 72x72 degree angles, I don't recall the offset, not a great deal as I used to get toe overlap on it.
I forgot to measure the fork offset on the second bike, when I had it apart to swap the bits over and it's cabled up now, I've not made it into the smart phone era yet (to measure the angles). It's just interesting to me that it's such a different ride to all my other bikes.
It's all good though, as it's an involving ride, especially on a narrow track ! Lots of holes to catch a wheel on the towpaths around here if you stray a bit off-line.
Wheel Easy
Nu-Fogey
Re: Pictures of your bike(s)
Yes, "wanting to go straight on" is long trail (slow) steering.
Fast downhills ridden no hands will require exaggerated angles of lean to get it to do anything but straight ahead.
For me, a touring bike should do that "steering by thought alone" thing. Bikes with quick steering tend to go where you are looking, which explains why I end up in the ditch because I'm watching a bird rather than looking where I'm going!
Fast downhills ridden no hands will require exaggerated angles of lean to get it to do anything but straight ahead.
For me, a touring bike should do that "steering by thought alone" thing. Bikes with quick steering tend to go where you are looking, which explains why I end up in the ditch because I'm watching a bird rather than looking where I'm going!
Bike fitting D.I.Y. .....http://wheel-easy.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/bike-set-up-2017a.pdf
Tracks in the Dales etc...http://www.flickr.com/photos/52358536@N06/collections/
Tracks in the Dales etc...http://www.flickr.com/photos/52358536@N06/collections/
Re: Pictures of your bike(s)
That is a nice bike Colincolin54 wrote: ↑10 Oct 2021, 11:53pm I've been riding a 1991'ish British Eagle Touristique lately, Biopace rings and a bit higher geared than my normal bikes (28F/28R) I find myself riding faster (still not very fast), on this bike whether it's the Biopace or the gearing, I don't know. It seems to encourage a bit more effort somehow. I got given this bike by a fellow RSF member (thanks again Dave), and just added some odds and ends to get it going.
It's a lovely comfortable springy ride, possibly the shallow head angle helps the forks flex a bit more, I've no idea what the offset is on them. Reynolds 531 Special Tourist frame tubes & forks.
Does anyone have a British Eagle catalogue with the geometry in it ? The steering is very floppy at low speed and the bike is very strongly affected by side-winds. I wonder perhaps if the fact they are both the smallest size-nominally 20'' seat tube has any bearing on the handling (shorter wheel-base combined with the slack front-end geometry), the standard bars are quite narrow as well, 38cm ?). The top tube comes up at 20 &1/2'' (52cm) so quite short for the frame size. Most of my drop bar bikes are slightly too long for me at 21" (53cm). My Bob Jackson comes up at that length in a 19&1/2'' (50cm size).
The Touristiques also have a 10mm longer axle-crown length (380cm) over that of the BJ.
I've just bought another one with almost exactly the same age components on it, but with a slatey bluey colour rather than the gunmetal metallic grey finish of this one and a different headbadge design,.I'm just building that one up with the bits off of my Bob Jackson, lower gears (24F/32R) & wider bars, whilst I decide whether to repair/refinish the BJ's frame.
The second bike had a pair of 700x38 tyres fitted to it when I picked it up, the unusually named 'Hohing Special Sulky', these actually measured up as 35mm and there was still only just about a couple of millimetre clearance at the most at the chainstays, if they'd come up at the correct width they would have fouled the frame. I'm fitting the 28mm Marathon Supremes off of the BJ on it.
These later Touristiques are fitted with Exage components and Rigida Rims and have a 130mm rear end which is handy if you want to 'upgrade' to 8/9/10 cassette, no need to spring the frame wider. I've seen earlier ones fitted with Suntour rear derailleurs, Maillard hubs, Stronglight chainsets & Modolo Canti's I imagine that these are spaced 126mm. I have seen at least one Coventry Eagle Touristique on line as well.
First one; on er.... 'Active Service' (blue towels) on the way back from the Car-Boot today; marvellous camouflage growing on the ex-Army lorry behind.
P1150488.JPG
I didn't like the way this bike rode when I first got, and in fact had relegated it to the turbo-trainer during the Covid lockdown
period; I'm glad I put it back on the road now. There are still plenty of these selling for around the £100 mark on ebay, there have even been a couple sold at around the £30 mark recently, which is crazy cheap. Compared to the mad money people want for the same era and similar spec' Dawes Galaxy (for instance), these are a bargain if you can find a good 'un.
Second one, as I picked it up with with fat tyres last weekend, pictured at Preston Railway Station (£100 paid).
P1150230.JPG
Hohing Special Sulky !
P1150237.JPG
Edit; info with reference to earlier models, equipment etc added.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/British-Eagl ... 635-2958-0
I am here. Where are you?
Re: Pictures of your bike(s)
Thank you, I hoped you'd see the picture by the canal, in case you are still planning to ride it after your accident; next year perhaps ? It's the bit that runs through the countryside once you get clear of Liverpool and before Burscough (about 12-15 miles approx), there are loads of hidden bits just off of the muddy track waiting to catch a wheel if you stray off-line towards the water's edge.
I spotted a nice cafe in that area of the canal the other day, just the right distance from Liverpool for a breakfast. I'll go and check it out one day, and report on the grub in your thread L&L Canal thread .
Looking towards the Liver building over the docks today in Liverpool.
This is almost at the start of your ride.
Nu-Fogey
Re: Pictures of your bike(s)
Thanks for that Col, I'll put any other of my thoughts about it in the British Eagle Touristique thread, where my other Geometry teacher is resident.
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4126&p=1646253#p1646253
I've cluttered this one up enough !
Nu-Fogey