Seems that lockdown gas changed the way many of us have been cycling. For me it’s been a time to dig out an old touring bike and purpose for fetching and carrying

Behold – ‘The egg bike’:

I need to go and get farm eggs during lockdown. I also need exercise. Farm eggs hereabouts live on trestle-tables with honesty boxes. To get to them I need to cross common-land, gravel-roads/tracks, field, certain hills and back lanes.

Last year I rescued this old British Eagle ( 531 Super Tourist) with the plan of doing it up (it’s actually near perfect as is) and reinstalling the drop bars etc

Apart from a quick spin on the Ridgeway last autumn it’s been hidden away since, so will be interesting to see how it fares longer-term. Need to get some better pedals on it, maybe cages/straps. Biopace/ Exage 500LX (Blast from my past as my first ATB/MTB had these gears!)

Lovely old thing. Just about to head off on egg-hunt, wish us well! Rediscovered my mouldy-smelling old Agu rack-pack at back of a shed. So that needs air too. It’s padded. So good for eggs. Pump under top-tube. Puncture kit with multi-spanner. Water. Think that’s it. Oh yeah, the rotary-clappers on the giant bell sound super-friendly. Jangalangjangalang vs DING!

So, what have you all dug-out, changed or repurposed lockdown shenags/commutes?

Lockdown has put a stop to mountain bikes for me, but this bike getting some use now instead- tuns out there’s miles of gravel tracks near me, Not much in the way of cornering, but plenty to enjoy

The level of grip on those tyres is jaw dropping.

Been doing a 2 hour ride every other day on either the gravel bike or SS HT, for the past few weeks. Keeping the MTB very tame (even for me!).

Getting up and out about 5.30 am has been so wonderful for the soul, all fresh and new, and the trails are MUCH quieter then.

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"One Form of Exercise a Day". Worth leaving the house for. Bright late afternoon sun. Breezy. Clean, fresh air. Clear, crisp views. Trails sooooo dusty. #oneformofexerciseaday #lockdown #willnottravelforgravel #nocarnognarnotfar #trailslikethese #dustytrails #gravelride #gravelbike #dirtydropbargoodness #dustydropbargoodness #whereiride #fromthefrontdoor #ononebikes #ononepickenflick #pickenflick

A post shared by Kevin Harley-Roberts (@kevin.harleyroberts) on Apr 20, 2020 at 11:33am PDT

and

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With the local trails increasingly congested with never-before-seen people going about their daily exercise, the only way of getting a bit of uninterrupted riding is to head out early. Riding before 6am, before the sun was up, and with the moon still brightly lit, I had the dry trails mostly to myself. Perfect isolation and social distancing! #socialdistancing #isolatedexercise #nocarnognarnotfar #oneformofexerciseaday #dawnriding #ridewhilsteveryonesleeps #dustytrails #trailslikethese #onone45650b #ssmtb #whereiride

A post shared by Kevin Harley-Roberts (@kevin.harleyroberts) on Apr 8, 2020 at 1:22am PDT

Here’s mine

Admittedly it is my only complete bike at the moment.

Love the British Eagle. I have a 90s vintage Harry Hall Sport 531C with Exage Biopace groupset. I believe the frames were made by British Eagle.

OP previous experience as an egg collector/delivery chap is that an old towel to wrap the boxes in is a good idea. Unsprung rear triangles are murder on shells, especially if they are thinner because the bird feed is not up to snuff.

Just bashing about on my 456 although when my son borrowed it I ended up on the rather tame local Single-track on my cheap road bike.

Making me hanker for a tourer all this local pottering.

@Sandwich – eggcellent, cheers 🙂 (STW never fails to deliver the most obscure and useful advice!)

Well, sorry to say that local eggs weren’t located this evening. But I’m sort of glad because the ride was worth repeating. Ended up doing about 35km/22 miles!

The British Eggle 😎 just glided along. Gravel/farm tracks were no problem at all for the tyres (28c Schwalbe Marathons, medium-pressure) and the triple Biopace makes mincemeat out of hills and thicker grass. Next time I shall go earlier and find eggs. B roads and lanes are quiet. A roads picking up again and worth staying away. This bike is definitely for the quiet, rough and ready routes. The ride is quality, and silent. Maybe there is something in this old handbuilt steel touring-bicycle lark. It really felt like a magic carpet. The only flies in the ointment were those big fat rubbery grips, knacker-grabbing super-wide saddle and cheap slippery townie pedals. Found that I was standing up a lot or no-handing to get away from them all! They all have to go 🙂

Decided on return-leg to celebrate keeping this bike after all. It is Actually Very Good. But I didn’t have my payment-card on me so as to purchase a cold beer to take home. Turns out actual cash is refused nowadays. Eggcept for eggs. My fiver is saved. We shall have eggs and beer tomorrow. Any ideas how to strap a bottle of beer on a bike/secure in a bottle cage? I really don’t like rucksacks, and if (as it seems) this summer is about to become one long Frank Patterson cycle illustration, then only proper cycle-touring luggage will do!

Those pictures have probably made me long for normality more than anything else I’ve seen in the last two months.

That British Eagle is lovely – although slightly annoying as it’s suggesting that a humble standard ‘old’ bike with some 30mm tyres is enough for getting out and about in the countryside, efficiently and comfortably.

Once the bike marketing elite see you posting things like this there’ll be a price on your head.

New to me CX bike. Dare I say I even think I got a bit of a bargain despite the reported rocketing eBay prices.

Must admit my cheapo GT grade has been doing most of the work, I struggle with restraint on my mtb.

Or suspend a basket from springs.

This has been getting plenty of use lately….
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2iYspzk]IMG_20200502_134911[/url] by David Wadesmith, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2iYwKfy]IMG_20200502_162933[/url] by David Wadesmith, on Flickr

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To the coast!

A post shared by Chris Lafrenais (@chrisjl77) on Apr 19, 2020 at 5:29am PDT

Only ever been used for commuting since I built it, until recently.

What frame is that, Chris? On the lookout for an SS disc frame

Its a Planet X Kaffenback Swapout from about 2012, not made anymore. It has replaceable dropouts to run geared or SS though Planet X have stopped making the dropouts so I can only run it SS.

Take a look at the Bombtrack Arise 2:https://bombtrack.com/gravel/

Thanks – had found the Bombtrack, but it’s 12mm axles, and the wheels I have won’t convert.

My checklist is 1 1/8 headset, 135 rear qr, 27.2 seatpost, threaded BB, steel, nice colour.

Any ideas how to strap a bottle of beer on a bike/secure in a bottle cage?

Standard 500ml bottles of beer work fine in a bottle cage if you’re not ragging it off road I find. A little bit jingly, but they don’t get ejected. Throw an old toe strap around them for a bit more security if you feel like it is needed.

As for the other 23, well you’ll just have to hang them from a strong carrier bag on each handlebar and hope for the best.

Really like the bike too, looks a lot like a nice old Marin Sausalito I once owned that was nicked from a local train station. ☹

humble standard ‘old’ bike with some 30mm tyres is enough for getting out and about in the countryside, efficiently and comfortably

Yes it’s old, but maybe the quote-marks should be reserved here for ‘standard’ 😎 . It’s possibly the most under-the-radar ‘cream of the crop’ classic steel touring bike from this Isle!

Also the second one I’ve owned (let the first, older model go because of a house-move

Have also owned a 1990ish Dawes Galaxy and can say with some confidence that this is the better (and slightly faster) bike overall. Nicer lugs too! It would ponce up beautifully with a recoat and some polished boutique parts but figure it’s better ridden. A lot.

Facts:
– Frame and forks- 531ST frame/531 forks
– Handbuilt in rural Powys out of a shed/factory run by Barry Hoban (9 times TDF stage winner)
– Handbuilt wheelset – Ambrosio Super Elite clinchers (36h – DT Swiss spokes)

Can’t wait to get some drops and doubletape on this. Add a pair of Tektro 340 levers. Today have an egg-pickup arranged for cert. 20 miler. For this ‘The Eggle’ is getting the Brooks Pro and the Ergon grips fitted.

🤣@hols2 and thhew

It may be one beer, but will be bigger than 500ml. Probably safer in the rackpack but will take a toestrap (thanks for that great suggestion) for the bottled ale. Normally have panniers for groceries but these small, light trips are great.

Never gnar and never put my bike in car so same bike as always for me

Quite a contrast between my final pre-lockdown ride – uplift at Inners on the Sunday before lockdown – and now. Same trails I’d ride on my usual commute, although now I’m doing them at the start rather than end of the day.

It’s either been rigid with 700x50s:

or for variety I’ve hauled the HT back into regular use to enjoy some of the still-tame-but-too-knarly-to-enjoy-on-700x50s trails in the same areas:

I’m enjoying both equally, but yearning to get back to ‘proper’ MTB trails which for me are a 25min car journey away.

EDIT: FFS image sharing from Google Photo is a PITA

Dragged the HT out today for some nocarnognarnotfar action, nice bimble round the Bw’s of the wreake valley 👍🏻

My Mock Lobster….. I had some spare transfers from a Merlin Rock Lobster I had and a naked Singular Kite Mk1 (Apparently, yes it’s had disc mounts added)

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Well after a blast through Kent's Bottom I ended up in….. #inuendo #rudestreetnames #cycling #cyclingwiltshire #gravelbike #gravelking #veloorange #brooks #isolationexercise #huntwheels #praxisworks #steelisreal

A post shared by Bryntin Photography (@bryntinphotography) on Apr 19, 2020 at 2:50pm PDT

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ip6jaPKSUF9YdHyq5

(AAAARGH HOW THE HELL DO YOU POST ANYTHING FROM A SODDING PHONE!)

My get about. Added some bar ends I had lying about and now much comfier, I’ll put the original grips back on at some point now I’m happy with them.

I got an old Dawes “Galaxy” for 20 quid a couple of months back that looked awful. Actually just really dirty with a terrible blow over paint job, only the headset needs looking plus the usual chrome problems. Scraped the crap paint back and it turns out it’s actually a Mirage (same frame built for speed) so that will be rebuilt as a fast tourer type deal once its had a respray.

That British Eagle makes me sad, like many others the name has been subsumed into bottom tier crap.

Honourablegeorge, the 2019 Bombtrack Arise is 135mm and on sale here: https://www.cyclestore.co.uk/bombtrack_arise_2_frameset_2019-ID_77072

Thanks – had seen that also, but it failed the “nice colour” test, have a shed full of black bikes, so was after something different.

@honourablegeorge
A straggler in salmon candy pink?
Fits your criteria, from what I’ve heard photos don’t do the colour justice (mines a boring black one).
https://surlybikes.com/bikes/straggler

Seen enough road bikes thanks!

@bish Straggler is a bit spendy for a bike I clearly don’t need, but its perfect, yes.

I’ve un-retired my 26er Soul in singlespeed guise for the duration.

It’s fantastic, especially for rediscovering all the trad XC moorland trails on the nearest hillside, which by happy accident are at their absolute best once the winter floods have abated but the summer monsoon not yet begun.

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Gravel. Riding.

A post shared by Tom Parkin (@motnikrap) on May 6, 2020 at 3:20am PDT

^ Some class stuff to enjoy in this thread

Love that yellow Soul (and location). I was looking fwd to riding my P7 (ss 26er) but then remembered is dry-stored at a friend’s place. And will stay there now until 😢 when?

British Eggle did the deed tho. We fetched fresh eggs. For this:

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/246529/chef-johns-colcannon-hash/

Gathered fresh nettles (and ramsons) too. For that:

http://www.handmadeapothecary.co.uk/blog/2019/3/10/nettle-soup

I also have an egg bike! Random mix of bits, lovely to ride though.

Bike

I’d be on the MTB if it weren’t for lockdown, but it’s a bit of a drive to the trails I like to ride, so this is filling the void quite nicely for now.

Some lockdown weight saving for my gravel bike. It has become the most used of the mtb/gravel/road/brompton stable over the last few weeks, so deserved some non OEM weight wheels and a tubeless setup.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_7QYFoFaZy

I put some resolutes on my tripster a month ago and it’s been a revelation for mixing up road and off road locally. Still managed to bend the mech hanger on this ride though

addy6402
Subscriber
This has been getting plenty of use lately….
IMG_20200502_134911 by David Wadesmith, on Flickr

@addy6402

Is that the Waltly I had built and definitely shouldn’t have sold? How are you getting on with it?

I suppose this is my Gravel bike, great for bimbling about!

Been munching some miles on this:

My go to bike…
<img src=”http://