Bone shaker

In the old days a bicycle could be relied upon to make a bit of a noise when travelling down the road.

This is no smear on the skills and reputations of budding bike mechanics who can spend hour upon hour tinkering with axles, sprockets, changers and spokes in order to get as close as possible to that elusive thing of fully silent running.

It is just a plain fact.

Rubber tyres produce friction on the carriageway, brake cables even on the smoothest surface will vibrate and oscillate ever so slightly, a well sprung saddle will emit a discernible resonance and the sound of a chain switching through the gears is such an evocative sound to a keen cyclist.

That was the old days.

The current range of bikes are. to the untrained eye. no different to those which have been around for decades and yet there are subtle changes to the geometry of the frame and the physical characteristics of the tubing and components which are akin to comparing an Iron Age chariot to a Formula 1 racing car.

The newest machines are lightweight and yet incredibly strong. There is a feeling of whip and flexibility when in full flight but not to compromise stability and confidence. The bike itself eats up the miles as though driven by its own combustion source rather than the muscles, sinews and coursing blood of the rider.

Of course, access to this technology comes at a hefty price tag with even the cheapest two wheeler costing in excess of £2000 and sometimes for the frame only.

There appears to be no shortage of buyers, however, motivated either by a desire for fitness or just to emulate their heroes who ride in the professional ranks.

My trusty racing bike is now 32 years old. It came with all of the authentic noises.

When originally assembled by Brian Green at Langdale in Nottingham it was the best that I could afford and thanks to an inheritance from my Grandfather Dick I was able to wheel it out of the shop with pride and determination to make good use of it.

I raced for a few years before work and family took precedence but I always planned to return to regular use either for leisure, health benefits or in competition. The latter involved a thought of dominating the over 40's race scene in my local area but now at the age of 51 I may have missed the opportunity to make a name for myself in the veteran category.

I do ride out regularly on my Langdale Lighweight in the spring and summer months and it has on occasion attracted interest from a younger generation of cyclists who show fascination and amazement at the Reynolds 531 tube frame, the downtube gear levers and surface mounted cables.

The bike remains in good condition mechanically. It is a joy to revive those long lost sensations of my peak performance years although this does involve shutting my eyes and a bit of grimacing as old limbs refuse to join in with the shameless fantasy. It is quite amusing to realise that most of the noises out on the road now come from me rather than the bike.