Or is it the images of Fausto Coppi on his Bianchi, Eddy Merckx on his Molteni or Tom Simpson on his Peugeot that take us back to the dreamy days when we discovered a sport that, before television and the internet, almost seemed otherworldly? Bikes have always been and will always be things of beauty – objects that demand our attention and deserve our admiration. This magazine is full of wonderful bikes, each one with its own story.
WELCOME
Classic Bikes
PEUGEOT PX-10 • The most legendary French bike of them all – just délicieux
DURSLEY PEDERSEN • With structural cues taken from bridges, this Danish design still holds up
HETCHINS MAGNUM OPUS DE LUXE • Premium road bike from an esteemed British marque
KEN BIRD ‘BIG BIRD’ • A bike built for Britain’s tallest man
COLNAGO SUPER • A trailblazing bike immortalised by Merckx and Saronni
COLNAGO FOREVER • Passionate owners tell us why the legendary Italian marque still inspires such devotion
COLNAGO C40 • Ernesto proves a carbon frame can master the cobbles of Roubaix
COLNAGO MASTER KRONO • Exotic and rare TT version of the classic Master
COLNAGO MASTER • Ernesto’s enduring masterpiece
COLNAGO ARABESQUE • Much-coveted machine named for its ornate lugs
PARIS GALIBIER • Eccentric but iconic English bike that’s still in production today
ROYAL ENFIELD CLUB • The push-bike version of the classic British-turned-Indian motorcycle
VITUS 979 TIME TRIAL BIKE • A time trial bike made for the King
ROBERTS TRACK FRAME • A steel track bike with ‘fag paper’ clearance
CONDOR GRASS TRACK RACER • Fancy-lugged 50s fixie from one of Britain’s best builders
HOBBS OF BARBICAN • A London brand of brothers aimed squarely at British club folk
LEGNANO GRAN PREMIO 1961 • An Italian classic that was ridden to victory over and over again
A PASSION FOR COLLECTING • BC president and retro bike lover Bob Howden opens up his treasure trove and shares stories of his favourite finds
THE FLYING SCOT • A national treasure and the ‘Big Yin’ of the Scottish cycling world
MOULTON • The iconic 60s small-wheeler is still a big hit half a century later
DACCORDI 50 ANNI • The Italian marque’s 50th anniversary offering
TREK 5500 USPS EDITION • If value tracked notoriety, this bike would be priceless
LOOK KG 241 • Handmade French carbon from the 90s biggest innovators
GITANE TOUR DE L’AVENIR • Classic French brand’s homage to a revered amateur race
PEUGEOT ASPIN • The French brand’s classic that made Britain great in the 80s
DAVE YATES LO-PRO • ‘Funny’ bike from a famous British name
ALLIN • With its illustrious family connections, an Allin bike has pedigree
BOB JACKSON TANDEM • Leeds legend’s racing bicycle made for two
EDDY MERCKX TEAM SC • A replica team bike from the stable of an icon
CORIMA COUGAR • A road-going version of Boardman’s Hour record bike
SUN MANX TT • A radical 1950s design with minimal adjustability
PINARELLO BANESTO • Big Mig’s fifth Tour win was the final hurrah for steel bikes
SUNBEAM MODEL RR • A 1930s lightweight with a hard-wearing finish
PEUGEOT STEP-THROUGH • A cutting-edge race bike that looks like no such thing
RALEIGH CENTENARY • Pure bling as the British brand celebrates its 100th anniversary
GIOS SUPER RECORD • The cobble-slayer of De Vlaeminck and the legendary Brooklyn team
F. H. GRUBB • A vintage velo forged in suburban London
GIANT TCR COMPOSITE GOLD • Ultra-rare gold-plated version of the first carbon-fibre TCR
TCR: MAKING COMPACT...