The First Post

A First Post - A First Bike

Well not my first bike, but my first 'racing' bike, first with gears and first with drop bars. I got it in 1980 at the age of 11 from Howarth's in Sale Moor.  I'd wanted a Raleigh Arena but Mr Howarth convinced us that this was much better value. A Peugeot Cadet CDE in Topaz (bronze/gold).  Certainly a much more complete bike - it came with everything on it except the bottle cage, what more could a young lad want?  Well how about a more comfortable saddle - that one was moulded hard plastic.  As for the angle!

I do wonder how much this bike is responsible for my tendency to default to a bullet proof bike with all 'mod-cons'.  It certainly went against the grain eighteen months ago when I was buying a modern race bike that was not for everyday use or 'touring'.

Cottered crank, enormous steel dork disc (that big it might have been some use), steel rims, steel mudguards, dynamo, rack, 5 speed gears, suicide brakes and a chain guard.  It served me well for 2 1/2 years before I got a Peugeot Talisman that lasted through to adulthood.