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Paul's Cap

By Guest Author • 13th May 2011 11:18am • Posted in Misc

The bike was a pale blue ‘Paramount’ from a local cycle dealer near my home town of Nottingham, actually I think the frame was made by Mercian of Derby but with Paramount stickers. It was bought from a friend of my dad’s and, of course, was second hand. The man, who was a member of the local camera club (that’s how my Dad knew him), was also a member of the Beeston Road Club. He suggested that maybe if I wanted to join some of the club riders on a Sunday for a ride that he would make sure I was ok and he often went on the rides too.

My family have never travelled outside of England, we didn’t speak any languages and so when I used to come home and start talking to my father about Jaques Anquetil or Fausto Coppi my Dad said ‘where did you get those words from, what do they mean?’

At the age of 12 I rode my first race – got completely hooked on the competitive spirit, the teamwork and, of course, something called The Tour de France – and more words to confuse my father started to appear, to mention a few: Maillot Jaune, Le Classement General, Pyrenees, Le Tour, Champion du Monde, Tourmalet, Directeur de la Course, Alpe d’Huez. Of course, I probably pronounced them completely incorrectly but…

My obsession continued and I then became a junior having to apply for a racing license and also started to ride the track, saving up and getting a yellow Paramount track bike. Of course, I kept the bikes in my bedroom – much to the horror of my mum – so I could worship them constantly. Without realising it, this was probably the start of my interest in how I looked and how ‘things’ looked. The correct shoes, socks, shorts, hat… everything.

Paul Smith

The Rapha + Paul Smith Cap, based on Sir Paul's original Beeston RC cap, and the entire 2011 collection is available here »

Comments

PAUL WITTE

13th May 2011 11:53am

Kept my Raleigh in my bedroom as well .

Brian Palmer

13th May 2011 12:04pm

the red lion hotel in portland let me keep a chris king cielo in my room for several days. i even think they polished it once.

paul goulden

13th May 2011 01:16pm

My colnagos get a bedroom to themselves. No offspring yet….

carl Keen

13th May 2011 02:38pm

During the 60/70s I used to keep mine in my bedroom. My mum used to think it was very 'common' back then bless her. I did have to shave my carpet once though when I got rim cement on it!

Matt Barbet

13th May 2011 03:54pm

Ditto on the Colnago getting its own bedroom. And I do have offspring…

Tim Cox

13th May 2011 04:04pm

I have conclusive evidence that bikes do multiply when left alone in the garage overnight. My garage once had one bike in and now has five.

Gem Atkinson

13th May 2011 10:03pm

ashamed to say my bedroom houses 4 bikes currently, im lucky its roomy :) always room for the (required number of bikes)=(bikes owned)+1 though!

Steven Green

14th May 2011 08:04am

@ carl keen - shaving the carpet, now that must've been even harder to explain than the legs…

carl Keen

14th May 2011 08:40am

@ Steven - Ah ha as far as my mums concerned it was my sister ironing on the floor. I still smirk when I see remnants of the stuff in the old mums garden that's been there for 35 years.
My Reg Barnett was too good for the shed.

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