Cleland Cycles & Geoff Apps are back!!
sil4
Posts: 5
Geoff Apps, the proclaimed father of mountain biking and founder of Cleland Cycles, is back with a contemporary take on his classic Aventura, arguably the original ATB - and 29er.
True to the concept of the original, with all of the features of a Cleland intact - plus many more design innovations (check out the "swing" pedals) - the new good news is that Geoff is looking to put his "Aventura TT" (Twenty Ten") into production, with an initial limited potential run of 100 - and may be more, with further variations in the pipe.
His website gives a full run down of the latest Cleland, as well as providing a fascinating insight into how it all started - if you haven't seen it, check it out.
It won't appeal to the hardened down hiller, but the latest incarnation is pretty special and the closest I think there is to a truly built - for - Britain ATB with a twist.
I'm not affiliated to Cleland but just wanted to share this link, as it's possible to register now for interest in a pre-order...and me wants one!!
SIL4
http://clelandcycles.wordpress.com/bikes-1978-2010/
True to the concept of the original, with all of the features of a Cleland intact - plus many more design innovations (check out the "swing" pedals) - the new good news is that Geoff is looking to put his "Aventura TT" (Twenty Ten") into production, with an initial limited potential run of 100 - and may be more, with further variations in the pipe.
His website gives a full run down of the latest Cleland, as well as providing a fascinating insight into how it all started - if you haven't seen it, check it out.
It won't appeal to the hardened down hiller, but the latest incarnation is pretty special and the closest I think there is to a truly built - for - Britain ATB with a twist.
I'm not affiliated to Cleland but just wanted to share this link, as it's possible to register now for interest in a pre-order...and me wants one!!
SIL4
http://clelandcycles.wordpress.com/bikes-1978-2010/
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Comments
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Some more mods on this bike since I rode with Geoff on it's maiden outing last year.
It certainly rolls well as Geoff and I were the the first down a long downhill in the dark well in front of everyone, not bad for a pair pushing 60.
Geoff deserves successes with this project after all the work he has put in over the many years I have known him.Now where's that "Get Out of Crash Free Card"0 -
think he's got something really special there and - now that the future has finally caught up with Geoff - I hope he'll get the recognition he deserves in terms of his approach to design and thinking outside the box.
Sometimes, when you are so ahead of the curve, others just don't get it - until, of course, there's enough critical mass for others to get picked up and on board with what you are doing. Geoff was just so far ahead of the curve that no one saw it.
But there's a real fitness for purpose in Geoff''s latest Aventura that I'm pretty confident it will take it off this time round.0 -
Here's a video of Geoff Apps riding his Cleland Aventura TT near in the woods where he developed his Cleland Cross Country Cycles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbWuIHESe5M
The "off-piste" riding has always been a feature of rides led by Geoff though I don't think that it has ever been filmed before. Unlike the video these woods are normally wet and muddy which makes things much more tricky. Hence the Cleland's bash-plate, low-pressure studded tyres and enclosed hub brakes.
Another tradition is that the rides carry on after dark and end with a downhill. The down hill shown in the video is always interesting in the dark as the nodules of flint and roots are difficult to spot amongst the leaves. Even more so in the old days with just a 3 volt EverReady cyclelight to guide the way. Though you could always follow the Roughstuff Fellowship tradition, and walk these sections.0
