If Indiana Jones was more into bikes than crystal skulls, arks of the covenant or dials of destiny, then Golden Age Cycles in Oxfordshire is where you'd find him.
The shop's warehouse is a literal treasure trove, packed to the rafters with bikes from across the ages, all with their own little quirks and stories to tell.
There are bikes from a bygone age, the sort you'd see being ridden in a costume drama, as well as elite-level machines that wouldn't have looked out of place starring in some of cycle racing's most celebrated moments.
All of this is the work of an Oxfordshire-based teacher, Brian Reid (who does not wear a fedora), who summed up his raft of experience in all things two-wheels perfectly when Cycling Weekly arrived on site. "I'm warning you, once I get started on bikes I can't stop," he jokes. "You'll have me here for hours."
Five minutes with Reid shows you that he clearly knows his stuff, something Chris Hoy no doubt discovered when he got hold of a bike through the Golden Age Cycles owner last year. Reid explains that it was a 1959 Condor, belonging to his father, which first drew him to vintage bicycles in what would become a lifelong love affair.
"My father had this beautiful 1959 Condor, which lived in the hall. It had this superb lug work which I passed every day from the moment I was born," Reid says. "I always thought it was lovely. I've been teaching now for 25 years and have always wondered whether there's something else out there for me. So I thought why not? Took a year out of work, bought a few second-hand bikes and went from there.
Esta historia es de la edición January 26, 2023 de CYCLING WEEKLY.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición January 26, 2023 de CYCLING WEEKLY.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Shorter TT bike
A British shop brand that backed two of the greats of time trialling
Gut health
A gastroenterologist's advice on limiting gut distress and improving your microbiome
7 THINGS I LEARNED FROM BREAKING MY FACE
When a crash left CW's Tom Davidson with a titanium plate in his cheek, his perspective on cycling started to change. Here's what he took away from the saga
Syncros Capital SL Aero wheels
Owen Rogers reviews bling carbon wheels with a price tag to match
SRAM Red AXS
SRAM improves shift quality and tackles braking woes of old in its latest road bike groupset, reports Joe Baker
CRISIS? WHAT CRISIS?
Cancelled races, folded teams, bankrupters, Britain's domestic road racing scene appears organis to be in tatters. But is the outlook really as dire as it seems? Charlie Graham-Dixon investigates
AMERICA'S GREAT AGAIN*
*But can it last? The US finally has a clutch of star riders again, but is its top-level success built on solid foundations
THE HUB
All the news you might have missed from the last seven days
Lifeplus-Wahoo aim for pro ranks
Continental squad hopes to mark 10-year anniversary with ProTeam status
Matt Holmes kickstarts comeback with Lincoln win
Former Lotto-Soudal rider returns from retirement with victory at big domestic fixture