laird387 Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 Hi, An interesting image from the 'Old Codgers' trial, run in Surrey, supported by Ralph Venables. It shows Dave Rodgers, a regular 'Talmag' supporter on his Douglas, a fascinating machine, I hope you'll agree. Enjoy. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bultacorock Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 My dad use to have a Douglas i think it was light blue but its a long time ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bashplate Posted January 20, 2014 Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 Sure I've seen a shot somewhere of Mick Andrews riding one of these in Scotland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old trials fanatic Posted January 20, 2014 Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 He did and he finished Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 Hi bultacorock, The Douglas post-war road bikes had an interesting and unique torque-arm rear suspension, they were known as the Douglas Dragonfly and I never saw any that weren't an iridescent light blue in colour. Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
not ron Posted January 20, 2014 Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 Mick did ride a Douglas in Scotland in 2006, he told everyone he would do it on the Saturday evening 2005 after too much red wine. Then during the evening he asked if he could ride my Douglas in 2006, I said yes so he decided to stick to his word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadof2 Posted January 20, 2014 Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 Going back to the 1920s / 30s when bikes were belt drive douglass's were used on "observed hills" where the aim was to get up without stopping or footing (footing to help forward motion not balance). One such hill was Lindale in Furness (south end of the lake district) which is now a dual carriageway but in those days was a poorly surfaced track / road and a challenge for bikes to get up without stopping. Cars used to go up in reverse as reverse was lower than first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motard66 Posted January 24, 2014 Report Share Posted January 24, 2014 Hi,Dragonflys came much later with twin shocks,blue ones had torsion bar rear suspension,copy from VW?Regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted February 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2014 Hi, Matthew Neale attacks the Talmag hallowed ground with his trials Douglas. Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted February 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2014 Hi, An image now from the 1993 Talmag, showing Gordon Neale, a regular visitor to the Hungry Hill venue with his 1931 Douglas. I had a query the other day about the Talmag itself, as to how long the trial had been in the calendar. The Talmag in its present format was first run in 1975, prior to that it had been a South-eastern Centre event, which usually was held on Weavers Down, a popular venue in days gone by - but I believe now lost to the sport? As ever, enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted March 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 Hi, An historic image! Winner of the arctic Kickham in February 1947 on a 350 Triumph, this is Charles Dickins on a 350 competition Douglas in the 1948 Cotswold Cups trial, one of three Kingswood machines in the event. The others were ridden by A J Bailey and F Nowell. The 1947 Kickham was the first of the old national trials to be run after the 1939-45 war had finished, life back to normal, as it were. Naturally on such an auspicious occasion the British weather had to step in, so the competitors were faced with, literally, arctic conditions. The organisers decided to send the entry out in groups of five riders, each group with one of the local riders included and the stoical British temperament rewarded their efforts with a successful day's sport. Charles Dickins was one of those local riders. Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparks2 Posted March 4, 2014 Report Share Posted March 4, 2014 HiI knew a former trials rider by the name of Philip Shaw (sadly now no longer with us).Philip was active in the immediate post war years and into the 50's. He remembered an incident when a complete horizontal cylinder was smashed off a trials Douglas during a Yorkshire Centre trial.It makes Mick Andrews achievement in finishing the Scottish pre-65 on a Douglas in recent years all the more remarkable.RegardsSparks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted March 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2014 Hi, Whenever you organised a classic event on Hungry Hill (and Weaver's Down before that was lost) you could almost guarantee entries from the London Douglas club, just as this in the 1998 'Old Codgers' - is his name Phillips? Enjoy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted March 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2014 Hi, The Douglas competition riders enjoyed this part of the Arbuthnot - but I remember the hours we spent dragging them through deeply rutted green lanes on the odd wet years! Enjoy. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted April 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 Hi, Another image from my set of 'lost' identities - but most will just be interested to see the Douglas in action, so enjoy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.