Paul Schneider’s 1971 Bob Jackson
1980 Bob Jackson custom
Italian and French racing bikes have always had a fair amount of prestige. There’s no denying their cycling pedigree. Keep in mind though, when you think about the most famous racers and their bikes from the last century, they weren’t all Italian or French. The British have had some fantastic bicycle builders and great racers and racing stories to tell as well.
Raleigh, known for their city bikes as much as racing bikes, lead the pack simply by backing the TI-Raleigh racing team of the late ‘70’s. Craft labels like Claud Butler, Hetchins, Bates, BSA, Jack Taylor, Trevor Jarvis and the Flying Scots were all present and have all played a part in the British cycling epic.
Bob Jackson bicycles started rolling in 1935 when J. Robert. Jackson opened “J.R.J. Cycles”. There was a short gap in the company history as Bob served in the Royal Air Force during WWII, and then his brand really developed in the post war years with bikes labeled as “Merlins” and “JRJ Cycles”. These bikes were well crafted, as fine as anything an amateur cyclist could have ridden from the continent.
Bob Jackson’s work came in a few different guises. If you ride an old Hetchins frame you may be enjoying some of Bob’s handiwork as he did some contract constuction for Hetchins as well as other British brands.
Campagnolo housing stop
Record crankset
Campy bar-end shifters
“Il Primo Extra Giro di Sicilia”
Record calipers
This is a custom Bob Jackson road bike that Bainbridge Island carpenter Paul Schneider purchased in 1971.
Like most enthusiast’s bikes from the time, this one is outfitted with Campagnolo Nuovo Record parts. British bikes always seem to have a custom touch or two that make them more practical bikes than others. Matching fenders or a custom rack or a light system. This bike has Campagnolo bar-end shifters instead of the standard downtube-mounted options, and it comes with a custom Silca pump.
What else? A Nuovo Record derailleur
That saddle looks like it needs to be tightened up a bit
Wood veneer wrapped head tube
Teak veneer wrapped Silca frame pump
Thin wood veneer is wrapped around the pump shaft and around the tall headtube of this bike, a custom element that Paul added himself. The teak wood grain lends the bike sophistication not unlike that of a wooden dashboard in a luxury car, and it was expertly applied as it still looks great, fifty years after application.
Paul no longer owns this bicycle, but the current rider has just the right appreciation for everything this bike has to offer. Mike Brundige, a local contractor, skilled woodworker, and vintage road bike aficionado rides this one regularly.