‘I wanted one classic bike for each of the four decades I ra…

That’s often the case with collections. Dip your toes in the water and before you know it you’ll be ready to take a dip in the English Channel. Such is the case for Bob Howden, chairman of British Cycling. He started collecting bikes in 2019 and his goal is to collect one bike every year during his 40 years of racing. He reached that goal quickly—and just kept going. Five years later, he has decorated the walls and floors of his “man cave” with 37 machines and is preparing to build more frames.

“I’ve always been interested in anything that involves craftsmanship,” Howerton said. “Even something as simple as furniture, just look at how they’re made. So as far as frame builds, nice details, quality stuff, it’s just the process of collecting bikes that I love. It’s really transcended The 69-year-old Yorkshireman sources his bikes from a number of manufacturers around the world. He has a Viking like the one he had when he was 13 years old. He had a Holdsworth dressed in the classic blue and orange seventies team uniform. He even owns the Gios Compact Pro he raced in the 1990s – the only machine left from his racing career. He discovered some items that were in collection condition. Others are battered and unpopular and in need of recovery. Yes, he has his favorites.