Publisher: Boy’s Life

Country: USA

Date: May 1976

Derailleur brand: Excel

Derailleur: Excel Dynamic Syncromesh (1st style)?, Excel Dynamic Syncromesh (2nd style)?

Riding 349 miles in six days seems a rather limp feat, until you look more closely at Spencer Gentry’s achievement.

First you have to do it on a bike that is obviously several sizes too small. Then you have to carry a substantial rucsac - which looks to be full of Osmium bricks. Your movements (and saddle comfort) are restricted by having to wear Jeans and your upper body temperature control and sweat management are hampered by being clad in a proper bri-nylon shirt with a collar and a polyester sweater that your mother clearly bought you - probably for your birthday. Finally there is the small matter of the bike - replete with Excel Dynamic Syncromesh derailleur (at a mere 300 odd grams) and a frame that would be ideal for piping methane across the Ukraine. All in all, it is not a combination for the faint hearted.

Hats off to our young hero - he deserves all the plaudits he gets.

As for the bike - remarkably, it’s still going strong after all of six whole days - presumably on the seventh day it rested - and saw that it was good.

If you click on the area within the dotted lines you can see an expanded picture of the derailleur.