Yow.

It's not exactly an old bike, but this story has been making the blog rounds lately, and it's pretty cool. Sixteen-year-old kid built a bike entirely out of wood. I bet it's fun to ride for about ten feet. Most kids make a spice rack or something. I don't even remember what my big accomplishment was at sixteen. The best part is that he was inspired by stories his Dutch grandfather told him about building bike wheels out of wood during World War II on account of rubber being scarce. Wooden shoes AND wooden wheels. What will the Dutch think of next? A wooden bike, apparent...

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How to Fix a Bent Fender

Well, maybe more like: "how to jerry-rig something so that your bent fender doesn't rub on your tire (without spending any money)." This is a problem I'm having with the new old Schwinn Suburban. The old Schwinns were designed so that the fenders fit very closely around the tires. This is a nice aesthetic touch, but it also means that any little bend or tweak in the fender or its supports can put the inside of the fender in contact with your tire, causing undue wear and tear on the tire, and undue frustration when peddling (plus a really annoying rubbing noise).I've been trying all sorts of...

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1977 Schwinn Suburban

Yes, another bike. That's three, for those keeping score. We found this one at a garage sale for $40. My wife has been looking for a bike since last June, and we found it about two blocks from our house--must have been fate. Anyway, as the title of the post suggests, it's a 1977 Schwinn Suburban. It's a ten speed--no Sturmey-Archer hub, unfortunately--and it is a seriously nice-looking bike. It has a sort of red/rust/brown color and the paint is in pretty good shape, with the usual dings and scratches. It also has the usual rust, dirt, and grime all over.It seems to be mostly original,...

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For Work or Play

These two beautiful posters from the early 20th century (Adler, 1910; Hawthorne, 1920) embody the era when bicycles were taken seriously; when they were still used as everyday transportation and as recreational vehicles. Don't they look happy? And snappy? Cycling doesn't have to be all Spandex and bike shoes, now does ...

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Upas Street Trail

So, I've heard tell of a trail that links the various parts of Upas Street from the northeastern corner of Balboa Park to the northwestern corner. If you're traveling west on Upas, the paved street stops at Alabama Street, then picks up again at Florida Street, then runs all the way to Vermont Street, where it dead-ends again, then picks up again at the northwestern corner of Balboa Park. Well, the dead ends are all connected by trails, so I decided to set out with the Peugeot and the camera on a little expedition today to see if there was, in fact, a good way to get from one side of Balboa...

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A Brand New Shiny Bike!

I found this sticker template gratis on the "Properganda" page of Los Angeles cycling advocates C.I.C.L.E. I would take this brand new shiny bike. Yes I wou...

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Have You Seen This?

www.vintagebicyclepress....

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I Can Do That, I Just Don't Want To...

I mean, who can't balance like that? Sheesh, so easy...I found this on Trocadero.com and thought I'd share it. Circa 1900, the golden age of bicycl...

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Bikes on Campus: SDSU Students Want to Ride

A story in today's Union-Tribune discusses the ban on bicycle travel on SDSU's campus, and the students who are trying to get the ban repealed. The university cites safety concerns because of sidewalks jammed with pedestrians, as well as the damage some cyclists cause by cutting across green spaces and landscaping. Campus safety officers actually ticket bicycle riders for riding on most sidewalks on campus. Students are citing environmental and parking concerns in their efforts to get the ban repealed.My wife works at SDSU, and I can confirm that during the semester the sidewalks are very crowded, but the answer is not to ban bike travel. Bike lanes and approved bike routes on campus would help a great deal, as would an education and enforcement...

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Just When You Thought The San Diego Reader Couldn't Get Any Worse

I usually try to keep this blog pretty on-topic (i.e. old bikes) but occasionally I allow a random rant to creep in. This week's San Diego Reader, the most pointless media source in town, is the subject of this particular rant. The cover story this week has the ridiculously terrible title, "I Would Rather Be In Here Than Standing in the Fast Lane." The cover photo features a giant truck looming over a small car. The title and picture don't seem to go together, but I was hoping it would be about road rage or transportation alternatives, or something. Then, I open to the story inside, which features a giant photo of a wrecked bicycle in the middle of an interstate. Ooh, I think, maybe a story about how bicycles aren't afforded their rightful...

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