The Runwell: Day 5

As you can see from the photo above, disassembly continues.  As I go, I'm still doing major surface cleaning, focusing most on the rust.  No dramatic results to report so far, just plugging away at it and applying liberal doses of elbow grease, although you can start to see a difference on the handlebars.  After checking prices on new Brooks saddles, and confirming my inability to buy one just now, I've decided to have a go at resurrecting the original.  The left photo shows the before condition, the one below shows how it looks after liberal doses of saddle soap and neatsfoot...

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On the Personalities of Old Bikes

Having worked on a few now, it has become pretty obvious that old bikes all have unique personalities. Sure, I know a mass of metal and rubber isn't really sentient, but there's something in each old bike that perhaps brings out different aspects of my own personality. For instance, my Columbia, the bike that started this blog, is like an old friend. I know him inside and out, and whenever a problem crops up, I'm happy to do what I can to help. We go out and have fun together, but we're also just happy hanging out. He's sturdy and reliable, and just an all around great guy.My Peugeot, on the other hand, is kind of an ass (he is French, after all--apologies to the French). He has dramatic problems that confuse me, and he refuses to let me in...

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The Runwell: Day 4

There's not much to report for today. I spent most of my time trying to get the #?@$& stuck left pedal off. Didn't happen. I guess I'm going to have to take it to a shop, which is okay, because I think I also want to have them pull the crank cotters, since I hear that can be a real pain.  A big part of DIY work is knowing when to concede. I did pull the rear wheel off today, and also got started on some of the rust on various surfaces, including the cranks and handlebars. I'm starting to get a little daunted at all the rust. I think everything is sound underneath, it's just a matter...

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Police Attack NYC Critical Mass Rider

Regardless of how you feel about Critical Mass, this is a pretty disturbing video.  I'm actually fairly ambivalent about CM, and I don't endorse anyone intentionally breaking traffic laws while riding, but I do believe that cyclists have as much right to the road as anyone else.  That the fellow was arrested and charged on top of getting randomly creamed by a cop, is just the height of absurdity.Via BoingBoing and Gothami...

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The Runwell: Day 3

Today's big task was the front wheel: getting the rims, spokes, and hub cleaned and inspected. Everything seems true and tight and sturdy, and it certainly looks better now than it did. I used a combination of light oil and steel wool, and Brasso polish. I also had a go at removing the pedals, but was only able to get one off.  The other is stuck fast and is going to need some serious help. The pedals weigh about half a pound each (a slight exaggeration, perhaps), which surprised me. I also got most of the paper or cardboard, or whatever was under the grips, off the handlebars, and realized...

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The Runwell: Day 2

First, I took a few swipes at the chainring with fine steel wool and some light oil to see what I was in for, and it looks like it's going to need a more extensive treatment.  I removed the decaying plastic (or very old, thin rubber?) grips, and found a mess of cardboard, or paper, or cork, or something underneath, which is proving difficult to chip off.Here's a photo of the small spot I started on the handlebars, which also shows the poor shape they're generally in.  Still, I got this much done with just a touch of oil and the steel wool, so that's encouraging.The front hub and rim...

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The Runwell: Day 1

The first order of business was to run a cloth over the whole thing so my hands didn't come away black every time I touched the thing.  I squirted Pedro's Bio Cleaner on a damp rag and just wiped the whole thing down.  I came away with three buckets of brown/black water.  At first, I thought I must be taking off the paint, but no, it was just dirt.  I also took a broom to the underside of the saddle, the wheels, etc. to get the cobwebs and leaves and such off.  Even this minimal cleaning made a big difference.With everything clean, I set about tackling what I expected...

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CNN Gives Old Bike Refurbisher "Hero" Status

And well-deserved, too:"The thought that I can reach out and permanently improve someone's life for the better is addictive," says Dave Schweidenback. Several times a year, the 55-year-old can be found prepping large shipments of used bicycles bound for a developing country. For Schweidenback, gathering and breaking down these bikes is a labor of love -- one that is helping to keep the bikes out of landfills and give them new life."Used bicycles can transform the economic and social condition of families," says Schweidenback. "[They] give people access to jobs, health care and education that is too distant for walking."Since 1991, Schweidenback's nonprofit Pedals for Progress has collected and shipped more than 115,000 used bicycles to 32 developing...

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My New Project: The Runwell

Ever since I featured Margaret's Hercules project, I've been extremely jealous that she gets to work on such a truly awesome old project.  There aren't a lot of pre-WWII English bikes in San Diego, after all.  And yet, while poking about on Craigslist, I did indeed find one. Meet the Runwell.Year unknown, model unknown, but I'm guessing 1920s-1930s, based on what the previous owner told me, and what little I've been able to deduce from the style and features.  In fact, there doesn't seem to be much information out there about Runwell cycles, generally. Apparently, they operated...

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Happy Birthday, Old Bike Blog!

Today is one year since I started this blog to record the process of refurbishing my 1971 Columbia Sports III.  Several design changes, lots of new content, three new (old) bikes, and many new friends later, here we are.  Huzzah!  I may or may not have bought myself a little OBB birthday present yesterday, but I'll save that for tomorrow.  I'll give you a hint: it's English.About the image: while casting about the interwebs for "bicycle" and "birthday" images, I came across this perfect one from the exceptionally excellent BuyOlympia, run online from Portland, Oregon...

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How's That? Forbes Says San Diego #3 Most Bike-Friendly?

Just a week after Kathy Keehan's (San Diego County Bicycle Coalition) critical observation at the Voice of San Diego that "it takes more than a bike path" to make a city bicycle-friendly, Forbes Traveler ranks San Diego as the third most bicycle-friendly city in North America, behind only Portland, Oregon and Boulder, Colorado and ahead of bike mecca Davis, California.  This in itself is bad enough, but among Forbes' most glaring gaffs, the statement that San Diego is "flat."  That's so wrong, it's funny.  The photo shows Upas Street between Florida Street and Park Boulevard, coming...

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1930s "Lifetime Elgin" Poster

I picked up this old advert (not a poster, really, but a leaf from a magazine) yesterday at one of our local shops, Paper Antiquities.  The store is amazing, and the owner is very friendly.  If you're ever in San Diego, check them out.  I love the visual style of the ad, and I even borrowed a bit for the new banner head for the blog, which I think turned out wonderfully.  But it was the text that really won me over:On city streets or country roads the Lifetime ELGIN is the popular choice of boys and men the country over.  Its smooth, easy action gives a new sense of freedom,...

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How to Adjust a Sturmey-Archer Three-Speed Hub

Sometimes I actually post useful information.  Sometimes.So, I've kept kind of quiet about it, but ever since I put my Columbia Sports III back together last, uh, November, I've been having trouble getting the hub adjustment right.  This is mostly the result of the fact that I experience problems while on a ride, stop to quickly make some stop-gap adjustments, then realizing later that it's still messed up, and just keep repeating the process.  Finally, I got fed up with it, and decided to devote some time to getting everything adjusted exactly right.As usual, Sheldon Brown has...

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Adults Learning to Ride

I can't decide if this is depressing or inspiring.  What do you thi...

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Reader Project: Giuseppe's 1973 Schwinn De Luxe Twinn

Giuseppe wanted to share his new tandem project with me, and I wanted to pass it along to you all.  This is the first tandem we've featured here, and it's a real beauty.  Giuseppe has big plans to transport the entire family, so wish them luck on their inaugural ride this week.  Check out more photos of the rehab process at Giuseppe's bl...

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