The Runwell Preview

Just a couple of teaser photos after a busy Saturday of work. Had a successful trip to the bike shop this morning and picked up most of the remaining essentials. Still have to place an order with Harris for the remaining, and to finish up a good deal of the "cosmetic" work. Unfortunately, along those lines, these photos show the limitations of my cleanup effort, especially due to deteriorated nickel and/or chrome plating and a bit of rust still showing on the frame. Oh well, still better than when I found it, for su...

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The Runwell: Day, Uh, 13? 14?

Honestly, I've lost track of the days. I've been working on sanding/chipping the old paint off the fenders, and priming, painting, and top-coating them. I'm about half-way through that process now. I also gave the frame a rubdown with rubbing compound, which really brought out the shine and deepened the color. No more pictures of the frame or fenders (well, maybe the fenders) until I'm all done--don't want to spoil the suspense!  My cork grips from Velo Orange arrived yesterday, and I promptly set about cutting them down so they would fit on the Runwell's smallish handlebars. Because I lopped...

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That Must Be Heavy!

Those of us who ride old bikes are used to hearing this phrase, frequently spoken by spandex-clad "scorchers" (as they used to call speeding cyclists) nodding derisively at our old three-speeds or cruisers. I usually say, cheerfully, "Yup!" and toodle off down the street on my "clunker." Well, if it makes you feel any better, here's a quote from School Recreations and Amusements (1896) that advocates, quite sensibly, a heavier bike:Except for track riding or racing, do not make the mistake of getting too light a machine. The wheel that is to stand the roughness of country roads and the unevenness of city pavements, that is to be solid, reliable, and trustworthy in all conditions, must have some weight. For road work, twenty-four to twenty-eight...

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Reader Projects Gallery

Now that we've had a few Reader Projects features, I've put together a little gallery of the "before" pictures and added a cool little slideshow gadget in the navigation bar to the right. Just click to view the gallery, also available here. Right now, I've just got the full side-view photos of the projects up, but if readers would prefer, I can add all the detail shots, too.  What do you think?Also, if one of your bikes has been featured here, and you've since finished working on it, send me the after photos, too, and I'll post an update and add them to the gallery. And, of course, if anyone else would like to have a bike featured as a Reader Project, I'd love to have it. Just send me an email with a few photos (before or after) and...

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The First "Issue" of The Cycling Gentleman Is Up!

The first few posts are now up at my other blog, The Cycling Gentleman. Included in this "issue" are reflections on the consistency of trouser clips, an bit of fashion humor from the cycling past, the failure of BMW to make cycling unattractive, and a sporty fellow spotted in Boston. Go check it out, I'll wait here. It's okay, go on...&nb...

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The Runwell: Days 11 & 12

After one day spent badly bungling trying to re-lace my rear wheel, an evening carefully studying Sheldon Brown's guide, and another afternoon finally getting the stupid thing right, I can now say that I've built a wheel, or rather rebuilt a wheel. Once I actually pulled my head out of my...well...and thought about it for a minute, it all went pretty well, with the exception that I stripped a nipple (cue childish snickering) that's going to have to be replaced and the wheel trued.I also greased and reassembled the rear hub, and now have a functional rear wheel that's in much better shape than...

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New Blog: The Cycling Gentleman

A friend of mine once described his family as "a project-oriented people"; well, I guess that goes for me, too. Because I don't have enough to do with a dissertation, several articles, and a book-length editing project in the works, I've decided to launch another blog. This one is called The Cycling Gentleman and I'll let my alter ego explain what it's about:The Cycling Gentleman follows the trend of sites like Chic Cyclist,Copenhagen Cycle Chic, and Urban Cycle Chic in presenting and advocating everyday bicycle fashion. Unlike these sites, which tend to focus primarily on female...

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Reader Project: RB's Raleigh Superbe

Long-time reader, first-time "Reader Projects" contributor, RB of A Balanced View brings us his most taxing (and interesting) current project, a 1951 Raleigh Superbe Dawn Tourist. I've excerpted a very small amount of text from his blog below, but it's really worth following the link to read RB's more extensive description of the work he's doing on this bike and his other projects.  As far as I can tell, this is a Raleigh Superbe and the frame number - a “P” number stamped at the top of the seat tube -  suggests it was built in 1949 or 1950, at least according to the online sources here and here....

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The Runwell: Days 9 & 10

Despite my recent disappointment at the utter failure of Menotomy's "Vintage Bicycle Cleaning Kit" (grrrr), I've been plowing ahead with the rear wheel cleanup. Unfortunately, although it is certainly better than it was, I have had to settle for an "antique patina" finish rather than shiny chrome and steel. The chrome is simply wasted after years of rusting outside. As a testament to the heartiness of the old construction, everything is still structurally sound, just cosmetically ruined. I'm still pressing on with my plan to get the bike back up and running before thinking about repainting...

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Product Review: Menotomy's "Vintage Bicycle Cleaning Kit"

Everyone with an old bike and an internet connection knows about Menotomy Vintage Bicycles at OldRoads.com. Their discussion forums, serial number charts, photo database, and price guide (among many other terrific resources) are invaluable to people who are researching and restoring old bikes. They also sell a "Vintage Bicycle Cleaning Kit" for $21.95 (plus shipping) that is supposed to be the product of years of hands-on experience working on old bikes. The kit is composed of two "spoke sticks," a single pad of copper wool, and a bottle of "Menotomy Mixture," a special formula for cleaning rust,...

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The Runwell: Day 8 1/2

File this under "echoes of former glory." While I (still) wait for my cleaning solution for the rear wheel to arrive, I cleaned up the fenders, which had gone untouched since I took them off on Day 1. In terms of dents and dings, they actually look better than I thought, but the paint is in sorry shape. What's worse, actually, on both front and rear fenders, there are small protected areas where the paint retains its original shine and even remnants of the gold pin-striping that used to be there. I'd almost rather not see how it used to look, actually, it makes me sad.I had been thinking about...

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Reader Project: Charlotte's (Mom's) Dawes

Charlotte runs the very wonderful Chic Cyclist blog, which we've mentioned here before, and has recently picked up a new old bike to refurbish for her mother to use on errands.  It's a 1954 Dawes, made in Birmingham, England that has been kept in a family friend's basement for some twenty-odd years. Charlotte rides a Dawes herself, and had lots of nice things to say about them. You can read more about Dawes' old-time bicycle philosophy here, but Charlotte is quick to point out that the new Dawes bikes, which you can find on eBay for $200, are now made by an American company and have nothing...

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The Hidden Cost of Daily Cycling?

As merely an inveterate tinkerer on rusty old clunkers, I wouldn't normally presume to weigh-in on such lofty topics, but in the last couple of weeks, I've seen that two of my bike-blogging comrades (Pete of The Bicycle Commuter Trials and Alan of EcoVelo) have fallen victim to tendonitis brought on by daily bicycle commuting. Pete blames his over-zealous and quite sudden conversion to bicycling, while Alan suspects that his saddle height adjustment might have played a role. My bicycle-commuting neighbor has also experienced similar problems with his knees. Whatever the cause, I'm curious to know...

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Reader Project: Pete's Schwinn Suburban

I'm happy to say that Pete found my blog while looking for a fender fix for his new old 1970s Schwinn Suburban. He found my post about DIY fender arm extensions useful, and shared some photos with me.  He's got many more at his blog, The Bicycle Commuter Trials, and a description of what he'll be doing with the bike. I've excerpted some of his description:Recently my wife found a ladies bike being thrown away that was in fairly decent condition. All it needed was a good wash and a quick tune and it was on the road again. We also purchased a baby trailer so we could all go riding together...I...

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Friday Evening

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The Runwell: Day 8

While I wait for some super-spiffy cleaning solution to arrive by mail so I can properly clean the rear wheel, chainring, and crank arms, I decided to re-dismantle the rear hub and really clean the whole thing up. Here's all the little bits (more or less) looking much cleaner than they did previously.  To be perfectly honest, making all these dirty little parts all nice and clean again gives me a great amount of pleasure. It's probably 2/3 of the reason I like working on old bikes. As for the condition of everything in there, frankly, there's some wear, as one might expect from a seventy-odd-year-old...

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Reader Project: Renee's Rollfast

Renee has started a blog to record the process of refurbishing her bike (sounds familiar...), which won't be a restoration, but a real custom job, including a paint job of her own design. Renee estimates it's a 1940s or 1950s model, but is having a hard time identifying it due to subsequent layers of spray and house paint. I think 1950s is probably on the mark, but I'm still developing an eye for these things, so don't take my word exclusive.  Here's what Renee has to say on her blog, Rollfast:   Here's my funky old bike! As you can see, she's in need of some work. Luckily, it's...

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I'm a Trend-Setter, I Guess

From the New York Times, via Paul Dorn's Bike Commute Tips Blog:BICYCLE lovers, thrifty as well as trend conscious, are pulling neglected 10-speeds from storage and readying them for the road again. (Let the environmentally aware bragging rights begin.) These bicycles, made in the 1970s and 80s, used 27-inch wheels, which have been replaced with the smaller 700c wheels by road bike manufacturers. But a recent surge in sales of 27-inch tires suggests that the lowly steeds of yore are gaining new life as commuter bikes and weekend cruisers.My 1970s Peugeot has 27-inch wheels. Whoopee, I'm cool....

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Perry Coaster Brake Hub

In response to my query a few days ago, a kind reader (rb, of A Balanced View) has helped me identify my rear hub as a Perry & Co. coaster hub (i.e. back-pedaling brake).  Apparently, the big arm (the brake actuator) coming off the left side of the hub and clamped to the frame should have been my first clue (you learn something new every day).  Here's a diagram of the hub, with all the bits identified.  I'm thrilled that I have a coaster brake--I haven't had one since I was a wee l...

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Old Bikes Everywhere!

Over at Chic Cyclist, Charlotte has been posting some "bike makeovers" lately, which are quite lovely. Her usual photos of stylish cyclists around Boston also regularly feature old bikes. Neat!Image from Chic Cycli...

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The Runwell: Day 7

I finally finished scrubbing the rust off the handlebars today, and found a chrome situation not to be envied. Well, it's not that bad, and it looks better in the picture, but there are definitely some spots where the chrome is gone, and the spots under the grips (not shown here) are quite badly rusted. I used fine steel wool and rubbing compound, followed by buffing with Brasso and a soft cloth. I think I've decided not to have everything re-chromed and re-painted just now. I really want to get the bicycle back together and try it out before investing that kind of money on it.Next, I think I'm...

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School Cycle

In New Delhi. Seen at Neatorama. I don't seem able to come up with a witty caption or comment about this photo, but I bet there is one.  I'll leave it in your capable hands.&nb...

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Old Bike Blog International

Okay, so I'm usually a bit behind the curve when it comes to the Interwebs. I Flickr, but I don't Twitter; I blog, but I don't vlog, and I think all these words are just a bunch of nonsense anyway. However, one belated discovery I made over the weekend is actually pretty darn cool. I installed the free portion of StatCounter, as you can see by the little widget at the bottom of the right-hand column. I installed it on Friday, and watched my visitorship over the weekend, and was truly amazed by the amount of traffic. It's not heavy by internet standards, but I never knew I had so many visitors,...

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Sunday in the Park

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The Runwell: Day 6

Today's tasks (because I just couldn't fathom another day of rust-scrubbing) involved cleaning and repacking the front hub, which went quite well, and dismantling the rear hub just to see what was in there and how bad it was. I knew it would be pretty gummy and dirty because the rear wheel barely turns. I had no idea. The photo on top shows the relative positions of the major pieces before I wiped the worst of the gunk off (yes, I know it needs gunk to work, but this stuff was--and still is--pretty badly gummed-up). The middle photo shows a more exploded...

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