22:31
kaniamazdar
Then take the City of San Diego bicycle user survey, which will help the city update its Bicycle Master Plan. Click below to take the survey.Take the bicycle user surv...
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Sturmey-Archer Shifter Before/After
I thought I'd have a go at resurrecting the original trigger shifter on the Huffy/Raleigh instead of putting on a new one. I really like the name plate on this one, so I wanted to try to keep it. These were not made to be dissembled, so I had to use a cotton swab soaked with cleaner (actually, just rubbing alcohol) to get to the inside parts. I also used a small screwdriver and a toothpick to get way in there and chip the dirt and grit away. I'll put a couple drops of oil in there when I'm ready to put it back on, and it should be fine.To clean up the outside, I used my usual combination of fine...
Old "Bikes for the Rest of Us"
In the last two minutes (ah, the speed of information!), I've been honored to notice that prolific bike-blogger David has just joined the ranks of OBB followers. I've been a fan of Bikes for the Rest of Us for a while now, and upon perusing it just now, noticed this post from a few days ago, in which David's co-blogger Freewheel posts a classic article on buying a used bike. Good stuff, check it o...
Huffy/Raleigh Chrome Before
While I procrastinate putting the wheels back together and starting the sanding and painting, I'm going back through all the parts I have already cleaned and doing a second, more thorough cleaning and inspection. The brake calipers and levers are the pieces in the worst shape. These photos are after two cleanings with steel wool and oil, followed by rubbing compound and then polishing with a clean cloth. Trust me, this is as good as they're going to get: The only chrome bits on the bike that aren't bad are the crank arms and chainring. The stem and handlebars were quite terrible, and after...
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
How to Crash Your Pennyfarthing
So, this isn't really a bike history blog, but being a historian in "real" life, I can't help but be drawn to bicycling history. Today, the Blog Gods (Bloggods?) smiled upon me with a happy coincidence. Last night, I saw this image of Pennyfarthing trick-riding at BibliOdyssey, which made me smile:And then this morning, I saw this video posted at The Bicycle Diaries, which brought history to life:Pennyfarthing CrashTaken together, I suppose they're a cautionary tale against thinking that our early cycling forefathers were a bunch of dandies and fops. No sir, they were hard-core.&nb...
Sunday, 25 January 2009
Reader Project: Amy's 1960s J.C. Higgins
Amy's husband found this bicycle in the trash and rescued it, and now Amy is refurbishing it, hopefully in time for spring. This is my favorite kind of Reader Project, because Amy is doing the work with no previous experience working on bicycles. The backwards fork/fender was like that when it was found--makes me wonder if the previous owner junked it because it "just didn't ride right!" I've been getting updates periodically from Amy as she goes, so I'm hoping I'll be able to share a lovely after picture of the finished bike (maybe sometime around April, Amy?).All you J.C. Higgins aficionados,...
Friday, 23 January 2009
Huffy/Raleigh Paint Before
I promised a post on the condition of the Huffeigh's paint a while back, so here it is. The top tube and head tube definitely need to be done, as well as the chain stays and seat stays (sorry for the crummy photos).The fenders too, and the chain guard. The down tube and seat tube just need to be touched-up in a few places, but not fully redone. I'm also considering the "silver paint trick" on the chromed parts that have lost their chrome, which includes parts of both brake levers, the brake calipers themselves, and a spot on the front hub. I'll definitely keep y'all posted about how that...
Thursday, 22 January 2009
Quote of the Week
From The Bronze Bombshell at Sweet Georgia Brown:"Damn you, siren song of shiny bicycle accoutrement!"I'm glad to see that TBB/SGB is posting again after a long hiat...
Wednesday, 21 January 2009
Cycling in Early 20th c. London
Saw this at BoingBoing today and wanted to share it, since most of us seldom get to see film of early transportational cycling. Although the streets are absolutely mobbed with all manner of people and vehicles, notice how the cyclist at the beginning of the clip cruises so calmly amidst the chaos.Keep an eye on him as he moves through the shot. You can first see him emerge from behind a large carriage at 00:03, then he zips in front of another and is just to the left of the lady's head before passing behind her at 00:06, and by 00:11, he flies past the camera. It really brings home the idea that,...
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
Follow Me!
There's something about Google's blog "following" feature that cracks me up. It sounds so imperial and authoritarian. When I log in to my account each day, I'm told how many "followers" I have. Although I don't personally care how many I have, I do somehow feel a perverse desire to increase the ranks of my followers. I suppose it's my inner dictator trying to express himself. So, let's nurture that, shall we? Imagine me posturing Mussolini-like on a balcony somewhere:Citizens! Now is the time to cast off the titanium, carbon-fiber, and aluminum shackles that have for too long bound you! Strip away the spandex and lycra uniforms that, let's be honest, never looked good on you, and don the garb of the casual cyclist. It is time once again to...
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Guest Blogger: Green Clean Your Bicycle
This is the first post by guest blogger Riding Pretty on environmentally friendly ways to clean your bicycle. Visit her blog for the first installment of my series on how to get started on an old bike project. [Dr. Bronner's Soap, aluminum foil, a lemon, cream of tartar, old socks, toothbrushes]All of the above items are things I have around my house. I chose them because I didn’t have to go and buy any of it, just stuff I have around anyway. So roll up your sleeves and I’ll go through how to do a green clean on your bicycle. If your bike is totally crusted with dirt, wipe it down first with...
Sunday, 11 January 2009
Huffy/Raleigh Bottom Bracket
My Park Tools HCW-5 spanner came in over the weekend, and I immediately opened up the bottom bracket and found this waiting inside. What the hell is that stuff? Once again, I've posted a few more photos at my Flickr photostream.I also found that the left side bearing race on the crank axle is badly pitted, although the bearings themselves and the adjustable cone seem to be fine. This isn't terrible news, since the left side cotter pin notch on the axle was also terribly worn and mangled, and I have an eBay-find replacement axle coming in the mail that should work (watch, now that I've said that,...
Saturday, 10 January 2009
Reader Project: Shelly's 1970s Raleigh Tourist
OBB reader and upcoming guest blogger Shelly of Riding Pretty has recently become the custodian of this lovely early 1960s Raleigh Tourist. Since it came from a good home, this bike needs very little in the way of work. Says Shelly:As far as I know the only changes the previous owner made were to remove the headlight and put on a basket. He also added the very nifty bike stand.... So far I only need to adjust the seat post, and replace the tires, which are only slightly okay to ride on because there are cracks in the sidewalls....My future plans for her are to add a fully enclosed chain guard...
Friday, 9 January 2009
Dress for Success
Today's Yehuda Moon comic (click through for full comic) gives me a reason to announce that my other blog, The Cycling Gentleman, is shutting down next week, due primarily to overwork on my part. I'll occasionally be posting similar items here in the future--mostly vintage stuff--I just can't keep a whole separate blog on the subject anymore. I'm still interested in promoting the idea that you don't need specialized clothing for most transportational cycling, however, which this strip shows nicely.PS--OBB reader and fellow bike-blogger RB (aka Flaneur Brian) has entered the Yehuda Moon head...
Monday, 5 January 2009
Huffy/Raleigh Cleanup
I've lost track of the number of days I've worked on this bike so far, so no more "Day 5", "Day 16", "Day 146" updates.I've mostly been hard at work on the cleaning. I'm still waiting on a special-order lockring spanner wrench to get the bottom bracket apart, and in the meantime, I've taken down the front wheel and cleaned and repacked the hub. I didn't take photos of the process because cameras and bearing grease aren't a good combination in my less-than-capable hands, and I still haven't been able to hire that assistant (or housekeeper, for that matter). But here's an after photo of the front...
Friday, 2 January 2009
New Year, New Look, New Links
So you've probably noticed that the OBB has undergone yet another design change over the recent hiatus. My goal was to clean the page up a bit, remove a lot of unnecessary or distracting elements, and just generally class up the joint.I've also added bunches of links to the sidebar, including:My Flickr Photostream, which includes a lot of shots of my bikes that don't make it up here. I've got a bunch of Huffeigh before pictures right now, and several on the cleaning process.A whole slew of Sturmey-Archer resources, including links to manuals, guides, articles, etc. I was originally planning a new blog dedicated to S-A servicing, but decided that I didn't really need another new project. Check the sidebar for new category "Sturmey-Archer 3-Speed...
