I have not died... honest!

I have been too busy with life for the past year or so. I am still alive, well and enjoying my bikes when I can.

Due to Webshots crapping out and leaving me with a bunch of missing pictures I had lost interest and have procrastinated on getting things back in order.

For the time being I am going to let this blog sit until I either get the time to correct the issues or it dies of old age.

I also blog at Wordpress this blog is easier for me to maintain using mobile format at this point in time. So please join me over there, it too needs a major amount of work, but will be easier to repair and update as I can.

Thanks
Aaron

2012 is over...FINALLY

Sorry about the lack of posting, cycling took a back seat to too many other activities this past year. I am still riding and still loving my bikes, just not as much as I would like. I also apologize for the lack of pictures. Many of my pictures were hosted on Webshots and they have since closed down. I will work on restoring the pictures as soon as I can. The good news is I have all the pictures, the bad news is they need to uploaded some where else to be visible.

Looking forward to wrenching and wriding in 2013!

I wish you a Brave New Year!

Aaron

and STILL They Roll In!

I had come to the conclusion that perhaps I needed to stop bringing bikes home...Good Luck with THAT one!

I have not one, but 4 folders come in over the winter months. The latest being a pair of Dahon Classic III folders. My lovely bride found them at a thrift shop, sent cellphone pictures. Of course the question was..."how much?" "They don't know, make an offer." I told her I would have to go down and see them first. She shows up at the house an hour later with them, the manager told her to just take them home and if we didn't want them to bring them back later or bring the money. Got both for $100, parts are a bit difficult to find, but not totally impossible. They apparently were made for two different markets or in two different factories. The red one has a Sturmey-Archer AW 3speed and a full chain guard, the blue one has a Sachs Torpedo 3 speed and a bash guard, there are several other differences too. I have already put new fenders and a rack on the red one so I can use it when I travel, I think of it as a poor man's Brompton. :-D

The other pair are from my LBS, someone brought them in for a repair estimate and decided to pass on the repairs and asked if anyone would buy them...yup, this sucker right here. :-P

The red one is a Rixe made in Germany, the gold one is an Atala made in Italy. Both  have some interesting features and I will have to go a bit more in depth in a future post. For what it is worth the Atala is a better built bike than the Rixe. Both of them are single speed, Rixe has a coaster brake, the Atala a free wheel.

Rock and Roll

Didn't quite make the Labor Day cutoff, but came close!

Got a quick test ride on the Giant Iguana today. Still have a few items to do and a couple of minor tweaks to deal with, but it is DONE! Now to get some time off to head out for a couple of days.

My shop is now the hub of excitement

Well the hub part anyway, and I am excited to have them...

Was tidying up the work bench earlier today and realized that I had quite a few hubs laying on it waiting for someone to verify dimensions so spokes can be ordered....wonder who that would be?

Hard photo op to miss out on ;-)


These are the hubs laying on the bench. Sturmey Archer vintage, Sturmey Archer new and Shimano. One pair of the vintage hubs are getting laced onto a set of CR-18 alloy rims to go on my Raleigh Superbe for everyday riding. The original steel rims have a kink and hop that I cannot get out, but I want to save the wheels for shows. Another of the vintage hubs is for my wife's Colt, she is getting a dyno hub on it. The newer SA hubs are for the Raleigh Record build, that one is getting the CR-18 rims also. The Shimano hubs are just there for the moment, both are 8 speeds, one interestingly enough is coaster brake.

Boxes on the Back Porch...

means BIKE PARTS!

Just got home from a week on the road to several boxes waiting for me. This is a good thing. Hubs are here for the Raleigh Record build. New Brooks Flyer for my expedition bike build/tour bike. The hubs I ended up ordering are Sturmey Archer. Ordered an X-RD5 for the rear and an XL-FDD for the front. I would have liked to have the 90mm drum for the rear, but apparently they aren't available state side at this point.

More parts have been ordered and will be trickling in over the next few weeks. Hopefully a complete bike or two will be coming out of the shop in a few weeks.

Pictures...forthcoming.

Aaron

Some people have no sense...

But then again?


My brother called last week and said he was cleaning out the garage and his old bicycles had to go. If I wanted them it was now or never. If I didn't take them they were headed for the local thrift store.

He is about the same size I am so I knew they would fit. One bike I was familiar with, his Giant Excursion which is the twin to mine.

The others I had never seen. So grabbed the truck and headed up the road.

Here are pictures of the haul.

1990'ish Giant Excursion, not in quite as nice a shape as mine, but it has been ridden a good bit more and was used as a commuter.

Next bike up is a 1985 Raleigh Record. Nothing real fancy, just a good solid entry level 10 speed in it's day. He had started some sort of conversion on it. Plans right now call for a strip down and rebuild as a city bike for my son who lives in Boston. Going to go with Sturmey Archer drum brake hubs. More to follow on this one.

 

And last but not least...

1991? Raleigh Tactic. This was an odd little bike they only made for a couple of years. Steel MTB, frame is 4130 CroMo which is one of my favorite materials. Bike is a bit on the small side for me, not sure what my brother was doing with it. Looks like he might have used it as a backup commuter.

So now off to order parts and figure out how to shuffle bikes about to get these three in the shed.

What the Heck...a Rambling Wreck

Well sort of; more like a work in progress that is progressing slowly. I still have a few more parts waiting to wander in, the saddle being the primary piece.

We have been busy cleaning up from the storms here in NC last week. We were fine but some of our neighbors weren't as lucky. We have also been getting major spring chores done around the home place. Things like painting, gardening and general clean up after the winter sloth.

I had hoped to have this done by Memorial Day...Fourth of July...Labor Day? Oh well I have plenty of other bikes to ride, just need to ride.

Aaron

Sneak Preview

Not everything I work on is of the vintage or classic realm. I suppose this bike is pushing vintage seeing how it is 22 years old. I bought this bike new in 1989/90. Don't recall the exact date and I am too lazy to go and find the sales ticket for it.

This was my first mountain bike and I used it for several years for trail rides in the mountains. Eventually I put street tires,  fenders and racks on it and used it as a commuter. It was stolen and recovered around 1996. I sold it to a buddy of mine around 1998. He used it as a commuter and had it stolen and recovered around 2001. It came back home in February of 2007.

It has been hanging out in the back of the storage/shop area while I accumulated parts for it. It is now being reborn as an expedition tour bike. I had it on the stand today to do some test fitting and component compatibility checking. So here is a quick look at the semi-finished product.

 I kept the original 21 speed Suntour XCM drive train. I did have to replace the freewheel with an IRD after trashing the OEM Suntour one. Racks are Jandd Expedtion, fenders are Planet Bike Hardcore ATB, bags are Ortlieb Classic Rollers and a Lone Peak handlebar bag. Handle bars are Nashbar Trekking  with an adjustable stem. Saddle will be a black Brooks Flyer. Still have a few odds and ends to round up for it, but it might be road worthy by Memorial Day.

I am looking for the next frame size up in this bike if anyone runs across one. I need the 23" frame, IIRC this size and colour scheme was only available from 1988-1990.

Aaron

Seeing How it IS Saint Patrick's Day

I give you some pictures of the lovely "Green" at my place...

The smaller bike in the top photo is the newest addition to the family.
It is a 1973 Raleigh Colt in fabulous condition.

Go mbeire muid beo ar an am seo aris!
Aaron

I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaack

Sorry about the impromptu hiatus.

Work has been a real beast these past few months, but with the current economic situation any job is better than no job.

As time has rolled along a couple of new members have been added to the metal side of the family.

I purchased yet another Twenty. This one is a 1975 Raleigh Stowaway, with the 451 wheels. These were never sold on the US market as far as I know, so this one must have wandered its way in from the UK somehow.

The newest member is a 1973 Raleigh Colt that I literally picked up today. I actually purchased it back in early December. But just got a chance to pick it up today. It is in spectacular condition for it's age and matches my Superbe in colour. It has the petite 18" frame that my lovely bride needs to be able to ride. It will need a bit of tweaking and a couple of upgrades prior to her riding it. But here is a picture...beauty shots will come a bit later.

I did get the 1964 Hercules completed and off to my sister late last year. More on that one too...in  a bit.

Spring has Sprung here in the Carolinas, so riding season is hard upon us!

Aaron

I haven't died...honest!

They say the older you get the faster time passes...I must be at the stage where I am approaching warp speed! :-D

I have been meaning to post...HONEST! We took a vacation in Denver in June. No pictures the camera crapped out. But did get a chance to try their bike share and ride their light rail. Both were excellent.

Just got back from a week in Boston, lots to see and do. We used mass transit almost the entire time we were there, and walked the rest of the time. I even got pictures. Here is a picture I snapped out behind the State House. Appears to be a late 1960's early 1970's Raleigh Sport in good condition for its age. FWIW those are the original tires!

I have much more to report on in a bit. Including several bike builds and acquisitions.

Aaron

I am NOT addicted...

Really I don't have a problem and even if I did I would refuse to admit it! :-D

Here is my long awaited Raleigh Tourist complete with rod brakes. The bike is in amazing condition for being 30+ years old. A "buddy" of mine sent me a link to this one off a Craigs List ad in Davenport, IA, back in December. I live over 1000 miles away, so he negotiated and picked it up for me. I am working in Iowa City for a few weeks and was finally able to pick the bike up. It was advertised as a 1975 model, but is actually a 1979. That puts it near the end of the production of this particular model. IIRC it was phased out around 1984?

Very few upgrades planned for this bike, perhaps a full chaincase if I can locate one.

More pictures to come as I have time.

Aaron

Devil is in the Details!

When I get a new to me bike, one of the first things I do is a quick and dirty ride around the block just to see what works and what doesn't. Next thing up is usually a complete tear down, cleaning and parts inspection.

Most of the bikes I buy are in need of TLC, some are worse than others. One thing I enjoy doing is bringing old dull parts back to life, in most cases, especially with the old heavy chrome a bit of cleaning and polishing is all it needs. These are the brakes off of the AMF Hercules that I am rebuilding for my sister to ride. The brakes themselves are fine, they just need new pads and cables. It is amazing how much nicer they look.

The AMF Hercules is progressing, I am almost done with the clean up of the parts, and have started reassembling things. Repacked the headset and the bottom bracket yesterday.

On another note: The Staiger has gone to live with my DD in Western Massachusetts as a commuter bike, if all goes well it will travel with her to Keene, NH as she returns to grad school.

Aaron

I can see clearly now...

that I have a new headlight on the Twenty, and I suppose I can be seen more clearly from the rear now I have a new tail light too.



The headlight is the newest Cyo from Busch and Muller
the tail light is their 4D Lite Plus I was using the B&M Retro headlight which really looks nice on a bike the age of a Raleigh Twenty, but the original Sturmey Archer Dyno hub only puts out ~2 watts at speed. The Retro light takes 2.4 watts and the tail light was an Spanninga LED and would barely glow.

Now I have lots of light! I can see and be seen. The Twenty has been getting the most use so far this year as I am working out of town and it is easy to haul along with me.

The bag on the back is a Banjo Brothers Racktop Pannier bag. It has small panniers that drop down out of the side pockets.

Aaron

Progress?

I guess this might qualify as progress, I have the AMF Hercules almost complete torn down. All that is left is to pull the fork and headset bearings. I have done a couple of coatings of heavy oil on the frame, fork and fenders and the shine is starting to come back. I have also been shining up the bits and pieces, the bike will never look new again but it will look like a well cared for 45+ year old bike when it is done. It should ride as good as when new. I will add a few pictures of cleaned up parts a bit later.

Aaron

Madame comes a calling

Another lost bicycle has come home to roost...

This lady is a late 70's early 80' Peugeot Gran Sport Mixte. My sister bought this bike around 1989 to use for college, I seem to recall having had a hand in it. It has been in storage since the mid 90's apparently at one of my brothers' houses. He is in the midst of a remodel and needed the room so "home" she came. I asked my sister if she wanted cleaned up or? But she is waiting on the AMF/Hercules, the feeling being it will better suit her needs at this point in time.

According to Retro Peugeot catalog archives the bikes is a U18E an "all weather touring 10 speed...for touring under all conditions." But further research is proving otherwise.

Not sure what the future holds, it is a desirable Mixte frame in the large size (57cm) I am toying with the idea of a few upgrades and keeping it for Sunday afternoon pleasure rides...like I need another bike!

Aaron

Bits and Pieces

I did a few minor upgrades to my 1972 Raleigh Superbe as well as my bride's 1971 Raleigh Colt.
Raleigh bikes built prior to around 1960 has nice durable steel parts, many of those had been replaced by plastic parts by the time our Raleighs were built in the early 1970's.

The gentleman that heads up the ABCE has seen fit to provide some very nice reproduction parts. While at the 2009 ABCE I picked up the parts and just recently got around to installing them. You can see the difference in the worn and abused plastic pulley versus the steel one. It is going to provide many, many more years of trouble free riding. I also replaced the cable stop/ferrules on both bike too.

Another one joins the "fold"

Sorry couldn't resist :-)

Found this out in the Stuff etc store in Coralville, IA. Too good a deal to pass up, even though I already had two other bikes with me.

It is a Rolling Rock beer promo bike. As best can be determined from the late 90's. It was apparently made by Dahon, there is a single sticker on the downtube that says not to ride it until it has been properly serviced by a Dahon service agent. It has very low end equipment on it, but that doesn't really matter it is slated for conversion to a folding city bike with IGH, coaster brake, fenders and lights.

Anybody know their Dahon models well enough to know which one this is based on?

New Member of the Herd

Meet the newest member of the fleet/herd/flock or whatever you call the collection of bicycles that are currently in residence here.

This one was given to me by one of the mechanics at my LBS, because he knew that I like "old stuff".

This is a 1964 AMF/Hercules. I don't know much about the Hercules/AMF bikes, only that they were built by Raleigh Industries and primarily sold in North America. The bike is typical of the British 3 speeds of the era. Sturmey Archer AW three speed hub, 26x1-3/8" tires, Dunlop steel rims, etc. I have just started the cleanup process so I have a ways to go. Initial impressions is that this is a well built bike and of better quality than what Raleigh was putting out by the 1970's.

This particular bike shows signs of much use, but no real abuse. It has been well cared for in the past, but had been neglected for a while. Mechanically it is in good shape and won't need much done. Cosmetically it is a bit rough, but nothing some elbow grease, oil and polish won't cure.

Hercules was it's own brand started in Birmingham, England in 1911 and was absorbed by Raleigh in 1960. The Hercules Museum webblog has a lot of information gathered in one place.

This bike most likely will be going to my sister to use riding around her neighborhood and the large park behind her townhouse. I will have to find out if she wants a basket and if so what type. Perhaps a Peterboro from Maine or a Wald Woody?

More to be posted as things slowly progress.

Aaron