Originally Posted by
Veloria
I use my 1973 lady's DL-1 as my daily transport bike. I rode it with the rod brakes for almost a year, but just recently we installed a coaster brake hub in addition, which solves the braking issues. The tightness you describe seems to be "normal" for these bikes; that is how mine was and all the others I've tried. I kind of like it. The bicycle is very stable once you get used to it. It can also go surprisingly fast!
I wonder if the tightness that I felt could be from the rod brakes, I suppose those would add some friction. I saw your blog post with the coaster modification, I like the idea a lot. I am not worried about improving the braking though, I actually expected the brakes to be a lot worse. I was able to really get it moving which surprised me, I want to get a 20t sprocket to get better use of all three gears.
My plans for this bike are more in line with enjoyment rather than utility. I have an old road bike that I made into my commuter/errand bike.
BTW, I'm with your significant other using two water bottles by the handle bars. I have a less attractive version on my commuter and absolutely love it.
