Originally Posted by chaadster

Here's a crummy, old, cell phone cam pic of my '73 Schwinn Collegiate 5spd, which is very similar to the '60s Hercules 3spd I posted above. Yes, I've used it on my 2.1 mile commute, but it's very difficult to ride aggressively and is nowhere near as comfy as my Novara Buzz. The pedals are treacherous when wet, and if I have anywhere else to be other than straight to home or work, I have to budget in a lot more time to make the errand if I do it on the slower Schwinn. It's reliable, but the required tools to fix something out on the road are not what you find in your modern compact multi-tool either, so this bike is really relegated to coffee shop runs, the neighborhood market, and leisurely rides to the park with the kid on her training wheeled bike.