Originally Posted by
David Newton
You know that all you are allowed to do with bikes like this is wipe them down with Sturmey-Archer oil and park them outside on a sunny day?
That's the other thing I was wondering about
: What to do with it?
On the one hand, it is a piece of history and perhaps all the components should remain intact - including wheels with super rusty spokes and cracked Dunlop Roadster tires. Open Bicycle is willing to host it as a display piece, so I do not need to find a storage space for it. Already people have been coming in to see it and really enjoying it; so it seems like a nice thing to just keep it there on display as a way to build appreciation for vintage cycles.
On the other hand, the hub, shifters and brakes appear to be in such amazing shape, that it seems a crying shame not to restore this beauty. Is there some way of restoring her without obliterating the historical value?
On a separate note, I am confused about the geometry of this bicycle. The seat tube length suggests the frame is for a tall woman, but the virtual top tube length suggests it is for a very small woman. There is very little space between the seat tube and head tube. Was this normal for bicycles of that era?..