Got the Falcon out on the road for the first time this year. 22 miles of fighting the wind. I love the way the bike feels and rides. Handle nicely and eats up the chip seal!!! Could use a longer stem and may try a different saddle. Overall very pleased with the build and the ride.

That's beautiful. Oh, you've got one of those double leg kickstands, looks as if it works quite well. My monitor shows glowing orange handlebar tape, which must match the orange in the Falcon decal?

Side note--you need a fireplace in TEXAS ?

East Hill

The bar tape isn't quite as a 'glowing' orange color in person and does match the decals fairly well. Jeff, when did your Nashbar order come in for your seattube cage mount? I placed my order on the same day I think and haven't seen mine come in yet. Hopefully soon.

As far as the fireplace goes - absolutely - we get some cold temps down this far during the winter. Not as often or as long as you northerners, but it still gets down to fireplace weather.

I love to snuggle up with my steel frame in front of a roaring fire and watch Breaking Away and American Flyers. And it snowed over Easter weekend here in Texas, so yes, we do need fire places.

The tape is bright, but does match the Falcon decals on downtube, top tube and forks pretty well.

The Nashbar order came in Saturday morning. You might check with the office at your place.

And yes, that stand works great for holding a bike for minor work, like installing blazing orange bar tape. Paid about $10 for it at the LBS as I recall.

That is one TALL frame! Nice-looking machine, and great color scheme. To quote Charlie Harding of "C. Harding's For Bikes," one of the great Los Angeles bikeshops of the 1960s and 1970s, "A Falcon is a good English bike."

Frame is a 60cm, which is why I passed on it the first time I rode by the garage sale that Jeff bought it from. But I mentioned it to him and we went back for a second look. He picked up this bike, and I got the Trek 400 that I flipped to pay for the wheelset on my Flyte. I already had one 60cm frame:

I am just teasing about the fireplace. I remember that when my parents first arrived in this country they were astonished to find that the houses in Southern California did not have fireplaces. Or, more to the point, only EXPENSIVE houses had fireplaces. Fireplaces were apparently deemed to be 'posh', because they were thought to be unnecessary.

They were thrilled when they moved to San Jose, and acquired a fireplace .

My work monitor and home monitor have quite a different view in regard to colour. The home monitor is much closer to the apparent real colour.

There is a post in the PNW regional forum asking about riding in an area known as the Capitol Forest. It's heavily utilised by hunters (not gated, and therefore people can drive in), so my advice was to pick up the hunting regulations and stay out during modern firearm seasons. I was thinking I could utilise the handlebar tape as a 'blaze orange' for the mountain bike which goes out in the woods during hunting seasons if it was that bright, but apparently not . That's almost a shame.

Still a great looking bike!

East Hill

Actually, I think it is blaze orange. Nashbar has it and free shipping through today!!! I would get it and pass on the "deer antler" helmet!

And thank you very much, I think the Falcon turned out very nice, esp. for a $10 garage sale find.

Oh, it really is blaze orange? I may have to get some and do some tinkering on the MTB then .

I think I'll add that to my Capitol Forest thread, too.

I agree, nix on the deer helmet. It's dangerous enough during the hunting season, no need to encourage those who 'shoot first then look'.

If I am pressed hard enough I would throw in my story about the Fish and Game folks who were out looking for mushrooms one year... .

$10 is a good price anywhere, and that's a great bike.

East Hill

You got THAT for $10?...OMG!
Note to self: I have GOT to visit Texas with a couple sawbucks this year...

Here's the $20 Trek 400 I bought at the same sale:



https://photos.thecuda.com/igallery.asp?d=\trek400\

Ya have to know the secret "Texas" handshake though... I will teach it to ya for say... $50!

I had to put tires, tube, saddle on it at the least. I probably have a little over $100 in the total build, including having my LBS true and tension the wheels.

He puts in $100 but not the 5mins needed to polish up the rust off the front derailleur cage.

New article at sheldonbrown.com:

https://sheldonbrown.com/falcon.html

Thank you for posting that link. I have been unable to find any information about the Falcon Europa, but I am pretty sure it is of 80's vintage.

I picked up a very interesting commuter bike in Las Colinas this week for $20. Family had imported the bike when they immigrated here from Holland a few years back and now they are relocating again to eastern Europe. The bike has front and rear drum brakes, rear generator, front halogen light, rear light, full fenders, reflective sidewall 26"x1.75-2" tires, springy seatpost, lock w/key that restrains the rear wheel, and really fancy headset that raises the bars at least 8 inches! The standover height is only 33", but with the high bars and vertical riding position it feels much taller. At 6'1", it fits me fine and probably someone 6'2" or 6'3" even better. It may not technically be a classic and I'm yet able to date it with regards to being vintage, but it is definitely unique for here. Nice to have a bike from the biking mecca. If anyone is interested in seeing pictures, I could take and post along with detailed description.

BTW, the above Falcon is really nice. Can't believe I paid twice the price for my bike!

Sounds like a neat rig Rammer, would like to see pics after reading your description. BTW, what part of DFW are you in? Cuda and I both live very close to Richardson Bike Mart at Coit and Campbell. In separate houses!

Are you keeping an eye on him? We want to make certain he's all right, you know. Oh, that's right, there's pineapple upside down cake over there, isn't there? Makes it worth the trip .

East Hill

Exchanged PM's with him an hour ago. He is at his office today working! Will try to stop by and get some dessert,..... errr, I mean, uh... check in on him this weekend.

I'll take some snapshots tonight for posting.

I work in Richardson near President George Bush Turnpike and Jupiter. I live near Plano Arbor Hills Nature Preserve, west of the Dallas North Tollway.

BTW, can't wait to be riding again. I broke a toe on Monday morning and doctor instructed me not to ride, so I foolishly rode less than two blocks last night. Pain wasn't too bad until about two hours later as my throbbing foot swelled even more. Yeah, that was very stupid of me.

Rammer,

welcome aboard. I'm in Frisco and sometimes ride with Jeff and Jon (Jsharr and Cuda2k), we sometimes
have some others who meet at RBM and do the white rock loop.
A dutch Bike? what marque? I'm REALLY into dutch bikes, own 3 of them, all
lightweights. I would love to see pics of yours. Sounds like a city bike, I'll take a WAG and say
Batavus?
riding with broken toe isn't a good thing but you found that out. when you heal give us
a shout we can go ride.

Marty

Hey Rammer,

What Marty said about riding applies to me too!

My brother used to live right by the hospital one the corner across from Le Peep. He moved and now lives behind Plano West High School. I am at 190 and Custer.

Look forward to seeing pics of the new bike.

Jeff

I hope to ride with guys sometime after my toe heals. Anyhow, here's the info on my latest find.

Sorry, it's not a racer, but a city bike. And it's not a Gazelle, Batavus, Sparta, RIH, or even a Cové.

It's Raleigh Reflex Pro (I didn't clean before the photos):

https://img266.imageshack.us/img266/5...lexpro1jl6.jpg
https://img167.imageshack.us/img167/2...lexpro2wg2.jpg
https://img49.imageshack.us/img49/391...lexpro4qq9.jpg
https://img251.imageshack.us/img251/3...lexpro5iq5.jpg

The Suntour XCM rear derailler and the dates on the Sturmey Archer hubs lead me to think it is circa 1991.

rear fender sticker:
RIUWIEL -
HUIS
VERBAKEL
WESTLAAN 6
PIJNACKER
TEL. 92478

front lamp: SOUBITEZ HALOGEN
head stem: Gazelle Ergosturr by ITM
tires: VREDESTEIN EXPLORER - CITY Made in Holland, 47 - 559 (26 x 1.75/2)
wheels: ETRTO - 559 x 25, 26 x 1.75", ALLOY
hubs: Sturmey Archer 05 Made in England 91 Elite VT (front) Elite ST (rear)
saddle: Royal Ergo Gel by Selle Royal
pedals: plastic UNION
shifter: Accushift Plus
rear derailler: SUNTOUR XCM, 6 speed cassette
generator: AXA Calana
U-lock mount and rear wheel lock: TRELOCK

Thanks for posting your new rig. Very nicely built machine and something to be proud of. I esp. like the protector for the rear deraileur, that is a sweet touch. And if the hub and light works, that is a great setup for evening rides to the store, etc. PM Marty or Cuda or me when you heal up and lets go for a ride.

Beautiful Ride, I just found one this weekend at a garage sale but i got it for 25 dollars, It was filthy I got it home and it cleaned it up and as i suspected it was in excellent shape, not to say it needs tires, its English its got to have a Brooks saddle, and the orange tape. Can't wait to take the Falcon out Soaring.
I used the secret hand shake in San Antonio and fired up the Fireplace..........