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Quote:

Originally Posted by Doohickie (Post 10078677)

Second example: Raleigh Sprite, which dad used to tow his son on a smaller bike (kind of like a trail-a-bike, but different).

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...e/100_3671.jpg

Funny thing.... I haven't looked at this pic in a long while, but I'm pretty sure I know this guy now. Next time I see him I'll ask him if he has/had a Raleigh Sprite. (He rides a utility bike mostly these days.)

I live in an artsy college town full of hipsters. There's practically nothing but vintage rides here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doohickie (Post 12697856)

Yep. That was him. This is his ride nowadays. He and his whole family are very car-light.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...4101912-02.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doohickie (Post 12700463)

Yep. That was him. This is his ride nowadays. He and his whole family are very car-light.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/x...4101912-02.jpg

Do him a favor and tell him to add a few (20ish) more psi to his tires.

Nope. Tires are fine. He's riding over a platform that has some give to it, somewhere between a piece of plywood and a trampoline. And don't go all snobby on him; he puts more miles on his bike in a week than you would in a good month.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doohickie (Post 12700791)

And don't go all snobby on him; he puts more miles on his bike in a week than you would in a good month.

I'm sorry if I came off snobby. I sure didn't intend to sound like that. :o

Don't come off whiny either. Have some backbone, man.

(and it was only mildly snobby ;) )

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doohickie (Post 12700882)

Don't come off whiny either. Have some backbone, man.

(and it was only mildly snobby ;) )

Damn. It's a lose-lose situation.

Last fall I saw this tasty Raleigh mixte locked up in downtown Kalamazoo. Lots of Velo Orange on there.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n...1001101857.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlphaDogg (Post 12700885)

Damn. It's a lose-lose situation.

Life's like that.... get used to it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by cb400bill (Post 12701536)

Last fall I saw this tasty Raleigh mixte locked up in downtown Kalamazoo. Lots of Velo Orange on there.

Pretty nice. A friend of mine commutes on an old Raleigh mixte.

Quote:

Originally Posted by YoKev (Post 10079392)

In France...2007 I think

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...nce2008266.jpg

is that NOS, wow..... :P

Last week I went out to Washington, DC, on business and got a chance to check out the capital. I saw a couple bikes locked up across the street from the Commerce Department and wondered if they belonged to any C&Vers

A nice Raleigh Super Grand Prix

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...C/DSC00256.jpg

And a Schwinn Collegiate

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...C/DSC00255.jpg

Full ride report here on my blog.

I totally forgot to get pics today, but I tinkered with a '71 International (Original throughout, overall 8.5/10) and something I had never seen before, a Rigida. Which looked suspiciously like a re-badged Gitane.

I caught a quick glimpse of a Paramount series 5 over the weekend.

Aaron, are you ever near about 18th or 19th and Market? Twice now in the past few weeks I've seen a really cool old porteur there, with a half chain case and porteur bars, locked up in the same spot. North side of market somewhere between 17th and 20th :)

i think it must be there all the time.

I've seen it and noticed it...I didn't think it was worthy of being pointed out though. I see a Bilenky around 17th and samson all of the time that I've considered photoing, another Bilenky mixte with porteurs at 22nd and South and a 3rd Bilenky, single speed, at 9th and South.

RE: the grungy orange MOLTENI

Quote:

Deltas and cruiser bars:eek: . But really i dig it:)

Precisely my reaction the second I saw the pic. Some bikes just do that to you. Why and how is a sort of mystery.

djkushuba wrote:

Quote:

A couple of Apollos from a trip to Vancouver last summer. I had never seen one in California. In Vancouver seems you can't throw a rock without hitting one. Cool looking bikes. ... Vancouver is a great vintage bike city

As for Vancouver's Apollos, you are absolutely right. During the bike boom, the ground was heaving with the things. However, the ones you found were in better shape than most of the ones I saw there this last March.

As for Vancouver being the vintage bike city — I think that this is rather recent. I don't get back there very often, but I have noticed very recently that an inordinate number of old bikes are running around as daily transportation.

I commented on this to an old friend. He said that a few years ago you couldn't give an old 10 speed bike away. Then, BANG! Hordes of vintage velo started appearing in the more central parts of the city. It seems to be tied in with the fixie/SS fad — even if most of these veterans are still running multi-cogged freewheels. At the same time, Vancouver city has made dedicated bike lanes and designated bike routes to encourage cycling. (It is causing controversy — anger among the "cagers".)

I was with my family at my alma mater — UBC — when I spotted a student on a really nice old bike. (Silly, but I can't remember what it was — 531 something.) As we were were waiting at a pedestrian light, I started talking to him. He did appreciate the bike as well as my admiration. And he said that it had been his dad's. So I posited the theory that older folks were digging piles of these older machines out of the basement rubble. They were, in effect, being recycled. He agreed.

The weather in Vancouver is very temperate, albeit rainy and adjacent to a temperate rain forest. But Vancouverites generally don't notice being wet. Besides, GoreTex is a long way from the canvas jackets of my day. So, usually you can ride just about every day of the year but for a few icy days.

Climate conspired with with the 1960's and early 70's. These were golden years for the alternate post-war, baby-boom culture. Lawn-hippies and so on to bypassed the Buicks and finned Chevies and favoured V-dubs and 10 speed bikes — like the Apollo. One hugely popular bike carried the name of a local dealer as opposed to the manufacturer. Peugeots, Gitanes, Lorne Atkinsons, Raleighs, Sekines, Crescents .... They were not top flight racers, but they were a revolution of their own.

Last march I was shocked at how many had reappeared — as in a time warp. From time to time some real gems showed up with very sweet vintage components on them — like tied up at the organic food store or Italian cafe. Alternate culture once again — younger folks.

Meanwhile people of all ages are beginning to appear on bikes of all kinds.

I shot a few myself oldies myself — my wife rolling her eyes :rolleyes: I'll try and post soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KonAaron Snake (Post 12827789)

I've seen it and noticed it...I didn't think it was worthy of being pointed out though.

Well ok then.

I thought it was kinda cool, something you dont see every day. But thats just me.

Maybe we're talking about different bikes? The one I'm thinking of was VERY rusty...forget brand, but it didn't do much for me. Maybe I just didn't know enough to be impressed...the porteur style thing isn't really an area I know as well as you.

Was in Knoxville, TN the other day, downtown at lunch. Seems like every bike I saw there was a classic of some sort, you could just see those exposed brake cables coming! But the best one was a completely decked out Raleigh International with fender, panniers, and the works. Wish I had a camera then!!!

No bikes 'being used'? Well, here's one - 1930s Rudge Whitworth:

[IMG]http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5160/...7e32a2b3d4.jpg
IMG_5764 by Dawes-man, on Flickr[/IMG]