Alright, alright, so it's not a universal rule, but I think it could explain a lot of people. I can smell my own BO on the rare occasion I have it, FWIW.

wow, excellent track selection from art of noise and sweet observation.

OMG the rusty chain one really gets me. I will be on the opposite side of the street and I just stop and stare at these people, veering from left to right on some mountain bike or bicycle with a chain that has never seen oil in its lifetime.

The squeaking sound drives me nuts and causes ME to stop in my tracks ON THE OPPOSITE side of the street. So how in Gods name can the bicycle rider tolerate that sound? Just find a can of used motor oil or some soap or anything. Cooking oil, pam. Even a homeless person would be able to scrounge up something to put on a bike chain like that, so saying "oh its just a cheap bike, I dont have money for lube" is just an excuse.

This thread has reminded me something started clicking in the front of the drive train on the way home Wednesday and I forgot.

That is a perfect use for those go-pro type cameras! I've ridden around Manhattan myself.... as well as some great areas in Europe thanks to cycling videos.

15 years or so of no maintenance and still working; not well as possible but still rideable. Doesn't that contradict the first BF law of supporting your LBS which is that no bike can stay together for any length of time unless bought from an LBS and frequently tinkered with by the owner and serviced by skilled mechanics preferably employed at an LBS?

I don't find it surprising. They still shine in comparison (in reliability, comfort and equipment) to most of the product sold for the last several decades in the U.S. for the purpose of urban or campus cycling.

In the 50's in the US, there were probably more US-made single-speed bomber bikes than English 3-speeds. Now where are they? All I see from that period now are the 3-speeds. Impressive.

Same, and same with any noise that isnt supposed to be there. I've been known to dismount on side of road to adjust fender, chainguard, seat, handlebars, whatever it takes to make the errant noise go away.

- Andy

At the community bike shop where I volunteer, I have seen University of Delaware students come in with bikes (typically low end MTBs) in amazing states of disrepair. One student was riding a bike where the handlebar had slipped loose from the stem clamp. He was riding it by sort of holding the bar in the clamp area. Yes, it was freely rotating.

Rusty chains are the norm and a significant percentage of the students don't shift the derailleurs.

Probably mostly junked while still serviceable in the early 70's for brand new "10 speed racers" with an ass hatchet seat, rock hard, uncomfortable, twitchy ride, with unreliable shifting mechanisms, crappy wet weather brakes, and without previous standard features like fenders, chainguard and kick stand; which soon got hung on garage walls or junked.

The dependability, reliability, durability, simplicity and practicality of the English and American 3 speed bikes was recognized by sufficient number of urban cyclists to allow the breed to survive the enthusiast/marketeer hype for "10 speed racer"/performance bikes.

One thing I noticed in all those photos, is the prevalence of big heavy boat-anchor chains as a lock up. The shortest of those chains had to weigh at least 5 lb all by themselves...

Another reason for rusty chains in areas like that, might simply be bike-thief deterrent, making the bike look not-worth-the-effort, or just using a bike that can get stolen with only a "meh." from the owner...

I remember those early 70s ten speeds much more fondly. They may have been gas pipe frames, but they were very reliable and we rode them comfortably on many long journeys.

Would you be so kind as to please post the official BF laws? I would love to know how many I'm breaking and would love to find some new ones to break? I'm evil, my middle name is misery.

You can still find them occasionally at Yard Sales and on CL. Both of these just purchased in the past 3 months.

Blue bike probably mid 50's made by Colson. Red bike is 1936 Columbia with 2 speed hub. Currently refurbing the Flyer and haven't decided what to do with the Columbia as finding a buying the missing original parts would probably cost more than its' worth.

You can always seek release from punishment for breaking the BF (unwritten)Law about the sanctity of performance/enthusiast bicycle products by posting a few diatribes against Walmart bikes or any other brand name bicycle product not marketed exclusively by LBS's and performance oriented on-line outlets.

Hey, at least they warned you -- "Caution: wet rims increase stopping distance."

Wasn't that an 80's addition? I don't recall seeing that on any of my bikes with steel rims... (all pre 1980 of course)

Probably a CSPC requirement. If they really wanted to be useful they could have banned steel rims, but probably didn't have that much sway.

Your finds should make for good bicycling fun. I believe the special characteristic of the English and American 3 speed bikes of the 50's through the 80's is that they are seen in daily use today for the tasks for which they were designed, not just as project or collector bikes. It is also likely they have been in use, on and off more or less, for the entire time through several generations as hand me downs or through numerous owners and with minimal maintenance required by anybody. Their sturdy reliable design facilitated such use.

Too bad that so many urban bicyclists never were exposed to the pleasures of riding and owning such simple to own and ride bicycles.

Yeah,I'd really want to ride a heavy 3spd up the hill from Sibley to Ward Circle every day.

I'll take my 3x9 with disc brakes and selection of seasonal tires,thank you. And BTW,I had a 3spd coaster bike for several years. My knees were happy when it was sold.

We in the U.S., and especially at BF, are pampered by the availability of high-quality bikes and components. In developing countries, people are happy to ride whatever bikes they can get their hands on. I have a cycling buddy who moved to Uganda for mission work, and he sent me a photo of his "especially good" bike that a local helped him find and buy. It's good because it's extra strong: reinforced with re-bar, so super heavy. The brake pads are made of car tires. Anyone here on BF would be embarrassed to be seen on it.

Apparantly there are some bicyclists who are not that concerned about what you prefer to ride up the hill from Sibley to Ward Circle every day.

I think a lot of folks just don't know any better. Ironically, I think this is the beauty of a well-designed bicycle. They will take a lot of abuse and jury rigging, and just plain "who in the world would think to do that," and still get one from point A to B with a relative improvement in efficiency when compared to walking.

This being said, I probably hold the world's record in squeak rattle annoyance and unnecessary immediate roadside repairs. I've been known to stop and use chapstick on my chain to stop a random squeak, I still use leather fender and rack washers to eliminate rattle, and am not above stopping to check a non-essential bolt I suspect is coming loose despite the fact that I've loctited every fastener on my ride with the appropriate grade of loctite given the fastener's purpose. I probably put at least 200 miles a week year-round on whatever bike I'm riding at the time, which no-one ever believes despite the fact I show up everywhere without a car, because my rides are all clean, shiny, and mechanically sound.

Glad I don't live in NYC, as cool as I think it could be. It looks like there are a lot of cyclists and drivers with a bad case of cranial rectosis, which always irks me.

Yesterday, I saw an unusually well outfitted bike commuter, and I noticed only because of this thread. I've been looking at cyclists differently now, imagining the video I'll probably never make. She had toe clips and various other accessories. Then I noticed her seat was too high. I wonder if that happens soon after you get "serious" about your bike. Too high is less common than too low.