I've had this idea in my head since earlier this summer. A light, fast and ever so tasteful Upright, Like Sheldon's Super Superb but dare I say...better! I'm thinking the English, French and Italian's all must have some delightful vintage examples, I'd love to seem 'em. One thing comes to mind though, wind resistance! Would a completely upright position create such resistance that approaching anything beyond noodleing speed prove exhausting? Does an upright riding posture deprive the rider of efficient pedaling? Ideas photos and experiences warmly invited, unless your wearing tweed in the photo and singing the priases of full chaincases and tea pots, which of course can be posted in some thread about a Lake. Or if you want to herald the virtues of the AW hub and rodbrakes, there's a thread for that too. Soooooooo if ya got something light, fast and upright.... post away!

I've posted this before - a zeus road bike I restored, but left the northroad bars on it as I found it. It can be a fast ride but I generally relax when riding it, the upright position tends to promote that. Also, the handling is "swoopy", I think it would handle better with road bars as intended. But since I tend to just cruise about on it, it's not a big deal.

This started out as a diamond-frame 12-speed. It now has a two-speed kick shift hub, sprung Brooks B66 and cruiser bars.

It's fun.



Handling-wise, the very wide cruiser bars are very easy to move, which makes the handling a bit twitchy. It's something I've grown used to and know to give very gentle inputs for normal riding. It makes for a pretty relaxed ride at this point.

Carlton Corsair with a 3 speed sturmey.

Its not what anyone would call "light" but I can routinely pass spandex clad roadies on carbon fiber bikes with my 1981 Schwinn World Tourist, though it is mostly relegated to grocery duty. Looks just like this one except it has a decent Velo-Orange saddle, Wald Basket up front and 27x1-1/4" Paselas. I don't find that the upright position hurts pedaling efficiency, but you will definitely notice a headwind.

Very nice bikes posted so far!!

Oops! Sorry, meant to start a new thread, which I just did using this title, no hijacking intende.

I'm interested in what people have to say as far as the fast part of upright/townie bikes. I've tried doing a few townie conversions and they were painfully slow to ride (and I don't really consider myself a fast rider anyway).

Here's a conversion I did of a columbus-framed Schwinn Passage touring bike. Built it up with a Deore II group, nitto technomic stem, and the alloy bars have a slight sweep back but it's not as dramatic as north roads or porteur bars. I'm probably going to be converting this back to drops:

1980s Univega Competizione set up as a single speed with Jitensha/Nitto flat bars, a shade over 20 lbs but no clearance for more than 25mm tires:



1950 Raleigh Lenton Tourist w/ 3-speed Sturmey Archer hub w/ alloy shell, Weinmann concave 700c rims, Bluemels fenders, 32mm Paselas, 3ttt flat bars, alloy GB stem, around 25 lbs:

I just can't seem to get used to a singular upright position, which is why I like the Porteur bars. If you use wrap instead of grips and run it up to the curve, you have a decent aero hand position. After this pic was taken, I moved the shifter (singular; the left one is gone) inward of the brake clamp, as it interfered with the alternate hand position. I'll probably run the grip a bit further next time.

Carlton frame and Raleigh Competition fork. It's all Reynolds 531 and I kept the weight down as much as I could. The hub is a modern SA 3 speed.



Gitane TdF with Super LJ RD and Mavic 501 hubs.



Both are fast for uprights, but obviously they'd be faster with drops. When you decide to go upright, you decide that going fast isn't important to you.

Oooops....



In regards to efficiency and peddling power, I think I do find it slower than my roadies. Although I don't think it's all because of wind resistance, and is more likely cause by riding position. Something about standing up and hammering on the peddles feels wrong on this bike, and when i'm powering along I feel as if I should be leaning way more forward to get the power out of my legs. Just my two cents. Regardless, I love riding this thing around town.

- j

The Zues, Hetchins and Trek are kinda what I was thinking, I like the idea about wrapping the Port. bars to get more hand positions. I rode with a buddy the other day who wrapped his North Bars to get the same flexability. Nice bikes everyone.

A forum member had or was trying to buy a 50's Paramount that had North bars, I believe it was a factory rebuild with reciepts. Anyone remember this, it was black and beautiful?

That set up reminds me of the early antique bikes from the 1890s and 1900s, when small wheel safety bikes were popular with adults. The bars remind me a lot of the "7" stem with tiller bar set up common in the early part of the 20th century. It's interesting how some approaches pop back up.

You mean this fantastic machine?
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ourist-3-speed


Sorry, I don't know how to link photos or how to shorten the hyperlink.

The 1950s Raleigh RRA could also be ordered in "tourist" configuration:

^ The spec. sheet says "NorthRoad bars flat or raised" I must have seen the flat. Lots of goodness displayed here. Seems a very short stem achieves the proper look and would set the rider aright. Thanks nlerner for the post!


Oh that's the one alright! good memory Lobster!

The fenders look like Club Specials, any issues with rubbing the 32's? I also really like the flat bar, gives a look of something more going on than a townie.

Bicycle times had an issue with a custom builder doing something simular, a sleeper kinda build. I'll have to go through the back issues

GB- 2 beauties! What is your preference for a saddle B-17 or the Flyer?



Gitane TdF with Super LJ RD and Mavic 501 hubs.

Only some of them are vintage, but the bikes in this thread are in the right spirit:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...f-Your-Townies

Interesting... but it's set up that way mostly because of junk I picked up at a swap meet. Not a whole lot of thought.

I commuted for half a summer (like, eh 1 month) on an ALAN competizione set up with a fixed hub, north road bars and no brakes. Fast light and stupid. no pics, though. good luck on the build and keep us posted.

Not sure what or how to build yet, still trolling for ideas. What sparked this was a ride with an older buddy of mine who rides with North Bars, then again this summer I was riding along side Dallas on his Peugeot with North bars, we were blasting down a hill, around a curve; and the smile on his face, sitting upright, banking into the turn, just iconic!

Now, I've been pondering why am I stretched out over my frame, I ride the hoods, rarely the tops and almost never the drops. So, I installed a set of Mustache bars on my fixed gear and slapped on some wider rubber some 32's. Nice, very nice but I'm still not upright and the bike has limitations, gearing, no fenders or eyelets.

So, I've been pondering, a bike capable of speed and upright, not a grocery hauler or a super clean fixie. Something for fast-ish Club rides but upright. I think I need gears, lots of em to keep me spinning. Not sure if a sprung saddle is a good idea, but a Swift or Swallow would be too narrow. No or slight rise on the bars? Is less than a 25lbs reasonable for a 25" frame?