The Raleigh PUB 1 Year Later
Approximately a year ago I took a chance on ordering a bicycle that intrigued me. Raleigh had, the previous year, released a retro styled cruiser bike that was inspired by the pub hoppers of Britain.
Officially dubbed the PUB, or Public Utility Bike, the Raleigh retro ride had an beefy aluminum frame, period track ends, and a plate inside the camel back style frame. The color is what Raleigh calls "Stout", basically a brown with school bus yellow scheme. The pin striping is limited to the chain guard and is minimal. Along with a sturdy Schwinn style springer front end, a springer seat, a crank forward geometry makes it a relaxed and stable bike to cruise on. It is, in fact the bike I selected to ride with Ilsa.
I am the type of guy that just can't leave "store bought" alone, so immediately on the bike's arrival, I swapped out the pedals to a more retro style. Next, I ordered a rear rack for the bike, but I was dismayed to find it would not mount to the rear track style drop-outs. Not to worry.......With a stiff upper lip and Scot ingenuity, I mounted it to the front. It looks better that way anyway.
The Raleigh PUB has, over the past year, become my favorite bike to cruise on.
It is a simple velocipede, a utilitarian looking contraption that cleverly hides it's effective design. One thing I felt the bicycle needed to be complete was a set of fenders.....Waterskirts if you will. I ordered up a set of gloss black ducktail fenders, and they bolted right on. The finishing touch was a Columbia rear reflector, attached directly to the fender. The addition of a bell, a kid's license plate, and a front axle tag occurred sometime along the way.
The Raleigh PUB is a retro cruiser that never existed before. Sadly, Raleigh decided to drop it from their bicycle line after only one year. I suppose it did not translate into making alternative versions very well. That is fine with me I suppose. I was lucky enough to get one, and it is often my first choice when I decide to take a long relaxing ride about town.
Officially dubbed the PUB, or Public Utility Bike, the Raleigh retro ride had an beefy aluminum frame, period track ends, and a plate inside the camel back style frame. The color is what Raleigh calls "Stout", basically a brown with school bus yellow scheme. The pin striping is limited to the chain guard and is minimal. Along with a sturdy Schwinn style springer front end, a springer seat, a crank forward geometry makes it a relaxed and stable bike to cruise on. It is, in fact the bike I selected to ride with Ilsa.I am the type of guy that just can't leave "store bought" alone, so immediately on the bike's arrival, I swapped out the pedals to a more retro style. Next, I ordered a rear rack for the bike, but I was dismayed to find it would not mount to the rear track style drop-outs. Not to worry.......With a stiff upper lip and Scot ingenuity, I mounted it to the front. It looks better that way anyway.
The Raleigh PUB has, over the past year, become my favorite bike to cruise on.
It is a simple velocipede, a utilitarian looking contraption that cleverly hides it's effective design. One thing I felt the bicycle needed to be complete was a set of fenders.....Waterskirts if you will. I ordered up a set of gloss black ducktail fenders, and they bolted right on. The finishing touch was a Columbia rear reflector, attached directly to the fender. The addition of a bell, a kid's license plate, and a front axle tag occurred sometime along the way. The Raleigh PUB is a retro cruiser that never existed before. Sadly, Raleigh decided to drop it from their bicycle line after only one year. I suppose it did not translate into making alternative versions very well. That is fine with me I suppose. I was lucky enough to get one, and it is often my first choice when I decide to take a long relaxing ride about town.
Labels: Bicycles in my Stable
posted by Xavier at 9:03 AM
2 Comments:
NICE!
You have such killer style!
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