Pawn Shop Circuit: Trek 970

I swung into Kenny's pawn shop while Christmas shopping today, and hanging on the rack outside was a purple bike. Hmmmmm I looked it over..... A Trek mountain bike. Cro-moly lugged frame. Solid Shimano components. No suspension to wear out, and a rack on the back. $49. A perfect base bike for a back-up commuter bike.

"Hey Kenny," I asked as I entered the shop, "How much do you want for the purple bike out there"

"Well, all the bikes are 20% off today," Kenny said. "Let me figure it up."

"Mind if I take it down from the rack and ride it a bit?" I asked.

"Go ahead," said Kenny.

Forty dollars, another bike. My wife is going to kill me.

My Commuter Bike

My dedicated commuter bike started out as a Raleigh M-30 mountain bike that I purchased for thirty bucks at a pawn shop. The bike had several things going for it. It was a rigid steel frame bike with a rigid steel fork. The 26 inch aluminum wheels were made by Araya. It also sported center pull cantilever brakes and an Shimano indexed shifting system for 15 gears. While a decent enough old bike, it was hardly ready for dedicated commuting.

When I decided to toss my hat helmet into the ring of bike commuting, I began to read up on the activity. I quickly subscribed to the school of thought that I would rather have my bike still chained in place after work than have it ridden away by a thief. I took a two prong approach to the problem. First, I ordered a heavy Kryptonite chain to slow down the thief, or at least draw enough undesired attention to him that he would be reluctant to steal the bike. Then I decided to make my ride appear as undesirable as possible through uglification. The overall effect was a bike that just wasn't worth the effort to steal.

It is the details that make a dedicated commuter though, and over time, my black Raleigh mountain bike was transformed. One of the first things I installed was a set of handlebars off a little girl's BMX bike. The narrow width makes negotiating between parked cars easy, while the high rise allows me to assume an upright posture to see over them. Two Planet Bike headlights, a Blazer and a Beamer light my way. I can set them on a combination of steady light, or steady and flashing, or just use one. I like the flexibility of two headlights. Both disengage easily to take with me when I leave the bike.

I needed a bell on the handlebars, and I wanted it by my thumb, so I moved the forward derailleur lever to the handlebar stem. I rarely use it anyway in the city streets, but it is there if I need it.

I agonized over tires for a while. I knew I needed to ditch the knobbies for smooth rubber, but I wanted durable tires that could avoid flats. I found exactly what I wanted with the Specialized Nimbus Armadillo tires. I finally bit the bullet and paid the $45 each price for the Kevlar belted tires. I have not regretted it. The bike rolls noticeably easier, and flats are a thing of the past. Of course, a $45 tire is ripe game for a thief, so I remove the front rim with the quick release hub, and run the chain through it as well when locking the bike.

Any commuter bike should have full fenders. Even if a rider is not getting drenched in a downpour, wet streets can still make a dirty stripe up his back without fenders. One benefit of the more narrow Specialized Nimbus tires is they allowed me to bolt on the fenders I desired. I chose some old British fenders for the commuter bike that came off my Armstrong. The flaky white paint added just the "You're gonna get tetanus if you touch it" look I wanted. I riveted some splash guards on the rear fender and bolted a leather shoe tongue on the front as a mud flap.

A comfortable commuter bike needs a comfortable seat. I was lucky enough to get a free one when a friend decided to replace her Bontrager seat with a wider one. What was uncomfortable for her was ideal for me. To make certain it stayed on the locked up bike, I ran some bicycle chain through both seat rails and around the seat stays. Then I pinned it back together, and zip tied it taut. My Kryptonite New York Noose wraps around the whole shebang for transport.

I quickly learned that carrying a backpack on one's back while bicycling is not the way to go. The weight shifts and the rider swelters underneath the load, with the sweat unable to evaporate or wick away in the wind. I needed a way to carry gear, but I needed it off my back.

At Toys R Us I found an outrageous deal on Bell bike racks, and I bought them out. I bolted one down to the rear of the Raleigh M-30. On one of my commutes, I found a galvanized gym basket being tossed in the trash. I immediately snatched it up to attach to the rear rack. It is secured with heavy duty zip ties, nuts and bolts, a padlock, and finally a trigger lock running through everything. If some antique hound decides to make off with this basket, it will have a hole in the bottom when they are finished removing it.

The rear of the basket is adorned with a large automotive reflector and a pair of Planet Bike Extreme Blinkies. Two heavy duty zip tie loops provide a place for the blinkies to clip onto. Scotch tape secures the lenses on the blinkies after a hard lesson. A can of Fox Labs Mean Green pepper spray stands ready inside the black nylon pouch clipped to the side of the basket.

Not everything done to this bicycle was done in an orderly progression. The bicycle evolved over time, based on my needs and experimentation. Serendipity played a large role in the finished product. Regardless, the thirty dollar Raleigh underdog has become one of my favorite bicycles, and the one I chose each morning for effective pedal power transportation.

The Raleigh Super Course

The handlebar stem was stuck when I started on the Raleigh Super Course frame. After a week's soak in ATF, it was still stuck. I decided to Slip in a set of drop bars and proceed with the build anyway.

The Super Course was originally a medium priced racing bike, a Nottingham ten speed. This example was the classic British green, my favorite color. I installed a single speed cottered crank and bottom bracket, and the build was on it's way. A 27 inch front rim gave up it's hub to my spoke wrench, and in it's place I installed a Sturmey Archer coaster brake. The front rim is a high flange Araya rim. Both rims are shod with Kenda gum wall rubber. A Shimano quick release skewer secures the front hub, while old fashioned wing nuts secure the rear. A nickel plated 1/8 inch chain spins the wheels via rat trap pedals. A Brooks B17 Champion leather seat is atop a 26.4mm Kalloy micro-adjustable seat post.

Because I could not remove the GB handlebar stem, I was stuck with the forward center pull brake bracket beneath the headset bolt. To disguise it for the time being, I stuck a dice on the stud. I decided to leave the braze-ons on this frame, as they are solidly attached and at some point I may chose to return the bike to original status.

A set of moustache handlebars will likely be in this bike's future, but for now I stuck some ivory Hunt-Wilde rubber grips on the ends of the drop bars to prevent coring injuries to my knees if for no other reason.

Finishing Touch

After I applied the Bike Punks sticker to the Armstrong, I still felt something was missing.

I rode a while and pondered. I didn't know what it was.......But it was missing. At a donut shop, I looked through the glass at the bike as I stirred my coffee. Since I first fabricated it, I never really liked the brass reflector support on the scruffy old Armstrong. I had done the same thing on the Raleigh One Speed. It was appropriate there, but on the Armstrong, it was repetitious. Then I looked into my coffee.......And I found my solution.

The silver spoon is a Chantilly design, in keeping with the French Super Champion rear wheel and Norex saddle I suppose. I like the ornate Rococo filigree as a tension of opposites with the weathered velocipede itself.

The Armstrong Single Speed

It started as another found 10 speed frame. The old lugged steel frame was spray painted drippy white and it had some grotesque tape pin striping on top of that. It did, however, have a Raleigh style headset and bottom bracket. It also had a very nice brass head badge, which read Armstrong; Made in England. Horizontal dropouts capped off the chain stays, meaning I could make it into a fixie or a single speed. The frame even had screw on cable guides instead of braze-ons, so I did not have to remove any superfluous bumps.

I took the frame home and began stripping off the white spray paint. Underneath was glossy black paint, and bare metal. As I brushed on paint stripper and scraped away the crinkled white finish, I found that I rather liked the weathered result. Once I had most of the white paint in a gooey clump on the garage floor, I took another look at the result, and elected to stop. It was kind of the anti-road bike, a contemptible mess to the fastidious weight wienie set. I clear coated the frame leaving the random specks of white and bare metal as they were.

I had some extra parts in my garage, so I selected a skewered 700c chrome steel wheel set for the bike, after removing the rear gear cluster. A leather suspension seat from France fit right on the seat post. It had been hanging on a nail in my garage rafters for half a year, waiting for the right application. It was probably taken off an old Peugot bicycle, but who cares? It's a great alternative to the expensive Brooks seat.

After a bit of thinking, I decided to go with drop handlebars this time, and an old pair of Nitto B123 bars provided the right flavor. I also need a cottered crank set, and I wanted a plain Jane chain wheel. Ebay provided both. The big question though was whether to go with a fixie or a coaster brake. I knew I wanted a minimalistic bike, so I finally decided on a coaster brake to prevent having a handbrake lever on the handlebars. I ordered a new Sturmey Archer coaster brake hub and unlaced the rear rim. After a bit of work and using Sheldon Brown's pages as reference, I had the coaster brake hub laced in the rear rim. Some Specialized gum wall tires and vintage rat trap pedals set things off nicely.

To finish the bike off, I wrapped the handlebars with padded black handlebar tape, and I ordered a Bike Punks sticker from Sticker Giant.

When I took the bike for a spin, I found that it rode superbly. It was nimble, quick, and mechanically simple. Just the thing to chain up beside the color coordinated road bikes at the local pub.

Armstrong Updates

Spokes

New Chainwheel

Pedals

Finishing Touch

And finally, the finished velocipede. Click the pic to enlarge.

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.

The Raleigh Grand Prix Single Speed

Americans can sometimes be fickle creatures, and those who manufacture products for sale in the States will sometimes simply produce what is selling. It's the nature of business. Raleigh, of Nottingham England, is a long time bicycle producer with a history of brisk sales in the U.S. Still, they followed the trends for sales to the American consumer, delivering the Raleigh "Chopper" to compete with the Schwinn Stingray, and a plethora of multi-speed bicycles from the three speed "Sport" to 12 speed racing machines during the great bike boom era. To my knowledge, other than cruisers, they never aggressively marketed a single speed classic bicycle to the adult market in the United States. The closest they came was the three speed Raleigh Sport. Thus, if I wanted such a thing as a single speed Raleigh, it was up to me to build it.

I started with a 63cm Raleigh Grand Prix 12 speed racing bike frame in bronze green. The frame was a chromoly steel lugged frame, the kind many cyclists bemoan the loss of, with the advent of lightweight aluminum frames. It had a tall head tube, and a threaded bottom bracket for the venerable Raleigh cottered crank. It came with a steel front fork, with chromed tips. The gold and black decals were present and accounted for, but had become battered a bit over time. The paint was glossy verdant metalflake with the usual assortment of mystery scratches etching it's surface. I removed the braze ons. Perfect.

I wanted to spin the original tall skinny 27 inch by one and a quarter chrome steel rims, and I was lucky enough to find an original high flange Raleigh front wheel on ebay, along with the quick release skewer. I quickly sniped it. I also sniped a cottered crank from a Raleigh Superbe. The Superbe is the classic English three speed roadster made by Raleigh, a bicycle that is rare on this side of the pond, but as ubiquitous as fog in old London. The Raleigh cottered crank is a heavily chromed steel 46 tooth 1/8 inch unit with three Raleigh herons cut into it. The crank arms slide onto square spindles and are wedged into place with steel "cotters." It fit right onto the Grand Prix bottom bracket.

The rear hub presented a challenge. I considered a fixed gear for a while. The horizontal rear forks of the Grand Prix frame would lend itself to such a conversion, but I wanted a bike that was as pleasing to ride as it was simple. A fixie would demand cables and brake levers for me. I opted to go with a coaster brake for simplicity's sake. I was surprised to find one new from Sturmey-Archer, a British manufacturer of parts for Raleigh. The next problem was finding a suitable rim that would match the chrome front rim. After asking around, I decided to purchase a low flange front rim and lace it up myself. Once laced and trued, the coaster brake rear wheel slid right into the rear forks of the Grand Prix, and I capped off the axle ends with chrome acorn nuts. Leverage is kept under control by a heavy brass strap around the left chainstay. For rubber, I opted for prototypal gumwall racing slicks. I used a nickel plated chain from KMC to connect the drivetrain.

It would have been commonplace to install drop handlebars, or a "chop and flop" set of messenger bars. I wanted an upright riding position. I looked towards the Raleigh Superbe again, and acquired a set of vintage "North Road" handlebars which I capped off with real cork grips, and installed on a tall British stem. An Electra bell lets pedestrians know I'm approaching.

The seat is one of my favorites, a lightly sprung Brooks Champion Flyer in honey brown. These classic leather seats are still made by the original manufacturer, Brooks of Birmingham, England. Many people shun the leather suspension saddle, saying they must be broken in like a new pair of shoes. I have not had that problem. Whether they need no breaking in, or whether they adjust to the rider's bone structure over time, there is nothing quite like a sprung and suspended leather saddle for comfort. I used a modern micro-adjustable aluminum seatpost to mount the saddle to the frame.

Many people would wonder why so much effort was invested in revitalizing an old bike such as this. The truth is, it's hard to explain. An understanding can best be found through riding the bike. The ride quality of the vintage steel Raleigh frames is like no other. It is stiff and unyielding to the rider's effort at pedalling. The lugged and brazed joinery that connects the sections of tubing is both beautiful and superbly engineered. The durability, height and ease of speed provided by the tall steel wheels and narrow rubber is something few bikes can match. Minimal exertion is required to propel the machine at hair blowing speeds. The look of the bike is pure yesteryear, a relaxed but efficient velocipede. The traditional road bike frame geometry and wheelset combined with the upright riding posture and a clear expanse of uncluttered handlebars typical of a cruiser makes for a unique old school ride. Add the durability of a chunk of granite, and there is nothing else quite like it. This is most certainly a bicycle that Raleigh should have built!

Ironic Twist

The Fly Bike Shop Fixie

The fixed gear bicycle that I ordered from Fly Bike Shop in Denver arrived on April third, and due to rain and other obligations, I had a couple of days to inspect, assemble, and tune it before it's maiden voyage today. The bike turned out to be a Sun Uno from Sun Cycles. Sun is a manufacturer of adult tricycles, unicycles and recumbent bicycles as well as other bikes. The Sun Uno came with a double butted TIG welded 4130 chromoly frame, made in China. That didn't bother me much, as most bicycle companies outsource their frames to China in today's competitive market. The bike was shipped in it's original box, and was packed very well. I removed the bits and pieces and had it assembled in about fifteen minutes using a set of Allen wrenches and a 15mm socket wrench.

The frame had Sun Uno stickers on it in a tasteless lime green color, but they were on top of the clear coat and easily removed. A paper towel and mineral spirits got rid of the sticky residue. The handlebars were unwrapped, so I used the supplied brown cork wrap to cover them. The handlebar wrap matches the seat nicely. A clear plastic chainguard was included with the bike. I hung that up in the garage. I have no desire for such a thing on this bike.

The 59cm frame geometry is very tight and "tucked in. The rear wheel spins close to the seat tube, and the front forks are almost vertical, with a 74.5 degree head tube angle, making the bike highly maneuverable. The wheelset is Alex DC19s, 700c X 32 double wall alloy rims with a high flange hub and a CNC machined sidewall. They come with Kenda Kontender rubber. The hubs are bolted to the forks, both front and rear, no quick release skewers here. The bottom bracket is sealed, and supports a 46 tooth chainwheel. There is, of course, no derailleur, no fenders,

The seat is a beautiful leather-like swallow style perch, produced by Velo, but only for this particular bike. Swallow style seats look uncomfortable, and while it is true they are no lazy boy recliner, they do not create pain. Instead, they prevent chaffing while pedaling. I had thought I might replace the seat with a Brooks if it was uncomfortable, but I have dismissed that notion. The seat is supported by a 29.8 x 350mm aluminum alloy micro-adjustable seat post. One Allen screw underneath controls the angle of the seat, another controls the height.

At the moment I do not have the supplied reflectors installed. I am considering reflective tape, a strip of white on the head tube, and two strips of red on the seatstays to get around local ordinances. I don't want to destroy the minimalist appeal of the bike with sparkly stuff screwed all over it. The bike also came with stainless steel strap-on toe clips. I opted to leave those off as well for now.

Braking, both front and rear, is supplied by Tektro R310A dual pivot calipers, compressed with Tektro RL576 levers. The brake levers have hinge mounts, and the stem has an open face four screw front clamp, making handlebar swaps a breeze. The stainless steel cables inside the sheaths were of a standardized to long length, so I cut them and soldered the ends to prevent fraying. Unlike some fixie fans, I intend to keep brakes front and rear. I don't need a hard core attitude on a bike. I lubricated the cables with silicone.

Speaking of hard core attitude, the Sun Uno does not come with a kickstand. I considered a Greenfield chainstay mounted kickstand, as the closeness of the rear wheel to the seattube makes fitting a kickstand in the usual place a custom job. I mounted the Greenfield chainstay kickstand, and immediately took it off. It worked, but I did not like the way it looked at all. I will cut down a the bracket and mount it in the traditional manner using a longer bolt.

Of course, the heart of the fixed gear track bike is a fixed rear sprocket. The Sun Uno comes with a "flip-flop" rear wheel, enabling the rider to change from a fixed gear to a single speed by removing and flipping the rear wheel. The 18 tooth dual cogs on the rear hub of the bike are spun by a 46 tooth alloy chain wheel up front. A 1/8 inch KMC chain supplies the power. I mounted the rear wheel as a single speed. I want to get used to the performance geometry before I attempt a fixed gear configuration.

So, the big question......How does it ride? It was 52 degrees and wet when I took the gunmetal grey racer out this morning, but I put on my sweats and went anyway. I was used to the cruiser configuration, and it took a bit to adapt to having half my weight supported by my shoulders rather than my butt. But as I rode the bike around, I felt my hamstrings begin to stretch, and my neck too, from the agressive riding position. I wasn't used to that. I pressed on, however. I pedaled for about five easy miles before I stopped to take photos. The Sun Uno was smooth. The handling was as certain as it was fast. When the bike was thrown into a corner, it reacted and went where it was supposed to. The pedals seemed a bit small for my big clod-hopper feet, but the swallow style seat was a non-issue.

As I rode by the local bike store, where the owner had tried to sell me a $1200 Trek T1 and then ignored me when I didn't order one, I saw an adult tricycle in the front window. I stopped to gaze........Yes, it was a Sun bike. The recumbents sold there were made by Sun. The place was a dealer of Sun cycles. How ironic that the owner lost a sale two weeks ago because he was an ass. By contrast, the people from Fly were knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Chris, the gentleman who took my order had emphatically said "You are going to like this bike!" I do. Thanks Fly.

On the way back home, on the side of the road, I found a green Raleigh Grand Prix frame. It was solid. It had lugged joinery. It had horizontal rear drop outs. It was free. I hid it in an alley until I could make it back with my Jeep to pick it up. Here we go again..........

Addendum.....The Sun Uno was apparently previously the Cayne Uno.



The final bike, with refective tape.

The Red Columbia

Sometimes things don't go as planned. When I first discovered a vintage Columbia bicycle frame with an integral rear rack, my plan was to construct a weathered utility bike. The frame, however, had been sanded down and was almost devoid of paint. While chips and scratches do not worry me, I wanted the bike to look like it had lived a working life. A sanded off paint job has no patina of time.

One of my first tasks was to paint the ride. I found a deal on some red wall knobby tires, so I decided to match the color. When my wife saw the frame painted fire engine red, I was forbidden from giving the bike a ride in the back of a pick-up truck down a bumpy road with logging chains and dog chains wrapped around it. The bike would not wear battle scars.

The spousal commandment not to give the bike a suitable patina kind of killed my enthusiasm for the build. Never the less, I installed a Monark springer fork and a "sweetheart" chainwheel. An old lump of a black seat and apehanger handlebars followed along with a few small details. A silver dollar front wheel dangler, a brass coaster brake strap and acorn nut on the seat clincher bolt. Sparkly red dice valve caps.

I am still looking for an old Columbia kickstand. It uses a design different from any other vintage bike. I've seen.

I rode the red Columbia on her maiden voyage today. She rode well. Solid. Heavy. The seating posture was definitely upright. The tall apes flexed a bit over the bumps absorbed by the front forks. The frame is cool, a straight bar rear rack combination.

I still want the bike to be weathered. In fact, I want it to bear the evidence of hard use even more now. After it's maiden voyage, I leaned it up against my work bench in the garage. Who knows, maybe a chain or two may fall on it by accident.........

Clunkers

Bicycling takes many strange turns and twists through history. One of the more recent occurred in the mid-1970s during the Great Bike Boom. In Fairfax California, on a mountain road called "Repack" a new form of biking was devised. On Repack, not only did the cyclist have to endure a beating, but the bike did as well. The lightweight racing machines of the day were hardly up to the task. The new crop of extreme sportsmen relied on old 1950 cruiser bike frames, modifying them for the rough downhill race. With the addition of racing bike gearing, the ascent was possible as well, and mountain biking was born. The strange contraptions of old and new biking paraphernalia on two wheels were called Clunkers.

I grew up during that time, but we had few mountains in my neighborhood. We did have the luxury of steep drop-offs and stream beds. I could not afford a bike, so I built my own. That is the spirit that my own Clunker is built in. Some bikers would call my conglomeration of disparate parts a "Rat Bike." A Rat Bike, to me, is spawned from the Rat Rod segment of hot rodding. Rat Bikes are in general flat black, with some red mixed in, and are a bit for show in a punky anti-social sort of way. Lucky 13 is a Rat Bike. The Black Bike is a Rat Bike.

Now that dedicated mountain bikes are readily available on the market, the term Clunker can be reassigned to bikes that are a simple and carefree assembly of old parts to get the rider down the road. Clunkers are liberating. A Clunker can have whimsical elements, but by and large, it is durable transportation that can take a beating, sit out in the rain, and give bike thieves the fear of tetanus. The JC Higgins Colorflow is a Clunker.

I thoroughly enjoy riding this bike. On top a galvanized pipe pedestal, it has a splayed out Brooks B72 seat, with an old oval reflector dangling underneath. I recently found an old chain guard, and it was great to just bolt it on without worrying about the paint. In fact, the paint on the Clunker is battered with rusty nicks. I'm not certain I'll keep the chain guard on the bike, but it's nice to try it out without fear of finish damage. The tires on the Higgins are mismatched, with a street whitewall on a rusty chrome rim out front, while a dirt tire on a white rim brings up the rear. A Winnipeg bicycle license is bolted to the rear axle.

Between the spokes up front is a Liberty Half Dollar concho on black leather. Black dice cap off the Schrader valves on the rims. Black leather tassels dangle from the Dorcey metal flake grips. It's little details like this that make the bike. A Monark springer fork absorbs the bumps and potholes efficiently, while the goose neck and handlebars from a kid's BMX bike with a bell provide direction.

All is not as it seems on the Clunker though. The bearings and chain are new. The bike is well maintained. It is a breeze to ride, with an upright posture. It is stable enough to ride with a dog, unlike twitchy mountain and road bikes.

Today, it seems bike companies are putting out "retro" products. Indeed, Electra tested the Clunker waters with their Deluxe Relic and it seems there is a ready market for nostalgia on wheels. It's not the same as building your own though. A Clunker does not come from the local bike store. A Clunker comes from the desire to ride.

The Black Bike

It certainly looked attractive on amazon.com.......A retro styled cruiser bike with the endorsement of a company known for quality outdoors products. For $129.99 including shipping, the sum of the parts would cost more if I ordered them separately. How could I lose? I placed an order.

What I received was a cheapo bike assembled from barely tolerable components. The grips were foam rubber, the seat was atrocious, and the coaster brake barely functional. The brown appearing paint was flat black, and the red was cheap stickers so poorly applied I figured an inebriated Chinese crackhead had applied them in the dark. My expectations had been low, but this concoction somehow managed to slip beneath them.

I assembled the bike, leaned it against the garage door, and let it ferment for a while. When I had the time and inclination to take a look at it again, I stripped off the cheap stickers. That was not difficult, considering there was no clear coat and each one was full of wrinkles. I took a can of flat black bar-b-que grill paint off the shelf, and covered the tan with an even coat of darkness. Much better.

Next, I took off the detestable blob of a seat and installed an Electra Swing saddle atop the seat post. Two hand grips off an old wheelchair replaced the foam rubber trash on the handlebars. Little red reflectors graced their ends. I dug some pedals out of my parts pile to replace the nylon junk the bike came with. Some black dice valve stem caps and reflectors rounded out the bike.

The bike was actually starting to look OK, so I took it for a ride. It creaked and groaned along, but at least the tires held air.I quickly learned the coaster brake needed rebuilding. I rolled the bike back into the garage and flipped it. Upon removing the rear hub, I saw there was no lubrication what so ever. I removed the front bearings. Same situation. I greased both hubs with wheel bearing grease, and suspiciously removed the bottom bracket to inspect it. No grease. I smeared some more wheel bearing grease on the races and bearings, and reassembled the bottom end. I uprighted the bicycle and did the same to the steering head bearings.

Once I had the bike reassembled and adjusted out to best fit my physique, I took it down the street again. It was much better this time. It was a bit small for me, or so it felt. The bike rides on 26 inch rubber, but the pedals seem to be directly under the seat. I guess I'm spoiled by the forward position of the Raleigh PUB's pedals and the increased height of the Raleigh Passage. I had been wanting a simple, flat black bike, a bike that I did not have much invested in, one that I could just hop on and ride with no worries if it deteriorated or disappeared. Now I have one.

Bikula

Sometimes you never know where a project might lead you. This old Elgin frame started out on a journey to become a Boardtracker. With the playful addition of a skirted rear fender draping the rear wheel like a cape, and two mountain bike handlebar extensions placed on the old handlebars like claws on a bat, the bike started to make a more sinister transformation.

Some flat black paint, and a couple of overbent chrome fork buttresses and the bike became positively gothic in character........A Norex leather seat from France provides a place for the Prince of Darkness to perch his boney butt as he pedals furiously about the night, Edwardian cape flapping in the breeze behind him.

Old Xav isn't going to dye his hair black and start wearing smudgy eyeliner anytime soon though......

Waterskirts

I finally got around to putting fenders on my Raleigh PUB. I was kind of tentative when I ordered this bike last Spring, but it has become my solid favorite. Between the upright riding posture, lightweight aluminum frame and the 1930's retro styling, it's an easy rider that exudes cool.

The Raleigh PUB was only produced for one year. They may still be available.

California Cheese- Kustom Kruiser Ultra Glide

I have been given the opportunity to ride and review a Kustom Kruiser Ultra Glide, and to tell my thoughts. When I first saw pictures of it on the internet, I said "Damn! That's a great lookin' bike!" It had the look of an old ballooner tank bike, with a modern flair. In short, it appeared to be what many people are looking for in a cruiser type bike. Here is what I found.

The Kustom Kruiser is made in Taiwan. This bike is not made in, or even imported through Southern California, as the logo would lead one to believe. No, the address on the back of the manual says Madison WI. Not a bad thing per say, no bikes are being made in Chicago or Nottingham these days, but let's be honest about it eh?

One of the first things I immediately noticed about the Kustom Kruiser Ultra Glide was the tank is plastic. Yep, plastic, susceptible to all the cracking, and deterioration in the sun that plastic provides. Give me tin any day. It may dent and rust, but it takes a lot longer to fall apart. The two piece tank was a pain in the ass to install, not a job for the impatient among us. Thumbs up on providing a tank, but thumbs down on the materials guys. For what it's worth, the white wall tires shown here came from my parts supply. The KK Ultra glide comes with blackwall Cheng Shin 26X2.125 tires. It deserves whitewalls. I do not know why they ship it without them. The old school round reflector up front is also my own. The bike shipped with standard square reflectors to attach to the handlebars.

The paint on the KK Ultra Glide was superb. The blue metalflake was deep and glossy, while the decoration was covered with enough clear coat that it took very close examination to determine that decals were used rather than actual masking and painting. This is heads and tails above the stickers found stuck on top of the clear coat on similar bikes such as the Raleigh Retroglide. Unlike the very nice Raleigh Retroglide seat, however, the Kustom Kruiser seat reeks of cheapness. It is covered in a single piece of heavy black vinyl with a molded in stitch pattern and a screen printed Kustom Kruiser logo on the rear. Chrome springs supply support from underneath. It is held in place by a clamp and one allen screw. I may swap that out later.

The KK Ultra Glide is a conglomeration of universal parts, some proprietary, others not. The rims are polished alloy. The hubs are Shimano. Oddly, acorn nuts were placed on the front, and regular nuts on the rear. The pedals are nice ovoid shaped retro styled rubber. I like them. The kickstand is of the old Schwinn type, with a tube welded to the frame to accept the kickstand.

The laid back coolness and swept back longhorn handlebars of the Ultra Glide have speed written all over them. I like the looks of the bike. It looks like speed sitting still. Unfortunately the bike is absolutely unrideable with the bars lowered. The bars hit the rider's knees, and maneuvering is impossible. To make the bike ridable, one must raise the bars up to an angle that absolutely destroys the looks of the bike and causes the rider to have to cock their wrists at an uncomfortable angle.

This bike needs either an elevated gooseneck, or apehangers. I think I will order apehangers. The stem requires a 7/8 inch handlebar. The grips on the handlebars are as cheap as the seat, with plastic chrome bling. Those will be tossed out for old school blue sparkle grips.

Even with all I would like to change, I do have to admit that the bike rides well. It does not rattle, and it is easily pedaled. Once the bars are raised, it is maneuverable and nimble, although I can tell my wrists would not enjoy a three hour ride. The bike does not easily mount on a standard Saris bike rack for a car. The double tubed support underneath the tank will not go into the rubber bike rack bracket. Multiple bungie cords must be used to secure the bike. This is not a bike to transport across the state on a bike rack.

So, to bring this bike up to where I would keep it, I plan to install apehanger handlebars with old school blue sparkle grips. Blue dice will be placed on the valve stems. A better seat will be installed. I've already replaced the tires and reflectors. When I'm done, I may end up with a bike that I am proud to cruise down the road on.........Even if the tank is plastic.


UPDATE:
I ordered and installed ape hanger handle bars as well as an "S" seat stem on the Ultra Glide. A chrome crash rail made the seat a bit more tolerable to look at. I put on a old style revolving bell, and dice valve caps. The bike now fits me, and is smooth as ice.

The Raleigh Passage 4.0

When I was a boy, we all had bicycles. It did not matter what you rode really, it was all in how fast you rode, how far you rode, and which dares you would take. I remember riding for two hours in the summer heat on a single speed scratch built bike to swipe peaches from an orchard. I remember the arc a bike would make underneath a rider as he sailed through the air and into a water filled quarry. That was a fitting burial for a recalcitrant bike, burial at sea, beneath a laughing boy. Other times, we would strap twenty plastic milk jugs onto a favorite bike, so it would bob back up to the surface of the water for the next escapade. As I got older, I gave up bicycles for LBCs, little British cars. Those morphed into motorcycles, vintage aircraft and Land Rovers.

I finally decided to get back into bicycling, but over the past two decades, it seemed the spandex wearing skinny tired weight wienie race boys and their outdoorsy testosterone poisoned mountain biking brethren had taken over bicycling. Bicycling was no longer fun. It was no longer a way of getting around. It was a "sport", a way of life, and worse, a fierce and distasteful game of one-up-manship. I was much more of a beach cruiser type guy, but I could still appreciate the lightweight, geared mindset, just to get around town quickly, cheaply, efficiently, and to carry a few things on the way. I wanted a durable bike though, not a finicky carbon fibered anorexic space aged contraption.

Thus, when I went shopping for a bike, I was pleased to find a Raleigh in traditional British Racing Green. Yeah, OK, it's fabricated in China, not Nottingham, but the thought processes are still Raleigh. It's a Raleigh Passage 4.0, a nicely conceived hybrid bicycle. The "Hybrid" class of bikes is a blend of the mountain bike and the lightweight road bike, giving birth to a new breed, a bike for people like me, people who just want to get around efficiently and in relative comfort.

The riding position on the Passage can be altered through manipulation of the adjustable handlebar stem and seat post. I purchased a 21 inch version, and it seems like the first time in years that a bicycle has actually fit me. It has a pneumatic seat post to help smooth out bumps, as well as an oil filled SR-NEX 4010 hydraulic front fork to dampen knocks awaiting me ahead. The white tape trim is reflective, providing an additional margin of safety at dusk. The frame is lightweight aluminum. The components are made by Shimano. Rubber is 26 inch Kenda 700's.

The Raleigh Passage 4.0 came with a very cushy spring laden seat made by Avenir. For me, it just did not sit right. I was starting to see this bike as a reincarnation of the Austin Healey Sprite. Only one seat would do, a Brooks, so I ordered up a Champion Flyer Special. This is a sprung single rail saddle that fits right on the Raleigh micro-adjustable seat post. In a honey color, is the perfect complement to the British Racing Green.

The Raleigh Passage 4.0 has a total of 24 gears, selected by Shimano EZ-Fire levers on the handlebars. Gear swaps are performed by a Shimano Acera rear derailleur matched with a Shimano C50 forward derailleur. Good, reliable stuff.

It is difficult to not like this bike. It has the feel of quality that exceeds it's $349 new bike shop price. It's understated and classy, without a bunch of stickers in eye assaulting colors to grab attention. I did not have to do much more to make it into exactly the bike I wanted for standard get around and get the job done duty. I removed the rubber pedals and installed aluminum platform pedals. They will be more durable, and the spikes help keep my feet on the pedals despite dew or rain. I eschew toeclips. Finally, I installed a rear rack on the bike. A rack increases the utility of any bicycle immeasurably.

So, if the thought of being unable or unwilling to blend into the beautiful young Tour de' France wannabe set, the tanned and rugged mountain bike crowd, or the pierced and angry punk bikers has kept you away from bicycling, think again. There are bikes out there for the rest of us.