tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post7017258115611555243..comments2024-03-27T05:14:23.738-04:00Comments on Lovely Bicycle!: Three Times a Lady: the Lives and Times of Modified Vintage BikesVelouriahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-37758902601894937282015-04-07T21:47:29.860-04:002015-04-07T21:47:29.860-04:00Hi,
as for the dynohub, restoring that thing can b...Hi,<br />as for the dynohub, restoring that thing can be fun... I got one once from the British eBay. Taking it apart needed a lot of WD40, a heat gun and a hammer (I wanted the magnet & armature to come out of the hub shell; the problem was that they got literally welded together with rust). And guess what? After putting it back together, it worked. You must remember that these hubs were rated at 6V 2W. A typical 6V 0.4A (2.4W), let alone 6V 0.5A (3W) bulb will be too much of a strain for it (we electricians call it "impedance mismatch") and it will barely glow. I suggest using a 6.3V 1.9W bulb which will actually light up. As for LEDs, people did experiments with these, but I think it was too much of a hassle to fit a LED + rectifier & regulator circuit in a headlight. A taillight is a completely different thing; it's easily done, and both of my bikes have dynamo-powered LED taillights with "standlight".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-23754993940790938402014-09-30T18:08:25.525-04:002014-09-30T18:08:25.525-04:00So delighted to find a "sister" of my re...So delighted to find a "sister" of my recently aquired bike - in your post!<br />Your story in full of life and personal attitude. Hope I could write a similar one about my project, that may deserve it...<br />I've had a dream to own a true British light roadster for years. Finally came across an ad that announced the sell of a 1960 BSA - in the Russian town of Smolensk (I live in Moscow)! The owner was kind enough to bring it to me, I bought it - and am still wondering how could a 1960s British bike find its way into the Russian province in the years of Cold War!<br />The bike was in a most sad state (all repainted with a greasy black stuff), but nevertheless it had a pretty good frame, original wheels and mudguards, and - partly - original rod brakes. Yes, it seems that this bike had them from the very beginning, as British made rod brake were evidently unobtainable in Smolensk to replace the calipers. <br />My plan is to restore the bicycle into its original condition. I've ordered loads of spares from Britain, and hope to begin the work soon. I've washed the black stuff out, and found the original paint present, but in poor condition, needs repainting anyway...<br />Wish me luck - <br />and Good Luck to you!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-39127781640387338422014-06-03T11:37:06.120-04:002014-06-03T11:37:06.120-04:00You have opened up a new theme for your blog. I fo...You have opened up a new theme for your blog. I found you when we were looking to buy new bikes in Germany, and eventually settled on Bella Ciao. As I got deeper into it, I began looking for sad old Raleigh DL-1 bikes where all that was left worth using was the frame and perhaps the original guards. Each old bike rides dramatically differently, mostly due to geometry and selection of components (28" 1 1/2 wheels perform so differently than 26" or 700C).<br /><br />I expect many of your readers come to you when they are looking to get back into bikes as adults... with various memories of bikes as a child. As a kid, the bike was a toy. As an adult it is a tool, but too many bike outlets sell toys even for grownups. A MTB for the road is the wrong design, and then dumbing it down to be a "hybrid" is form following trends, not function.<br /><br />While your reviews of new bikes is great for one group of readers, this review of the 2nd life bike (born again?) opens a whole new avenue of discussion. In theory it is simple... find an old bike, upgrade the components and ride. But what bike? What are its characteristics? What components are best (a combination of fit and price/performance)?<br /><br />This may be an area where you consider an addition to your software... set up a place where readers can share not only their short comments (like this one), but submit a detailed documentation of their 2nd life bike complete with photos. Then select one to run in your blog every so often, say 1st blog of the month. This will result in more bikes being saved. You might even enroll the component makers to sponsor your work, just as new bike manufacturers saw the value in sponsoring this blog.<br /><br />Just a thoughtAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-37978994076297709732014-05-29T17:25:50.911-04:002014-05-29T17:25:50.911-04:00So you live in Northern Ireland now? I'd thou...So you live in Northern Ireland now? I'd thought you were there a rather long time for some kind of job deployment...guess that's why the "co-habitant" hadn't featured in a long while.<br /><br />M.MEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08086901374821838288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-57605455953665335892014-05-29T09:50:42.776-04:002014-05-29T09:50:42.776-04:00I did this a few years ago using a retrofit LED bu...I did this a few years ago using a retrofit LED bulb a bit like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/NITE-IZE-Upgrade-Cell-White/dp/B0013LKFVO/ref=tag_stp_s2_edpp_url<br />(check power level around 1 Watt), a full rectifier chip and a stack of ni-cad C-cell batteries in a piece of waste pipe fitted between the pump bosses. Also wired in four ultrabright old-skool LEDs to the rear lamp. It's a lot brighter than the filament bulbs, but does need the batteries on my set-up to power both ends. Losing the rear lights is a good indicator that the batteries need a charge. The dynohub then powers the front lamp only - at nearly full brightness. I think it depends on how well the dynohub still performs - my wife's bike is better in this respect with otherwise identical set-up. I was inspired by Sheldon Brown on this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-84136828092839201132014-05-28T15:56:33.849-04:002014-05-28T15:56:33.849-04:00Regardez la C.N.C. au bas de la page:
http://hila...Regardez la C.N.C. au bas de la page:<br /><br />http://hilarystone.com/bike.html<br /><br />She has conspicuously had a minimum of three lives so far. Looks ready for more. You were saying something about combining the best of the Rawland and the Seven? And Frenchness! It would be project n+5 for me. If it were my size it would be sold anyway.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-16713568674733639672014-05-27T06:19:28.348-04:002014-05-27T06:19:28.348-04:00Last time I checked it was not possible, I forget ...Last time I checked it was not possible, I forget the exact mechanics of why. That was a couple years back though. Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-39891621060843225232014-05-26T20:29:23.327-04:002014-05-26T20:29:23.327-04:00I have never seen such fantastic brake pads.I have never seen such fantastic brake pads.Eric Hancockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17360291081839210114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-42116775227228303642014-05-26T02:54:32.414-04:002014-05-26T02:54:32.414-04:00Everything needs replacing eventually.Trying to ke...Everything needs replacing eventually.Trying to keep something "on the road" which long ago should have been consigned to the recycling centre or left to languish in peace beneath a flowering hedge is not always the best option. Move on ,the past is nice to visit but we should be careful not to linger too long.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-70644044717581053452014-05-26T02:48:54.931-04:002014-05-26T02:48:54.931-04:00Having done the old bike thing,I thank my Gods for...Having done the old bike thing,I thank my Gods for the "bike to Work" scheme.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-71911020459782935842014-05-25T17:21:01.622-04:002014-05-25T17:21:01.622-04:00Even with modern LEDs? They require a lot less po...Even with modern LEDs? They require a lot less power.msrwhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16405671873250914126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-47344986075995196412014-05-25T00:58:22.158-04:002014-05-25T00:58:22.158-04:00I thought the name may have been a nod to Ladyhawk...I thought the name may have been a nod to Ladyhawke.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13968501890068288083noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-29554893941647811342014-05-24T18:40:42.826-04:002014-05-24T18:40:42.826-04:00Is there 2" of stem in the steerer? They did ...Is there 2" of stem in the steerer? They did make some tall ones so I don't know the answer to that. But check and be sure. It's high enough to make me squeamish.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-46284395942229163242014-05-24T14:31:53.171-04:002014-05-24T14:31:53.171-04:00Love the fork crown detail on that BSA nice shot. ...Love the fork crown detail on that BSA nice shot. Just picked up a late 70s Motobecane Grand Touring I am looking forward to lavishing love on. Great to see old bikes getting new life.RoadieRyanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15900109046198641775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-55090926905616050072014-05-24T07:50:03.386-04:002014-05-24T07:50:03.386-04:00Busch & Muller do the Lumotec Classic which wi...Busch & Muller do the Lumotec Classic which will blend right in and the Seculite or the newer Secula will fit to the mudguard and not look out of place. There are places that will service your SA dyno hub but I cant find one in Ireland. Nenon and her team at www.bicycleworkshop.co.uk do a good job but that Lunnon place is a trek from youNeilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12882486469610812017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-37927641045521031112014-05-24T07:49:10.076-04:002014-05-24T07:49:10.076-04:00Replied below first before seeing your comment. Mi...Replied below first before seeing your comment. Might work, but it's a lot of fuss just to end up with a dim set of lights. It's pitch black around here. Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-77051809689886551102014-05-24T07:42:30.536-04:002014-05-24T07:42:30.536-04:00It might work again. But the output of the old dyn...It might work again. But the output of the old dynohubs is lower than that of modern hubs or bottle dynamos, so it won't be much use with modern lights. I do have some vintage lights that could be fitted, but the light output would be considerably inferior.Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-52825048115497309752014-05-24T05:23:18.696-04:002014-05-24T05:23:18.696-04:00A bike is more than just a frame; plenty of MTB pa...A bike is more than just a frame; plenty of MTB part can rust. Braking and needing to stop suddenly depends on where you ride. To the shops and back on the flat farm roads, it's more than fine. Velouriahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00359329171411037482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-86013478718937055512014-05-24T04:47:42.813-04:002014-05-24T04:47:42.813-04:00I've read information about the front hub &quo...I've read information about the front hub "dynohub" from Sheldon Brown: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/dynohubs.html<br />Maybe it can work again.<br /><br />L.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-84040673747395158532014-05-24T00:30:31.934-04:002014-05-24T00:30:31.934-04:00You can't always go by that. Like some kinds ...You can't always go by that. Like some kinds of fish and lizards, bikes can, er...transition genders over time. I've seen it happen...BikeTodenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-75760846314411266052014-05-23T23:53:14.805-04:002014-05-23T23:53:14.805-04:00Loving this post and bike story! It's much bet...Loving this post and bike story! It's much better to have an old bike that's been modified to make it roadworthy and rideable on an everyday basis. That's what I've done with mine, and while I look a little wistfully at the old photos with its original wheels, I like that I can ride it everyday much better.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-70741349360162292102014-05-23T19:58:17.393-04:002014-05-23T19:58:17.393-04:00Those brakes and rims would give me pause, but per...Those brakes and rims would give me pause, but perhaps in Northern Ireland you don't need to stop so suddenly. Also, did you say rusty mountain bike? Wasn't that aluminum? This old steel thing seems more worrisome.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-89068346764792396652014-05-23T17:38:14.614-04:002014-05-23T17:38:14.614-04:00I love those white hard rubber grips. The bike I h...I love those white hard rubber grips. The bike I have now had such grips (installed, I'm fairly sure, by the previous owner), which I unfortunately lost in the process of switching them out with comfier, but much less fun, Oury grips.Elihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02986322663986188137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-6142877253045225112014-05-23T17:05:21.230-04:002014-05-23T17:05:21.230-04:00I could easily see Clive tootling around the quart...I could easily see Clive tootling around the quarterdeck in circles, teacup in one hand, rangefinder Olympus in the other, taking snap after snap of his bare feet on the pedals while the deck whirs by blurrily under-wheel. <br />At least until he gets too close to the fantail railing.<br /><br /> *shudder*<br /><br />That bike is both a rolling monument and a tabula rasa, isn't it?<br /><br /> I am very fond of that green.<br />Corey Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15381826721030941179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6467858377106451384.post-71351993655284064492014-05-23T15:31:16.579-04:002014-05-23T15:31:16.579-04:00Does the Sturmey-Archer Dynohub work? Setting up ...Does the Sturmey-Archer Dynohub work? Setting up generator-powered lights would be a nice addition for this bike. One of the proudest moments in my brief history of bike wrenching was coaxing a rusty, seized-up GH6 to pump out current. Just make sure you don't separate the armature from the magnet. There are pretty good instructions on line. MT cyclisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17451590809473759574noreply@blogger.com