1940s Schwinn New World

I'm a fan of the Schwinn New World bikes, which sometimes are forgotten when people focus on Schwinn Paramounts, Superiors, or Continentals. But the New World is still a great bicycle, and a classic that is not a bank-breaker if you want to buy one.

This 1940s New World has been in my collection for several years, and I enjoy riding it a lot. The New Worlds have more relaxed frames than the Raleigh Sports bikes, and can feature some unique touches, like art deco parts/designs. The winged chainguard is certainly one of them, as is the "razor back" stem with monogram bolts.

I added the French light set to this bike as a period touch, complete with yellow French headlight bulb. Whereas the Raleigh offers a more "straightforward" 3-speed, the Schwinn New World offers something a little "flashier" in terms of artistic parts.

Good Weather, Lots of Daylight - Raleigh Sprite

We've had a stretch of really, really nice weather over the past couple of days. These are prime days for riding - some of the longest days of the year, along with some of the best weather of the year. Our weather this time of June is often very hot and humid, but the past couple of days have been great - plenty of daylight and good weather.

Here's a shot of the 5-speed Raleigh Sprite from over the weekend:

Large Wheels, Small Wheels

 I took a couple of different bike rides today, due to the fact that I had no chance to ride yesterday on account of rain.

So I decided to take two very different bicycles: a 1962 Raleigh DL-1 with 28-inch wheels, and a 1971 Raleigh Twenty folding bike with 20-inch wheels.

As you'd might expect, the two bikes handle differently. The Twenty is lighter and "snappier", but has less of a feeling of momentum behind it when you ride. The small wheels are a little slower than the full-sized wheels, but not much.

What is different is the feeling of "heft" and momentum you get in the DL-1. The DL-1 feels like a locomotive by comparison: slower to start off, and not as snappy, but with a lot of energy behind it once it gets going. The large wheels soak up bumps and go over obstacles without too much trouble. The DL-1's slack frame also contributes greatly to the unique feel of the bike.

The Twenty's wheels do have a little cushion because of the wide tires, but the bumps have a little harshness to them that they don't have with the DL-1. The Twenty's small, trim frame make it great in traffic, though less stable if you try to ride hands-free.

Both are excellent bicycles and of very good quality. Both have a place in every complete Raleigh collection.

Evening Rides - Raleigh Twenty

A shot of the Raleigh Twenty from the other evening. We're into the longest days of the year, and we have daylight until about 8:45 p.m. With the help of a couple of LED lamps that charge via USB cable, I can ride well into the evening. I did just that with this Raleigh Twenty. It's cooler and more pleasant at dusk than earlier in the evening this time of year, and this ride was pretty good.

The Raleigh Twenty is a bit deceptive. Despite having small wheels and a folding frame, the bike is actually quite robust. It is only slightly slower than a full-sized wheel bike. It's a great choice for the person who wants a vintage folding bike that does not suffer much disadvantage compared to something like a Raleigh Sports. It may not fold up as compact as more modern folders, but it's rock solid and a joy to ride.

Rolling into Summer - Classic Raleigh Bikes

A few shots from this week. The week started relatively hot and humid, but finished with outstanding weather. It was warm and fairly dry today, with no sign of rain or thunderstorms. These are Grade-A riding days - lots of daylight into the evening, lots of warmth, and not too much humidity (yet). But the hottest and most humid days of summer still await...

1958 Raleigh Sports 4-Speed

1970 Raleigh Sprite 5-speed

1962 Raleigh DL-1 Export Model

1972 Raleigh Twenty Folding Bike

Also this weekend a couple of great sporting events: the U.S. Open Golf Tournament and the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. I plan on watching a bit of both this weekend.

The Longer Days

We're entering the longer days of the year - lots of daylight to ride in the evening. We've had some summer-like evenings here this week, along with some very nice, cooler weather. I had a good opportunity this week to ride several classic Raleigh bikes - a Raleigh DL-1; a Raleigh Twenty; and a Raleigh Sprite. These are all great bikes.

 With hot, humid weather arriving, these Mallard Ducks are out and about enjoying a swim.