Season's Greetings to All - 2024

 

It is hard to believe we are only five days from Christmas. This time of year, the days are short and the weather is pretty cold around here. I am working occasionally at my indoor "shop", which is a spare room in the upstairs of my house. The bikes are all stored away for the winter.

Around this time every year, I send out my Christmas/holiday type cards. My personal favorites are cards based on the artwork of William S. Rice. William S. Rice was an early 20th century wood cut artist  originally from Pennsylvania, but who worked his most productive years based in northern California. He made some beautiful "arts and crafts" style artwork of the mountain west prior to WWII. I'm especially fond of his works in the 1920s and 30s. 

 

Pomegranate Cards makes a wonderful pack of winter/holiday cards based on the works of William Rice. These are my "go-to" cards, which I've used for several years. They're almost a form of fine art on their own. 

 

I find they're the perfect remedy to the proliferation of internet-based, "do it yourself" type cards that people put together using collages of photos of themselves. The Pomegranate/Rice cards are simple and portray the beauty of winter in the western USA, including some wonderful areas of the National Parks. I'd rather that my cards portray the natural beauty of winter.

Packs of these cards are available again through retailers like Amazon, and bookstores like Barnes & Noble. 

 

Season's Greetings to all. May 2025 be a good year with health and success for you.

Bike History in America: WWII Part 1 - the "Gathering Storm"

 Many people know that the United States fought in World War II between December 1941 and September 1945 (at least I hope many people still know this). Fewer people know that even before officially joining the allied powers, the U.S. contributed war materiel to the allies, especially Britain and France. The U.S. supported the allies for a number of months before joining the war officially. 

 But what you may not know is that even before December 7, 1941 (Pear Harbor), the U.S. government was instructing manufacturers to prepare for a wartime footing. These instructions limited the use of certain materials or limited production to certain models of civilian products.

Bicycles were no exception. Let's take a look at a Schwinn directive, dating to October 1941, around two months before Pearl Harbor. [special thanks to Mark Mattei for making these materials available]

The following pages show how Schwinn bicycles, an American company followed a U.S. Government order to limit production of certain models. By fall 1941, it was becoming clear that the United States would eventually be drawn into the war. Schwinn was able to continue producing several balloon tire models and several "lightweights" (in American parlance, a "lightweight" was a bicycle similar to an English three speed type bike). 

Stricter limitations on use of strategic materials would eventually come, but even before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the bicycle industry was like so many other American industries in that it was moving to a wartime footing.

Copake Bicycle Auction October 2024 Recap

The 32nd Copake bicycle auction took place on October 12, 2024. With that auction in the history books now, let's take a look at prices on roadsters and similar utility bikes.

Overall, prices on utility bikes were quite low. Given the effects of inflation in the US market and the rise of electric bicycles gradually replacing traditional bikes, it seems like prices are down in much of the vintage bike hobby.  

[Note - the final price to the buyer is often higher when taxes, fees, and buyer's premium are thrown in. If the bike is to be shipped, the price of shipping also has to be considered. While these prices are pretty low on paper, the buyer's final "out of pocket" cost may be considerably higher].

This very clean men's 22-inch Raleigh DL-1 sold for $270. Given the outstanding condition, that's a pretty good bargain. The 22-inch frame is also a desirable frame size, given that it is paired with 28-inch wheels on the DL-1. Someone got a good deal.

 

 

The ladies companion to the men's DL-1 also sold. It also was in excellent condition. Being a ladies' bike, it sold for less money. At $210, it was not a bad deal at all.

This much older ladies' roadster also sold. At $180, it was not a bad buy, given it is a pretty well-equipped bike. Sadly, many of these bikes end up disassembled for parts for men's bikes. They deserve preservation in their own right, but at $180, you're often looking at something that will be parted-out.

This interesting Swiss Army bicycle sold for just $210. You'll often see these priced in the $400-$650 range online, but this example sold for a lower price. Someone got a very good deal, given how much these usually sell for. Swiss Army bikes have a collector interest apart from just "old bike people". Vintage military item collectors and Swiss Army collectors (think people who collect Swiss Army Knives) also like these bikes. Switzerland is a mountainous country, but the preference was for a single-speed bike there. They must get off the bike and push it uphill pretty often...

A slightly different item is this semi-custom Raleigh Lenton. This is a classic 1950s Lenton that has had a few upgrades, but everything looks pretty tastefully done. It sold for $360, which is a pretty good deal for a classic Lenton with decent upgrades. I have a beautiful, 1953 Lenton in that same color and size that I recently rebuilt, and which was a restoration winner in the 2024 Bikeforums "On the Road Again Challenge" (see HERE).

Final Thoughts

The prices on classic utility bikes and roadsters haven't jumped compared to previous years. They still are one of the more affordable categories in the vintage bike hobby. [For a contrast - look at how vintage BMX and mountain bike prices are through the roof the past few years]. Vintage "3 speed" style bikes are still a great way to own and ride an old bike, without breaking the bank. The one downside, I think, is that the past few Copake auctions have been pretty thin on classic utility bikes. One of their auctions a few years ago did have a nice variety of three speed bikes at good prices, but 2024, like the past couple auctions, had only a few of these bikes on offer. The prices were pretty buyer-friendly, but hopefully we will see more of these bikes turn up in future auctions.

Cleaning and Refurbishing Old Bikes - Products I Prefer as of 2024 - 2025

 

I've been refurbishing and riding vintage bikes since the mid-1990s. In all that time, I have never been sponsored or paid for my work. However, over the years I have developed a short list of my "go to" products for certain jobs. These products are my own preferences - unpaid and unsolicited.

• 3-in-1 "Blue Bottle" Oil: 3-in-1 makes a 20-weight oil that is great for oiling old hubs, brake calipers, brake rods, and levers. Be sure to buy the oil in the bottle with the blue stripe that shows a little engine on the side of it. The more common 3-in-1 oil with the black/red stripe is not as good. I've gone through countless bottles of "blue bottle" 3-in-1 20-weight oil over the years. It is my go-to for periodic oiling of Sturmey Archer three speed hubs.
  

• Acetone: This is my final de-greaser of choice for bare metal and chrome. Do not use it on paint or decals. I use acetone when I need something totally clean from grease or residue, such as re-bluing old bearing surfaces and parts. It also is a good final cleaner before priming and painting something. Wear heavy gloves with it. Acetone can also be used to carefully rub off spray paint that has gotten onto an old bike part. Be careful though - it will remove original paint if you go too hard with it.
  

• Citri-Strip Paint Stripper: This is a modern paint stripper found in big box and hardware stores. If I need to strip paint off a part, I use this stuff first. If it's not strong enough, I resort to True-Test Paint Stripper (see below). Wear heavy gloves with any paint stripper.
  

• Channellock: Channellock makes pliers and wide-mouth wrenches. They have a light blue handle. Channellock makes a six-inch wrench with an ultra-wide jaw that is useful for the large nuts found on headsets and once-piece cranks.
  

• Craftsman Tools (vintage USA): I love old, USA-made Craftsman wrenches, sockets, and screwdrivers. These were sold at Sears stores in the USA many years ago. They are well-made and reasonably priced. These were the tools "regular" people in the US used back in the day (Snap-On was an option if you had a lot of money to spend). I usually get them from sellers on eBay or at local junk sales. Newer Craftsman tools are usually made in Taiwan. They're not quite as good as the old, USA-made tools, but they're also not bad.
  

• Dawn Power Wash: This is a relatively recent product that I use for cleaning up dirt, grease, and grime on old bikes. Spray it on and leave it for a few minutes, then wash and wipe away. Do not leave it on old decals - it may damage them. Good for cleaning dirt off most kinds of paint and chrome.

• Dupli-Color Automotive Paint: This is a touch-up paint for cars and trucks that comes in a slender plastic bottle. It is acetone-based and dries very quickly. If you have an exact match for paint that does not require mixing of colors, then this paint works nicely. It's durable enough for bike use. I often thin the paint with a little acetone before applying it. It goes on very thick straight from the bottle. I like this paint for black bikes where I can just apply the paint directly rather than having to mix colors. For mixing colors, I use Testor's model enamel (see below). 
  

• Estwing Sure Strike: I have a couple Estwing Sure Strike hammers with hickory handles. These are older hammers and are very well-made. My go-to hammer is an Estwing Sure Strike ball peen hammer with a wooden handle. I periodically polish the striking surfaces on the hammer using a polishing wheel. This helps prevent marring of work surfaces when using the hammer. A hammer face with dings and cuts in it can mar the surface of whatever you are striking.
  

• Evaporust:  This is a rust remover that is pre-mixed and somewhat expensive. I use it once in awhile, but I prefer oxalic acid that I mix myself (see below). Be careful if you subject old decals to this - it can soften and ruin them. Given a choice, I usually opt for oxalic acid.
  

• Greases: When I need grease, my go-to is a good #2 medium weight green grease. I like Lucas brand green grease that comes in the tubes you put in the grease gun. It is made for machines with small bearings that go through many revolutions, so it's good for bike bearings. For thin grease, I like WD40's white spray grease, which is a thin product. It bridges the gap between an oil and a grease - when you need something thinner than #2 grease but oil would be too thin.
  

• One-Step: This is a chain cleaning and lubricating product for when you need to "top off" the chain with a little oil to smooth it out. It is not a substitute for a full chain cleaning, but when you just need a little cleaning and lubrication on occasion, it works well on the chain.
  

• Oxalic Acid: Savogran and Florida Labs produce oxalic acid for bleaching wood. In a diluted form, it works well to remove rust from metal surfaces. It does well with bare metal and chrome plated metal. Be careful using it with paint, and be very careful subjecting old decals to oxalic acid. A little goes a long way... It will bleach certain kinds of paint, particularly red paints that use iron oxide as an ingredient. It will also bleach certain kinds of gold pinstripes.  
  

• Parktool: Park makes good bicycle-specific tools. Look for the blue handle. My rule with Park is this: I get the Parktool version if it is a bicycle-specific tool (for example, a chainbreaker, headset assembler, frame straightener, cone wrench, etc.). For general-purpose tools like wrenches, sockets, and screwdrivers, vintage USA-made Craftsman is my go-go.
  

• Pedro's Tire Levers: I like Pedro's brand tire levers. They're a wide, plastic lever that is yellow in color. They provide good leverage and are a little beefier than the usual tire lever for a bike.
  

• Rustoleum Spray Paint: Rustoleum is a well-known American spray paint. It has been a staple at hardware and big box stores for years. It was the "average guy's" spray paint back in the day, but over the past 20 years or so has improved quite a bit. I use it as my go-to for priming and painting stuff where I don't need a dead-on match of specialty paint. For example, I use their black paint to re-paint old Sturmey Archer pulleys that have lost their original paint (Sturmey Archer black-out pulleys were common from the 1900s through the early 1950s). For painting a bike frame and fenders, I'd take the piece to a paint shop and have a specialty paint mixed up.
  

• Simple Green: This is a well-known household cleaner that is not overly harsh and a kind of minty smell. I like to use it for de-greasing and dirt removal. I usually combine it with some bronze wool or an old tooth brush. I also use it as a key ingredient in ultrasonic cleaner baths (see below). 

• Testors Model Enamel: This is an oil-based enamel that comes in small glass jars. If you built model cars or airplanes as a child, you probably are familiar with it. It is easy to mix to get custom colors. It is not terribly durable, but if you need a special color mix to touch-up an old bike, this is a good paint to try.

• Tri-Flow: This is a very thin lubricating oil for tasks where 3-in-1 blue bottle oil is too thick. It's good for the very tight spaces, such as when you want to put a little oil in a brake caliper but you don't want to loosen up the caliper at all. It creeps into the tight spaces nicely. Don't lose the little straw that comes with the bottle!
  

• True-Test Paint Stripper: This is an older paint stripper. The bottle looks to be from the 1980s and was sold at local Tru-Value hardware store. It's harsh and it's toxic, but if you need to nuke old paint, this stuff works wonders. If you have a bottle of this stuff around, keep it. It's getting hard to find good, strong paint strippers today due to environmental laws.

• Ultrasonic Cleaners: I own two ultrasonic cleaners: a small Lyman machine and a generic Vevor machine (from Amazon's website). I love ultrasonic cleaners. They are a "game changer" when it comes to cleaning small parts and caged bearings. I often disassemble Sturmey Archer hubs and thoroughly clean them with an ultrasonic cleaner. Instead of scrubbing by hand, I put them in the machine for a few minutes with heat on, and let the machine do the work of dirt and grease removal. My mix of choice is hot water, Simple Green, and a little Zep Citrus Degreaser in the tub.
  

• Victorinox: My go-to pocket knife is a knurled aluminum Victorinox Swiss Army Knife. I prefer the vintage "soldier" model (the knurled aluminum one - not the newer one) or its civilian cousin, the "pioneer" model. I have a small collection of classic Swiss Army knives, which is a hobby in its own right. I prefer the ones with knurled aluminum sides rather than the stereotypical plastic. 
  

• WD40: This is a decent rust inhibitor. I also use WD40 to wash the old grease out of hubs that I don't want to disassemble. In some situations, it can be used with very fine 0000 steel wool or bronze wool to remove light surface rust (be careful - go easy with it). It leaves a residue, so you need to de-grease before painting or bluing something if you've used WD40.
  

• Zep Citrus De-greaser: Zep makes several forms of orange de-greaser. There's a liquid and then there's a soap. The liquid I use as a component in my ultrasonic cleaner baths for cleaning parts (see below). I use the hand pump soap to clean my hands of dirt and grease.

 

 

1970 Raleigh DL-1 - Late Season Rides

 

We've certainly had some strange weather this fall. It has been very dry, to the point we now have wildfires in some locations. It has also been generally warm, which means a few extra opportunities to ride. I have to start out earlier - usually a little before 4:00 p.m., so that I can get an hour or so of riding in before it is dark. But any time riding in the second half of November around here is a true bonus. 

 

 

An Unexpected Extension of the Riding Season

 This week's pleasant surprise has been the weather: unseasonably warm and dry. Normally my ride season basically ends when the clocks change. Well, the clocks changed last Saturday, and I'm still riding. I have to go a little earlier in the evening because it gets dark sooner, but the weather has been cooperative. This week I have out the 1970 Raleigh DL-1 rod brake roadster and the 1964 Schwinn Traveler. Both have retro lights with LED bulbs, which are very helpful this time of year.

 

Sturmey Archer Three Speed Shifters - Another Variation of the "Upside Down" Shifter

The evolution of Sturmey Archer post-war shifters is well-documented. If you have not already, take a look at Martin Hanczyc's well-written summary on post-war shifters. Available HERE.

Mr. Hancyzc calls the non-window, "upside down" style shifter the "GC3B". The above shifters are examples.

But you may have noticed something - those shifters are not exactly the same. One has brown accents on it, with a slightly different font. Let's take a closer look and see that there are, in fact, several variations of GC3B.

The typical GC3B is shown below - black and red accents, and a fairly fine font for the lettering.

 

Now, let's take a look at the "variant" - a shifter with brown accents and a slightly bolder font.

 Notice on this brown variant how the patent lettering is bolder at the top, and how the "England" is also bolder at the bottom. The numbers are also a little bolder along the side. The "3 Speed" to the right also is larger than on the multi-color version. The contours on the shifter lever are also a little different - the lever is slightly larger and flatter than on the multi-color version.

One thing you cannot see, is that the brown shifter takes the screw-in cable end, while the multi-color  shifter above takes the later, slip-in type cable end. The brown shifter is a slightly earlier shifter than the multi-color.

What to make of this? It turns out that there are several versions of the GC3B "upside down" shifter of the late 1950s. There is the common, multi-color version with thinner writing and a shorter lever, but there is also the "brown" version with the longer lever and bolder writing on the face. Functionally, these shifters are similar, though the brown version has the screw-in type cable end and the multi-color uses the slip-in cable end. 

We have seen yet another variation of Sturmey Archer shifters from after WWII, during the 1950s. An additional thank you to Mr. Hanczyc for taking the time to put together his excellent summary on the shifters. Check out the link at the start of this article for more information on these wonderful bike parts.

Winding Down the Riding Season

 We're into the last week or so of the core riding season. Typically for me, the season "ends" when the clocks change during the first weekend in November. I may get a couple more rides in on warm weekend days, but my nightly rides after work finish up the last week in October or the first week in November. The clocks change early this year - November 2nd to 3rd. 

The start of this week was dry but cool. We're supposed to have some warmer weather (perhaps record warmth) later this week. 

 

I took out my 1964 Schwinn Traveler to start the week. I've been enjoying this bike more ever since I fiddled with the handlebar and saddle fit a little. It's a good, solid rider.

Pictures from a Warm Autumn Week...

 No complaints about the weather this week - very warm and very dry. I don't recall it ever being this dry in October. I've been riding every evening that I have some free time. This week, I've been out on the 1964 Schwinn Traveler and the 1970 Raleigh DL-1. The only downside of this weather is that the roads have become very dusty (see final photo with the DL-1 - that's a road dust cloud ahead).

Into the Second Half of October...

 It's hard to believe we're already into the second half of October. The riding season sure has gone by fast... The riding season here, at least for me, ends in early November usually. Once we go back to Standard Time, there's not enough daylight in the evenings to ride during the week. I'm confined at that point to occasional weekend rides, and that assumes the weather stays warm. Some years we have snow on the ground by the middle of November... (hopefully not though). 

I took my 1957 Schwinn Traveler for a ride last night. It's a nice contrast to the Raleigh DL-1 I recently rebuilt. The Schwinn, heavy though it is, is sporty compared to the DL-1. There's a lot to like about both bikes though. Anyway, I hope there's at least a couple more weeks of riding here for me. We shall see...

This time of year, it is important to dress in layers and have working lights on both the front and back of the bike. I use retro-style LED lights for an extra measure of safety and visibility.

1970 Raleigh DL-1 Rod Brake Roadster

This 1970 Raleigh DL-1 is pretty much ready. This bike came from an online sale at a fairly discount price, considering it was a low-mileage bike. The 24 inch frame on 28 inch wheels is as large as I would care to go, but it rides very nicely. 

 

Before:

 

After:

 

 

This bike has a large, 24-tooth rear cog (48-tooth front) and oversized Schwalbe tires. It has a very low gearing, which combines with those tires to create a "slow but steady" feel. The oversized tires are nice to have on dirt paths or rougher roads. 

 

The rod brakes are set up and adjusted. They stop about as well as rod brakes will stop a bike. The low gearing generally keeps the speeds pretty low anyway. The long crank arms and low gearing are nice to have on the hills around here.

Summary of work done:

• All bearings cleaned, oiled/greased and rebuilt.
• Everything disassembled and cleaned.
• Hubs disassembled, cleaned in ultrasonic cleaner, rebuilt. 
• Replace crank cotter pins. 
• Add new-old-stock Sturmey Archer shifter (metal face)
  
• New rubber grommets on fender wire brace mounts.
• Replace stripped/damaged screws and bolts.
  
• Rim washers added to wheels.
• Wheels tensioned and trued.
  
• New tires and rim strips.
• New brake pads (Kool Stop rubber)
• New MKS 3000S pedals
• New shifter cable and cable cover.
• Replace plastic fulcrum stop and pulley wheel with vintage metal.
  
• New chain (KMC nickel plated)
• New rear cog (24-tooth Sturmey Archer)
• Paint polished and touched-up.
• New old stock 1970s Raleigh handlebar grips.
• New saddle - Wright's Olympic roadster.
• New retro LED light set (Kiley/Soma)
• Replace wornout decals/graphics with new ones (H. Lloyd's)
  
• New Acorn saddlebag. 
• Vintage Raleigh bell.
  
  

Here are some close-ups - those H. Lloyd replacement decals are great.