This spring has been a mixed bag so far. We've had a few warm days, but also some very cold and windy ones. I've been putting miles on this 1941 Schwinn Henderson three speed, and it has been reliable so far.
It has the usual quirks that early Schwinn three speeds have: low stem, boxy handle bars, fillet brazed frame, mediocre braking power, hardened old hand grips, spindly fender braces, glass reflectors, etc. These pre-WWII Schwinn three speeds have a kind of "hand-built" element to them because they really were built by hand from steel tubing onward.
This is not necessarily a bad thing - these elements are part of what make these bikes ride as they do. They're a window back to a time when three speeds were cutting edge bicycles, and "exotic" in the United States compared to the single-speed balloon tire bike.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please keep comments on topic and civil. Comments subject to moderation.