This winter has been mild so far. We have had only a few truly "cold" days. With temperatures in the 40's outside, I've been riding on weekend days when I have enough daylight to go.
I took out this 1941 Schwinn New World earlier today.
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Saturday, January 28, 2017
Still Riding
This winter has been mild so far. We have had only a few truly "cold" days. With temperatures in the 40's outside, I've been riding on weekend days when I have enough daylight to go.
I took out this 1941 Schwinn New World earlier today.
Monday, January 16, 2017
Winter
Today I took this 1941 Schwinn New World out for a spin. It was a chilly, grey day, but not too bad for riding with a proper winter kit. My winter kit is composed of heavy corduroy pants, a lined sweatshirt, and a medium weight ski coat. I wear boot socks and ankle boots to keep my feet warm.
For a helmet, I have a Bern helmet with winter ear flap liner. These winter liners really are great, and you can swap them out for a summer liner once warm weather returns.
Thursday, January 5, 2017
"Do the Simple Things Well"
I recently read that one of the few surviving members of the Shaker sect died a few days ago in Maine. This got me to thinking a little bit about one of the sect's beliefs in quality of craftsmanship while maintaining a simple design.
Shaker-made furniture is a great example of this view: finding meaning and spiritual value in simple designs built by hand, with a high degree of craftsmanship.
This is a philosophy I have always tried to follow in working on and re-building bicycles, but one that I think deserves reiterating. Awhile back, I wrote about the plain design of vintage utility bicycles like the Raleigh Sports, Schwinn New World, and Hercules Model C. These are plain designs with a high degree of quality in manufacturing, a quality I tried to maintain in re-building them.
I urge everyone working with vintage bicycles to try this approach in 2017; that is, try a build where you focus on simplicity of design but maximum quality in executing that design. A three speed utility bicycle would be a great start to such a project.
Shaker-made furniture is a great example of this view: finding meaning and spiritual value in simple designs built by hand, with a high degree of craftsmanship.
This is a philosophy I have always tried to follow in working on and re-building bicycles, but one that I think deserves reiterating. Awhile back, I wrote about the plain design of vintage utility bicycles like the Raleigh Sports, Schwinn New World, and Hercules Model C. These are plain designs with a high degree of quality in manufacturing, a quality I tried to maintain in re-building them.
I urge everyone working with vintage bicycles to try this approach in 2017; that is, try a build where you focus on simplicity of design but maximum quality in executing that design. A three speed utility bicycle would be a great start to such a project.
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