She’s looking cute on that bike, even in this cold. I’m guessing that we’re seeing a pair of tights peeking between her trousers and her boots. That’s a great trick for staying warm in New England, on and off a bike.
Well, I’ve finished my reflective cycling cape and I must say I’m just a tiny bit disappointed. The price and time commitment were definitely right, but the finished result isn’t as great as I’d hoped. Oh, it’s cute all right. I like it, and I think for someone else it will be perfect, but
(NOTE, I’m not sure it’s any lighter than the Dashing Tweeds cape. Take a look at how theirs drapes. I just know that I’d want a heavier, longer cape for Boston)
On final review it’s worth far more than the I spent, but it not yet the ideal reflective cycling cape.
This classy cyclist in Cambridge has me very impressed. It got quickly cold here and I went for comfort today. Not her, she’s looking good today. Her black stockings looked especially nice with her coat and heels. Bravo!
I was wearing my new velvet skirt and feeling good. The sun was shining, the birds singing. It’s that beautiful crisp golden autumn light that can only be found in New England. I saw Sexy Brompton ride by in his Barbour, waved at my Blog Friend E, and generally felt that all was right in my little world.
I was sitting outside on my breakfast date with my husband, watching the cyclists go by for all of you when I saw it: my first dooring. It looked like the bike just slipped out from under her, she fell forward and braced with her hands which might have been very good since she wasn’t wearing a helmet. The scariest part was that there was a city bus right behind her which barely managed to miss her as she was sprawled out on the road. She could have been any one of us. She was riding a KHS Green ladies’ frame and wearing really cute black flowered flats, which fell off in the accident. The other thing which went flying was her iPod. I can’t say whether she was wearing it while riding, and whether being off in her own world might have contributed to the accident. I’ll never know.
We went running over to help. I flagged down an ambulance that happened to be passing by and my husband got the bike out of the road and gave it a once over. Another cyclist was diverting traffic. The car driver was very sorry and occupied herself with the injured cyclist. We left knowing that the cyclist would be all right, but we would all be shaken up all day.
In discussing the accident it’s unclear how it could have been avoided. The road was too large and busy for all these cyclists to take the lane all the time. I would not feel comfortable (or safe) behaving that way in that place. The sidewalk is very much needed by the large pedestrian population. There’s a hospital nearby and many people out walking are very frail. I would not have them dodging bikes on the sidewalk. I really don’t have an answer for today’s accident.
Please, all of you: be careful out there.
Mass Ave is under construction. It looks like they’re widening the roadway by taking out the raised center island. Dare I hope for a bike lane?
I first came across these saddles on the to be, inspired blog, but the entire Flickr set is worth checking out. Kara does absolutely gorgeous work. I’d love to see a Western styled custom Brooks saddle.
Step one of my drivetrain overhaul is complete. My bike has a new sealed cartridge bottom bracket, which will be much easier to maintain going forward, particularly as we enter winter.
The new bottom bracket required new cranks, something I wasn’t thrilled about, but it all works flawlessly now. Perhaps someday I will find prettier cranks with the correct taper.
It’s worth noting that, while we could have installed the cartridge ourselves, removing the old cups from the old-fashioned bottom bracket was not something we could do ourselves. Shops have expensive specialized tools to complete the task quickly and efficiently. My second-favorite mechanic on earth (I’m not married to you, J) did all of this for less money than the one-month bus pass I would have had to buy while we fought with the bike. In other words, money well spent.
As part of the repair we brought in the hack-sawed SKS chainguard bracket which he put on when installing the cartridge. It was originally 3-armed and we removed one to leave just two mounting points for the chainguard. This modification allowed me to install my pretty French chainguard!
It would probably look better with a larger chainring but this is the size calculated to be ideal for Step Two of the drivetrain overhaul, internal 3-speed hub. My husband finished the wheel last night, so that’s happening soon. You can see that the modern cranks are a little, uh, robust, beefy, for the vintage bike, but they do work well.
I had to drill a new hole in the chainguard to match the bracket. It was easy to do. The bracket is threaded, so I haven’t added the nuts to the screws yet. I will do that this weekend as I now have it positioned just right.
Here you can see how the chopped SKS chainguard mount holds the chainguard without touching my frame. It’s clamped on by the bottom bracket. I like that there will be no cause for more rust than I already have…
SKS, I know you’re not reading but if you were I think this would be a natural product to offer. So many people struggle with mounting a custom chainguard, why don’t you offer a vintage chainguard kit?
I’ve been riding with it for a week now and it’s been great. I feel like my bike has new jewelry, and my trousers have been protected. The new bottom bracket is a more subtle upgrade, but it does make the bike feel stronger, smoother, and thus safer. I’m a very happy cyclist.
Spotted in Cambridge, this bike has seen better days but her previous beauty shines through and she’s clearly still functional. I hope she’s been rescued and is on her way to the Bike Spa.
Look at all that muck on her fork. The gold headbadge is lovely though!
The seat tube decals are what I first noticed about the bike.
I love the Art Nouveau styling of the original pedal blocks.
This two-toned paint scheme would be expensive to reproduce.
Note that the chainring reads “Phillips” (it’s hard to see unless you enlarge the photo).
On a grey rainy day I thought of this “Cloud Bike” I spotted on Newbury Street last week. I thought the color scheme was distinctive, when I got closer I noticed many personalized details.
What do you all think of this custom headbadge? I’m intrigued with custom headbadges at the moment.
I was also interested in the chainguard, as I was working out how to mount mine. My setup looks nothing like this one, both are good.
A simple clamp works if you have the arm that comes off the chainguard. I wonder if that could be fabricated? Their chainring is a better size, aesthetically, than mine, it tucks in nicely to the guard while mine is a little small. I like the look of this one.
This clamp is obviously made for the job, and does it well.
The Boston Tweed Ride was a right good time, with at least 98 cyclists in their finest kit, a lovely mobile tea party, and beautiful bikes.
We were a cheery lot and may have recruited several new riders for next year, and there will be a next year.
This group photo is courtesy of Maileen Salazar, there are many more photos being added to the Boston Tweed Ride Flickr Pool.
