tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12483489558946226922024-03-14T09:41:53.141-04:00Spokes of a WheelRandom thoughts and ramblings of an avid cyclist, bike shop owner and mechanic, lover of the outdoors, etc.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.comBlogger338125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-20533090392184235952024-01-08T21:14:00.004-05:002024-01-08T21:14:39.895-05:00If anyone had ever told me... (first in a series)<p>... when I was in elementary school that I would one day end up in theatre, and even on stage, acting, I would have thought they were crazy. For that matter, I'm pretty sure my family was shocked when they saw me on stage and later building a career in the performing arts. My ultimate path took me off the stage and behind the scenes, but early on, I actually considered a career as an actor.</p><p> This is the first of what I hope will be a short series of posts,
all about aspects of my life that have turned out in ways I wouldn't
have expected at an earlier time. I'm using it as a tool to get my
writing revved up again, as that's something I really want to do this year. And while this blog has been sputtering for a while, it
seems like it might be a good tool in my toolbox to get that going.<br /></p><p>So, here goes...</p><p> </p><p>How the heck did I end up on stage?</p><p>To start with, I should explain I was a VERY shy kid. To this day, I'm pretty much the classic introvert, preferring my own company and MAYBE the company of a few select people, preferably no more than two or three at a time. In elementary school, I was the sensitive kid, the kid who loved to read, didn't really do sports, and was quiet and shy, to the extent that one teacher seriously suggested my mom take me to see a child psychologist. Thankfully, mom chose to ignore that, and other teachers and students saw aspects of me that helped bring me out of my shell a bit. Still, I was definitely in the "quiet" category at the start of junior high.</p><p>Then one day I got a phone call from my best friend Peter, saying "the drama club is covering flats tomorrow, and I'm going to help, do you want to come?" I had NO idea what any of that meant... I didn't even know there was such a thing as drama club at that point, let alone what "covering flats" was, but it was my best buddy asking, so I went. I quickly learned what a flat was and a lot more about putting on a show, and found it fascinating and fun.</p><p>I was happily discovering the whole new world of the "backstage" side of theatre when somehow or other, I ended up auditioning for a part in a play. I think the faculty advisor (oddly enough, a science teacher) talked me into trying out. Much to my surprise, I ended up landing a pretty big role, as a detective in a murder mystery who turns out to have been the killer. After that, I tried out again, for yet another "murder mystery" which was more of a farce, where yet again, I was the killer. This time though, the victim was a mouse and my character did away with him with a mouse trap and piece of cheese. Hey, it was junior high, we were NOT doing the classics by any means.</p><p>Now, how did a shy kid find the gumption to step onto a stage in front of an audience and not just utterly freeze in terror? It's a funny thing, and I know a lot of actors over the years have said this, but if you succeed in getting yourself into the head of the character, and the reality of what is happening on stage, the audience loses its threatening nature, and you don't really worry about them. And luckily, our drama club leader was very good at teaching us about being in character and other acting skills, for which I will always be grateful. It really was a major step in my life, giving me confidence I never had before. <br /></p><p>Starting high school, I discovered that not only was there a drama club, but a series of three drama classes you could take, and I took all three years. Starting out with small roles, I worked my way into playing a few lead roles in both comedies and dramas over the three years of high school, including the hysterically funny "The Mouse that Roared" and the far-too-weighty-for-high-school-actors "The Heiress", in which I struggled to portray an overbearing father who was slowly but surely dying of consumption or something like that. In the midst of all that, I also got a chance to branch out into community theatre, in the role of Prince John in <i>The Lion in Winter. </i>This did a lot to improve my confidence, acting alongside adult actors with a lot more experience than I had.</p><p>All this time I had also continued my work back stage, primarily in the set construction side of things. I wasn't ever really a "wood shop" kind of kid, and my dad wasn't one of those classic fathers who built things in the garage all the time. Now I found myself wielding saws and hammers and learning an awful lot about how to make something realistic looking from wood, fabric, and paint. I honestly found it as rewarding and fun as acting was, and in some ways a lot less stressful.</p><p>When it was time to pick a college, I focused on schools with good theatre programs, and thanks to an academic scholarship, I landed at Towson State University in the fall of 1979. For the first year or so, I worked a double track of acting and technical theatre, and found both really fun and challenging. Over time, however, I began to think about the reality of just how many people end up chasing a very small number of paid acting jobs, versus the number of people needed to do all the rest of the work. I had already started slowly leaning toward the backstage side of things when the head of that program nudged me, telling me I really needed to decide which path I wanted, if I was going to succeed at either.</p><p>As much as I enjoyed acting, I knew I was good, but not exceptional, in a field where exceptional people often end up waiting tables to make ends meet. I had also discovered I truly loved lighting design, and the art and science of technical direction was becoming more and more fascinating to me. So I made my choice and through the end of college, I followed that path.</p><p>Graduation came, and I already had a job at a community college, running the backstage operations for visiting performance groups and helping out with the theatre department shows. This was followed by enrolling in an MFA program in Technical Design and Production at the Yale School of Drama, where I really learned what it took to make a show happen from the backstage side of things. It was an exhausting and exhaustive three years, leaving me with knowledge, memories and friendships I will always cherish. If some people look back on high school as the "best" part of their lives, I would have to pick the three years in New Haven as, if not best, the most pivotal time of my life. <br /></p><p>After grad school, I held a number of jobs as a technical director at both professional and academic institutions. I taught for about a dozen years, passing on my knowledge and I hope my love of the work onto another generation. I worked in tiny theatres, huge theatres, small state colleges, and prestigious private universities widely known for their theatre training programs. I helped mount so many shows I've long ago lost count, and there are a lot of them I look back proudly on. <br /></p><p>On the other hand, the hours and generally lousy pay, coupled with the stress, ultimately got to me, driving me out of the field, but that's a story for another day.</p><p>And it all started with a random, chance phone call from a friend.<br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-47114091269452653992023-02-07T19:39:00.000-05:002023-02-07T19:39:40.764-05:00My new cat buddy - Chester!<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh8Telmj16jSzhOfvDqieWRk6tplcerEY8_aR8jHu1zW4GNQg0XPHfzVkMcxmOYkqBMoUaMAUwNQ7OjdE0VKsoeYxqsAa3Ypot7lesWug2vqMjR7IF_Umkuml5kXuJB7NfTYJKbPSekmDEmZcCIyfBRn_ItLK8_eI_5M6_IJ5zSuOtugKkcAfh_KeREg/s2048/Chester%20by%20BP%20010723.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh8Telmj16jSzhOfvDqieWRk6tplcerEY8_aR8jHu1zW4GNQg0XPHfzVkMcxmOYkqBMoUaMAUwNQ7OjdE0VKsoeYxqsAa3Ypot7lesWug2vqMjR7IF_Umkuml5kXuJB7NfTYJKbPSekmDEmZcCIyfBRn_ItLK8_eI_5M6_IJ5zSuOtugKkcAfh_KeREg/w400-h300/Chester%20by%20BP%20010723.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chester, napping in his heated cat bed at the shop. He likes his new life!</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Chester joined my household and the crew at BIKES@VIENNA just after Thanksgiving of 2022, and most days we're open, you'll find him here, at least until we get to the season where we keep the doors wide open.<p></p><p>So, how did the little guy come to me? Well, that's an interesting story. On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, I drove up to Ohiopyle State Park in Pennsylvania, to stay in one of their cabins. It's become something of a regular thing for me, a nice escape during the slow season, with simple, comfortable cabins and very few people around. Plus, the park is convenient to the Great Allegheny Passage trail, Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, the town of Ohiopyle, and lots of good hiking as well.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4c-SRG5qyviyEWgH4bkZEbiX54ZWhqfMwscdvDAdOaAv2NTrpNNsoYU8KwvddXLI0N5KvQRB48axH41KpcXCvERvbYmhwukzpmLaJodqO23GnOMGw4shuSyw6TPBfGwDh32oE2RRBir-I5_x5_zFahVN4b9-sJkFbEBqrlw7u-nzU_ECop3kbUTKv9A/s2048/chester%20porch.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1538" data-original-width="2048" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4c-SRG5qyviyEWgH4bkZEbiX54ZWhqfMwscdvDAdOaAv2NTrpNNsoYU8KwvddXLI0N5KvQRB48axH41KpcXCvERvbYmhwukzpmLaJodqO23GnOMGw4shuSyw6TPBfGwDh32oE2RRBir-I5_x5_zFahVN4b9-sJkFbEBqrlw7u-nzU_ECop3kbUTKv9A/w200-h150/chester%20porch.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First sighting!</td></tr></tbody></table>Monday morning I was sitting on the porch of my cabin, sipping some hot coffee, when I suddenly saw a small, grey shape hop up onto the picnic table at the next cabin. At first I thought it might be a raccoon, but quickly figured out it was a small tabby cat! There were no other people in that part of the campground, which is the "pet friendly" area, so I knew he didn't belong to a current camper. Eventually, he vanished around the far side of the other cabin. <p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbzp4xM1FJfzkIMYNdu_XrilJzRbk6uOdd7WNJA0JYgkxixMW-73mXKQwMz08xn2tyfu4c2mnz28_VQpYlCXPKp6R6hJe2jqmAlIFDHnFE7kTCWB8qmTDR-LVeBgfE60WImtNEhpxgtkPX_ngO32PJa0lfRYwtjWQUykhCXY3BAnnbtLpcCH_iaTwnQ/s4032/IMG_3287.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSbzp4xM1FJfzkIMYNdu_XrilJzRbk6uOdd7WNJA0JYgkxixMW-73mXKQwMz08xn2tyfu4c2mnz28_VQpYlCXPKp6R6hJe2jqmAlIFDHnFE7kTCWB8qmTDR-LVeBgfE60WImtNEhpxgtkPX_ngO32PJa0lfRYwtjWQUykhCXY3BAnnbtLpcCH_iaTwnQ/w150-h200/IMG_3287.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the edge of my porch.</td></tr></tbody></table>I soon decided I couldn't just ignore him, so I opened up a can of tuna and put it in a bowl and set it by the porch of the other cabin. I returned to my cabin, and waited. Sure enough, he eventually came out of hiding, and started eating, now and then stealing glances my way. Over the next couple of days, I kept putting out tuna, and gradually moved it closer and closer to my cabin, and then onto my porch. <br /><p></p><p>Wednesday came, and it was a cold, wet morning, and no sign of my furry friend. I waited until around noon, and then decided I'd get ready for a hike, as the weather was clearing. Just as I was all packed up and ready to go, there he was, at the edge of my porch, eating the tuna.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSlUdEHjVBvQD0o0C9GR-3kpRxShGjVvwxyeiY-OP_7xOEqxzY9Lz70ee0R17DiWiK0qpSx2SMUg_ZClM8h0JUrdx2QULik4XSKyfuKuin4EzfK5NeiM67vgR2bH2lKjjEVDLllKOtWyL96LSe-I7GiQg5nQ_sv_WOqpqVbimgxbkt6cuyXmhId8ZJg/s4032/IMG_3326.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSlUdEHjVBvQD0o0C9GR-3kpRxShGjVvwxyeiY-OP_7xOEqxzY9Lz70ee0R17DiWiK0qpSx2SMUg_ZClM8h0JUrdx2QULik4XSKyfuKuin4EzfK5NeiM67vgR2bH2lKjjEVDLllKOtWyL96LSe-I7GiQg5nQ_sv_WOqpqVbimgxbkt6cuyXmhId8ZJg/w200-h150/IMG_3326.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the threshold.</td></tr></tbody></table>The next two hours were all about refilling the dish, gradually moving it closer and closer to the open door of my cabin. I stayed inside, sitting on the floor, watching him. Ultimately, I brought it inside the cabin and waited. He was cautious, but did eventually come in and eat, while I kept my distance. Once he got to where he started to look around the cabin a bit, I quietly went to the door and closed it.<p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHcOP-vieKA66019cybiiZevYg1L_9Yo1dhc-L3Ph9D_2zlAT0KnKVtHPj-yVAfECUBON0xPST5DFQgaJ_wAbVbNwNSVinrOAspPb93VwyqXt1qZqqTMP9rIRi8ZQPbAgwoAUt4rmVpyVnNFuhU2P-3KBgEpqk73Oy4XEZvTPa5crB-OhP0vh8D0UcPw/s4032/IMG_3335.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHcOP-vieKA66019cybiiZevYg1L_9Yo1dhc-L3Ph9D_2zlAT0KnKVtHPj-yVAfECUBON0xPST5DFQgaJ_wAbVbNwNSVinrOAspPb93VwyqXt1qZqqTMP9rIRi8ZQPbAgwoAUt4rmVpyVnNFuhU2P-3KBgEpqk73Oy4XEZvTPa5crB-OhP0vh8D0UcPw/w200-h150/IMG_3335.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the top bunk.</td></tr></tbody></table>His first reaction was to run to each of the windows to look outside, then racing up to one of the top bunks, where he just lay down looking very unsure. He stayed there a good long while, so I went to the park office to find out if they had any missing cat reports.<br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Now, at this point, I have to add an interesting twist to the story - exactly one year earlier, at the same park, in the same group of cabins, another cat appeared. So this wasn't my first experience with luring a cat into a cabin with tuna. That cat had a collar and tag, so I was able to reunite her with her family, who drove all the way up from Lynchburg, VA, the moment they got word their Brigita had been found. She'd gone missing on a camping trip Memorial Day weekend, so the dear little girl had been out there for six months! I was so glad to be able to reunite them.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpMunNG69tZ3g0cjoAPXa-sIjaDNMkEzst3BFGOzZy6jxtRULun_3UZ-JT5X7_mKH9wYCn0PW4f3V78cKqQRPYQTCt9E1gc9r2X_Y10PmVhLu4aJs0rTxMeoeIMDenvsE0jxI3c1mBIq3Vwi1vTH4R1bS_DymN6Ys2T8jBJnMMbJuYb5yHzewN--dqXg/s4032/IMG_9772.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpMunNG69tZ3g0cjoAPXa-sIjaDNMkEzst3BFGOzZy6jxtRULun_3UZ-JT5X7_mKH9wYCn0PW4f3V78cKqQRPYQTCt9E1gc9r2X_Y10PmVhLu4aJs0rTxMeoeIMDenvsE0jxI3c1mBIq3Vwi1vTH4R1bS_DymN6Ys2T8jBJnMMbJuYb5yHzewN--dqXg/w150-h200/IMG_9772.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brigita at my cabin in 2021.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />So, when I went to the park office, I explained that I was "the guy that found the cat last year" and we chatted briefly about Brigita. I then told them I had yet another cat in my cabin, and they were understandably surprised and amused. They checked for missing cat reports, and came up with nothing, so I asked if they knew where I could take this cat to get scanned for an ID chip. Well, it turns out the park has a scanner, which they loaned me as I headed to a store to get cat food, a litter box, and litter.<p></p><p>When I got back to the cabin, he was tucked into a far corner, where I couldn't easily get to him, and meowed sadly now and then. He came out for food, but then returned to his corner. Since I couldn't get him to come out of his hidey-hole, I finally went to bed after leaving some food out for him.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8qCe_mOs6IM-gQYmMdpcATNjXM7MFilOR6uldiwgUkgGENr9AwyX3GkyhPmyBe9iHcNb380RHauVWyvU0Dvdmd5gRjdWylJ41Ywc_0wbANpzxF2GsNkhGWI5a2wj3TgN5HEVz_nyjoevX1EEq3uBImHNU__nRXLIxF_S_A6iMwVl1zqxOab2P56ghw/s4032/IMG_3391.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8qCe_mOs6IM-gQYmMdpcATNjXM7MFilOR6uldiwgUkgGENr9AwyX3GkyhPmyBe9iHcNb380RHauVWyvU0Dvdmd5gRjdWylJ41Ywc_0wbANpzxF2GsNkhGWI5a2wj3TgN5HEVz_nyjoevX1EEq3uBImHNU__nRXLIxF_S_A6iMwVl1zqxOab2P56ghw/w150-h200/IMG_3391.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>Around two am, I was woken by VERY loud meowing, and got up to find him by the front window, very agitated about something outside. My best guess is a raccoon, but when I looked, I didn't see anything. He seemed to calm down, and when I sat down on one of the bunks, he hopped into my lap! Before long he was curled up purring, and eventually fell asleep. I managed to slowly reposition myself to a position in which I could sleep, and we both fell sound asleep.<br /><p></p><p>After that, he clearly decided I was okay, and hopped into my lap at every opportunity. I was concerned he might try to get out, so I was very careful going in and out of the cabin. As it turns out, whenever I went back in, he was comfortably curled up inside, and made it very clear he had no desire to be out in the cold again.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNdWa9lsw9RWXji3kuU8_ACLK3lX5iaXPFsChBK06sZzrZ7ddpRGT6s1tzEBoLy5ebPr1lxk-lXrUj9T2zIF2mRDhWTdJQsd-2ezOzIV3hboZY3mrkH5PYj5jCUwbmjNHK7cZ9siWW9agKPxG9J2WW062oh_4NqO7ULC6J2B5exxfXzosl_IqIyorIw/s4032/IMG_4289.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNdWa9lsw9RWXji3kuU8_ACLK3lX5iaXPFsChBK06sZzrZ7ddpRGT6s1tzEBoLy5ebPr1lxk-lXrUj9T2zIF2mRDhWTdJQsd-2ezOzIV3hboZY3mrkH5PYj5jCUwbmjNHK7cZ9siWW9agKPxG9J2WW062oh_4NqO7ULC6J2B5exxfXzosl_IqIyorIw/s320/IMG_4289.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging out on the cat tower at home.</td></tr></tbody></table>When the time came to leave, I packed the little guy up in a carrier I'd bought the day before, and loaded him in the car. There was some fussing and meowing for the first hour or so, but he ultimately settled down comfortably for the rest of the ride. After a check up at the vet, a basically clean bill of health, neutering, and a chip implanted, we got him settled into the shop. After a lot of thought and input from others, I finally settled on the name Chester Proudpaw, a play on a character name from the old radio version of Gunsmoke. And his nickname Chessie is reminiscent of the mascot for the C&O Railroad many years ago, a tabby by that name. Over time, I introduced him to my other two cats, Jinx and Zero, and they all get along great now.<div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQHzqkdxLEeL7ZoKFOWqLDaYaaUEJpzcaxrROZ9K-d_vegLMyAGWIMK0eEj_BHwNJP9CreopwhICOTFaL_dsACOoQKwPUJzs17e-P2glfPZcFBYpTxqDoQJTV0B6FdWOswbkvhaltmWBxNueeG1RYPGDb8dTATg-R6znpSBqWw41hDv7xzBiXNLlnQqQ/s4032/IMG_4339.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQHzqkdxLEeL7ZoKFOWqLDaYaaUEJpzcaxrROZ9K-d_vegLMyAGWIMK0eEj_BHwNJP9CreopwhICOTFaL_dsACOoQKwPUJzs17e-P2glfPZcFBYpTxqDoQJTV0B6FdWOswbkvhaltmWBxNueeG1RYPGDb8dTATg-R6znpSBqWw41hDv7xzBiXNLlnQqQ/s320/IMG_4339.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minding the front counter at work.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>So now Chester commutes with me, and is very mellow about the whole thing. Unlike my other two cats, he does not fuss about getting into the carrier, and seems to genuinely like being at the shop during the day. He and my other cats play and groom each other at home, and Chester gets lots of attention at the store.</p><p>Next time you're in the area, why not come by the shop and say hi? He's a very sweet little boy, and generally very friendly with strangers. It might take a minute or two, but he generally warms up quickly.</p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-24067416682307861312022-11-23T09:13:00.000-05:002022-11-23T09:13:07.322-05:00My "new" 1980s Vitus 979<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifWYcYBwklRSTTOHDTwIHVwVk_OuMi6Duw8Q5hyzUBa4ajvgtfAI5gpaNhrE9-4X1-W8gLGTLlSt5Vs5L71PF1m4cAivtRe7j8BtVEK6FbXFLi5XWt4BwptzpLE9AgKJTZC0-jg3ruYcT31byM3vI8uzAbZIERp49dLlwIP4Q6A812NZq5FXCskGqiLQ/s4032/IMG_3110.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifWYcYBwklRSTTOHDTwIHVwVk_OuMi6Duw8Q5hyzUBa4ajvgtfAI5gpaNhrE9-4X1-W8gLGTLlSt5Vs5L71PF1m4cAivtRe7j8BtVEK6FbXFLi5XWt4BwptzpLE9AgKJTZC0-jg3ruYcT31byM3vI8uzAbZIERp49dLlwIP4Q6A812NZq5FXCskGqiLQ/w400-h300/IMG_3110.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vitus 979 as purchased.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Some of you who have been following me for a long time or know me, either in person or through the internet cycling world, might be looking at this and thinking "Wait a minute, isn't that ALUMINUM?!?!?!? I thought you were a steel frame fan!"<p></p><p> Well, both are true. The vast majority of bikes I have owned and ridden have been steel framed. Many years ago I owned a mid-80s Cannondale road bike, but found it very responsive to hard pedaling, but also really stiff and harsh on anything but the smoothest surfaces. Granted, it was an early Cannondale, back when they were still figuring out how best to create good riding frames with oversized, welded aluminum tubing.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPujakBWpCedlgdvpG7Dm8MRVd0aTD66jTzkvKtsLR-OiLZIEgW7I_hHeomnpvjE6QURNTYciS6GpTEV5Bw4zUyUNcMXCFS4yowNV4rVDjA6xh24NCEQQpu8qF7T8pzEY7TLNbTmLBuXBI9O4EZIFJ2rJ0bwyes8awd9pa6bhi7fYh_vKmTAPHgVGwTw/s4032/IMG_3131.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPujakBWpCedlgdvpG7Dm8MRVd0aTD66jTzkvKtsLR-OiLZIEgW7I_hHeomnpvjE6QURNTYciS6GpTEV5Bw4zUyUNcMXCFS4yowNV4rVDjA6xh24NCEQQpu8qF7T8pzEY7TLNbTmLBuXBI9O4EZIFJ2rJ0bwyes8awd9pa6bhi7fYh_vKmTAPHgVGwTw/w150-h200/IMG_3131.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>A contemporary of the early Cannondales was the Vitus series of aluminum frames, but they were built in an entirely different manner. Using tubing of the same outside diameters typically used in steel frames, Vitus chose to use cast aluminum fittings and adhesive to join the tubes together. This resulted in a very light frame that had a lot more "give" than the Cannondales had, yielding a more supple and comfortable ride.<p></p><p><br /><br /> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHEpjEdI8rsb0dc7JtsspGUp7ELb41OmmU5Vapvf-KW5eH_pGAzX7YmnMY7-ZLRNmbTtvQ-3MZxkkzGyr-2UWvdai7pnu5B1rMArucJXdfSN2U1caerwWN9vH43dapXyRHKApOw0hRRFHRHxc1LULmAJHacCr0VcDaqnlUIDhziBF7xa7AHU2rD667Q/s4032/IMG_3114.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijHEpjEdI8rsb0dc7JtsspGUp7ELb41OmmU5Vapvf-KW5eH_pGAzX7YmnMY7-ZLRNmbTtvQ-3MZxkkzGyr-2UWvdai7pnu5B1rMArucJXdfSN2U1caerwWN9vH43dapXyRHKApOw0hRRFHRHxc1LULmAJHacCr0VcDaqnlUIDhziBF7xa7AHU2rD667Q/w150-h200/IMG_3114.JPG" width="150" /></a></div><p></p><p>At least, that's what I've read and heard. I've actually never ridden a Vitus, even now after buying one. I've almost never bought a bike without at least a short test ride, but the tires on this bike were so rotted out there was no way to give it a try. But the price was right, and I have wanted to try one out for a long, long time, so I figured it was worth the gamble. If what I've heard about the bikes is true, I'm pretty sure I'm going to like it, and it will be different enough from my other bikes to be worth adding to my collection. Worst case scenario, after I fix it up and get it rolling, if I don't like it I'm pretty sure I can make my money back selling it.</p><p>So, what are the details of the bike? I'm not sure what year it was built, as the information I've found about serial numbers is a bit confusing. I THINK it was most likely built in September of 1984, which would make it a 1985 model year frame. The components, on the other hand, seem to date from 1986, so either the frame was sold through a bike shop and built up to a customer's specs some time later, or for some reason it sat around the Vitus factory for a year before being built up. If I were to guess, the former seems more likely. I've got another bike, my Mercian (see <a href="https://spokesofawheel.blogspot.com/2020/04/king-of-mercia.html" target="_blank">"Beautiful British Bicycle"</a>) the frame for which was built in 1977 and shipped from the UK factory to a shop in California, where it was eventually sold with a group of components dated 1981.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKBJW4iyblD1xXcbJ3cZrUpUWEONMNzvpy1FLXbEeb0OxREdi5JInR6aw6wLE0E3Z-ZqhE6wMoK9qUko7LZUHYpdtW-Xzl5AvWMEyVSlv-0tBGeljibwV6GDUf4QFW14ORyoMPASdQ3HQK1QP4Ttzce0Ve0tPwV388kAxLY-C1weraSAVxkeWRRilTw/s4032/IMG_3135.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKKBJW4iyblD1xXcbJ3cZrUpUWEONMNzvpy1FLXbEeb0OxREdi5JInR6aw6wLE0E3Z-ZqhE6wMoK9qUko7LZUHYpdtW-Xzl5AvWMEyVSlv-0tBGeljibwV6GDUf4QFW14ORyoMPASdQ3HQK1QP4Ttzce0Ve0tPwV388kAxLY-C1weraSAVxkeWRRilTw/w150-h200/IMG_3135.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">600 cranks w/Biopace rings</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The drivetrain and brakes are all from the <a href="https://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=6b1e605e-0922-474f-b4e6-68186a7eb15c&Enum=108" target="_blank">Shimano 600 SIS</a> group from 1986. This was the first generation of the 600 group to have indexed ("click") shifting, with six sprockets in back and two chainrings in front. Speaking of chainrings, this was the age of <a href="https://www.sheldonbrown.com/biopace.html" target="_blank">Biopace</a>, an oval chainring configuration that was claimed to improve power transfer through the rotation of the crank. It's an idea that has come and gone from the bike industry a number of times, but it never seems to catch on for very long. I might keep it on the bike to start with, just to give it a serious try. I've done short test rides on bikes with Biopace over the years, but never long enough to really get a good feel for it. I might like it, or I might not, but it's worth trying.<p></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnxUjcLZWOc-ZIB9pZrcVMmKCruFWWe8beAR4rb7GraXiwZm08nE8qtGAiQuqmqnscnHTJW9PlirrL80dhfVILkIoHNiWHiJBuYudAna9nOOgvZQ_wA5MYSSEImqbaHFJzOFKpTie7dLR_BSD0XBQSpRyunQADbPiu2L3Iv2H2KeODPrxwfc9vuj9Kw/s4032/IMG_3115.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnxUjcLZWOc-ZIB9pZrcVMmKCruFWWe8beAR4rb7GraXiwZm08nE8qtGAiQuqmqnscnHTJW9PlirrL80dhfVILkIoHNiWHiJBuYudAna9nOOgvZQ_wA5MYSSEImqbaHFJzOFKpTie7dLR_BSD0XBQSpRyunQADbPiu2L3Iv2H2KeODPrxwfc9vuj9Kw/w150-h200/IMG_3115.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">600 rear brake.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p>The wheels are Shimano 600 hubs laced to Mavic GP4 dark anodized rims for "sewup" (also called tubular) tires. The GP4 was probably one of, if not the most popular such rim in the 80s. Strong and light, it worked well for training and some levels of actual competition. As mentioned in other posts, this type of tire is a bit trickier to mount and deal with, as they are glued to the rims. I have a couple of other bikes that currently have sewup wheels on them, and for now at least, I'm going to keep these wheels the way they are, but with a new set of tires. The bike came with Panaracer Practice tires, but I could literally put my finger through large gashes in the sidewalls see the back side of the base tape. At this point I'm looking at putting some Vittoria Rally tires on the bike, which are pretty basic but good tires.<br /><p></p><p>In addition, the handlebars and stem are Nitto, a brand I really like, so I'll be keeping those. They had "aero" style bars bolted on, but I'm taking those off, as they really aren't appropriate for the riding I like to do, and frankly look ugly to me. Pedals are and old set of Speedplay Zeros, which I will swap out for something compatible with Shimano SPD cleats, since that's the "clipless" pedal system I use. Finally, the saddle is some old, somewhat worn suede-over-plastic model that will be replaced most likely with a Brooks saddle of some kind.</p><p>You can learn more about Vitus 979 bikes here:</p><p><a href="https://on-the-drops.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-peugeot-px-10du-vitus-979.html" target="_blank">Light & Legendary: Vitus 979</a></p><p> And my Flickr album is here:</p><p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/frickercycle/sets/72177720303803962/" target="_blank">1985? Vitus 979</a><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-19387742244268448812022-11-20T23:44:00.002-05:002022-11-20T23:44:36.263-05:001963 Witcomb update<p> Well, it's slow going, as I don't have a huge amount of spare time, but I'm chipping away at cleaning up and overhauling that Witcomb track bike I shared a few weeks ago. It's pretty remarkable how well it's cleaning up. It seems there was just a fine layer of filth over a bike in otherwise great shape.</p><p>I stripped all the parts off the frame, and gave it a good washing, first with diluted Dawn dish soap. For the more stubborn bits of grunge, I used Simple Green, and in a few spots, a bit of denatured alcohol. I had to be very sparing with the latter, or it would take up paint. For the chromed parts of the rear triangle and front fork, I used Quick Glo, which works really well for cleaning up chrome and making it shine. You can see the results below.<br /></p><p>Before:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXHlUUyHKuwUomZ9jTPTVtiz96kKzSMFeyFmRAVGXpy7Uz-tVbhSdN5cgLGzRgO9bA5M6aV09BaQ4Z7vXbqriVpVBuJxAnZAJRSFn6hSuSCiskXF5BTQcUWHeWhFlZvRs0nhO4fhGWlm93KhANMw_gRPz9kr9xuSG8xX7BHnOyBprKg0-UY8F5yttmw/s4032/IMG_2538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXHlUUyHKuwUomZ9jTPTVtiz96kKzSMFeyFmRAVGXpy7Uz-tVbhSdN5cgLGzRgO9bA5M6aV09BaQ4Z7vXbqriVpVBuJxAnZAJRSFn6hSuSCiskXF5BTQcUWHeWhFlZvRs0nhO4fhGWlm93KhANMw_gRPz9kr9xuSG8xX7BHnOyBprKg0-UY8F5yttmw/s320/IMG_2538.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoR_qRnqtSQNelB3BgpwKimzInUUgJlwYbXI5vWcq8loC8q7381PANaEVR8RsfJ-NZ0HxyhMu8tdFOqgVnTFA-EFhPbHZPnQ-nbBXSRVF0WkKb1vwnuVKpksLKVlZUZlEH23YDj7O--lczicIB_tu0JI8DoIAULl6TsaHBym6MLnbtu9NR-8CM0xUoqw/s4032/IMG_2578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoR_qRnqtSQNelB3BgpwKimzInUUgJlwYbXI5vWcq8loC8q7381PANaEVR8RsfJ-NZ0HxyhMu8tdFOqgVnTFA-EFhPbHZPnQ-nbBXSRVF0WkKb1vwnuVKpksLKVlZUZlEH23YDj7O--lczicIB_tu0JI8DoIAULl6TsaHBym6MLnbtu9NR-8CM0xUoqw/s320/IMG_2578.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVVlo6r89OaGoTH7zqfdIMXgFpq1H60grgnn2ByfxD6IGrG3g06l2o0-3legDs-bVrmOE7KK7KX_uTwVuJQ9S50zizvKiXddUYiVL3Kedr3lMFMpF-cd3CobjahyW_v_sfGwuV1fAX0xH8iOR-qXbX10wwUcfT0m3Bbzml9JBgIngKzCTP5rtRIi_Eg/s4032/IMG_2570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjVVlo6r89OaGoTH7zqfdIMXgFpq1H60grgnn2ByfxD6IGrG3g06l2o0-3legDs-bVrmOE7KK7KX_uTwVuJQ9S50zizvKiXddUYiVL3Kedr3lMFMpF-cd3CobjahyW_v_sfGwuV1fAX0xH8iOR-qXbX10wwUcfT0m3Bbzml9JBgIngKzCTP5rtRIi_Eg/s320/IMG_2570.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>After:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQVhk74ws9EunFi_kNViYfPAbrS-RBNk35YcKQCMtBtU5hZ-3vmr2oc2txX5Sgubm8y65UFtmbEPDpq8FfNtOEmCJ_PxaJtgzMFk8M3GtZW7DmLts3Qxpx0_2WYgQxAroEaoJTQO9S644jSpQZ_8nPp4Y7dchCMVZQ8rXzheaO36s5L1peNSCCtIUbg/s4032/IMG_2622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQVhk74ws9EunFi_kNViYfPAbrS-RBNk35YcKQCMtBtU5hZ-3vmr2oc2txX5Sgubm8y65UFtmbEPDpq8FfNtOEmCJ_PxaJtgzMFk8M3GtZW7DmLts3Qxpx0_2WYgQxAroEaoJTQO9S644jSpQZ_8nPp4Y7dchCMVZQ8rXzheaO36s5L1peNSCCtIUbg/s320/IMG_2622.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqV1TmLVAWCT7esNvcgoRGyCT3aQRRrsjHrJMrLp2XFhoZNVFlCCDLBcn1P615wWGJkqKFrJpkHjHHrSdBNclCSHIh57FC-NA0tIqdMjCKV1PMMep_HRzci1GKd1LmfYfsLebMfRkNu9EmLvH65IN33DkM0JwnDngRUm_7qMDjtK3aZvgVILpHICaPA/s4032/IMG_2624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDqV1TmLVAWCT7esNvcgoRGyCT3aQRRrsjHrJMrLp2XFhoZNVFlCCDLBcn1P615wWGJkqKFrJpkHjHHrSdBNclCSHIh57FC-NA0tIqdMjCKV1PMMep_HRzci1GKd1LmfYfsLebMfRkNu9EmLvH65IN33DkM0JwnDngRUm_7qMDjtK3aZvgVILpHICaPA/s320/IMG_2624.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30tzIBjEiVCH5wpi-KH3c1i_s--GbG9iwnMjBrT9tAcGUQclzwvcRkzTV81exTY-cYb0dXUJuHeAL9i0Fblot1ReI3TAVKcStrqgTA8e02Fdm8ODDXy8EluEa0F2CtXdxBexRKpJHDIWGBTRK0VSKWHbWijzYod6tQbyB6xsh7kfDT95kUimyY7d8Qg/s4032/IMG_2626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30tzIBjEiVCH5wpi-KH3c1i_s--GbG9iwnMjBrT9tAcGUQclzwvcRkzTV81exTY-cYb0dXUJuHeAL9i0Fblot1ReI3TAVKcStrqgTA8e02Fdm8ODDXy8EluEa0F2CtXdxBexRKpJHDIWGBTRK0VSKWHbWijzYod6tQbyB6xsh7kfDT95kUimyY7d8Qg/s320/IMG_2626.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>I've also cleaned up most of the components, and have unlaced the wheels, since I won't be using the original sewup rims. The front rim had a nasty dent in it, so it had to be replaced for sure, and since I was going to have to re-lace at least once wheel, I figured I'd swap out to clincher rims. Clincher tires are just easier to deal with, and less expensive too.</p><p>Before:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHhxWUbfaLn1lIIDD9-6UMae-5zbO4zD6xuvXVNVFaEpb-KdDUYmVFyRyK46TzySMv4jZQGz1jJtWF0rV6XESR095cbkOwT1298OJOf66oKZXHD-zlarn8mT-q_rfmkuQxbSA8YN9UHJnwig65xOP0YQarJ5FfwIBF22LgVl3ItQkciGjvQWGdLBUYQ/s4032/IMG_2584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnHhxWUbfaLn1lIIDD9-6UMae-5zbO4zD6xuvXVNVFaEpb-KdDUYmVFyRyK46TzySMv4jZQGz1jJtWF0rV6XESR095cbkOwT1298OJOf66oKZXHD-zlarn8mT-q_rfmkuQxbSA8YN9UHJnwig65xOP0YQarJ5FfwIBF22LgVl3ItQkciGjvQWGdLBUYQ/s320/IMG_2584.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNf0hYGz7_qdFOwyECKJG4wOYvl8rmdLfIen9wYscUApe71JNnWf3jZHz3UTSnOSZ_1nlcRg7JH8BxKEHestqKZbqN_Pz958bvu7zpyNnPTxCUQ4X_KYhpWNZIHBIzYCersSM4BJBB3GCQIK-bxjLyUMC-9fVdL-4lds2c3gDAxpitv8IbFBjzV1KFQ/s4032/IMG_2610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqNf0hYGz7_qdFOwyECKJG4wOYvl8rmdLfIen9wYscUApe71JNnWf3jZHz3UTSnOSZ_1nlcRg7JH8BxKEHestqKZbqN_Pz958bvu7zpyNnPTxCUQ4X_KYhpWNZIHBIzYCersSM4BJBB3GCQIK-bxjLyUMC-9fVdL-4lds2c3gDAxpitv8IbFBjzV1KFQ/s320/IMG_2610.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7YvzFL4JQXRBaLfuVHgqnlFTRE96OjlVrDp9jPeFQjk79jSaXseUKe_Eb6nfzEzf7vjFjbkckxOJILKW6FGJIz39ujXuphebpGuV4C2ihaE8wfnZZN8mJ4PIiqQTUyuN8WHylAMiKitjpL2GE6lIXb7BgVvsCgvUfmNt2uju4ZSXOrZXQuJ3_8w5cA/s4032/IMG_2541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7YvzFL4JQXRBaLfuVHgqnlFTRE96OjlVrDp9jPeFQjk79jSaXseUKe_Eb6nfzEzf7vjFjbkckxOJILKW6FGJIz39ujXuphebpGuV4C2ihaE8wfnZZN8mJ4PIiqQTUyuN8WHylAMiKitjpL2GE6lIXb7BgVvsCgvUfmNt2uju4ZSXOrZXQuJ3_8w5cA/s320/IMG_2541.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-guoq13oX6jODVzuWF3dPqC3pT1-ruNCwGIzUoMly08o2_s5iXpDaeZIRxNOYzY3C7BqyoAx4EZXj19pltSIz9mB-W2rp4GKVS6FQrxsgd9UVwF5N3PYu86-lncicCjBbLzahzcZt_hnUg-ZSggNl3q7OiEsO3fmoJEW90Z3XeW1FSOgG9BmexlFLJg/s4032/IMG_2600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-guoq13oX6jODVzuWF3dPqC3pT1-ruNCwGIzUoMly08o2_s5iXpDaeZIRxNOYzY3C7BqyoAx4EZXj19pltSIz9mB-W2rp4GKVS6FQrxsgd9UVwF5N3PYu86-lncicCjBbLzahzcZt_hnUg-ZSggNl3q7OiEsO3fmoJEW90Z3XeW1FSOgG9BmexlFLJg/s320/IMG_2600.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p> </p><p>After:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoXvKDFBy8UNwK90e811SjTL2ap1IpbmUXFMwd3rKY2cKGyYjLrVenxr6zqvQQS7I4wPRRlmvrAlUxef16rwf81s8o_iGOb8Tr59V-i9fhIaJcnhbliA0jxTaxJd7xvuutVl9WRuTblQSMmDNsc2Nz6Dfm-qBKdtcWEuzw7QFowZkc0gqcHUDtQHwow/s4032/IMG_3203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoXvKDFBy8UNwK90e811SjTL2ap1IpbmUXFMwd3rKY2cKGyYjLrVenxr6zqvQQS7I4wPRRlmvrAlUxef16rwf81s8o_iGOb8Tr59V-i9fhIaJcnhbliA0jxTaxJd7xvuutVl9WRuTblQSMmDNsc2Nz6Dfm-qBKdtcWEuzw7QFowZkc0gqcHUDtQHwow/s320/IMG_3203.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnre5w5oIVYXeQN4x25iP0MLHu3xrNPh-qDY0PzV-4ZjiH9f9JNisle1XEwLG06zY8o8Q0P6TqNcX_ei8FMBIMmaS74aT87DccuBRk8gr0Kg26co1DaCoJ8NycZZaV1otXSNXV6PhAG8LYNOrL_NsR5IaY-BN1Ids46_-1wXhUcBUbdYuqGeTG3TgQw/s4032/IMG_3206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnre5w5oIVYXeQN4x25iP0MLHu3xrNPh-qDY0PzV-4ZjiH9f9JNisle1XEwLG06zY8o8Q0P6TqNcX_ei8FMBIMmaS74aT87DccuBRk8gr0Kg26co1DaCoJ8NycZZaV1otXSNXV6PhAG8LYNOrL_NsR5IaY-BN1Ids46_-1wXhUcBUbdYuqGeTG3TgQw/s320/IMG_3206.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSKt8ZJFUzMiCKZodCnOejuG-HP3u9ljDLArH0gQnA3KUCnr8CFwFEFDaw1FnMtQATgBXU7OpD3Y6r0395VSk-5mnGi5VcB-CBeMfgRJpwOYiovKJyTYb6VSk7cCGxFqvz65eqyO-hhq75ylItw99RzROCBohX0mDghBbaLBMrG7dDiZ5Fx2GRxGE0A/s4032/IMG_3217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbSKt8ZJFUzMiCKZodCnOejuG-HP3u9ljDLArH0gQnA3KUCnr8CFwFEFDaw1FnMtQATgBXU7OpD3Y6r0395VSk-5mnGi5VcB-CBeMfgRJpwOYiovKJyTYb6VSk7cCGxFqvz65eqyO-hhq75ylItw99RzROCBohX0mDghBbaLBMrG7dDiZ5Fx2GRxGE0A/s320/IMG_3217.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlfw9D65dr_yS90pxGgBD16phcgVGOmloMRaZ8myZc2fvH7zTqiEEkjz7OZRs4KuQPay1e-D7ycyZbpcYgUQQhTj3qKcnmvQ1Ob-b3qfwR8Y3RFp2jcZsFqjf8PdjqQLDP-CzuizzUlt1pKYWwYbEvIuuUv2TvKwvvn9kOZdj-_xKbLzLysIolvPhhw/s4032/IMG_3208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlfw9D65dr_yS90pxGgBD16phcgVGOmloMRaZ8myZc2fvH7zTqiEEkjz7OZRs4KuQPay1e-D7ycyZbpcYgUQQhTj3qKcnmvQ1Ob-b3qfwR8Y3RFp2jcZsFqjf8PdjqQLDP-CzuizzUlt1pKYWwYbEvIuuUv2TvKwvvn9kOZdj-_xKbLzLysIolvPhhw/s320/IMG_3208.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>One odd thing I discovered is the bar tape was originally blue, and appears to have been two different shades of blue. I never would have guessed this from what it looked like on the bike, but as I stripped it off the original colors were revealed.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaS23Yabj_TQYfkw-pqcvbhirciA7ULoaRwZoWhoic3PXMhs3qdzrFDHZA80Pq7jrm8AyQwkFjzfy0lQ76nZ4XOfvaRaPArVREx7Fo7XLPEjKO_O2YyDN9NUjM9L9P5SPlM2vejtnf7XCP0guq8UsnpNQdWbixBK2H_NpIG0a7LUKNtrf1bPeiz6iKA/s4032/IMG_3214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSaS23Yabj_TQYfkw-pqcvbhirciA7ULoaRwZoWhoic3PXMhs3qdzrFDHZA80Pq7jrm8AyQwkFjzfy0lQ76nZ4XOfvaRaPArVREx7Fo7XLPEjKO_O2YyDN9NUjM9L9P5SPlM2vejtnf7XCP0guq8UsnpNQdWbixBK2H_NpIG0a7LUKNtrf1bPeiz6iKA/s320/IMG_3214.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>There were a few paint chips, and rather than try to find a good match, I decided to just cover the bare steel with clear nail polish. I'll be waxing the frame with Meguiar's carnauba wax, and then the next step is to start putting it all back together again. I need to lace up the wheels of course, using the original hubs, new spokes, and a set of Mavic MA-2 rims a friend is sending me. One oddity is that the bike has 32 spokes in the front, 36 in the rear. Most bikes of this era had the same number of spokes in both wheels, but the British did things a bit differently sometimes. It does make sense, as the rear wheel sees more stress than the front.</p><p>Stay tuned for more updates as things progress.</p><p>Photo album, with new additions:</p><p><a href="https://flickr.com/photos/frickercycle/albums/72177720302607137/page1" target="_blank">1963 Witcomb Track Bike</a><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-3994614990806779032022-11-08T18:59:00.000-05:002022-11-08T18:59:00.613-05:00A teaser...<p> ... of a post to come.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1nPby6-Z86MhYNeOlVbDBs2lcG7VoVw_3CVtMI4Fjrvo7-Tk9rQXD3W1a8XYwfZ4yH9IxzM369iQGXokE_KKZ1lQ9EuCAI5T-9qsJT9WZxqXbTjfTOeyLA2XN_efpBWX4gEUy3mjPVvpOipIHgkgib-7Lb2fpunXNRA09r5NfnBQzn9yQdF_RCkAJw/s4032/IMG_3091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1nPby6-Z86MhYNeOlVbDBs2lcG7VoVw_3CVtMI4Fjrvo7-Tk9rQXD3W1a8XYwfZ4yH9IxzM369iQGXokE_KKZ1lQ9EuCAI5T-9qsJT9WZxqXbTjfTOeyLA2XN_efpBWX4gEUy3mjPVvpOipIHgkgib-7Lb2fpunXNRA09r5NfnBQzn9yQdF_RCkAJw/w400-h300/IMG_3091.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vitus 979, on the roof of my VW.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6PWJsvm67Yyd0tXdeMkMNGeSQs2XWkt0JlnF4m4DIaG-vXI-H3vye_BpJpcjHb5o5s6hMp6NWtmt5K0mBfQy1jl0Rj0fVWvLXpR8DK7mWEL6pxtbWbaP9he2NaZMwozXIf-0zQgOoH_eB9HOJCWZcj53glyc8B4-LFyMUL-f_A_F6DJemdb2QBB3-w/s4032/IMG_3092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP6PWJsvm67Yyd0tXdeMkMNGeSQs2XWkt0JlnF4m4DIaG-vXI-H3vye_BpJpcjHb5o5s6hMp6NWtmt5K0mBfQy1jl0Rj0fVWvLXpR8DK7mWEL6pxtbWbaP9he2NaZMwozXIf-0zQgOoH_eB9HOJCWZcj53glyc8B4-LFyMUL-f_A_F6DJemdb2QBB3-w/w400-h300/IMG_3092.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vitus 979, on the roof of my VW.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>Just picked this up today, and I'm looking forward to fixing it up and getting it rolling. Something different for me - a bonded (aka glued) Vitus 979 from the 80s! </p><p>I've been curious about these since they were first introduced in the late 70s, and ridden by a number of pros, probably most notably Sean Kelly of Ireland. This one showed up locally on Facebook, at a price that seemed reasonable, in a size that will fit me. The tires (yet another bike with sewups!) are completely shot, so I couldn't take it for a test ride, but I've heard enough about these that I figured it was worth the risk.</p><p>Stay tuned for more news on the bike as I get a chance to start working on it, and then riding it!</p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name"><a href="https://on-the-drops.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-peugeot-px-10du-vitus-979.html">Light & Legendary: Vitus 979</a></h3><p> </p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-88911738588654635002022-11-06T12:09:00.001-05:002022-11-06T12:54:03.861-05:00My 1981 Austro-Daimler Vent Noir II<p>Here's another one of those "bikes of my youthful dreams" machines. As regular readers (are there any these days?) know, back when I was a teenager growing up in the DC area, one my favorite pastimes was visiting bike shops. We had some really great ones, from basic "mom and pop" stores to ones that catered to real aficionados, with high end racing and touring bikes. It really was the classic "kid in a candy shop" kind of situation, but the "candy" cost way more than I could ever afford back then.</p><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwVcHQ6XHE0T40kQHF1BDnM4Ktf1ZEWWTc4Us5s7GnQ3hyaboD1s3JlKGYxG8dy2Ae-MCR7Dee-Cl6e9a_cwfz9RH78igdH5X7HpNDzR3qSed9gphUv91QE-YTaKIFeMFB99H5VZaZ2ARvB349H7vjwOouBjh3EObbnMuIXx-DSVNMnR9wyzLFVeqeA/s850/austrodaimlerVent_l.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="503" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwVcHQ6XHE0T40kQHF1BDnM4Ktf1ZEWWTc4Us5s7GnQ3hyaboD1s3JlKGYxG8dy2Ae-MCR7Dee-Cl6e9a_cwfz9RH78igdH5X7HpNDzR3qSed9gphUv91QE-YTaKIFeMFB99H5VZaZ2ARvB349H7vjwOouBjh3EObbnMuIXx-DSVNMnR9wyzLFVeqeA/w118-h200/austrodaimlerVent_l.jpg" width="118" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1976 A-D catalog</td></tr></tbody></table>On one of my visits to College Park Bicycles, I spotted a really sharp looking bike from a company I really didn't know much about - an Austro-Daimler Vent Noir. This was the first version of the bike, which came in a striking all black finish, with gold lettering and trim, and gold rims. It also featured the first version of Shimano's Dura Ace component group, anodized in black to match the bike. Vent Noir means "black wind" in French, thus the color theme. Back then, there just weren't very many dealers for the brand, so it was a fun surprise to see one, and one so eye-catching.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>A few years later, at the same shop, I spied a newer version of the same bike, the Vent Noir II. While I'm sure others will disagree, I found the new version even more beautiful than the original. The frame was treated in a "smoked chrome" finish that was really remarkable, and like nothing I had ever seen. The component group had also changed, to Campagnolo, the brand that was the "top dog" in road cycling back then. On the Vent Noir II, they used the Nuovo Gran Sport group, rather than the higher end Nuovo Record or top of the line Super Record. Functionally the differences aren't really all that great, and even the finish and appearance, while not as spiffy as the Record groups, was pretty darned nice. The one exception is the rear derailleur, which is really rather homely for a Campy piece. It works just fine, but I understand why some folks back in the day substituted either a Nuovo Record unit, or something from another brand entirely. If you go back and look at <a href="https://spokesofawheel.blogspot.com/2020/04/king-of-mercia.html" target="_blank">the post about my Mercian</a>, you'll see the original owner specced the Nuovo Gran Sport group, but got the lovely Huret Jubilee derailleur instead.<br /></div><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNBwqvGfEylJyyebd9qh6qy9GSgHsgIYQCcWeaMu3kqGJ3eD8VF3Ahb1LkO09Z8anfBdCW7atuy6w-zfIyQvak29RLacBLczyceZvSCLu970xRgalzQWfKvKsA68JORBhcYmmbrHquQ8xM4toc2Qp-xb1Got1XizYcDwQGLeClczeWeG-nkz1K1N0sw/s720/d4d5844196_7.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNBwqvGfEylJyyebd9qh6qy9GSgHsgIYQCcWeaMu3kqGJ3eD8VF3Ahb1LkO09Z8anfBdCW7atuy6w-zfIyQvak29RLacBLczyceZvSCLu970xRgalzQWfKvKsA68JORBhcYmmbrHquQ8xM4toc2Qp-xb1Got1XizYcDwQGLeClczeWeG-nkz1K1N0sw/w200-h150/d4d5844196_7.jpg" title="Photo from Craig's List ad for Vent Noir II" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Craig's List photo of Vent Noir II<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I kept my eye open for a nice, used Vent Noir (either version) for many years, but they just aren't that common, and finding one in a 62cm or thereabouts wasn't easy. Fast forward to 2016, when I found a Craigs List ad for one in Fredericksburg, VA, about an hour and a half (depending on traffic) south of me. The photos looked good, so I took the drive down to see it. For a bike as old as it was, it was in really remarkable shape, and a quick test ride confirmed that I would enjoy riding it for years. On top of all that, the price was fair, so we closed the deal pretty quickly.<br /><br /><br />Once I got it home and got a closer look at it, I was even more impressed with the overall condition. Most of the decals were in good shape, with only a few spots where they had been scraped off, none bad enough to really bother me. It's an old bike, so a little patina doesn't bother me. Mechanically, it was in very good shape too, and about the only thing mechanically I decided to replace was the brake and shifter cables and housing. As "correct" as it would be to have kept the original parts there, I'm a fan of functionality, and a set of new, modern cables and teflon lined housing definitely made things work better all around.<p></p><p>The other things I decided to change were the various "contact points" - saddle, bar wrap, and pedals. The bike came with a cheap plastic saddle with crappy foam, so that got replaced right away with a Brooks B17 Special with copper rivets in the honey brown color. To match that, I also used matching Brooks leather bar wrap in honey as well. That color really complements the smoked chrome frame color! Aside from missing a dust cap, the Campy pedals were fine, but the "quill" design does not work with my big feet, so off they came, replaced by a set of double sided SPD compatible pedals. I like riding in SPD sandals, so that was an easy choice. I have more "correct" looking pedals and toe clips I can use if the spirit moves me, though.</p><p>Finally, the last thing I changed was the tires. It came to me with a set of low end Continental Ultra Sports, in 700x23 size, which are pretty narrow and harsh riding for my tastes. It will come as no surprise to those who know me that I swapped those out for a set of Japanese Panaracer Paselas, in 700x28. I really like those tires, because they look great with the tan, skin wall sidewalls, and they ride great too. Much smoother than the Contis, but still plenty "fast" for me. I could probably fit a wider 32mm tire, but for this bike the the 28s just seem right.</p><p>The finishing touch was a Carradice Barley saddlebag in olive green with brown straps, which again just looks great with the finish on the frame. I think all in all it's a really classy looking bike, not really "flashy" at first glance, but beautiful when you stop to look. And how does it ride? Great! Smooth, light, and fast rolling, and it handles really well too. It's more at the "race" end of the spectrum than some of my bikes, but not to much so that it's twitchy of uncomfortable. Having finally gotten my hands (and butt) on one after all those years, my early desire to own one seems well founded.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCDevyEFVU_-EftZRWJDVEVK5NJb0hD10OvDYTRRJvq_Yssalzsbv6G_zESRWuv2qPnjZhvgMNHb25sa_v163XLlTY6wHU9MUa9bWdLafTzNqG2IsH-WwT7HZHQK4pEHCH0c-DekiKPg57p88dEMXxCXAfXsAVMjXfs9Eiib78xOCR2vvWZMra7vyVw/s640/IMG_4709.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCDevyEFVU_-EftZRWJDVEVK5NJb0hD10OvDYTRRJvq_Yssalzsbv6G_zESRWuv2qPnjZhvgMNHb25sa_v163XLlTY6wHU9MUa9bWdLafTzNqG2IsH-WwT7HZHQK4pEHCH0c-DekiKPg57p88dEMXxCXAfXsAVMjXfs9Eiib78xOCR2vvWZMra7vyVw/w400-h300/IMG_4709.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here she is, after the changes I made, except for the pedals.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Here's my Flickr photo album for the bike:</p><p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/frickercycle/albums/72177720302659466" target="_blank">1981 Austro-Daimler Vent Noir II</a></p><p>And here are a few online resources about the bike and brand that I found really helpful and informative:</p><p><a href="http://www.company7.com/bosendorfer/ADbicycle.html" target="_blank">Austro-Daimler: The Bicycle That The Owner Of A Bösendorfer Imperial Piano Would Ride</a></p><p><a href="https://chasingmailboxes.com/2011/05/18/bikes-to-like-ritchies-1979-austro-daimler-vent-noir-ii/" target="_blank">Bikes to Like: Ritchie’s 1979 Austro-Daimler Vent Noir II</a></p><p><a href="https://austro-daimler.posthaven.com" target="_blank">Classic Austro-Daimler Bicycles</a></p><p><a href="https://16incheswestofpeoria.wordpress.com/2015/11/30/in-the-shop-austro-daimler-vent-noir/" target="_blank">In the shop: Austro-Daimler Vent Noir</a></p><p><a href="http://veloclassics.blogspot.com/2012/08/1979-austro-daimler-vent-noir-ii.html" target="_blank">1979 Austro Daimler Vent Noir II</a></p><p><a href="http://veloclassics.blogspot.com/2012/08/1976-austro-daimler-vent-noir.html" target="_blank">1976 Austro Daimler Vent Noir</a></p><p>By the way, if anyone has a source, online or physical, for a 1981 Austro-Daimler catalog showing the Vent Noir II, I'd love to see it.</p><p>I should mention that Austro-Daimler was actually one label of a company called Steyr-Daimler-Puch which produced bikes under the names Steyr, Austro-Daimler, and Puch. In the US, it seemed there were more Puchs than the others, but that might have just been in my area. The Steyr labeled bikes I've seen have all been utilitarian three speed "city bikes" much like the old English Raleigh Sports and similar bikes. They also built bikes for Sears in the 60s under their J.C. Higgins, Ted Williams, and Free Spirit labels, including one model with 531 tubing and Campagnolo components. Yes, from Sears! There are other folk who know a lot more about that chapter than I do, so you might do some searching if you're really interested.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-6082951764527486332022-10-15T10:15:00.001-04:002022-12-23T10:39:20.693-05:00My Other '73 Schwinn<p>Well, since I've actually managed to create a couple of new posts this year, let's see if I can keep it rolling. The best way I think of to do that right now is to try to catch up on some of the bikes I have in my collection that I haven't written about. Buckle up, because that's a surprisingly long list. I don't know if I'll get to them all, but here's a start. Some of you might have seen my posts about my <a href="https://spokesofawheel.blogspot.com/2009/01/paramount-update.html" target="_blank">1973 chrome Schwinn Paramount</a>. The bike I'm writing about now was the next model down in the Schwinn product line, the Sports Tourer.<br /></p><p> Like many of my bikes, this is one I looked at longingly as a teenager. We didn't really have a lot of Schwinn dealers near where I grew up, but they showed up in magazines and I got my hands on a catalog at some point, and got to know the various models. Of course, like just about any cyclist in the 70s, I drooled over the top of the line, hand-built Paramount. But another model in those catalogs that caught my eye was the Sports Tourer. Made in the USA, and more affordable than a Paramount, it seemed like a great bike. I didn't actually lay eyes on one until college, when a guy I shared an apartment with one summer had one, and that just made me want one even more, because in some ways it was like nothing I'd ever seen before.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://waterfordbikes.com/SchwinnCat/flschwinn_1971_1980/1973_11.html" target="_blank">1973 Schwinn Catalog Sports Tourer Page</a><br /></p><p> Now, when most people think about 70s Schwinns, the bike they are most likely to think of is the Varsity. One of the first things that comes to mind about that bike is the sheer heft of the thing. While a lot of entry level 10 speed bikes weighed around 30 pounds, the Varsity tipped the scales at somewhere around 40! Why is that? And why was it so popular and sold in such huge numbers? From what I've read over the years, Schwinn set out to build a 10 speed bike that could take the abuse dished out by a typical American adolescent, and I have to say, they succeeded. While not light, they were definitely sturdy and durable, and you'll still see a fair number of them rolling along today.</p><p>The average person taking a quick glance at a Sports Tourer most likely wouldn't see a big difference between it and a Varsity. While the Paramount used "lugged" frame construction, where the tubes are joined with the use of external sleeves, the Sports Tourer was built using "fillet brazing." At first glance, the joints look a lot like the "electroforged" (welded) ones on the Varsity and other lower end Schwinns, but it's a totally different process, involving lower temperatures and higher grade steel tubing, to yield a lighter yet strong frame. I won't get into the details, because it's better covered here:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.sheldonbrown.com/schwinn-braze.html" target="_blank">https://www.sheldonbrown.com/schwinn-braze.html </a><br /></p><p>And here:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.sheldonbrown.com/varsity.html" target="_blank"> https://www.sheldonbrown.com/varsity.html </a><br /></p><p> For many years, the idea of having one of the fillet brazed Schwinns was on my "one of these days, if one happens along" list. It didn't quite make the "gotta have it" category like a Paramount, or some of the other high end bikes like Mercian or Proteus or Masi, but it was always there in the back of my mind. Well, a few years back, I don't recall exactly how I stumbled across it, but I found a Craigs List ad for what looked to be a very nice 1973 Sports Tourer. The only challenge was that it was about 300 miles from me, but it turns out only about 30 minutes from my older brother, who understands my bicycle collecting, since he has a rather large number of guitars in his house. A few emails and phone calls later, and the bike was in my brother's hands. It took a few months to work it out, but on a trip to the DC area, my brother brought the bike to our mom's house, where I picked it up shortly after. Based on the photos in the ad, I figured it was in good shape, but it looked even better in person.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiStJsySakeHGcbv-yrluiUEAGQwqIcMZkcnNzw7qnv2rMt-LKC3gIlNGqo_yTm4Pb6WDYrhPBmKHcUv9P3cQtkW6uiJCKBBnjzfdPe8Jx-LNf-GIJv2OUSRKlAc9YDSdJiw2MgSgCBX_Vf-5zNYMoKxjdiSLvEx3XA-_CREJTOynLMPWixDxfw90VY7w/s3264/IMG_4439.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiStJsySakeHGcbv-yrluiUEAGQwqIcMZkcnNzw7qnv2rMt-LKC3gIlNGqo_yTm4Pb6WDYrhPBmKHcUv9P3cQtkW6uiJCKBBnjzfdPe8Jx-LNf-GIJv2OUSRKlAc9YDSdJiw2MgSgCBX_Vf-5zNYMoKxjdiSLvEx3XA-_CREJTOynLMPWixDxfw90VY7w/w400-h300/IMG_4439.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1973 Schwinn Sports Tourer, as it was when I first got it.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p> Once I got it back to the shop, I started looking it over and thinking about things I liked and things I wanted to change. For the most part, the bike seemed to have all of the original equipment, with a few exceptions. I decided I wanted to get it closer to original while at the same time making it more enjoyable to ride. The parts that were definitely not original were the freewheel cluster, which was a very narrow range "corncob" style, more suited to a racing bike, and the tires, which were a narrow, high pressure black wall from Continental. The white Dia Compe brake lever hoods were also most likely not original, as the levers themselves were made by Weinmann, which I believe was standard for Schwinn back then, and the catalog shows bare levers. <i>(Correction, the hoods were Weinmann, not Dia Compe.) </i>Also, the bike had Huret shift levers mounted on the down tube, while the catalog shows it with the rather imposing <a href="https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikeforums.net-vbulletin/1360x2000/schwinn_stem_shifters_2e6b6d796229481fa353b504acaca75709698840.png" target="_blank">Schwinn Twin-Stik</a> stem mounted levers. Finally, the original pedals would probably have been made by Lyotard of France, not the slightly more modern SR pedals from Japan.</p><p>Now that I'd assessed the bike and given it some thought, I made the following changes:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Installed a period correct Shimano freewheel with 14 - 32 teeth, with "skipped teeth" on the largest sprockets. This gave me both a more practical gearing range and the same or similar to what would have originally been on the bike.</li><li>Swapped the tires for some new 27 x 1-1/4" Panaracer Paselas, which not only look right for the era, but ride great, both swift and comfortable. Some of you have probably noticed a lot of my bikes have the Paselas on them, so I clearly like them.</li><li>Replaced the brake lever hoods with black ones, because while originally there would have been no hoods at all, I prefer the feel of rubber hoods. Also, the bike would have originally had "safety levers" on the brakes as well, but I don't care for those either, so I left those off.</li><li>While I like down tube shifter levers, I like bar end shifters even more, and I happened to have a set of Schwinn-Approved bar end shifters (made by SunTour), which the catalog refers to as optional "fingertip controls", so I installed those.</li><li>Finally, while I could have probably found a pair of the correct Lyotard pedals (I might actually have had a pair in a bin somewhere), I really prefer the very similar looking, but better made MKS Sylvan Touring pedals, so I put a set of those and some extra large toe clips on the bike, to accommodate my size 13-14 feet.<br /></li></ul><p>While I was at it, I gave the bike a thorough overhaul and cleaning, and even polished up some of the parts, like the funky Nervar triple crankset. <i>(Correction, as a reader pointed out, it's a DOUBLE crankset, not a triple.). </i>The Brooks saddle that came with the bike was in excellent shape, but the bar tape wasn't that great, so I replaced it with a similar blue padded tape. Finally, the spiffy little blue saddlebag was too cool to not keep, so it stayed on the bike, as did the classic Zefal HP pump. </p><p>One of the nice features about the 1973 and later Sports Tourers is that
they came with a Scwhinn-Approved Le Tour rear derailleur, which was
essentially a re-badged Shimano Crane, one of the nicest shifting wide
range derailleurs of the day. Paired with the SunTour shift levers (a
personal favorite), it changes gears just great. The 1971-72 models had
the Campagnolo Gran Turismo, which despite being made by the famous
Italian company, didn't shift that great and was really, really heavy. </p><p>I've thought about putting fenders on the bike, but haven't gotten around to it. To be truly Schwinn-accurate, I'd probably have to find some chrome steel ones, but I'm not sure I want to add any more weight to what isn't a really light bike to begin with. Of course, SKS (formerly ESGE) plastic fenders were popular back then, and even current models would look right. Or maybe something shiny from <a href="https://velo-orange.com/collections/700c-fenders" target="_blank">Velo Orange</a>, that's lighter but still shiny. For now, I'll keep it as it is, and just watch the weather.<br /></p><p>All in all, I'm really happy with how the bike turned out, and it's a lot of fun to ride. Not the lightest or fastest bike out there for sure, but super comfortable and smooth. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptcMtqkSLVGWKQhdVSo3WPuJI2qfmdFiZxvDxvxCv3cW2ixqq1zyv3d-lGt-D8Z7YcebdoVfWHYiP1O60E5UG7_O1xBThK0q2Ad9xOVCLuAo7PnFL8XpuqXxnfwN6roEWCCYD0z3XDhCaRaBPNRzurFLpxo6l6-ezKtMFX1G8NYhea-iRZWKIEOE_QA/s4000/IMG_4120.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjptcMtqkSLVGWKQhdVSo3WPuJI2qfmdFiZxvDxvxCv3cW2ixqq1zyv3d-lGt-D8Z7YcebdoVfWHYiP1O60E5UG7_O1xBThK0q2Ad9xOVCLuAo7PnFL8XpuqXxnfwN6roEWCCYD0z3XDhCaRaBPNRzurFLpxo6l6-ezKtMFX1G8NYhea-iRZWKIEOE_QA/w400-h300/IMG_4120.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1973 Schwinn Sports Tourer, after overhaul and changes.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>You can see more photos of the bike, both "before" and "after" shots, here:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://flickr.com/photos/frickercycle/albums/72157704574337754" target="_blank">1973 Schwinn Sports Tourer</a></p><p style="text-align: left;">A few links to other, similar bikes, and information on the line in general:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ironweedbp.com/ironweed-blog/chicago-fillet-the-1974-sports-tourer" target="_blank">http://www.ironweedbp.com/ironweed-blog/chicago-fillet-the-1974-sports-tourer </a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://16incheswestofpeoria.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/40-years-later-the-schwinn-sports-tourer/" target="_blank">https://16incheswestofpeoria.wordpress.com/2012/04/29/40-years-later-the-schwinn-sports-tourer/ </a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://bikeretrogrouch.blogspot.com/2014/09/handbuilt-schwinns.html" target="_blank">http://bikeretrogrouch.blogspot.com/2014/09/handbuilt-schwinns.html </a><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-69037002135756326892022-10-03T18:53:00.003-04:002022-11-04T17:37:53.497-04:00Sometimes, bikes find me!<p> Honestly, I haven't been seeking out bikes to acquire for some time now. But in the last two months, I've had two bikes turn up, and both of them too good a deal to pass up!</p><p>First was a bike that I found out about through the IBOB (Internet Bridgestone Owners Bunch) mailing list. A member of the list posted "Motobecane Grand Record looking for a new home (Free)." It caught my eye because I've always been interested in the Grand Record and Grand Jubile models from Motobecane, so I read the listing. The next thing that caught my eye was that the poster said the owner of the bike (not them) really wanted to do things locally, but might be willing to ship if need be, and that they were close to MY shop, so I could probably help with packing it up. The final piece of the puzzle was seeing the photos and description, indicating the bike was my size! A few emails back and forth, and a trip in my car, and the bike was mine.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6OIaBKJGZwBr3XL7KOydsK0dkqB5BUs41jJRl_uGcaDAk5uibyRGvTDcVhL0OUmU7e9V3dmPvENice4HaQy8vGAQZ80_kcA993GakGaNy3Vq8KeV4pXXfY3G7zsHb8_FziV-yojwSobsthQpTBeKwWhHNgJHYez3YLgWzd7x1n1GaBS3ADwnHBP2Rw/s4032/IMG_2116.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6OIaBKJGZwBr3XL7KOydsK0dkqB5BUs41jJRl_uGcaDAk5uibyRGvTDcVhL0OUmU7e9V3dmPvENice4HaQy8vGAQZ80_kcA993GakGaNy3Vq8KeV4pXXfY3G7zsHb8_FziV-yojwSobsthQpTBeKwWhHNgJHYez3YLgWzd7x1n1GaBS3ADwnHBP2Rw/w226-h169/IMG_2116.JPG" width="226" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for rebuild.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>It's pretty filthy and in need of a lot of tlc, for sure, but I can handle all of that. When I got it home, I was trying to figure out why the front wheel was cockeyed, and discovered that the front fork had a pretty serious bend to the left. But I have the tools and know-how to fix that, and took the opportunity to make it a teaching moment with one of my staff. Win-win!<br /></p><p>Now, given the amount of work it's going to need, plus having to give some thought to just how I want to use it and thus how I want to build it up, I've put that bike on the back burner for a bit. That decision was finalized when the second bike showed up, as it is going to be easier and faster to figure out and get rolling.</p><p> My shop works with an organization called <a href="https://www.bikesfortheworld.org/" target="_blank">Bikes for the World</a>, that collects donated bikes and ships them overseas to be used for transportation, mostly in Africa and Central America. People that want to donate bikes can drop them off with us, and once a week or so, BFTW comes by with a truck and trailer to pick up anything we've taken in. Typically, my staff and I will cast an eye over the giant pile of bikes on the truck/trailer rig, and now and then something interesting will be there. Last week, as I was walking toward him, the driver said "there's one here you should take a look at!"</p><p>Well, I went over and looked, and it was quite a surprise. There in the truck was a tall, yellow bike with drop handlebars like a road bike, but it wasn't a road bike. No, it was a track bike, a "fixed gear" or "fixed wheel" as the Brits sometimes call it. Which is probably the appropriate term, since it was built by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witcomb_Cycles" target="_blank">Witcomb Lightweight Cycles</a> of London. Witcomb never really had a huge presence in the US market, but US frame builders <a href="https://richardsachs.com/" target="_blank">Richard Sachs</a>, <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/49353569@N00/" target="_blank">Peter Weigle</a>, <a href="https://benserotta.com/" target="_blank">Ben Serrota</a>, and <a href="https://fatchance.bike/history/" target="_blank">Chris Chance </a>trained there in the early 70s, later going on to be major figures in the US bicycle industry. There was also a <a href="http://www.classicrendezvous.com/USA/Witcomb_USA/Witcomb_USA.htm" target="_blank">Witcomb USA</a> for a few years, which included Sachs, Weigle, and Chance as builders, but that's a different story.</p><p>After a short discussion, in which we agreed the bike made no sense for any of the partners in Africa or Central America, and the fact that BFTW had just held their annual sale of bikes that didn't suit the overseas partners, I was offered the bike for a good deal. Anyone who knows me would not be surprised that I accepted it! I honestly couldn't resist, as it's a pretty uncommon brand AND uncommon style of bike, plus, I was pretty sure it was pretty old, 70s or older. It was covered in a pretty good layer of dust and other filth, but it didn't seem to have any serious rust or issues, so I was really looking forward to tear into it and get it rolling again. Apparently, it had been left at the local transfer station (aka, the dump), which seems a sad end for such a fine bike. My best guess is the original owner passed away, and whomever ended up dealing with their stuff had no idea it was worth saving. I'm sure glad it came my way!<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodTIVOHPODoetkbI2cdDr4qNMdhNU7xTEoZjXvhqjwW6OTM2fRE_X6A2Xbv5sjY2f76aPDF8yk_ep4tvZ_rwp-Zf5R4pgGNMGz5-PYzPMw31k3sC0jB44qzAY-iilO5Cjed8QIlcYmQ5nbpE15MuSnnd8baLko1oHXkoyXvDjIsgb1UMB-rDheVSWoA/s4032/IMG_2536.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhodTIVOHPODoetkbI2cdDr4qNMdhNU7xTEoZjXvhqjwW6OTM2fRE_X6A2Xbv5sjY2f76aPDF8yk_ep4tvZ_rwp-Zf5R4pgGNMGz5-PYzPMw31k3sC0jB44qzAY-iilO5Cjed8QIlcYmQ5nbpE15MuSnnd8baLko1oHXkoyXvDjIsgb1UMB-rDheVSWoA/w400-h300/IMG_2536.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right off the truck, sitting in front of the shop.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Over the last few days, I've had some time to get started, and learned a few things along the way. First, based on the serial number, it was built sometime in 1963, which makes it one of the older bikes I own. The seat tube measures 24", which is pretty much about as short as I'm comfortable riding in general, and the frame was built with Reynolds 531 butted main tubes. The seat stay cluster is kind of cool, using a "full wrap" design. I think most of the parts are original, aside from the Phil Wood sealed bearing bottom bracket and the Weinmann brake and levers. In fact, being a fixed wheel, it might have had no brake at all originally, since traditionally they don't come with brakes, and brakes are not allowed in a velodrome. The wheels have Campagnolo Pista (track) hubs, which have date codes indicating they were also made in 1963. The rims are MAVIC Championat Du Monde, and the tires are Clement tubulars (aka sewups). The crank is a Campy Pista with 165mm arms and 47 tooth chainring, for 1/8" chains, connected to a Campy track cog in back. The handlebars and stem are from Cinelli, though I'm not sure which model at this point.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6xsYKyZjr9ud_aK3ZmzhntttiQTr-virMOpRkGG4EYik59GT3bFavplOkLCP6e6c9chG3Q20OPfidthKhoCbH8xFMngxn66E5P7IWE24VMK2IXtblunaCpUfswNsvtpCZiuhtO6sNODVO23CkHj-YeKcYQQe7lsfmPsm_DTn19pm53tBMaWCOD1zTA/s4032/IMG_2537.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6xsYKyZjr9ud_aK3ZmzhntttiQTr-virMOpRkGG4EYik59GT3bFavplOkLCP6e6c9chG3Q20OPfidthKhoCbH8xFMngxn66E5P7IWE24VMK2IXtblunaCpUfswNsvtpCZiuhtO6sNODVO23CkHj-YeKcYQQe7lsfmPsm_DTn19pm53tBMaWCOD1zTA/w200-h150/IMG_2537.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full wrap seatstays<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbNUEWxeHZo17PlznmdFcLsfYwkFvwZ6UKav4249e6MhARy6P1qHEjkAyxg7uFHxRtlFCBFIdeed25ZKEKHavh8SoJvw_fdzADiXJAQQ2cZ3dG4_QXazd8NDSb-vugBFWSdF6e18N8f-WH_oBjREeGXlcqVEhaM7qkZzcS_7VhmWljt4xqYch9i1mnQ/s4032/IMG_2543.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbNUEWxeHZo17PlznmdFcLsfYwkFvwZ6UKav4249e6MhARy6P1qHEjkAyxg7uFHxRtlFCBFIdeed25ZKEKHavh8SoJvw_fdzADiXJAQQ2cZ3dG4_QXazd8NDSb-vugBFWSdF6e18N8f-WH_oBjREeGXlcqVEhaM7qkZzcS_7VhmWljt4xqYch9i1mnQ/w200-h150/IMG_2543.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Campy Pista 165mm cranks<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHnp3CJP20kiBtIVwGuKSEMR3s-VYjOCIYLCW7u3nKm9KOvSbHFMk61NZabNBCaN3L_ddaSTU7sd12GUDI3PHAL2GaovjLcii60BkhbEnCv7C2qtMcwIzas7DUTsTqeGv6CHVYmXbmg4IswB19BC9JmCB6M_iMy0yCALFHkiawvuY2rrRLPjn4WpzXtw/s4032/IMG_2544.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHnp3CJP20kiBtIVwGuKSEMR3s-VYjOCIYLCW7u3nKm9KOvSbHFMk61NZabNBCaN3L_ddaSTU7sd12GUDI3PHAL2GaovjLcii60BkhbEnCv7C2qtMcwIzas7DUTsTqeGv6CHVYmXbmg4IswB19BC9JmCB6M_iMy0yCALFHkiawvuY2rrRLPjn4WpzXtw/w200-h150/IMG_2544.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Campy Pista hub and cog, frame track ends with adjusters.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78TuMLvy3tsCw7ZJMKbkrdgK4SHaKDhBk32Soc0OJAikaiFrd1I3iwbaw2g77mXgZyL9_Rs3WinMgwbddV7Je5ui6xfHcRbA5Xb2kQIG_eqc1xT9RTQS2CpB93NL8emFSnUenEuO8UhNaYOWoxbwhTFrnkDQs24WhNwSJdkUx7ZMAXm60o53gBEE9yA/s4032/IMG_2542.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78TuMLvy3tsCw7ZJMKbkrdgK4SHaKDhBk32Soc0OJAikaiFrd1I3iwbaw2g77mXgZyL9_Rs3WinMgwbddV7Je5ui6xfHcRbA5Xb2kQIG_eqc1xT9RTQS2CpB93NL8emFSnUenEuO8UhNaYOWoxbwhTFrnkDQs24WhNwSJdkUx7ZMAXm60o53gBEE9yA/w200-h150/IMG_2542.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cinelli bars and stem, Weinmann levers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />I breathed a sigh of relief when I discovered the seat post and stem both moved easily once the bolts were loosened. Sometimes you don't get that lucky, and it can be a huge challenge, and sometimes even completely impossible to budge those, rendering the frame pretty much useless. On the other hand, the tires were shot (not a big surprise), and the front rim has a huge dent in it. The rear rim MIGHT be ok, but honestly, I'm not that interested in using tubular tires on this bike, as the gluing and mounting process is kind of a pain, and not something I really love doing. A few of my other bikes do have sewups, but I try to keep it to a small number. So now I am working with a friend of mine who has a truly astonishing stash of bike parts, to see if he can come up with some good clincher rims that will look right on this bike. One oddity is that the front wheel has 32 spokes while the rear has 36. That actually makes a lot of sense, since the rear wheel sees more stress than the front, but you don't often see bikes that take that into account. Based on my experience, back in the day, it was mostly the English who thought of such things, as the classic 3-speed "light roadsters" often had 32 in the front and 40 in the rear.<p></p><p>I've taken all of the parts off the frame at this point, and started cleaning it up, including polishing the chrome "socks" on the fork and rear triangle. The chrome really cleaned up well, and the paint is looking pretty good too. I need to be careful not to damage the decals any more than they already are, and not harm the paint either. There's a little bit of rust on the bottom bracket shell where the paint got chipped, but nothing major. I need to take a closer look inside the tubes, but I think at worst there's a little light surface rust, which is not uncommon at all with older bikes, and isn't a real concern. Hopefully, over the next few weeks I will be able to rebuild the wheels with new rims and reassemble the bike and start riding it. I'm pretty sure I'll have the only Witcomb track bike on my local multi-use path!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq2Yf0m-ag4vnYRqJFY0Bsex8R9W1j3GC223C90ohNFEK_J-E2jHdRNdpjGwNTV1oFAlVRY5UnZHL_Nn5ui8c4udjo0rbcl9Mj8F96EjpNL7_AmXAixitx46NAF6vrnA1r40Kj9yYvE7UlAo56fsLYpZd_DMNTcv5RpSAfklKRGIVHD-AI82-hAMYXtw/s4032/IMG_2622.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq2Yf0m-ag4vnYRqJFY0Bsex8R9W1j3GC223C90ohNFEK_J-E2jHdRNdpjGwNTV1oFAlVRY5UnZHL_Nn5ui8c4udjo0rbcl9Mj8F96EjpNL7_AmXAixitx46NAF6vrnA1r40Kj9yYvE7UlAo56fsLYpZd_DMNTcv5RpSAfklKRGIVHD-AI82-hAMYXtw/w200-h150/IMG_2622.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painted parts of the frame are cleaning up pretty well.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgerIt3WHXDAz0Ur3Npwt-G1VtMfJLH4Jpss_qupKAdMbh69rJSOGyc7OZC9XH8fl815YsbDh7ey12fk_mddq_5bLhERTXmrtPwATfTKhve4y1vBoj1fKaRPgZT9g5av2E-Lyqe7Ua06_OfvpL1lDcieurh985knWy-b9xBugVuXtPsvxl0p4w8aoD9zw/s4032/IMG_2628.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgerIt3WHXDAz0Ur3Npwt-G1VtMfJLH4Jpss_qupKAdMbh69rJSOGyc7OZC9XH8fl815YsbDh7ey12fk_mddq_5bLhERTXmrtPwATfTKhve4y1vBoj1fKaRPgZT9g5av2E-Lyqe7Ua06_OfvpL1lDcieurh985knWy-b9xBugVuXtPsvxl0p4w8aoD9zw/w150-h200/IMG_2628.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rear chrome "socks" looking good.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSbyuHlMw6PmU8rHVu9H5Sbw2_rzdcm0rG2bnKbKeKqEp8ym_wNErAqGvZi3NBLm2Uvnz3TyION2v-gIUc-h-RwOvhwp17mMEyP42Z629E9dSssm92mMfpp86wAGrzVG-WH-ywojLbfV1i30ja_Gx9LPeFkUjO-YRKdu98LjtoZGUlWFFlj_S9K_LtA/s4032/IMG_2614.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFSbyuHlMw6PmU8rHVu9H5Sbw2_rzdcm0rG2bnKbKeKqEp8ym_wNErAqGvZi3NBLm2Uvnz3TyION2v-gIUc-h-RwOvhwp17mMEyP42Z629E9dSssm92mMfpp86wAGrzVG-WH-ywojLbfV1i30ja_Gx9LPeFkUjO-YRKdu98LjtoZGUlWFFlj_S9K_LtA/w150-h200/IMG_2614.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left (in photo) fork leg has been polished, right has not.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><p></p><p>I'll be posting updates as I move ahead with the work, along with photos, which you'll see here:</p><p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/frickercycle/sets/72177720302607137/" target="_blank">1963 Witcomb Track Bike</a><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-32083173533107615452022-06-27T17:06:00.001-04:002022-06-27T19:42:10.284-04:00My "new" 1977 Mondia Super "gravel" bike.<p> A few years back, my pal Shawn surprised me by shipping me this lovely Swiss Mondia road bike frame for my birthday. It hung on a hook in the shop for a couple of years, while I pondered how best to build it up. Finally, after riding my fully equipped Goshawk touring bike on the C&O Canal and Great Allegheny Passage for years, I realized the Mondia might make for a fun, lighter option for those unpaved trails.</p><p>Originally intended to be a sporty/racy road bike, the frame is built from the well known Reynolds 531 double-butted manganese-molybdenum tubing, with the very pretty Nervex Professional lugs at the joints. Intended for 700C road wheels and tires, it would probably fit around a 25 or 28mm wide tire, which wouldn't be ideal for the kind of riding I wanted to do on this bike.</p><p>On the other hand, over the last 15 years or so (how time flies!), the bike world has seen the resurgence of a tire/wheel size that many had considered obsolete - 650B. Wait, what the heck is all this "700C" and "650B" stuff anyway? Well, both of those are tire/rim size labels that come from the French cycling industry. In the original scheme of things, the number (700 or 650) indicated the nominal outside diameter of the tire in millimeters. The letter was used to indicate whether the tire was narrow or wide, with A being the narrowest, D being the widest. As with so many things in the bike industry, how things started out is not where we are today, and a typical 650B tire is much, much wider than a typical 650C tire is today, and 700C tires range from 23mm to 50mm or wider, while 700A, B, and D have vanished as labels. Confused? Welcome to bicycle tire size "standards" which are anything but standard. Some good info can be found here: <a href="https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html#french">https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tire-sizing.html#french</a></p><p>Okay, what does this mean for my Mondia? Well, 650B tires and wheels are smaller in diameter than 700C by 38mm. Mounting a set of those on a frame designed for 700C wheels gives you room for wider/taller tires, which give more cushion on rough surfaces. In the case of this Mondia, I was able to easily fit 40mm wide tires on a bike that normally would have only allowed for 28mm or so. I even had room for a set of fenders to boot! I had a set of 650B wheels I'd built some some time ago, with older parts, Sansin hubs and Alesa rims with Panasonic Col de la Vie tires. I'd thought about using them on a couple of other projects, but it wasn't until the Mondia that it came together.</p><p>The rest of the parts are things I've used on a number of other builds, because they just work for me. Sugino Mighty Tour crank with 40 and 52 tooth chainrings, MKS Touring pedals, SunTour 14-30 freewheel, SunTour VX derailleurs and Power Ratchet bar end shifters, Nitto bar and stem, and of course a Brooks B17 saddle. The brakes are long reach Weinmann centerpulls, which work great. Accessories at this point include SKS Longboard fenders, a Velo Orange Randonneur front rack and handlebar bag, and Carradice Lowsaddle Longflap saddlebag.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Imd_9MNFc_hnqwxSj9EMMr9Z7BUs3o1qYb3-BFeXMHOLAlI0d1G89aDCoL6k-F6rTk7UegrCikhau8bD8hUgiI0XpRB1xIe0bI65ZWBUpTV-8EWXN56hKhu72lzpSSH9di4lQUCx9lvDa6zClQEd_aauzq4te496O9VzBz_S02ENlJV-60vtUL0pZw/s4032/Mondia%20Side%20View.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Imd_9MNFc_hnqwxSj9EMMr9Z7BUs3o1qYb3-BFeXMHOLAlI0d1G89aDCoL6k-F6rTk7UegrCikhau8bD8hUgiI0XpRB1xIe0bI65ZWBUpTV-8EWXN56hKhu72lzpSSH9di4lQUCx9lvDa6zClQEd_aauzq4te496O9VzBz_S02ENlJV-60vtUL0pZw/w421-h316/Mondia%20Side%20View.jpg" width="421" /></a></div><br /> More photos can be seen here: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/frickercycle/albums/72157720288818705/with/51746599751/">1977? Mondia Super</a><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-67943726899621097122021-09-05T08:00:00.004-04:002022-11-06T14:27:35.351-05:00Ever Onward! 1972 Fuji The Newest<p> Sadly, I just have not found the gumption to post with any consistency on here, as anyone out there who's following knows all too well. I think part of it is that I used bike projects as a major source of my material, and I just haven't had that many new bike projects or acquisitions lately.</p><p>But that just changed! I'm in several bike related Facebook groups, and a few weeks ago, a fellow posted photos of a "barn find" bike that he said he planned to sell once he cleaned it up. I immediately chimed in, saying I wanted to know about it when he was ready to sell. Well, it turns out I was the first to voice interest, so he offered it to me at what I consider a very fair price.</p><p> So what the heck kind of bicycle is this that I jumped at the mere mention that it might be for sale?</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-vDSGVwSfPqZiVI1vvU1BgUxoEcej0xUhBEKFUrF21Cyh-okrZp4IVKlkzP8zWX9_BKSQA3DvZDUSb-i26hPdOV454aKecNFzXx1z3L1tJDmz755YlzuGhvpn4h-TnNmycaYF-SaoaTV/s2048/IMG_8638.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8-vDSGVwSfPqZiVI1vvU1BgUxoEcej0xUhBEKFUrF21Cyh-okrZp4IVKlkzP8zWX9_BKSQA3DvZDUSb-i26hPdOV454aKecNFzXx1z3L1tJDmz755YlzuGhvpn4h-TnNmycaYF-SaoaTV/w400-h300/IMG_8638.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1972 Fuji The Newest<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1r1VL8l4d4k4ZWdTIImYJ-J3K7NlCg0rY7CMPGo7ipLj5o1xiyEE23_lv_uq5uiXhsEmofPglpLyHFMmIPfrj_UEKniQBk2-fPJqs1GKzY82Nd8NY1sMVPPQ1X2EHpVJchPfF-HTe6Qy/s2048/IMG_8633.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_1r1VL8l4d4k4ZWdTIImYJ-J3K7NlCg0rY7CMPGo7ipLj5o1xiyEE23_lv_uq5uiXhsEmofPglpLyHFMmIPfrj_UEKniQBk2-fPJqs1GKzY82Nd8NY1sMVPPQ1X2EHpVJchPfF-HTe6Qy/w150-h200/IMG_8633.jpeg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Richard's Bicycle Book", <br />a classic of the 70s.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> For the answer, we need to go back to my first years falling in love with cycling. I learned much of what I needed to know about bicycles and bicycling from the classic <i>Richard's Bicycle Book,</i> one of the classic cycling guides of the 70s. The copy I owned at the time was the first revised edition, which had a photo of the author on the cover, working on a lovely Fuji road bike that said "Fuji Racer" on the down tube and "The Newest" on the top tube. <br /></p><p> The author included a brief buying guide in one of the chapters, listing a few bikes at various price points that were well worth considering, and one of the entries in "good quality, high-cost bicycles" is the Fuji The Newest. As a teenager I couldn't afford one, given that it sold for close to $500 at the time, but in 1977, when I bought the first bike I bought with my own money, I selected a Fuji S-10S, one of Richard's entries in the "good quality, low-cost bicycles", and had many wonderful times with that bike. In fact, I still do, as you can see in <a href="https://spokesofawheel.blogspot.com/2013/10/fuji-finished-and-fun.html" target="_blank">"Fuji Finished and Fun!"</a> and other posts <a href="https://spokesofawheel.blogspot.com/search?q=S-10S" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQoGjtnzf2nD0ghjORHKuAuiWtwnRe8SCepgZCIsmCxQkOmmmHG8UE_oekrhNHTTB6IMFtnLt5xIuqyCuqtj6FaCgTkBjj6kDuzh2wVU-5UEzvSiJ8RD2hodDrniHd9vIKdstZeGnp9cj/s2048/IMG_8635.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1031" data-original-width="2048" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQoGjtnzf2nD0ghjORHKuAuiWtwnRe8SCepgZCIsmCxQkOmmmHG8UE_oekrhNHTTB6IMFtnLt5xIuqyCuqtj6FaCgTkBjj6kDuzh2wVU-5UEzvSiJ8RD2hodDrniHd9vIKdstZeGnp9cj/w400-h201/IMG_8635.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Description from 1974 edition of "Richard's Bicycle Book." Slightly different from the 1972 model.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>One of the themes of my bike collecting as an adult is finding bikes I dreamed of in my youth, and the Newest was definitely on that list. Which brings us back to the bike in question, a 1972 Fuji The Newest, that arrived this past week, and which I unboxed as soon as I had a free moment. The seller did an amazing job of packing, basically double boxing the bike and padding everything with foam, as well as a layer of newspaper which prevented any nicks from cutting away the padding. I don't think I've ever received a bike so beautifully packed, and the bike made the journey from Montana to Virginia with not even the slightest damage, which is a big deal these days.</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglqdUtfmBfjC0YwYDsQe8dDHgS2otTx1Ta0EWyUF_f5e9HD6Ef2_1fHRd-XBGolKKmucAidsRu3DpH1hI8v2-qzsBC4ohE_LnqW62H2LJzlKRs52Qt8nG1PP_LIp4YSTGICtLpKp8hCsC6/s2048/IMG_8654.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglqdUtfmBfjC0YwYDsQe8dDHgS2otTx1Ta0EWyUF_f5e9HD6Ef2_1fHRd-XBGolKKmucAidsRu3DpH1hI8v2-qzsBC4ohE_LnqW62H2LJzlKRs52Qt8nG1PP_LIp4YSTGICtLpKp8hCsC6/w200-h150/IMG_8654.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seamless Super YPC saddle.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>On top of the great packing job, the seller had also done a complete tear down and overhaul of the bike, cleaning all the moving parts with an ultrasonic cleaner, as well as bringing the frame to a remarkable shine. He'd said it seemed the bike had barely been ridden, and I have to agree. There's no wear on the drive train or anything else, even the suede saddle looks unridden. Just about everything on the bike is original, aside from the handlebar tape, brake lever hoods, and tires. He had the original tires, but they were badly dry rotted, so he sold me the bike without the tires. There are a few small spots where the paint was rubbed through, probably from storage, but the plus is that they reveal that the whole frame is chrome plated under the paint, just like my two <a href="https://spokesofawheel.blogspot.com/search?q=centurion" target="_blank">Centurions</a> and Specialized <a href="https://spokesofawheel.blogspot.com/search?q=sequoia" target="_blank">Sequoia</a>.<br /></p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHUJJoQFGjiRjZxsIcK-wGaNqdUDDigRJMMKBONZMz9uHyYWW_KQihRg704FZdjEVtRsqYpxVtstjb6rp7yFZfBnvmKIgucK_XGY2ERkPBW3SS2F_FeiwGztbkninh_dce5wgZn61fmDp/s2048/IMG_8644.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHUJJoQFGjiRjZxsIcK-wGaNqdUDDigRJMMKBONZMz9uHyYWW_KQihRg704FZdjEVtRsqYpxVtstjb6rp7yFZfBnvmKIgucK_XGY2ERkPBW3SS2F_FeiwGztbkninh_dce5wgZn61fmDp/w150-h200/IMG_8644.jpeg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dia-Compe brakes, <br />Fuji headbadge, <br />chrome fork crown.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> It's a gorgeous bike, and should be a lot of fun to ride. As much as I love the fact it's original, I will be making some changes to make it a better rider for my purposes, but will keep all the original parts handy, in case I go to a <a href="https://spokesofawheel.blogspot.com/2010/06/2010-cirque-du-cyclisme.html" target="_blank">classic bike event</a> or something. What will I change? Well, first of all, the seat post, which is really short, and to fit me, needs to be an inch or so longer. The Newest was only made in 22 1/2" and 24" frame sizes, and this is the larger 24" (61cm), but that's at the lower end of my size range (61 - 64cm). I also have rather large feet (size 13-14 depending on brand) and so the medium sized toe clips just won't work, nor the quill style pedals, which have a little "hook" on the outer edge that really doesn't work with wide shoes. I'll probably ride it with SPD style pedals most of the time, or a different toe clip compatible pedal with larger clips. </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-XTSN2I1qAvvhlZrn4mR5M3bp1-wQXxPgM8YWa9qgiF62B1gbJOzEo5_kkHPntwtdjYeAB-9JYcf2FYGNIjXYT6GAEm1Ni3tSTC5YqbTV4YgsQKpvwYCJw4fipjrAQb9M719pv6hqWzIO/s2048/IMG_8658.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-XTSN2I1qAvvhlZrn4mR5M3bp1-wQXxPgM8YWa9qgiF62B1gbJOzEo5_kkHPntwtdjYeAB-9JYcf2FYGNIjXYT6GAEm1Ni3tSTC5YqbTV4YgsQKpvwYCJw4fipjrAQb9M719pv6hqWzIO/w150-h200/IMG_8658.jpeg" width="150" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SunTour V derailleur,<br />14-22 tooth SunTour freewheel.<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The factory-original gearing is also something that needs to be addressed, as I'm not as fit as I was in my teens, and the 47/52 chainrings matched to a 14-22 tooth freewheel really only work for younger legs on flatter terrain than I have where I live. Honestly, I wonder if that's part of why the bike has so few miles on it... these are NOT Montana gears! Then again, the bike was originally sold in Minnesota, so who knows. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqszthulwFH91-OhKP2DKPY027c9LcolXXqQwem3DXeim_jtWTgjVgW-6V6FJhIViXFY-OL26ZBTaO5ByOaVrDSt99RaaKXPFW3ojk4F_clsLx1WAYpuy99H-nxSeep3ecf1Z6HlneVUTL/s2048/IMG_8651.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqszthulwFH91-OhKP2DKPY027c9LcolXXqQwem3DXeim_jtWTgjVgW-6V6FJhIViXFY-OL26ZBTaO5ByOaVrDSt99RaaKXPFW3ojk4F_clsLx1WAYpuy99H-nxSeep3ecf1Z6HlneVUTL/w200-h150/IMG_8651.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SunTour Power Ratchet shifters,<br />Primus pump, sewup tires,<br />Fuji logo on fork.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Finally, I will most likely build up a second set of wheels, using clincher tires instead of the glued on "<a href="https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html" target="_blank">sewups</a>" the bike currently has. Sewups are great riding tires, if you buy the really good ones, but they require more work to properly install and repair. I can't bring myself to rebuild the original wheels with different rims, so I'll build a second set and mount some nice riding clincher tires like the Rene Herse models or the Panaracer Pasela, which I have used for many years.<br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2m5F6bmzDqmrEb5jsH0A0TIFhmn4njer9weTrWPRWzrUiu49AcWND1r6wb38QGzo7rZJEWxsVv0QrLYp43bcSVbbAkq0XL6_i9oeHfziBggvt0rLGTH-jaPjBunV_d9xYIEuv_OwR1f6/s2048/IMG_8661.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2m5F6bmzDqmrEb5jsH0A0TIFhmn4njer9weTrWPRWzrUiu49AcWND1r6wb38QGzo7rZJEWxsVv0QrLYp43bcSVbbAkq0XL6_i9oeHfziBggvt0rLGTH-jaPjBunV_d9xYIEuv_OwR1f6/w200-h150/IMG_8661.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every Onward slogan on right<br />chain stay.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Oh, why did I title this post the way I did? Here's the answer - for whatever reason, The Newest had this slogan on the chain stays for the first few years of production. Quirky, and made all the more so by that typeface. But it's just another reason I love this bike.<br /><br /><p></p><p>If you want to see more photos of the bike, check them out here: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/frickercycle/albums/72157719785944117" target="_blank">1972 Fuji The Newest</a><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98SBPx7snQ_Guha6xGlCsCXTRFC1dWrizrV_Ld3xJjZQJM4sYUDPzjEbJ81UtKxzCX2xH9MtGALyr0rnePZOCHM4XLCY8J9jr6x3063Aqze7n_TqbwSxU_TmAQ1VO56GtGU_os5v3Sy-y/s2048/IMG_8672.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98SBPx7snQ_Guha6xGlCsCXTRFC1dWrizrV_Ld3xJjZQJM4sYUDPzjEbJ81UtKxzCX2xH9MtGALyr0rnePZOCHM4XLCY8J9jr6x3063Aqze7n_TqbwSxU_TmAQ1VO56GtGU_os5v3Sy-y/s320/IMG_8672.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left side 1972 Fuji The Newest.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Lwbhklppe8bYlJc9Es1sSxqCBlEpD5KsAO7kpPT8WmG53lOKI8AndBvn3v3l4uv2AdmU9TRHrpEPBEi_Suxnpw0zhRS9xRvre3-8BR5-6VaZpJfG0gguEmQ6XXDaMkF0kGcEiqaPvu9I/s2048/IMG_8639.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Lwbhklppe8bYlJc9Es1sSxqCBlEpD5KsAO7kpPT8WmG53lOKI8AndBvn3v3l4uv2AdmU9TRHrpEPBEi_Suxnpw0zhRS9xRvre3-8BR5-6VaZpJfG0gguEmQ6XXDaMkF0kGcEiqaPvu9I/s320/IMG_8639.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front right quarter 1972 Fuji The Newest.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkClKC6IERZaF5kncVM4owItvPaaGZaXvTqoPhFlB7JAQfz5k4Qvhu0WWKqEpu4i8EpYim3Y_jmn_lQbenWttz1zZEJe_FvEBZn3MmTaH9Yi1RiWK2yqqtBLK8EPzkitR_t2pxt7BVX0P/s2048/IMG_8640.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRkClKC6IERZaF5kncVM4owItvPaaGZaXvTqoPhFlB7JAQfz5k4Qvhu0WWKqEpu4i8EpYim3Y_jmn_lQbenWttz1zZEJe_FvEBZn3MmTaH9Yi1RiWK2yqqtBLK8EPzkitR_t2pxt7BVX0P/s320/IMG_8640.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right rear quarter, 1972 Fuji The Newest.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-21547574445968679822020-07-22T22:33:00.002-04:002020-07-22T22:36:27.796-04:00Stablemate for my orange Centurion Professional<div>By now if you've poked around this blog at all, you'll have seen a few posts about my shiny orange <a href="https://spokesofawheel.blogspot.com/search?q=centurion+professional" target="_blank">Centurion Professional</a> and how I came to have it. Over the years since I got that bike, I've learned a lot about the brand, and I've seen quite a few other models, but never another Professional in person, and very few even online.</div><div><br /></div><div>I did however see a fair number of the next model down, the Semi Professional (called the Semi Pro in some years), both in person and online and in various internet groups to which I belong. I even had a 79-82 Semi Pro frame that I built up and rode as a fixed gear for a few years before selling it (which I regret). On the IBOB (Internet Bridgestone Owners Bunch) and Classic Rendezvous mailing lists, some of us even jokingly referred to ourselves as a sort of informal Centurion Professional/Semi Pro club.</div><div><br /></div><div>You can probably see where this is headed... years of looking at and reading about others' Semi Pros got me to thinking I'd really like one as a stablemate to my lovely orange Professional. In particular, I really liked the pale blue ones, which looked really classy and made a nice complement to the orange. Now and then I'd look for one online, but never really found one I liked in my size (24.5" to 25.5" or so). And in the mailing lists, I'd now and then comment on how much I wanted one.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>One day I spied a particularly sharp looking blue 1977 Semi Professional posted by the fellow who had recently bought it. I commented on what a nice bike it was, and we exchanged some messages and I shared some info I had on Centurions. I of course told him if he ever wanted to part with it, I wanted to be the first to know. Then some time later, I casually asked what size his bike was, and he responded that it was a 25.5"... and went on to say he'd just been thinking of me, as he was considering parting with the bike. Well, one thing lead to another, and before long, the bike was at my shop.</div><div><br /></div><div>It took me longer than I'd planned to get it put back together and ready to ride. I ended up re-lacing the wheels with new spokes, and put new cables and brake hoods, and a few other small things, but overall I kept the bike as it came to me, and it looks really great and rides great. Compared to the Professional it's a bit more laid back and stretched out, as it's more of a classic "sport tourer" of its era, where the Professional was meant to be a true racing bike. The finish is very much like the Professional, with a pearlescent blue paint over a chrome plated base, with some of the chrome showing through at fork ends, dropouts, some of the lugs, etc.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnpf4qaAHK2BArtB_d9VhWQ7IodshKLmf8-HwPf0MLoKaHD2_HeEa3oJhLfCZgueQVnZQ3M9Bp08kkUi48rKaYlg-w3Dvsz4UiQb4aEIkVpijzv08kjAYuBJhBk41ZJ7hAHr7-6dvlna4U/s2048/IMG_5197.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnpf4qaAHK2BArtB_d9VhWQ7IodshKLmf8-HwPf0MLoKaHD2_HeEa3oJhLfCZgueQVnZQ3M9Bp08kkUi48rKaYlg-w3Dvsz4UiQb4aEIkVpijzv08kjAYuBJhBk41ZJ7hAHr7-6dvlna4U/s320/IMG_5197.jpg" width="406" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUP1FyeRD7ncNi05MWTelUr8cfxW1wESw3R6oI5wBurpRSGeYrXeoWBqItK8v1BxeoPa449QBcr2zsovqZ6WNKnW3L5ihFI9R6CxYE546L2idPvsuRdsJBvvp-ZD0Ces5rxRiZkgzHdlOq/s2048/IMG_5198.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUP1FyeRD7ncNi05MWTelUr8cfxW1wESw3R6oI5wBurpRSGeYrXeoWBqItK8v1BxeoPa449QBcr2zsovqZ6WNKnW3L5ihFI9R6CxYE546L2idPvsuRdsJBvvp-ZD0Ces5rxRiZkgzHdlOq/s320/IMG_5198.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSRTK37Lr3uLhOUljBUW_dOVflwTp4LnQVxa_cXR6Dcl04hVnofw6B1UemRiOlYcagwP7olvyQ4SxQabbtsKAsY2DpgQnlfaYzKrBIDJA_xYWJPOIWemwJuFEi39mv77PLiHQ5gXO824W/s2048/IMG_5199.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSRTK37Lr3uLhOUljBUW_dOVflwTp4LnQVxa_cXR6Dcl04hVnofw6B1UemRiOlYcagwP7olvyQ4SxQabbtsKAsY2DpgQnlfaYzKrBIDJA_xYWJPOIWemwJuFEi39mv77PLiHQ5gXO824W/s320/IMG_5199.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwthjC0DRZkhtPRTJ185BIzGf0AoSLh4yBAwEL60LdTOeJj25hl6izAU9Y4N-uJDf2h9kmLFFQnEK74JByUlkHjyBgQxLYfpWmx8Rs_y5sSIgcWlHbYErapeQ02SrBMucrrBMeDYw2m-Jo/s2048/IMG_5202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwthjC0DRZkhtPRTJ185BIzGf0AoSLh4yBAwEL60LdTOeJj25hl6izAU9Y4N-uJDf2h9kmLFFQnEK74JByUlkHjyBgQxLYfpWmx8Rs_y5sSIgcWlHbYErapeQ02SrBMucrrBMeDYw2m-Jo/s320/IMG_5202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJm_RsComBg_ETVdRbmLcV9rGBTzZkGFJC0bHdRBvAOcYBez0ld1UmqnCZcv3TumyseGVCUJphGcLyNOHdCwMO1d74_E0oL9o0gcG6CVBHf8qqQHydR-gO6t2p5zk86PLHdQTfJPyYXDU/s2048/IMG_5208.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJm_RsComBg_ETVdRbmLcV9rGBTzZkGFJC0bHdRBvAOcYBez0ld1UmqnCZcv3TumyseGVCUJphGcLyNOHdCwMO1d74_E0oL9o0gcG6CVBHf8qqQHydR-gO6t2p5zk86PLHdQTfJPyYXDU/s320/IMG_5208.jpg" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div>The components on the bike are very good, nearly as good as the Professional. Front and rear derailleurs are SunTour Cyclones on both bikes, which at the time were the top of the SunTour line (bumped down a notch a year or two later when Superbe was introduced), while the shifters are the PDM Power Ratchet shifters on the Semi Pro vs. the Cyclones on the Professional. The brakes are Dia Compe Gran Compe, the first generation of that model as near as I can tell. The crankset on the Semi Professional is a Sugino Mighty Compe, a step down from the Mighty Custom on the Pro. Hubs on both bikes are Sansin Pro Am, but the rims on the Semi Pro are 27" single wall rims about 22mm wide. The Pro originally would have had "sewup" racing tires and rims, but mine now has narrow 20mm clincher rims. The most obvious difference at first glance of course, is that many of the components on the Semi Professional have black elements while the Professional has all silver components. Both look really great, though truth be told, I'm a traditionalist and like my parts silver.</div><div><br /></div><div>I set the bike up with orange bar tape, and plan to change out the bar tape on my Professional to pale blue, so the two bikes will sort of mirror each other. Stay tuned for a "family photo shoot" when I have the time.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Photos of the Semi Professional are here: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/frickercycle/sets/72157714238998847/">1977 Centurion Semi Professional</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Catalog Scan of the 1977-78 Centurion Catalog: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/frickercycle/sets/72157651279118902/with/15791297313/">Centurion Catalog</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Photos of the Professional are here: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/frickercycle/sets/72157604257636170/">1978 Centurion Professional</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-60470437229818261172020-06-29T09:49:00.001-04:002020-06-29T09:49:32.244-04:00Return to a place that soothes me...<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00zfPe_s_JjNyoqRRuKIQ2Z4h81qQtnSTv01EKfNbMFwLGlQmOhSsZPdEyIQ41OZs42S4LZreiv8wOmXM-c0m-pLSLllA9pFAoxbTNMZj2_ne883eIPCoTTU5bYGKMk1t1xbL5NH3j6jE/s1600/P1000711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00zfPe_s_JjNyoqRRuKIQ2Z4h81qQtnSTv01EKfNbMFwLGlQmOhSsZPdEyIQ41OZs42S4LZreiv8wOmXM-c0m-pLSLllA9pFAoxbTNMZj2_ne883eIPCoTTU5bYGKMk1t1xbL5NH3j6jE/s320/P1000711.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So green and damp after recent rains.</td></tr>
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Due to the COVID19 pandemic, many things have been closed or have had limited access - stores including my own), restaurants, libraries, entertainment venues, just about everything. It's been strange and at times difficult to adjust to the situation. Even outdoor activities have had their challenges... many parks have been closed, and multi-use paths like the Washington & Old Dominion Trail near me have been so busy that it's a bit daunting to go on them for a walk or ride. Even my beloved Chesapeake & Ohio Canal has had access limited, especially the area where I typically walk.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ypnCnguz-ikW9yj5S81C3X4d2HZrJ_vL7W6UpoqN5ctfdCQFzLwZZKShp4RDRqgWpN9-98JwdYDg3qx2WpqYSZbjoWAmmwgea0_CEwoedm-ieD38cG8YL36OhHojxlTH4QFeBLNLYlTh/s1600/DSC_0432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ypnCnguz-ikW9yj5S81C3X4d2HZrJ_vL7W6UpoqN5ctfdCQFzLwZZKShp4RDRqgWpN9-98JwdYDg3qx2WpqYSZbjoWAmmwgea0_CEwoedm-ieD38cG8YL36OhHojxlTH4QFeBLNLYlTh/s320/DSC_0432.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleepy bumblebee on thistle.</td></tr>
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Last weekend though, I took a glance at the National Park Service website and discovered they had re-opened the parking areas nearest me. It was the end of my work day, and early evening. An hour or two of daylight left, and the solstice. That made it an easy decision... I figured I'd go and see how things were. I was worried the parking lots might be full with people finally able to get there, but much to my delight, there were only a few cars there.<br />
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And what a wonderful walk! I didn't go as far as I typically do, since it was getting late and I was tired, but it felt so good to be back in nature in one of my favorite places. After nearly three months of not being there, I didn't fully realize how much I had missed it until I was there again. I ended up going back the following evening as well, and it was lovely. So glad to be able to go back now.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74x2BUxr0DafbipMclq2PbPEaHy49zgILjiyBUGUNJmE5ymA-8PBGcJq2D70YywEFnI0fi7YV8mSfh51pKFJo30atPKaSSD3WhlBHe4sFmbfuiRFTy2FTMYkSC9FxxB6jRLXdh5IE45-P/s1600/DSC_0442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74x2BUxr0DafbipMclq2PbPEaHy49zgILjiyBUGUNJmE5ymA-8PBGcJq2D70YywEFnI0fi7YV8mSfh51pKFJo30atPKaSSD3WhlBHe4sFmbfuiRFTy2FTMYkSC9FxxB6jRLXdh5IE45-P/s320/DSC_0442.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of frogs staying cool in the pools.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3ZnGtZEznTJwxRRLepMrGTTtQ6TYIBAWeEXh4O2PTukmpQiuzN3TkquC0FkUI4ivmxqtfkuMU4dzxzUUn2Ects4Z4zO1HQWvEnoCSxggsNYgVHGLkWhyoefH_wxMWx_iyRI4J4NeD2jF/s1600/P1000723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3ZnGtZEznTJwxRRLepMrGTTtQ6TYIBAWeEXh4O2PTukmpQiuzN3TkquC0FkUI4ivmxqtfkuMU4dzxzUUn2Ects4Z4zO1HQWvEnoCSxggsNYgVHGLkWhyoefH_wxMWx_iyRI4J4NeD2jF/s320/P1000723.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost missed this heron due to the high grass.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTx4nTdl2lBDuqyIs4fdOG_kAAgb98-RQSGg7-PcLy-H3uEyrxN4RnbndB4PSk_-IqJLOeqSfy-sQatlUHHncz1n-4ZXjCRDhD5p4lCF91GsriaLHsYvvPibdx6d99aDzvoFwymsCFsel/s1600/P1000728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTx4nTdl2lBDuqyIs4fdOG_kAAgb98-RQSGg7-PcLy-H3uEyrxN4RnbndB4PSk_-IqJLOeqSfy-sQatlUHHncz1n-4ZXjCRDhD5p4lCF91GsriaLHsYvvPibdx6d99aDzvoFwymsCFsel/s320/P1000728.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mama wood duck and her 10 (!) babies.</td></tr>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-70784240724150987152020-04-29T21:13:00.000-04:002020-04-29T21:13:24.397-04:00USS Enterprise Memorial There's a bunch of stuff that happened earlier this year I need to catch up on, and now's as good a time as any.<br />
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Right as the COVID-19 story was just starting to break on the east coast, I had plans to attend a bicycle trade show, CABDA East, in New Jersey on March 11th and 12th. I figured it was a good opportunity to touch base with some of my vendors and see what might be happening in the industry as a whole, since the big Interbike show had ceased a few years back.<br />
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I also thought this might be a good opportunity to check out a memorial that I'd wanted to see for a number of years - a memorial to the USS <i>Enterprise</i>, CV-6, the famous aircraft carrier that served in WWII. Aside from the historical significance of the ship, there's a personal connection as well. At the end of the war, the <i>Enterprise</i> was pressed into service for Operation Magic Carpet, where various warships were used to carry servicemen home from various theaters of war. My father, who served as part of the ground forces of the 8th Air Force in the UK and Ukraine, caught his ride home on the "Big E."<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8G0lU5NluARA8HfD_eKLjL3pqJ8EdBgXmTqojtD9SLqw_Uke5ogmMwm-z7U1Ev0NshYhwluiABIf3rnhnUC17fZrYVk5LceYWOjIroRdhlhdj33EciBNtjqswr6MX_n_FlrUsb-ZVFNw8/s1600/Hangar_of_USS_Enterprise_%2528CV-6%2529_during_a_Magic_Carpet_voyage%252C_in_September_1945_%252880-G-495657%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1202" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8G0lU5NluARA8HfD_eKLjL3pqJ8EdBgXmTqojtD9SLqw_Uke5ogmMwm-z7U1Ev0NshYhwluiABIf3rnhnUC17fZrYVk5LceYWOjIroRdhlhdj33EciBNtjqswr6MX_n_FlrUsb-ZVFNw8/s320/Hangar_of_USS_Enterprise_%2528CV-6%2529_during_a_Magic_Carpet_voyage%252C_in_September_1945_%252880-G-495657%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">US Navy photo of bunks in hangar deck of USS <i>Enterprise, </i>just as my dad had described.</td></tr>
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I discovered another connection to the <i>Enterprise </i>quite by accident. I grew up in Bowie, Maryland, and not far from there was a road called Enterprise Road, on which there was an Enterprise golf course, and a place call the Newton White Mansion. The golf course had a graphic on their sign that represented the 1960s nuclear powered <i>Enterprise, </i>so I assumed that was the connection to the name. That is, until one day when I helped a friend who was a DJ at a wedding at the Newton White Mansion and I saw the very large portrait of the WWII <i>Enterprise </i>over the fireplace. Suddenly, my memory clicked and I realized... Newton White was the very first captain of CV-6, the WWII <i>Enterprise.</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Wi_BaVQFGdI9S2rcWVCH6MoZvGR5ozjH21fGfRkeT9uVkyXYw2I0NhTyQfXgJoxw1N_sFk9NIOB8XQQAImWYFxAOFYUgJ0zo4jZG97NHz4d3nk-sFPJrdeBzUmVXMa1ZNZJgwGeItbjV/s1600/P1000377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Wi_BaVQFGdI9S2rcWVCH6MoZvGR5ozjH21fGfRkeT9uVkyXYw2I0NhTyQfXgJoxw1N_sFk9NIOB8XQQAImWYFxAOFYUgJ0zo4jZG97NHz4d3nk-sFPJrdeBzUmVXMa1ZNZJgwGeItbjV/s200/P1000377.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River Vale, NJ</td></tr>
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Because of those connections, the <i>Enterprise</i> was a big part of my early interest in WWII history. I read Edward Stafford's classic <i>The Big E </i>in my early teens, and over the years have read and watched pretty much everything I could about the ship. She served in the Pacific theatre from beginning to end, taking part in almost every major carrier battle of the war. She only missed the Battle of the Coral Sea due to her mission to escort USS <i>Hornet</i> when the latter ship launched the Doolittle Raid bombers against Tokyo, and later missed the final air attacks on the Japanese home islands due to having been severely damaged by a Kamikaze off Okinawa. There was a time when she was literally the only US fleet carrier in the Pacific. Earning 20 battle stars and the only American ship ever awarded an Admiralty pennant by the Royal Navy, and with a war record second to none, you would think she would have been a shoe in to be preserved as a museum ship. Sadly, due to bad timing and a lack of funding, attempts to preserve her failed, and she was cut up for scrap in New Jersey, and only a few artifacts of this great ship remain.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXLA3yoxANeNyKciIXuOOJzhsfoDdpRbHGRuGJGjrdj-Wn9Q0ZGWhAEg1HWQUuY8z23K0pY2C5dqm4kyI6gzDgtekhQTLiTKarvZXJWPnZ9DYVkqsk3H31D7XbPSe-4J9h9QyImpI4vzY/s1600/P1000375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXLA3yoxANeNyKciIXuOOJzhsfoDdpRbHGRuGJGjrdj-Wn9Q0ZGWhAEg1HWQUuY8z23K0pY2C5dqm4kyI6gzDgtekhQTLiTKarvZXJWPnZ9DYVkqsk3H31D7XbPSe-4J9h9QyImpI4vzY/s200/P1000375.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River Vale, NJ</td></tr>
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Thanks to the foresight of one man, Henry Hoffman, who supervised the scrapping, the stern plate of <i>Enterprise</i> was saved and spent many years at a little league ball park in River Vale, NJ. Apparently there was a tradition where a player who hit a ball into the outfield and hit the stern plate got a free hot dog at the concession stand. Not really a dignified position for such an important artifact. Fortunately, in the late 90s, the town decided to restore the stern plate and move it to a small memorial park adjacent to the library, which also houses a small display of <i>Enterprise</i> artifacts in a display case.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxYqxz08uwv_lqeMHecwx2Vb0OT_6Vg8RUH14yVNe2zZzQK70QFLTej-Cbjhyd_14gFED-WT3av88gD-Phdczt-FmGlVQOhYOnChpB9zsxEJElje-dYnloO9624ci1mBe3G1nguziVJyk/s1600/P1000409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxYqxz08uwv_lqeMHecwx2Vb0OT_6Vg8RUH14yVNe2zZzQK70QFLTej-Cbjhyd_14gFED-WT3av88gD-Phdczt-FmGlVQOhYOnChpB9zsxEJElje-dYnloO9624ci1mBe3G1nguziVJyk/s320/P1000409.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River Vale Library, NJ</td></tr>
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While my plans to go to the trade show fell apart due to the COVID-19 outbreak, I still managed to carve out a few hours to drive up to River Vale to check out the park and library. I have to admit, as simple as it was, I found it very moving. I guess just the thought of all the men that served, all the conflict the ship saw... and the thought of my dad on that massive hangar deck, with thousands of other GIs, finally heading home after the war. Standing there and running my fingers along those letters on the stern plate really made a strong impression on me, and I'm so glad I finally got the chance to see it. I only wish the whole ship had been preserved.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjx_MO3YBhjstxpWR1S51IyOs2GZVDtX_KPFW12rNa_12H_mwA_wVVqZ14gseyjm6uDOg727g7lPyR67Ey49Y3Dq0eUK2ygkxp3n5KjsSn51O9Xw5rvjs0VVezgVIPZ91Ibn0-xm64UWPe/s1600/P1000378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjx_MO3YBhjstxpWR1S51IyOs2GZVDtX_KPFW12rNa_12H_mwA_wVVqZ14gseyjm6uDOg727g7lPyR67Ey49Y3Dq0eUK2ygkxp3n5KjsSn51O9Xw5rvjs0VVezgVIPZ91Ibn0-xm64UWPe/s400/P1000378.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stern plate of USS <i>Enterprise, </i>River Vale Memorial Park, NJ</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The USS <i>Enterprise </i>CV-6 Foundation: <a href="http://www.cv6.org/site/association.htm">http://www.cv6.org/site/association.htm</a><br />
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About the library display: <a href="https://www.rivervalelibrary.org/uss-enterprise-cv-6"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">USS Enterprise (CV-6) Collection</span></span></span></a><br />
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About the Memorial Park: <a href="https://usnhistory.navylive.dodlive.mil/2018/05/31/the-enterprise-stern-plate-from-scrapyard-to-small-town-america/"><span class="current">The Enterprise Stern Plate: From Scrapyard to Small Town America</span></a><br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-64352849559498498932020-04-21T18:53:00.001-04:002020-04-21T21:13:01.902-04:00Fifteen Years With Tybalt!While I don't know the exact date, I do know that right about now I'm reaching the anniversary of the first time I ever laid eyes on my little tabby cat Tybalt, and brought him home. My best guess is that we first met on April 23rd, and he came home a few days later.<br />
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I should start by explaining I never thought of myself as a "cat person" for most of my life. None of my friends when I was growing up had cats, and my family never had cats, only two dogs. One of my earliest experiences with cats, when I was probably about fourteen or so, did nothing to win me over to the species. I was visiting my older sister at her house, and was petting her cat Maggie (you Tennessee Williams fans will get that), who seemed perfectly calm. In a flash, I found myself with a cat, claws out, scrambling up my arm and shoulder to my head, where she launched herself across the room.<br />
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Really not a great first impression.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJUG3yyK4L7TvnVGo_7k4QLHkqtbWpzpMM93r63Zh_VHZeGYQcp_9KX_JQaAWTbTF-2OM1fx29JBOFmAeGH-n2MKEhygAMyyao2_V3IiNAdmi80luJC-BkzKOy92LU94gre-bim7nhDyAC/s1600/Savannah+Desk+from+print.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1163" data-original-width="1600" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJUG3yyK4L7TvnVGo_7k4QLHkqtbWpzpMM93r63Zh_VHZeGYQcp_9KX_JQaAWTbTF-2OM1fx29JBOFmAeGH-n2MKEhygAMyyao2_V3IiNAdmi80luJC-BkzKOy92LU94gre-bim7nhDyAC/s200/Savannah+Desk+from+print.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Savannah perched on my desk.</td></tr>
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Over time, yes, I met some cats who were nice enough. My brother had a sweet manx named Savannah that I got to know when we were both back at our parents' house for a while. I even cat sat for her for a week or so while my brother was away, and got to know and like her pretty well. Still, over the years, I had few really close and positive interactions with cats. I, like many others, saw them as mysterious, aloof creatures. I'll always remember visiting someone's house or apartment who owned a cat, but you'd never, ever know, since they hid the moment you arrived.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVZEOjbLlGgMUJ_julba3eEqpH0CHeDgxWoo2-eObuM9aAN30DJfMz9PRHhnq9NM0805U4ETJF7LfHTIkCeJsMoCa8rp8Nj4txP9R2B3atIBoj_tjXUW_mCVjI_WX0ykXG0ZeU3Ny9ivp/s1600/IMG_0043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggVZEOjbLlGgMUJ_julba3eEqpH0CHeDgxWoo2-eObuM9aAN30DJfMz9PRHhnq9NM0805U4ETJF7LfHTIkCeJsMoCa8rp8Nj4txP9R2B3atIBoj_tjXUW_mCVjI_WX0ykXG0ZeU3Ny9ivp/s200/IMG_0043.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomas</td></tr>
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Then I got to know Tomas. He was a sweet, big black cat who belonged to a woman I started dating about a year after moving back to the DC area. He took to me, and I'll admit, I grew quite fond of him. When we all moved into a house together, it was suggested that I get my own cat, both so I could learn what it's like and to provide a buddy for Tomas. We talked about it idly, but didn't really make any definite steps.<br />
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Then a late April weekend where we had planned a camping trip, and the weather turned nasty... freezing rain and chilling cold. With camping plans off, we thought we'd go check out a local shelter, and look at cats. I don't know that either one of us really expected to find one on the first, impromptu trip, but on arrival we met this sweet little tabby kitten named Junior by the shelter. The shelter had a separate "visitation room" and we took the little guy in there, and he was very friendly and cuddly, not shy at all. He absolutely won me over right away, so we went to fill out the paperwork to start the adoption process. As we were standing in line, I overheard the couple next in line talking, and the woman said "his name was Junior, right?" and I realized we weren't the only ones taken by the little fellow.<br />
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Paperwork done, all that was required was a house visit to make sure we were going to give him a suitable home. When the woman came to interview us, Tomas calmly strolled into the middle of the room, plopped himself down, and proceeded to bathe himself. This made us all laugh and the woman said "well, he's clearly very content here." So that was that, Junior was mine.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nQhCg2THl5TTcI0EzUmK-cd0F07DeWhX0SjcKNdqx2MKxox0wuZDjEVUPM13kal33X97yzkEOz6_bj9IQVt-xFWWWdzkJlzasXRBX9l6m_gl6L1TvMgKa4qFQIFEqcI8Iuc-TimxUZqq/s1600/P4300077+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nQhCg2THl5TTcI0EzUmK-cd0F07DeWhX0SjcKNdqx2MKxox0wuZDjEVUPM13kal33X97yzkEOz6_bj9IQVt-xFWWWdzkJlzasXRBX9l6m_gl6L1TvMgKa4qFQIFEqcI8Iuc-TimxUZqq/s320/P4300077+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my first photos of Tybalt, comfy on my desk.</td></tr>
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Upon getting him home, we followed all the good advice about putting him in a room by himself for a while before introducing him to Tomas. I spent a lot of time just getting to know him, and learning what a smart and playful boy he was. I also knew I needed to come up with a new name for him, as Junior just wouldn't do. After trying out a bunch of options in my head, I finally landed on Tybalt, from Shakespeare's <i>Romeo and Juliet. </i>If you haven't seen or read the play, or seen the amazing Zefferelli film from the 60s, you might not know that another character refers to Tybalt as "rat catcher" and "good king of cats." It just seemed to suit my new little guy, so that's what I chose.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz79M5p7Jdd-2znbHqMhIc_nIdwHST1OFYXxvVApu15L-9MWVN72gxXoQvHQUJWPRHP7EdXQLWSGUWi4ny6G1Ula5T-fzuLsZhqo2Wy_OXKBpYkRUEqHO_v5oqM_E15DoulABQCcaw2H34/s1600/P5300101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz79M5p7Jdd-2znbHqMhIc_nIdwHST1OFYXxvVApu15L-9MWVN72gxXoQvHQUJWPRHP7EdXQLWSGUWi4ny6G1Ula5T-fzuLsZhqo2Wy_OXKBpYkRUEqHO_v5oqM_E15DoulABQCcaw2H34/s320/P5300101.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snoozing with his buddy Tomas, about a month after coming home.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8ZsweWLh22TUKvxXjSBwInQDKdmVHsWIuaUlaaCvR7Hj3EOuXvzg7VdmQemlqMuzM8lfjNpuwnMpm9pEyOon_x4KSpx8w6jfh1CrmvMaa3bvR2H5LDpKUM-j_xtdsf_e2PIXAw5Cp-km/s1600/IMG_0675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8ZsweWLh22TUKvxXjSBwInQDKdmVHsWIuaUlaaCvR7Hj3EOuXvzg7VdmQemlqMuzM8lfjNpuwnMpm9pEyOon_x4KSpx8w6jfh1CrmvMaa3bvR2H5LDpKUM-j_xtdsf_e2PIXAw5Cp-km/s200/IMG_0675.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prowling the yard.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The funny thing is, for the first few years of his life he was an indoor/outdoor cat, and we learned pretty quickly he really was quite the hunter. Rodents were not at all safe around our house, and sadly, neither were birds. He's since become an indoor only cat, which is better both for him and the wildlife. He did very much enjoy his outdoor time, but it just isn't safe for him or my other cat where I live now. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZpNI7NexqJM6VzA0lEbyty7JFHF9uySRW29WFv7gmvFByjnQN62osQU4-onmJx-Q8qQsliXorNqTdSW0KUvh6IjVk7Sy0oQmiXG4g3LlDCvrjfP3npnyyzghkNszpYZyR8RL4RCoCTL5/s1600/P6290153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZpNI7NexqJM6VzA0lEbyty7JFHF9uySRW29WFv7gmvFByjnQN62osQU4-onmJx-Q8qQsliXorNqTdSW0KUvh6IjVk7Sy0oQmiXG4g3LlDCvrjfP3npnyyzghkNszpYZyR8RL4RCoCTL5/s200/P6290153.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's got his eye on that bird outside.</td></tr>
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I do have to share one of the funnier aspects of his hunting days early on. He experimented with a variety of ways to try to wake me up for his breakfast earlier than I wanted to. Leaping off the headboard onto my chest certainly woke me up... but also got him tossed out of the bed, and not breakfast. Then one day I was woken by him running around and leaping and pouncing all over the bed. I opened my eyes, and there he is on the pillow right next to me, with a tiny young mouse pinned under his paw, and he's looking at me like "isn't this cool?" The mouse still being alive, and me being that kind of person, I managed to get the mouse from him and release it outside.<br />
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The next morning... there he was again, running, leaping, pouncing all over the bed. I open my eyes and he's there on the pillow right next to my head, but no mouse! The little stinker is looking at me like "Fooled you! Now how about that breakfast?" Funny thing is, every so often, for the next few years, he would play the same game, and I could never just relax and assume he had no mouse, because I knew all too well what a good mouser he was. I've lost count of how many times I've found a mouse or even rat he killed. Luckily, for the last five years or so, there seem to be none where I live. I'm pretty sure he and my other cat Jinx are the reason for that.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EbbKYUQeSb9785Uh2fNz-UWCTzW65L0xR7ueBgcD8_QCrRNNEgjmIOlJ6oiCIj8z47PfxpsZw62TsclZP4jGfZJDH6mpgqV0tTbQ4FVPgxVgaCN4iypBdmQzJZHjtR4bG0TqCXKjqhKJ/s1600/P1000019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EbbKYUQeSb9785Uh2fNz-UWCTzW65L0xR7ueBgcD8_QCrRNNEgjmIOlJ6oiCIj8z47PfxpsZw62TsclZP4jGfZJDH6mpgqV0tTbQ4FVPgxVgaCN4iypBdmQzJZHjtR4bG0TqCXKjqhKJ/s320/P1000019.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tybalt in February of 2020, still bright eyed and active.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We've now been together for fifteen years and I couldn't be happier. He's a sweet, gentle, and very affectionate cat, who likes nothing better than settling down on my lap (where he is right now as I write) or curling up next to me. He loves naps with me, and at night, as soon as he sees I'm getting ready for bed, he trots into the bedroom and hops into bed with me. Not a big one for meowing ever, he's got this adorable trill that I love. He's quite a mellow fellow in his later years, but he'll still play with toys and chase things around, even giving my younger cat Jinx a run for his money. And I've learned just how wonderful it is to have cats in your life and how easy they are to love.<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-42644586889158597112020-04-18T21:56:00.000-04:002020-04-18T22:01:51.304-04:00Beautiful British Bicycle!Time to revisit my bike collection, and talk about one of my many bikes. This is one I've had a while now, but just never got around to writing about. It's a <a href="https://www.merciancycles.co.uk/">Mercian</a> King of Mercia, hand built in Derby, England, and it's a really lovely old bike.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHm1M6_iI2qPm5DaXkZa7-cQNNYO0CTAkgoXkTK9EHpvjj11m9So-qtrEjilXVgGOHm8Ocd8Ex4NFkiTi4jBbFozIP5K7oQ0jb_yu5Dsuk_RGfu_25enKdb5Tz2zzDKP-b12TrIMj6gpb/s1600/IMG_6702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVHm1M6_iI2qPm5DaXkZa7-cQNNYO0CTAkgoXkTK9EHpvjj11m9So-qtrEjilXVgGOHm8Ocd8Ex4NFkiTi4jBbFozIP5K7oQ0jb_yu5Dsuk_RGfu_25enKdb5Tz2zzDKP-b12TrIMj6gpb/s400/IMG_6702.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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A bit of background here - as I've written before, I learned to ride late, but once I did learn, I fell in love with bikes and I never stopped riding. My dad served in the UK in WWII, and during that time he developed an appreciation for English bikes, which got passed down to me. It also helped that our local bike shop where I grew up was a Raleigh dealer. My first two bikes were made by Raleigh, and I've owned a number of their machines over the years. Heck, I have five Raleighs in my collection today, now that I think about it.<br />
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By the time I had my second 10-speed bike, a <a href="https://spokesofawheel.blogspot.com/2013/10/fuji-finished-and-fun.html">Fuji S-10S</a> from Japan, I started to dream of having a really fine, high end hand built bike. I'd go to bike shops and look at the top end machines, and wish I could afford one. Around this time, a book came out called <i>The Custom Bicycle</i>, which included profiles of a number of bike and frame builders around the world. They were grouped by nationality, and I found the section on British builders fascinating. One company profiled was Mercian, and I just really liked what I read about them in that book. The thought of owning one of their beautiful frames really appealed to me, but through high school and college, and beyond, it never really was in my budget.<br />
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Like so many of my current bikes, fast forward a few decades... and I finally found one for a very fair price. Browsing Craig's List one day, there it was, a nice tall Mercian bike, with what looked like mostly original components, and only a little over an hour away from me. Only problem was, I was tied up at work the next few days, and as it was a weekend, I was sure it would be gone before I could get down to see it. Then my friend Marty (who was the one who pointed me to my <a href="https://spokesofawheel.blogspot.com/2009/11/after-many-years.html">Proteus</a> some time back) happened to contact me, and after hearing me talk about the situation, offered to make the drive and pick it up for me. And he even got the seller to take a little bit less for the bike!<br />
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When I got the bike, it was a bit grungy, and had a few "features" I knew I would have to change, such as the handlebars with a rather extreme shape, and the super narrow US Postal Service Flite saddle, neither of which were original or really appropriate for the bike. Examining the bike and doing some research based on the serial number, I figured out the frame was built in 1977. I reached out to Mercian, who keep pretty good records going back rather far (they've been in business since the late 1940s), and they told me it was a King of Mercia model, and sold to <a href="http://www.stonescyclery.com/">Stone's Cyclery</a> in California. I tried to get more info from Stone's, but the fellow who would have known more had passed away.<br />
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The majority of the components on the bike are made by the Italian company Campagnolo, and while they are from the <a href="https://midlifecycling.blogspot.com/2015/02/campagnolo-gran-sport-act-ii.html">Nuovo Gran Sport group</a>, their more "affordable" series, they are really quite lovely and excellent quality. The one notable exception to an otherwise complete component group is the rear derailleur, which is a French Huret Jubilee. The Jubilee was known back then for being a very smooth shifting derailleur, and some considered it better than any of the Campy choices of the time. It was also the lightest rear derailleur made up to that time, and at 136 grams, I believe it is still the lightest ever made, at least mass produced.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7s3_Kx9trvBU28VdD6cR9tRMkkaIKIzjkjrIlo-5qm20jjHex-WTsJdgN7Pb9IiwXDt-Yds30FUCeZMF6O-Gcg_O6Ki2XZO_zcKsifyHUJvFdHBP4hc0QdOmgzZJqQasr7SZwy3f8Gm7/s1600/IMG_6707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7s3_Kx9trvBU28VdD6cR9tRMkkaIKIzjkjrIlo-5qm20jjHex-WTsJdgN7Pb9IiwXDt-Yds30FUCeZMF6O-Gcg_O6Ki2XZO_zcKsifyHUJvFdHBP4hc0QdOmgzZJqQasr7SZwy3f8Gm7/s200/IMG_6707.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drivetrain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUMq-ZHjrgsdLfKBYTSn1y7NgvaIicMwJXQC12H0_aTx2mVYXH7Ns0OaakqinVHPJtZezpoyi8v22R1odJx9iDCLHXpDzyZMnnCf0gHHpEn-POFliZ7Q_N5vfdnQasTGokXfo4lx1Pzc8/s1600/IMG_6710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUMq-ZHjrgsdLfKBYTSn1y7NgvaIicMwJXQC12H0_aTx2mVYXH7Ns0OaakqinVHPJtZezpoyi8v22R1odJx9iDCLHXpDzyZMnnCf0gHHpEn-POFliZ7Q_N5vfdnQasTGokXfo4lx1Pzc8/s200/IMG_6710.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huret Jubilee rear derailleur</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2StXg21h9JzdRjb-1GrRCN-nm-12_Zut1LbqfuIdiSAlo0zMQ75JGHNHw06aKJvp56m9CvLDrw13-z5BeH-R2Qr46k0ICL-GLJgFsdYHO9K6Y_q6HApDOVVftzH_TDSeV4pyU6dWzrUs/s1600/IMG_6712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2StXg21h9JzdRjb-1GrRCN-nm-12_Zut1LbqfuIdiSAlo0zMQ75JGHNHw06aKJvp56m9CvLDrw13-z5BeH-R2Qr46k0ICL-GLJgFsdYHO9K6Y_q6HApDOVVftzH_TDSeV4pyU6dWzrUs/s200/IMG_6712.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Campy Nuovo Gran Sport crankset and front derailleur</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRYXs5-SbPLIhOIXTB0woFqyYEPBOadK9MGXF1Qs5CE7ivxZFvTtsGpoKlB0R-e9MiYEij35y0Zs0qXgzrI34R5BtkxQ1xiOskbcN4-37kIcpNaFDEPaI24M5hzGl_eY2Skl0mPRn4idf/s1600/IMG_6713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRYXs5-SbPLIhOIXTB0woFqyYEPBOadK9MGXF1Qs5CE7ivxZFvTtsGpoKlB0R-e9MiYEij35y0Zs0qXgzrI34R5BtkxQ1xiOskbcN4-37kIcpNaFDEPaI24M5hzGl_eY2Skl0mPRn4idf/s200/IMG_6713.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Campy Nuovo Gran Sport Rear Brake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The other interesting thing about the component set is that stamped codes on the Campy parts indicate they were manufactured in 1981. My guess is that <a href="http://www.stonescyclery.com/">Stone's Cyclery</a> (still in business and selling high end frames today) ordered the frame for stock, and just didn't find the right customer (and a tall one at that, since it's a 25" frame) for a few years. And it must have been a pretty serious enthusiast who knew their stuff, to have requested a full Campy kit, with a Jubilee rear derailleur. Or maybe Stone's steered them that way. Regardless of how it came about, it makes for a really great bike. The frame itself was hand brazed (on an open hearth - <a href="http://bikeretrogrouch.blogspot.com/2014/08/a-popular-rerun.html">see here</a>), built with double butted Reynolds 531 manganese-molybdenum tubing, a classic tube set. This gives a light weight and lively feel to the bike, and the lugs and fork crown and everything are just very classic and lovely. And that paint job! I really couldn't ask for anything more classy and classically British than that two tone green and white.<br />
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As mentioned before, I did change a few things. The handle bars and stem got swapped out for a more traditional "Mae's bend" shape and higher bars, and that Flite saddle made way for a Brooks B17 leather saddle, my personal favorite. While the pedals were Campy Nuovo Gran Sport, and good quality, they were the "quill" style that I don't find work very well with my really large feet, so I swapped them for a modern set of Shimano (gasp!) pedals with SPD fittings on one side, flat cage on the other, so I can ride with bike shoes (or in my case, sandals) or regular shoes, depending on mood.<br />
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So how does it ride? In a word, great! Nice and smooth riding, light and fast. There's a lively spring to the 531 frames I own, and this one is no exception. It's a great general purpose road bike of its time. I wouldn't load it up with touring bags (well, if it was the only bike I owned, sure, but it's not), and it's not a true racer, but it's great for a nice long ride in the country with a saddle bag carrying a sandwich, apple, and snacks. All in all, another lucky find, and another case where a bike I dreamed of in my youth proved to be worth the wait.<br />
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To see more photos of the bike, including before and after shots, check it out here:<br />
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<a href="https://goo.gl/photos/EeLbyXtX3hiDJrEHA">1977 Mercian King of Mercia</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-73281786422807913302020-03-20T22:37:00.001-04:002020-03-20T22:37:24.586-04:00COVID19Well, I suppose it's time to write a few of my thoughts about this... living through a global pandemic.<br />
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The funny thing is I would have thought I'd have been more mentally prepared for this. I'm one of those people who read Stephen King's "The Stand" back in the 80s, and I've lost track of how many movies, novels, tv shows, etc, I've seen with the "humankind is devastated by a global outbreak of some terrible disease." And for quite a while now I've suspected we were due for such a thing.<br />
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But now that it's happening, I guess I just wasn't are ready for it as I thought I was. At least not the real day to day experience of it. The news stories, first far away, now on my doorstep practically. The DC area isn't at the leading edge of things in the USA, but I have family in Washington state, where the first outbreaks occurred here. And my brother lives in New York, which today announced a lockdown of non essential businesses, and he's already been dealing with lost work.<br />
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And then there's what's happening in my life, my business. It seems bicycle shops throughout the USA are seeing a huge influx of repair work, and we're certainly seeing it here. Since last Thursday, March 12th, we've seen far more than the usual number of bikes in for service for this time of year. I've been calling it "the spring rush on steroids." It's both earlier and heavier than we've seen in a long time, maybe ever. Part of it is we had a mild winter and seem to be headed to an early spring. But most of it I think is due to people feeling that being out on a bike is a safe place to be when they are staying home from work or school, and trying to avoid exposure to the virus.<br />
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Honestly, I didn't expect this. When the news began making it clear COVID19 had reached our shores and was coming our way, I braced for a drastic drop in business. I began mentally preparing for the very real possibility that the shop wouldn't be able to weather it, especially coming out of the slow winter season. I really didn't expect a rush of business. Of course, it could end tomorrow, and I'm still bracing for that. And there's also the chance that the government will impose a lockdown of some sort, preventing me from doing business at all. And we probably have a long way to go until we get clear of this.<br />
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I'm hoping this whole experience might be a wake up call for our country, our society, our government. Maybe there will be more attention paid to the social safety net, especially in regard to health care. We seem to have really drifted away from the idea of any sort of "social contract" between government and the individual. Here's hoping that changes as a result of this.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-12132301895798754572020-02-25T22:18:00.002-05:002020-02-25T22:18:56.901-05:00Merging GeekinessAs I mentioned in the previous post, I've been a typewriter enthusiast and collector for a few years now. One of the first machines I added to my collection after my grandfather's Corona Standard is another one from Smith Corona, a Clipper model from 1947. One of the reasons I was drawn to the machine was because it features a name and logo taken from the famous Pan American Clipper flying boats that were used before WWII in the early days of commercial aviation. The most famous of those was the Boeing B314 Clipper, a truly amazing and beautiful airplane.<br />
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I first became aware of the Boeing B314 when I was a little kid and I ended up getting a collection of cards that featured historical aircraft, with a photo on the front and description and history on the back. I thumbed through that stack of cards endlessly, to the point where I could cite much of the information from memory. The Clipper was one of the planes featured, and between that card, and my dad talking about seeing the Clippers when he was a young man in NY, I've always been fascinated by them. I didn't know until recently that those cards were from a boxed set put out by American Heritage and Milton Bradley, but now I know, and I managed to find a complete set in the original box.<br />
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Another part of my early interest in aviation included models, much like many other young people. One particular series of models I really liked were Bachmann's Mini-Plane series, which were tiny, fully assembled and painted scale models with remarkable detail for their size. I suppose part of my interest in them was because they didn't require hours of patience and dedication to build, as they were complete in the box. I've picked up a few in recent years as a trip down memory lane sort of thing, and one of them is a Boeing B314.<br />
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So without further ado or rambling... here are my Clippers - typewriter, card, and model. Kind of fun to have all three.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOEJVkHpijBBNoiKvZ0H4GlqliaIrEUu3RNKh411vqcMVBWur32nRZwyKxX19A7yND90N5alP09QuHxCXPfNrvp4ub5semjcVssIryyeVAy6gz_bUwwk9gSnALMXz51ut8VNuIhbbaBTR0/s1600/IMG_4542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOEJVkHpijBBNoiKvZ0H4GlqliaIrEUu3RNKh411vqcMVBWur32nRZwyKxX19A7yND90N5alP09QuHxCXPfNrvp4ub5semjcVssIryyeVAy6gz_bUwwk9gSnALMXz51ut8VNuIhbbaBTR0/s400/IMG_4542.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1947 Smith-Corona Clipper, Boeing B314 Clipper Mini-Plane, American Heritage cards.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lmfc6w-sSZOSSRPHmWhAFz0vfRB0bLhCkaqRqUDUgcfPfvNdFE1xOuAW9Mxl-tP0IeHuHbFRoLN6u6D2IWfi-HXAS7kPDHLRmgcF1uco_XvGLE8jol3EU-TyL0z1PFcS93vbdIzHLru9/s1600/IMG_4543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lmfc6w-sSZOSSRPHmWhAFz0vfRB0bLhCkaqRqUDUgcfPfvNdFE1xOuAW9Mxl-tP0IeHuHbFRoLN6u6D2IWfi-HXAS7kPDHLRmgcF1uco_XvGLE8jol3EU-TyL0z1PFcS93vbdIzHLru9/s400/IMG_4543.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closeup view, Mini-Plane unboxed, Clipper Card from American Heritage.</td></tr>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-39595166777582275502020-01-31T20:43:00.000-05:002020-01-31T20:43:54.312-05:00Wait, did you really say typewriters?Why yes, yes I did say typewriters.<br />
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I first became fascinated by typewriters as a little kid, tapping away at my late grandfather's machine, a shiny black 1935 Corona Standard portable. Of course, at the time I had no idea about any of those details, I just knew it was fun to see how tapping a lettered key made that letter appear on a piece of paper. I even recall typing up things using carbon paper, to make multiple copies, but I can't for the life of me think of what a ten year old kid might need multiple copies of. Then again, this was about the same time I discovered tape recorders, which lead to endless fun. But that's for another day...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaxK9B3bZOXpLhvx-2nRs36FxZaJATfoTaSvCN3zKQRlpSrJvuNQ2UAdC7mTMlqXSGahzGzZxyeTjH8o-citztJuJUwDDWQul2tKazygYi_Ez3iPQe2PeeuDfqm3f_wONayCQ3Nnb1K3e/s1600/IMG_4081.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1408" data-original-width="1600" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaxK9B3bZOXpLhvx-2nRs36FxZaJATfoTaSvCN3zKQRlpSrJvuNQ2UAdC7mTMlqXSGahzGzZxyeTjH8o-citztJuJUwDDWQul2tKazygYi_Ez3iPQe2PeeuDfqm3f_wONayCQ3Nnb1K3e/s320/IMG_4081.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My grandfather's 1935 Corona Standard today</td></tr>
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High school came along, and one of the electives many took was typing. I'm not sure exactly why I signed up for it... I probably just thought it would be a good idea to be able to type properly, since I knew college papers and such were most often typewritten. To put it in context, I graduated from high school in 1979, right on the cusp of the personal computer revolution, though we didn't know it at the time. The typing class was actually quite helpful and fun, and the main reason I can actually touch type on computers or typewriters. I'm pretty sure the machines we used were some Royal standard style typewriter, big hulking grey things that were built like tanks.<br />
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Once I got to college, as expected, I needed to type papers for my classes. I'm not sure why, but I never had a machine of my own in college, but borrowed friends' when I needed them. There seemed to be ready access to a typewriter whenever I needed it, anyway. Most of the time I used manual portables, as I recall mostly Smith-Coronas in various pastel colors, but at least once I borrowed an electric and was amazed at the ease and speed with such a machine. It seemed like magic at the time. How was I to know their days were numbered? <br />
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The year I graduated college, Apple introduced the Macintosh, which many would say demystified computers and opened up a new technology to a lot of people. Other people wouldn't be so enthusiastic in their appraisal of the Mac, but I have to admit, I've always been a fan, and am in fact writing this on a Mac Mini right now. Anyway, by the time the Mac hit the market in 1984, the personal computer in various forms had been finding its way into homes and offices for nearly a decade. That being said, when I was in college, a "computer science" course involved gigantic computers feeding a basement printer spewing out green bar paper, and I stayed the heck away from that.<br />
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Of course, like most of us, the day came when I embraced (well, not literally, that would be creepy) the personal computer, and bought my own Mac. And from that day forward, it was my machine of choice for most writing aside from personal correspondence and journals, which I did by hand, in my shockingly illegible handwriting. No, really, ask anyone who has tried to decipher something I've written by hand. It's atrocious. I'm the one kid in my family that never went to Catholic school, so maybe that's it.<br />
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Fast forward to sometime around 2010 or so - I don't recall exactly how it came about, but I got to asking my mom about her father's old Corona. Maybe I'd seen a few in antique stores, or photos online. Anyway, she told me where in the house it was, and I dug it out and looked it over. It all seemed clean and functional, though a bit stiff from lack of use. It even had a usable ribbon. My mom had someone service it years back, and then it went into storage, so it really had very little use since the work. Around the same time, a woman I was dating found her grandfather's '30s Underwood, and we had some fun re-discovering manual typing.<br />
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That was about it for a few years, the occasional tapping out of something or other, and looking idly at machines in antique shops and such.<br />
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Then I watched the documentary "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Typewriter">California Typewriter</a>", which features two writers whose work I really like, historian David McCullough, and the late Sam Shepard, both of whom talked about how and why they used typewriters for their writing. Also in the film is Tom Hanks, who at the time had a collection of something like 250 typewriters, and talked very enthusiastically about them. I even bought a book about them, by a guy named Richard Polt, featured in the film as well - <i><a href="https://typewriterrevolution.com/">The Typewriter Revolution</a>, </i>full of fascinating facts, photos, stories of how people use typewriters in the 21st century, and tips on buying and fixing machines. After seeing all the many types of machines from all the different eras, the bug bit me, and I started looking actively for typewriters. I've now got a pretty good collection of my own going, and enjoy sitting down and typing out things like my thoughts of the day, the odd letter to friends or family, etc. I've even started trying to get into the habit of typing up the notes I take on my walks on the C&O Canal so I can read them later (see above comment about my handwriting).<br />
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Here's a few photos of some of the machines I have. I'll write more about them in more detail in time. Hopefully some of you will find it interesting!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZnC86W5rZ-SJObOlcotMNoHyZZdFE5X1iu5IEfDu88c3hUnv3owpSCPxSAfQdiQaGfT5vajXBlWLUalAD5j9D6R8CVEYLvNdkTmkoBDUYDmPxVRzstnVxL-Neua8dIu1nth7-lRxAmMx/s1600/Olympia+Ultraportables.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1077" data-original-width="1600" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZnC86W5rZ-SJObOlcotMNoHyZZdFE5X1iu5IEfDu88c3hUnv3owpSCPxSAfQdiQaGfT5vajXBlWLUalAD5j9D6R8CVEYLvNdkTmkoBDUYDmPxVRzstnVxL-Neua8dIu1nth7-lRxAmMx/s320/Olympia+Ultraportables.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olympia SF Deluxe, SF, and Splendid 66 ultraportables</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahSi-OfRsLy1IO2_wyjEZI9F5fN9mpHC2ZErbeqEyWkjrjwdfgdsFiHEJomogrjIpsAghZT7cXsCQnyV2NoJc6LLronPVw5W02Rr6oSlhz06D3zGD3hrlYlIT5Q2_WbT7dSg31fVuAblx/s1600/IMG_3944.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahSi-OfRsLy1IO2_wyjEZI9F5fN9mpHC2ZErbeqEyWkjrjwdfgdsFiHEJomogrjIpsAghZT7cXsCQnyV2NoJc6LLronPVw5W02Rr6oSlhz06D3zGD3hrlYlIT5Q2_WbT7dSg31fVuAblx/s320/IMG_3944.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sears Tower Chieftain, made by Olivetti</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfjaKL1p1jGdyXt1l2AMuJXbm-2bZvwr2JDgYobqOWgpO9L7U_Ln7vnPE7P0R-n025U7CyjJlrwsSM6v0-vRyi6K2uvzAsSWolCozvJuVVTuxs8OMv1oA746-Lh390yWl35k-bXk6dJ-RO/s1600/IMG_3827.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfjaKL1p1jGdyXt1l2AMuJXbm-2bZvwr2JDgYobqOWgpO9L7U_Ln7vnPE7P0R-n025U7CyjJlrwsSM6v0-vRyi6K2uvzAsSWolCozvJuVVTuxs8OMv1oA746-Lh390yWl35k-bXk6dJ-RO/s320/IMG_3827.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1941 Corona Zephyr and Zephyr Deluxe ultraportables.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPnGi83S-Gvh_SQLtbGX6qyRmkqofHqy1FgDHhZDAo4vhppjd20ZdpHoxvG_K9_HEF_eaPGXEuBxE8v9fv2CBElZInRZ8RgGy96GQxEOFeuAg9bwrVIhDIVeBO794U3g1OMAmBw-ZVuyz/s1600/IMG_4080.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1456" data-original-width="1600" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPnGi83S-Gvh_SQLtbGX6qyRmkqofHqy1FgDHhZDAo4vhppjd20ZdpHoxvG_K9_HEF_eaPGXEuBxE8v9fv2CBElZInRZ8RgGy96GQxEOFeuAg9bwrVIhDIVeBO794U3g1OMAmBw-ZVuyz/s320/IMG_4080.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1956 Royal Quiet Deluxe</td></tr>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-41962785949392327252020-01-22T22:46:00.000-05:002020-01-23T08:38:23.427-05:00Specialized Sequoia Makeover Project - Pt 2<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ioje9MV03qXlQ9l9lEHAAE2rV-U5iMcaBMJkdGRK6PoG4u4ZZPOu5kdFMstso-l2Ft8PjLFeFqHnRlrwFqLZrHl55HzWzTjQV05iLatA5xsUXDxxK1BN4iGoFGoGTW1NuuttUmv84-qQ/s1600/IMG_5064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ioje9MV03qXlQ9l9lEHAAE2rV-U5iMcaBMJkdGRK6PoG4u4ZZPOu5kdFMstso-l2Ft8PjLFeFqHnRlrwFqLZrHl55HzWzTjQV05iLatA5xsUXDxxK1BN4iGoFGoGTW1NuuttUmv84-qQ/s320/IMG_5064.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cleaned up, reassembled, mostly complete.</td></tr>
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When I first got the bike, I figured it was in decent mechanical shape, but a bit grungy and rough looking. So then I got down to taking it all apart and cleaning the frame, which turned out to be in much better shape than I had expected. Under the grime, there was bright, clear paint, and very, very few scratches or flaws. Even the decals were pretty much perfect, which is pretty rare on a frame this old and clearly ridden a lot. The various components were pretty grungy and needed cleaning and overhaul, but I also looked at the parts mix and gave some thought to changing it. As I explained in an earlier post, as near as I have been able to determine, the 1982 Sequoia was sold as a frameset, and built up to the buyer's requests. This freed me to rebuild it with my own preferred mix, keeping some parts and changing others.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJIWLAb_NLvOY7qMj-7w4rAkZZx24-rSdGU2n3bv7WZc_jx_rflp86yec9vqJN0CAzp2sFpWn74GtBnuPNiBBeQ9VUWWWcf_kJ_4yyBQoXhp-mZE7UgqRssXOtSGPJfdeekyloKWMJg4d/s1600/IMG_5074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgJIWLAb_NLvOY7qMj-7w4rAkZZx24-rSdGU2n3bv7WZc_jx_rflp86yec9vqJN0CAzp2sFpWn74GtBnuPNiBBeQ9VUWWWcf_kJ_4yyBQoXhp-mZE7UgqRssXOtSGPJfdeekyloKWMJg4d/s320/IMG_5074.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SunTour Cyclone II derailleurs and Sugino AT crankset</td></tr>
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To start with, the bike had Campagnolo Nuovo Record cranks, which back in my younger days, I might have kept, since they are great quality and worked great if you could live with the gearing options they offered. I'm older now, and appreciate having lower gears, or at least a "bail out" or "granny" gear, and that wasn't an option with those cranks. Furthermore, the arms themselves were a really long 180mm (170 is pretty typical for road bikes of this era), and while I'm tall with long legs, I don't really feel I need them that long. In their place, I installed a set of one of my favorite cranksets, a Sugino AT with three chainrings instead of two, giving a wider, more versatile range of gears. As an added bonus, I found someone who wanted to buy the long Campy cranks, which brought in almost half of what I had paid for the bike. Initially set up with MKS Sylvan Track pedals and toe clips, I later put a set of Wellgo SPD pedals instead. I figure I can swap them out depending on mood.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRMF9N-N9pPUU-x2oJueaCO5eCwC2wrCQCJJC9SaIgRC61hNwalCfg2kkfvV7ESeVP_bJI86_eJc9HG3_Ac4XZQa1PTouyA0PGNTJGHx2L5rtgbTlA_REM7LfPkoxhSRmQg30ybhQgEF3/s1600/IMG_5079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRMF9N-N9pPUU-x2oJueaCO5eCwC2wrCQCJJC9SaIgRC61hNwalCfg2kkfvV7ESeVP_bJI86_eJc9HG3_Ac4XZQa1PTouyA0PGNTJGHx2L5rtgbTlA_REM7LfPkoxhSRmQg30ybhQgEF3/s320/IMG_5079.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SunTour Superbe brakes</td></tr>
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In a similar vein, the rear derailleur was a lovely, early version of the Shimano Dura-Ace mechanism. Those are really great, smooth shifting units, but designed solely for racing, and very limited in the range of rear sprockets they can work with. So I opted for a SunTour Cyclone GTII ofr the correct period, which would work with the wide range chainrings up front, as well as giving me more options at the rear. And the Cyclone was a match for the front derailleur the bike came with, which I kept. Likewise, the original owner had put SunTour bar end shifters ("barcons") on the bike, and they are a personal favorite of mine, so they stayed. Very smooth operating and right at your fingertips at the end of the handlebars.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVu07pAzoJ-TK8NWYNjfQzOreNBPz_q7aO39yJW-X8K0kFi_L7X9QpfH1Z6F6mntwKVyGZra8Vgv6OJw8OMi59UUv75AlO08NYciaSu1bgkSslUHtDlUl1u9z4GK-C9kl2YeVgDLHP4Zd/s1600/IMG_5071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVu07pAzoJ-TK8NWYNjfQzOreNBPz_q7aO39yJW-X8K0kFi_L7X9QpfH1Z6F6mntwKVyGZra8Vgv6OJw8OMi59UUv75AlO08NYciaSu1bgkSslUHtDlUl1u9z4GK-C9kl2YeVgDLHP4Zd/s320/IMG_5071.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nitto bars and stem, Superbe brake levers, SunTour barcons</td></tr>
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Speaking of handlebars, the bike came with a very aggressively curved drop handlebar, a style I really just don't care for, and a stem that didn't bring the bars up very high, so those were also discarded and replaced with a more conventional Nitto B115 bar and Technomic stem. The original brakes were odd, in that the front was a standard reach Campy sidepull, but the rear was short reach with a drop bolt. No idea why they would have done that. I had a set of SunTour Superbe levers and calipers and used those instead. Gorgeous and they work great. I kept the original seat post, and ultimately put a Brooks B17 saddle on it. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXI3ssOsl_wZH7RkG_L-iTQDvUFLGz2IR7Uv3xU3WVKSepi7ta_Hb4EQnq0AN_TfTtaH8I2NikmGLXL9mgS6OIn0H7dbuNCunxBLMR2i8Bu41_fqX_keFft9PhxQcakLh9olRehHrMYcf/s1600/IMG_5076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXI3ssOsl_wZH7RkG_L-iTQDvUFLGz2IR7Uv3xU3WVKSepi7ta_Hb4EQnq0AN_TfTtaH8I2NikmGLXL9mgS6OIn0H7dbuNCunxBLMR2i8Bu41_fqX_keFft9PhxQcakLh9olRehHrMYcf/s320/IMG_5076.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avocet Mod II hubs, Super Champion Gentleman rims</td></tr>
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Finally, the wheels and tires. The bike came with a set of wheels built around Avocet Mod. II hubs with sealed cartridge bearings, laced to Super Champion Gentleman 20mm wide clincher rims. Once I checked and found the hub bearings perfectly smooth, I just couldn't think of a better option for this bike. Avocet was a USA based company that offered a range of components made by Ofmega of Italy, including hubs, cranks, and seat posts. They were probably better known for a longer time as selling some really nice tires, but they closed down operations some years ago. Super Champion was a French rim maker who were among the first to offer a narrow, lightweight box section rim that brought higher performance to clincher wheels. I tried the bike out with the original Specialized tires for a ride or two, but they didn't ride that great, so I changed them over to some Compass/Rene Herse 700x28 Chinook Pass tires, which are high end, supple and fast tires.<br />
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So, how does the bike ride? In a word, great. Tim Neenan really hit a home run with the design of the Sequoia in my opinion. Reasonably light, stiff enough for good power transmission, but with enough "give" in the frame for comfort. As I said at the beginning of this, when I was younger I really wanted the stiffer, racier Allez model, but for where I am now the Sequoia is just about perfect. If I wanted, I could put wider, cushier tires on it, even with fenders, and there are mounts for a rear rack if I wanted to carry some stuff. It's not really designed for fully loaded touring, but if I wanted to do some long day rides, or some "credit card touring", I'd certainly consider this bike for it. And it's a really beautiful bike too, without being overtly flashy. I'm really glad I found it... or it found me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17W8sjlL-29wNDbrxx-qvCzlr1kczJ0awS7ay3nNZbD8SC2dsJgHDIxwV9-joTgY2pOmo7N991DjVFDeu3q-_ab_lOR29Yx42Owix_UQWK2VWcX_fjUQlLURSlfQI4_YizVN394ZHZhQ-/s1600/IMG_0222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17W8sjlL-29wNDbrxx-qvCzlr1kczJ0awS7ay3nNZbD8SC2dsJgHDIxwV9-joTgY2pOmo7N991DjVFDeu3q-_ab_lOR29Yx42Owix_UQWK2VWcX_fjUQlLURSlfQI4_YizVN394ZHZhQ-/s400/IMG_0222.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished bike after a ride. Yes, white tape.</td></tr>
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I never did find out who told the owner they should bring it to me, but I'll always be grateful to whomever it was.<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-90790171874033338542020-01-15T20:44:00.000-05:002020-01-23T08:38:05.883-05:00Specialized Sequoia Makeover Project - Pt 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLq-rQdcfEYiSBe1l7PnGZ7DuYoSZ-GRG39Z6Jf3S3yDWUNuDOQhCSpcgVQf5D3e9VsJU-CNw6v2hIJh4sdcMeJ3ekzl3_1UBIdtRrYwWPiBRplsCl-RAJUjXTeTty2qWAY8xwifpneoZC/s1600/DSC_9583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLq-rQdcfEYiSBe1l7PnGZ7DuYoSZ-GRG39Z6Jf3S3yDWUNuDOQhCSpcgVQf5D3e9VsJU-CNw6v2hIJh4sdcMeJ3ekzl3_1UBIdtRrYwWPiBRplsCl-RAJUjXTeTty2qWAY8xwifpneoZC/s400/DSC_9583.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Note: you might want to read my earlier post "It followed me home..." if you haven't read it yet to see the backstory to this bike.<br />
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I'm the sort of guy who wants to know as much about a bike I own as I can learn - when and where was it built, by whom, how was it originally equipped, and anything else I can find out about it. So, once I got this Sequoia, I went to the internet to see what I could piece together. Here's what I've learned or surmised, based on material found online and asking in a couple of internet discussion groups. One bit of luck, I got input from Jim Merz, who was a product designer for Specialized starting shortly after this bike was built, it seems.<br />
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Serial numbers are a very good place to start when investigating a bike. That is typically the most reliable way to find out who built the frame, and when it was built. Now, some of you might be sitting there thinking "Doesn't the fact it has that 'Specialized' decal on it tell you who built it? Well, it's not that simple. The company name on a bike does not always tell you who actually built the bike. In fact, in the heyday of Japanese road bikes (1970s - 90s), more often than not, the brand name was just that - a brand, a label, usually cooked up by some importing company. For example, there was no Specialized factory back when this bike was built. Specialized (at the time Specialized Bicycle Imports) was one of those importers who contracted with a variety of manufacturers to make their products for them, including bikes.<br />
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So, if Specialized didn't actually make this bike, who did? Well, thanks to past experience, I had a suspicion, and when I went to a couple of internet mailing lists where people know these things, I found out I was right. It helped tremendously that Jim Merz, who was a product and bike designer for Specialized in the early days, was on one of the lists I checked. What I've learned is that the frame was built by a Japanese company by the name of Miki, who built frames for a number of different brands. In fact, the orange Centurion I own that I've written about several times, was also built by Miki. I've seen several examples of their work, and it's very high quality work.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyH2Aukv3g59GvXTzFpD2V0oQCKq9UIinBG57koYjkhm0YI3bLlCjYoqbDXP5lotPfGNxmIOOf2lsNtwk41Pv6BRiMTc-bNgv6mBf-p5HCvPP-E2_ymrC6XBgKDCLXtfzLIk4RefvLh1b/s1600/DSC_9603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwyH2Aukv3g59GvXTzFpD2V0oQCKq9UIinBG57koYjkhm0YI3bLlCjYoqbDXP5lotPfGNxmIOOf2lsNtwk41Pv6BRiMTc-bNgv6mBf-p5HCvPP-E2_ymrC6XBgKDCLXtfzLIk4RefvLh1b/s400/DSC_9603.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Serial number stamped in bb shell. M = Miki 82 = year built.</td></tr>
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The second thing I learned from the serial number is that the frame was built in 1982. Further research, and examining the parts on the bike have lead me to believe the original owner bought it as a frame and fork, and built it up (or had a shop build it up) using a mix of parts that the owner specified. In fact, I'm pretty sure in 1982 that was the ONLY way you could get a Specialized bike, as the only literature I've been able to find shows only frames and forks for sale, not complete bikes. This goes a long way toward explaining the mix of Campagnolo and Shimano and SunTour parts on the bike, as few, if any bike companies would mix and match like that for a stock build.<br />
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Next I'll write out the whole overhaul and rebuild, explaining my choices along the way. To tide you over, here are a few shots of details of the frame once I got it cleaned.<br />
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Oh, a good place to start in researching serial numbers for some brands of bikes built in Asia:<br />
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<a href="https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1042901-asian-serial-number-guide.html">https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1042901-asian-serial-number-guide.html</a><br />
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Stay tuned! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwWJgsex9-JpRLlwclavHfNPHU_bKwJq8Ee3k4b-mP4fWUjnU55EYuE_GjrhoohZMB5es5vIe6DkGz4WFXm_18fIEqz86RUaMvmkln2OUAk4t0H6WZHY-_S8pEbFP6hn4Gvr2OuhWVl-k/s1600/DSC_9574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTwWJgsex9-JpRLlwclavHfNPHU_bKwJq8Ee3k4b-mP4fWUjnU55EYuE_GjrhoohZMB5es5vIe6DkGz4WFXm_18fIEqz86RUaMvmkln2OUAk4t0H6WZHY-_S8pEbFP6hn4Gvr2OuhWVl-k/s400/DSC_9574.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seat cluster showing the scalloped seat stay tops and thinned lug.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlhENEbODS_ZH8AHReMpAaxPY9t_N1hgc8P1M3NM8hhw0nI1kypAAtoSx7fpqNYRraJ_XiY1wr0cFEU6SwO26osT8ygSn8lDt3BlyL26Dh2vgzr1Zys5LzInYDgRC0Mol1eJYJZnPTTBa/s1600/DSC_9582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlhENEbODS_ZH8AHReMpAaxPY9t_N1hgc8P1M3NM8hhw0nI1kypAAtoSx7fpqNYRraJ_XiY1wr0cFEU6SwO26osT8ygSn8lDt3BlyL26Dh2vgzr1Zys5LzInYDgRC0Mol1eJYJZnPTTBa/s400/DSC_9582.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottom bracket area.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWyOafA7pBI0Li2vfMndDcUOvXONdX_X8oYO6AleHGg3VeeaGE9-hEC3epL_EX5D4ydfxaPzgEOD05tHFkpffZqN5KOgnZaVEXu5UePnL0lQ0p76nc64lNRh7KqzWO2cQ1eyHCGBb313M/s1600/DSC_9608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWyOafA7pBI0Li2vfMndDcUOvXONdX_X8oYO6AleHGg3VeeaGE9-hEC3epL_EX5D4ydfxaPzgEOD05tHFkpffZqN5KOgnZaVEXu5UePnL0lQ0p76nc64lNRh7KqzWO2cQ1eyHCGBb313M/s400/DSC_9608.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main triangle.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizoFcsMhLDlJRkU3ANkHBUbze2__vJvXoMLn604rACoW-fsCsr6eDYGgAngMpJi7QkHwXYZFTpDvjWZHHUXg1hIODoQucu-D7QWAiAWVOIud5zHv51irsdo-Hr8WvPpms70t23kYArg-tk/s1600/DSC_9577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizoFcsMhLDlJRkU3ANkHBUbze2__vJvXoMLn604rACoW-fsCsr6eDYGgAngMpJi7QkHwXYZFTpDvjWZHHUXg1hIODoQucu-D7QWAiAWVOIud5zHv51irsdo-Hr8WvPpms70t23kYArg-tk/s400/DSC_9577.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rear brake bridge with reinforcements.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLItuM372uEvTFThZ2lu-kMoHPo07wD9cpaXhmp5wwni16lqdPQkqgXhkYhUQCY6jeIkvThjA9l_-bFTM1QlVRbA0gsGs0U0s2BOeuyl9PKYrG_RBt6iOasXIrCyGP2SzZ1vPz7wY8pTt2/s1600/DSC_9575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLItuM372uEvTFThZ2lu-kMoHPo07wD9cpaXhmp5wwni16lqdPQkqgXhkYhUQCY6jeIkvThjA9l_-bFTM1QlVRbA0gsGs0U0s2BOeuyl9PKYrG_RBt6iOasXIrCyGP2SzZ1vPz7wY8pTt2/s400/DSC_9575.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rear dropouts. Frame is chromed under the paint.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnYLEfPAxrvIgh5e4JKlYAAGcn5DNfxRFIYKdT3UKqhtxHD_NOlZZdcFMddsA4b2EiGNROviNJ3Sv1RqfO7L61k0j0oFvijzBhOLCtjMEOI6uX4c1nLPLMBtaNdu_wICV2Ka-lZiqx_fX/s1600/DSC_9590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnYLEfPAxrvIgh5e4JKlYAAGcn5DNfxRFIYKdT3UKqhtxHD_NOlZZdcFMddsA4b2EiGNROviNJ3Sv1RqfO7L61k0j0oFvijzBhOLCtjMEOI6uX4c1nLPLMBtaNdu_wICV2Ka-lZiqx_fX/s400/DSC_9590.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left chain stay with name of Tim Neenan, who designed the original Sequoias. He currently builds under the Lighthouse Cycles brand.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Yk-y7p8jZaa9g7PV5jZ5WcbJT43PkW4juh43ySMfy3QtfeAsAvdCyR9wPnQLDxcxVJ3siZ3_zd5OC1G1YiEGN3Z8MAubDyA__pGzAt1h7Q5sHKhiGTTcV0R5-tG82loaFFskLymh1Lnp/s1600/DSC_9586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Yk-y7p8jZaa9g7PV5jZ5WcbJT43PkW4juh43ySMfy3QtfeAsAvdCyR9wPnQLDxcxVJ3siZ3_zd5OC1G1YiEGN3Z8MAubDyA__pGzAt1h7Q5sHKhiGTTcV0R5-tG82loaFFskLymh1Lnp/s400/DSC_9586.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fork crown.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-45714710015687799232020-01-10T20:57:00.000-05:002020-01-23T08:37:53.537-05:00It followed me home...... well, not exactly. What really happened is that one day at the shop, totally out of the blue, a guy came in and asked if I was Tim. When I said I was, he said "I met a guy who told me I should show you a bike I have." I was puzzled, but thought, okay, why not, and went outside to take a look. I really wasn't expecting much, honestly.<br />
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When I got outside, I was really surprised to see an early 80s Specialized Sequoia road bike, a very early one that you don't see very often. At first I wasn't sure if he was just showing off a cool bike, or looking for a buyer, but pretty soon it was clear it was the latter. And given what it was, and the fact that it was my size, I was definitely intrigued. It looked to be in good shape, though sorely in need of a good cleaning and overhaul, and some new bar wrap and cable housing.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NbxoRh8M54V8jsNvwjGkS5PyhqbkeB278WrrA_VOQa3Fqo5xrStdwAzUHml74FTQtszf3FA1AHMAjzAecg7RNuJkMxlud0SUf8MNinKvL4rjs6-9EPEN1MQD9OfbdbBl_gS2waP_K4dO/s1600/IMG_6333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NbxoRh8M54V8jsNvwjGkS5PyhqbkeB278WrrA_VOQa3Fqo5xrStdwAzUHml74FTQtszf3FA1AHMAjzAecg7RNuJkMxlud0SUf8MNinKvL4rjs6-9EPEN1MQD9OfbdbBl_gS2waP_K4dO/s400/IMG_6333.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Specialized Sequoia, as it arrived.</td></tr>
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For a little bit of background, while Specialized is one of the really big names in bikes these days, back in the late 70s/early 80s, they were a new company offering a small selection of good quality, imported products for bikes. At the time, the name of the company was Specialized Bicycle Imports, and were probably best known for their line of high quality clincher tires, a relatively new thing back then. Somewhere around 1980-82, they introduced a small selection of bicycles, first starting with framesets, then full bikes, as I recall. The first two models offered were the Allez, designed for road racing, and the Sequoia, more of a general, all around road bike, what used to be called a "sport tourer" back then. When I was younger, I really wanted an Allez, with it's racing geometry and striking, simple red finish. Now that I'm older, and will never race again, the Sequoia is much more my style... though truth be told, if an Allez in my size came my way, I wouldn't pass it up!<br />
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Back to the bike in question... the fellow who owned it said he'd seen similar bikes on eBay for $XXX, but he'd be willing to sell it to me for half that. Now, I do keep my eye on the classic bike market, so I knew that a) he was right about asking prices on eBay and b) the offered price was very fair, even a bit of a bargain. Not a steal, but a good deal for sure, especially for an uncommon bike in a fairly uncommon size. I told him I'd think about it, and we exchanged information. It didn't take me 24 hours to decide I wanted it, once I had some time to think and do some research. So I met up with him, and exchanged cash for the bike.<br />
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Here are a few shots of some details of the bike: <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJAyFKo8CpUDebYwmh8XSKfEkhF6OHLAlJZOkG1lgWKC_KSMPKQ6wxKmHajsrCrHo7b0DbhibnrcMUddein6oTQRN7_UjgxnsgBq53u8BeNp8c46lfGyffsIlhlDPHee_lzHRW1MD2Ahb/s1600/IMG_6335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJAyFKo8CpUDebYwmh8XSKfEkhF6OHLAlJZOkG1lgWKC_KSMPKQ6wxKmHajsrCrHo7b0DbhibnrcMUddein6oTQRN7_UjgxnsgBq53u8BeNp8c46lfGyffsIlhlDPHee_lzHRW1MD2Ahb/s320/IMG_6335.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early 80s Shimano Dura Ace rear derailleur.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yZAryF9bk5mHFGhh9nWnrQay6jsPxBE42l4F7Cf4vcHnooxpB6mWVo_IAIQYHoDlsiVkJvoNdOD1oKne_X2VkWfhV1gF08mdEHXqnVlWn4gs9Sna-36bF08HBjWSdUq3GWJx-3OQ3mNo/s1600/IMG_6336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yZAryF9bk5mHFGhh9nWnrQay6jsPxBE42l4F7Cf4vcHnooxpB6mWVo_IAIQYHoDlsiVkJvoNdOD1oKne_X2VkWfhV1gF08mdEHXqnVlWn4gs9Sna-36bF08HBjWSdUq3GWJx-3OQ3mNo/s320/IMG_6336.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Campagnolo Nuovo Record crankset, with 180mm arms (really long!) and Look pedals.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHGb0YPfP3xOyc22yByqHgrhR4v7QkwLtMm1lD670O4VZtsKlv8kp7ZIk__smVCzfqfUnbwCbMQwYQJxBZXTbZnjI6cD-er5LC6TMdGyNriq-8ygOXpS6OCRbYHS3ngdXofgYiFqANtJ5/s1600/IMG_6338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHGb0YPfP3xOyc22yByqHgrhR4v7QkwLtMm1lD670O4VZtsKlv8kp7ZIk__smVCzfqfUnbwCbMQwYQJxBZXTbZnjI6cD-er5LC6TMdGyNriq-8ygOXpS6OCRbYHS3ngdXofgYiFqANtJ5/s320/IMG_6338.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rear Avocet Mod. II hub and SunTour 6 speed freewheel.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikiLfj8LGYvec7HHFYwDjqq4CS8WFGvCdVH4GTsGYbYYmpIZyvqhNFeOvBP4DPq4BOJiH3E_DVDG_lRFOIhL0gt6XdXBC3fHGBuqPJLjRhCzcFRzM0jbw9NWKgs3_MGFmwYqktEKV0rK2/s1600/IMG_6340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiikiLfj8LGYvec7HHFYwDjqq4CS8WFGvCdVH4GTsGYbYYmpIZyvqhNFeOvBP4DPq4BOJiH3E_DVDG_lRFOIhL0gt6XdXBC3fHGBuqPJLjRhCzcFRzM0jbw9NWKgs3_MGFmwYqktEKV0rK2/s320/IMG_6340.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Campagnolo Record sidepull brakes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MfJB2L2pKHfMpu5RE13ZDw54h5jX39eVuG62ySSnaF3S7KZLzcDGI2oUbqlfI1CLU3PL8aC_JGtqN-bi512RNkshMgu-bETuIKWfO13EG4L8VNycvR_L9nxdlVs07opJwA1luuYIJngF/s1600/IMG_6342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MfJB2L2pKHfMpu5RE13ZDw54h5jX39eVuG62ySSnaF3S7KZLzcDGI2oUbqlfI1CLU3PL8aC_JGtqN-bi512RNkshMgu-bETuIKWfO13EG4L8VNycvR_L9nxdlVs07opJwA1luuYIJngF/s320/IMG_6342.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front Avocet Mod. II hub and Super Champion Gentleman rim.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wxHkfrukgxNxxD57pnP3Xekca9mgB8CZVB0ltUcZIoKm8_orf2rPZ4kCjcGMRD8w1zIjqi4j6LaBe_ggWVdBe_0S4sKK-oTivmZHbt1Eqso8i58umYRDDTpQfS5bgJvl59IDBQGGgKLR/s1600/IMG_6343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wxHkfrukgxNxxD57pnP3Xekca9mgB8CZVB0ltUcZIoKm8_orf2rPZ4kCjcGMRD8w1zIjqi4j6LaBe_ggWVdBe_0S4sKK-oTivmZHbt1Eqso8i58umYRDDTpQfS5bgJvl59IDBQGGgKLR/s320/IMG_6343.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Specialized stem, Cinelli deep drop bars, Campy brake levers, SunTour bar end shifters.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next time... cleaning it up and making it "mine!" Hint - I didn't keep all the parts that it came with.<br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-56304225619113116932020-01-08T23:04:00.000-05:002020-01-08T23:04:25.012-05:00Another try...Well, the last attempt to get this blog rolling again sputtered and died. Why? I'm not totally sure, but I think part of it was I just wasn't feeling very inspired to write, and didn't feel like I had much to say about anything. Has that changed? Well, I think so, otherwise I wouldn't be trying to rev it up again. Part of it is just having a bit more gumption, and part of it is feeling like I have some new things to write about and some potential for regular material to share on something like a schedule. Not a fixed, rigid schedule, just a sense that I can find things to write about often enough to be interesting to me and any audience I might have.<br />
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By way of a preview, I'll throw out some topics I plan to post about as I go forward:<br />
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Bikes I own and ride, especially projects in the works or completed:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHmELexjJjTsw9c99NwJCpLNPzCiyEOdIZRl27llVnSj9cBVf-LkfzYvPfDszprgtmzE3FlLfDy3slKh-p5k0T8ftK0vMv3SypIfyIvJ-70DEmP62YO04eg0fV9wlb6lT6_vRCzR8VoWj/s1600/IMG_2803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHmELexjJjTsw9c99NwJCpLNPzCiyEOdIZRl27llVnSj9cBVf-LkfzYvPfDszprgtmzE3FlLfDy3slKh-p5k0T8ftK0vMv3SypIfyIvJ-70DEmP62YO04eg0fV9wlb6lT6_vRCzR8VoWj/s320/IMG_2803.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A relatively recently developing interest of mine... old typewriters! Yes, you read that right, typewriters:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDz2xHTzZ-fxU7gQy4uLOHIUgHNEFoLgggtO6nC5kcGUNfJfX4xV2WIpfD8DVkSgSi1eNxtqyI5IWuDNFJ1d0fsTinNb3aFNvoSY3WUHCshsLJMoZbTj2AR67YiyyJKF4aCHEu7uQMzpSV/s1600/IMG_1072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1077" data-original-width="1600" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDz2xHTzZ-fxU7gQy4uLOHIUgHNEFoLgggtO6nC5kcGUNfJfX4xV2WIpfD8DVkSgSi1eNxtqyI5IWuDNFJ1d0fsTinNb3aFNvoSY3WUHCshsLJMoZbTj2AR67YiyyJKF4aCHEu7uQMzpSV/s320/IMG_1072.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Outdoor adventures, especially exploring one of my favorite parks in the US, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNlc0_oFVVrxEA1bFibqpHQKG5x_HqlrO6m5zUtxC7YMh53KBosLbzv6aDINYgvL7G9CC7A5nnNhdBS4SuSduhAaBhb2HrWF-lMGADlayTo4i53LGF6NJ2ucuhcb5KDqKZhzN5xEa66BOs/s1600/DSC_0710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNlc0_oFVVrxEA1bFibqpHQKG5x_HqlrO6m5zUtxC7YMh53KBosLbzv6aDINYgvL7G9CC7A5nnNhdBS4SuSduhAaBhb2HrWF-lMGADlayTo4i53LGF6NJ2ucuhcb5KDqKZhzN5xEa66BOs/s320/DSC_0710.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And of course, combined with all of the above, my photography.<br />
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Stay tuned! I'm feeling good about this, so we're off to a good start. I hope you'll stick around.<br />
<br />
Tim <br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-54745534522511353642018-01-04T21:10:00.000-05:002018-01-04T21:10:12.560-05:00Can you hear it...?... the sounds of machinery slowly grinding into motion? Creaking and rumbling... in fits and starts?<br />
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Yes, I'm going to try to start blogging again here in 2018. I promise nothing except to try, and to give it my best shot. I've had a few bike related posts sitting in "draft limbo" that I plan to dust off, and a few ideas for other bike posts as well. <br />
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And then there's my various explorations in photography... taking pictures with digital cameras as well as delving into trying film again, at least in a limited way. Limited because, well, the whole buying, processing and printing of film thing is a lot less convenient and more expensive than digital, of course. And having to wait to see how a shot came out... it's hard to get used to that again. In fact, more than once I've found myself looking at the back of my film camera, by force of habit, as if an image might actually appear there. Needless to say, I felt utterly silly when I realized what I was doing.<br />
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I've also recently purchased a good scanner that can scan negatives and slides as well as prints, so I've been rooting through boxes of old slides and such and starting to digitize them. Talk about a trip down memory lane! Lots of fun, but it also takes a lot of time, so it will be a long process selecting and getting things scanned.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVOLVYKRjWTGpBlK7gJdvI5HeE70xQguVZRiRE9PTVGHRq2vLFgAa6StU5FmxBnJvIlgCwJYVTwg2iBT1beWBtwygXlVd5gcQqgaQ2ovcxtGxX1-xQPsf_lRePZv0E6-AEMMYLtnehk9J/s1600/021_3A.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVOLVYKRjWTGpBlK7gJdvI5HeE70xQguVZRiRE9PTVGHRq2vLFgAa6StU5FmxBnJvIlgCwJYVTwg2iBT1beWBtwygXlVd5gcQqgaQ2ovcxtGxX1-xQPsf_lRePZv0E6-AEMMYLtnehk9J/s400/021_3A.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along the C&O Canal, around mile post 12</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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This photo is one I took back in December with an old <a href="http://www.diaxa.com/xa.htm">Olympus XA</a> that I bought years ago, just before diving into digital. As a result, it sat gathering dust mostly for at least a decade. I bought it because it was highly regarded in it's day as a compact travel camera, and popular with cyclists. It's never been cleaned or serviced as near as I know, and it's 30-some years old, so the fact it produced a decent roll of pictures right off the bat pleased me tremendously.<br />
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I also plan to share other thoughts about other parts of my life too,
but we'll see how that all evolves. Fingers crossed, wish me luck. <br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-33772274296546494762016-12-30T22:50:00.003-05:002016-12-30T22:56:21.856-05:00Updates and Upgrades on my Goshawk touring bikeSo, I've made some changes to my custom, handbuilt-by-me Goshawk touring bike over the last year or so, and I thought I'd share them here.<br />
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It all started when a mishap happened involving a roof rack. No, no, don't worry, I didn't drive into a garage with the bike on the roof or anything catastrophic like that. The bike was in one of those roof racks where you remove the front wheel and clamp the fork to the rack at the dropouts. A sharp turn, luckily at low speed in a parking lot, and the bike ended up on its side on the roof. Not sure exactly why the clamp didn't hold, but it ended up bending one of the dropouts pretty badly. Being a steel frame, I was able to straighten it out, but the powder coat suffered in the process, so I figured I'd get the fork re-coated.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUeP7yIT1lnySWA4GhoiWCFIS8ezr8-T-bAMsF_bS-xba3jZNOwkTzvFcjN3mZhDfZcllLP9q0oeo3mLiSAsulWTRu95zq8TceoEx-Kcqnu10Ic42CO-hOKzjN_eD1I8RQsC1wCnEh8Pc_/s1600/IMG_3275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUeP7yIT1lnySWA4GhoiWCFIS8ezr8-T-bAMsF_bS-xba3jZNOwkTzvFcjN3mZhDfZcllLP9q0oeo3mLiSAsulWTRu95zq8TceoEx-Kcqnu10Ic42CO-hOKzjN_eD1I8RQsC1wCnEh8Pc_/s320/IMG_3275.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rack mounts and cable guides brazed and cleaned up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While I was at it, I decided to take the opportunity to make a few additions to the fork. When I built the frame at United Bicycle Institute, I ran out of time to do all the various brazed on bits and pieces I had hoped to include. With the clarity of hindsight, I now realize I could have added them during the window of time after I brought it home and before I got it powder coated in the first place, but oh well. Really, the major item I didn't get to add in the initial build was a set of mounts for a "low rider" style front rack for panniers, and since Tubus makes a clamp on adapter, I figured it wasn't the end of the world. That being said, it wasn't particularly attractive. Sturdy yes, pretty no. So while I had the fork off the bike for repair and re-coating, I added a set of mounts for a rack, and while I was at it, a few guides for running wires up the inner face of the right fork leg for a dynamo lighting system.<br />
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Once I got the fork back from the powder coat shop, I started thinking about other changes I wanted to make. For one thing, I never really fell in love with the handlebars I had chosen. I had read over the years that a lot of touring and long distance cyclists like the randonneur style drop bar that has a bit of a sweep upwards from the stem to the top of the drops. I really tried, but just never liked them all that much. Over the years I've become rather fond of fairly wide (44 - 46cm) drop bars with a nice long flat stretch on either side of the stem, so that's what I installed this time. The bars I seem to keep coming back to are made by the Japanese company Nitto, their model B115, a classic "Maes" style bend.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeD4-3wzo90zSPkQTrf_LNYxSYBHb1abgkOoWECdXv8VnhiMgSMxWbb7aBgjQxy2J0BRGJ50jIcBv22Dq3eASeTugGURZR_22AmM9judvvvFC8gh7mM_mvUkLr4HF-i3X8KZgdw3St9uqm/s1600/DSC_9351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeD4-3wzo90zSPkQTrf_LNYxSYBHb1abgkOoWECdXv8VnhiMgSMxWbb7aBgjQxy2J0BRGJ50jIcBv22Dq3eASeTugGURZR_22AmM9judvvvFC8gh7mM_mvUkLr4HF-i3X8KZgdw3St9uqm/s320/DSC_9351.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nitto B115 bars, Shimano and Tektro brake levers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The other part of the "cockpit" (a term I don't really like for bicycles, but at the moment I can't think of a better shorthand) I wasn't thrilled with was the brake levers. Again, based on others' recommendations and preferences, I tried out a set of levers from Tektro. Some folks really like the bigger, chunkier hoods, and I can certainly understand that, but after years of using more traditional, skinnier levers, I didn't love them. Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that I was already changing the handlebars, and had a different set of levers in my parts stash, I would have left them alone. They didn't bother me, I just didn't love them. The other change I made was purely aesthetic, in changing the "cross" brake levers with a set of all silver ones in place of the silver and black.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCww5O6rXSw15MV-VEyzwHlYaVMuAUh4f1em-8dzi5VoRTDi11toxGGAIWELhLBwb7w0F42iuR2PbhENaETYLyCR8sWolp9DQo1yWDRTfH-cwh7kAbYy_WcsDFfPCsdWd-b608Bfs7dWbY/s1600/DSC_9348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCww5O6rXSw15MV-VEyzwHlYaVMuAUh4f1em-8dzi5VoRTDi11toxGGAIWELhLBwb7w0F42iuR2PbhENaETYLyCR8sWolp9DQo1yWDRTfH-cwh7kAbYy_WcsDFfPCsdWd-b608Bfs7dWbY/s200/DSC_9348.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shimano CX50 brakes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One final, unplanned component change came about as I was re-assembling the bike. For some reason I can't fathom, when I built the frame, I positioned the mounts for the cantilever brakes too close together for most modern brakes. I must have read the guide book wrong or something, I don't know. When I first assembled the bike, I tried a few different options, but none of the modern brakes I had available to me at the time worked, so I went with a set of really nice old Shimano XT brakes from the late 80s or early 90s. They worked fine, but were frankly kind of a pain to get adjusted just right, and when I went to re-install them in this build, it just frustrated me to the point I decided to try something else. So after some research, I decided to try a set of Shimano CX50 cantilevers that come with three different spacers for the brake pads, to adjust to different mount spacing. They worked out really well, and were very straightforward to set up. Shimano gives very thorough instructions for setting them up with the various spacers, and they seem to stop just fine. I don't have a lot of miles on them yet, but I think they're going to be fine.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcG-ee7PLe1Ugh6H-7OIO6_thR0ckp_NF_PcaYMNL-cMt9OGvx-KwZ2NCGyhizlrGI3x4Pnwc0zJo8c5O9lVD4i8p82ZviarmW5Rg7U69pzJ6yY-iFS3ZI7zk8itIyUGtEWJsBI_jWdlNZ/s1600/DSC_9340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcG-ee7PLe1Ugh6H-7OIO6_thR0ckp_NF_PcaYMNL-cMt9OGvx-KwZ2NCGyhizlrGI3x4Pnwc0zJo8c5O9lVD4i8p82ZviarmW5Rg7U69pzJ6yY-iFS3ZI7zk8itIyUGtEWJsBI_jWdlNZ/s200/DSC_9340.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">V-O bag support</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While I had it all apart, I also decided to make some changes in the luggage racks. Specifically, I wanted to change from black racks to silver, and the best combination of features I wanted seemed to be in Tubus brand racks from Germany, so you'll see their Cosmo on the rear and Nova low-rider on the front. Sturdy and stable, they work really well with all kinds of panniers, especially the Ortlieb brand that I typically use. Completing the package is a handlebar bag support from Velo Orange. An interesting feature of this one is the integrated "decauler", which makes it easy to attach and remove the handlebar bag, yet doesn't leave an ugly piece of hardware on the bike when the bag isn't there. The top part of the rack comes with an inverted "U" shaped piece that fits onto the open ends and makes it look like a normal rack.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7zWUCfXrGG0arz8WQ7QWrTuVyWRwUxWYSoiEPYXRRmshxCBogm9pAiaulG3cgUjjdNZnHS3rsu7cymxECgfRldRimBncOLA4RrX6ITMokEHHwNqXLUe-C62S_ZXHRs4KkvMbqun5vJeU/s1600/DSC_9358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7zWUCfXrGG0arz8WQ7QWrTuVyWRwUxWYSoiEPYXRRmshxCBogm9pAiaulG3cgUjjdNZnHS3rsu7cymxECgfRldRimBncOLA4RrX6ITMokEHHwNqXLUe-C62S_ZXHRs4KkvMbqun5vJeU/s320/DSC_9358.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here she is, with bar bag</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLTY9KLsN06K_UJrlf_xlbxPnG412LQz-6n_uHRvzqlOMWYNaEhMsLmnzMZoaZ6dye8P134_rjjURF9YYi71JcGUenA7ARGeMrz_zgzAoqz2emsWuVAudfSshMINs8DV8tpI6YsZaeeGl/s1600/DSC_9356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDLTY9KLsN06K_UJrlf_xlbxPnG412LQz-6n_uHRvzqlOMWYNaEhMsLmnzMZoaZ6dye8P134_rjjURF9YYi71JcGUenA7ARGeMrz_zgzAoqz2emsWuVAudfSshMINs8DV8tpI6YsZaeeGl/s320/DSC_9356.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And without bar bag</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
As a final touch, I replaced the Mirrycle Duet bell with a more stylish (and louder) Crane lever-strike style bell. It looks great, and has a terrific sound and amazing sustain. A minor thing, but fun.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ivR4yPRPT_50LjvOIsAhGZeWvaie-KT6kaxtdQK6qpl6hRxDAe5JzjolgJgoGQ9ZkLOTdsQhu7hNs-QXTSeaieqIKyjWtgQW3W-IeXfIIqKc3UGJ0kBgp3hxY8b4IUohyphenhyphenXtpPN_SS2ks/s1600/DSC_9337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ivR4yPRPT_50LjvOIsAhGZeWvaie-KT6kaxtdQK6qpl6hRxDAe5JzjolgJgoGQ9ZkLOTdsQhu7hNs-QXTSeaieqIKyjWtgQW3W-IeXfIIqKc3UGJ0kBgp3hxY8b4IUohyphenhyphenXtpPN_SS2ks/s320/DSC_9337.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shiny and loud!</td></tr>
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Now all I need is the time and the weather to take her out on a tour, or at least a good overnight trip on the C&O Canal. I designed the bike to take wide tires under those fenders, and now she's wearing Schwalbe Marathon Supreme tires in a 700x42mm size, so she makes a great towpath camping bike.<br />
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Plans for the future? Well, I mentioned early on that I had added guides for dynamo hub wires up the fork, so obviously at some point I want to install such a system on the bike. I've got dynohubs on a number of bikes, and it sure would be handy on a touring bike. And one day I might just get some decals made for the frame. Stay tuned!<br />
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And if you want to see more pictures of the bike, from raw tubing through several variations in components, check it out here: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/43828356@N00/albums/72157614034677336/page1">Goshawk - My First Frame</a> <br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248348955894622692.post-18730190472619465522016-09-30T00:09:00.000-04:002016-09-30T00:27:35.894-04:00Followup on September 7, 1966<br />
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Well, my mother found some photos from the construction and early days at our house in Bowie, MD, so I thought I'd share those and a few comments.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQylTzeAkLJRbfZDR5tFKcV6rwbFA6UY8pbOvvbvuFtGVl7DoH_KtcP1Psz_GCL9C-S6BIKzhx9JnC4AxPx-LuI7oweLImCEzmSkcSYK7E3faGTa8zyS30hJn1-r5iuQ6Ai7Oz7Nu-9jh/s1600/Dad+Bowie+House+1966.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQylTzeAkLJRbfZDR5tFKcV6rwbFA6UY8pbOvvbvuFtGVl7DoH_KtcP1Psz_GCL9C-S6BIKzhx9JnC4AxPx-LuI7oweLImCEzmSkcSYK7E3faGTa8zyS30hJn1-r5iuQ6Ai7Oz7Nu-9jh/s320/Dad+Bowie+House+1966.jpeg" width="229" /></a>First, there's this shot of my dad, Vincent Fricker, standing basically where the master bedroom would soon be in our house. As you can see, at this point, it was just the bare outline of the foundation (well, since the house is actually built on a slab, I'm not sure foundation is the right term, but you get the gist). </div>
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In the background you can make out the beginnings of the rest of the development, which was called Idlewild, or as some people would say "the I-section." Unlike some of his earlier developments, Levitt set up Belair at Bowie such that all the streets in a given section had names that began with the same letter... Idlewild Drive, Ivy Hill Lane, Irongate Lane, etc. Given the similarity of the homes, at least you knew if you were in the right section by the first letter of the street names!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Lo05DulrAbkYbdxgltxv9wxtIdqpbzT7cWVpaGb4RJNXlBIGlri1iT_WuD1jCx2TBcBopP8WaADnrbq9l3-Xy_mvLGl8RGjsCryZJPieAY_GFvX8oMi_Gfu2fkHT4GTli-PcxexIdxKv/s1600/Scan+6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Lo05DulrAbkYbdxgltxv9wxtIdqpbzT7cWVpaGb4RJNXlBIGlri1iT_WuD1jCx2TBcBopP8WaADnrbq9l3-Xy_mvLGl8RGjsCryZJPieAY_GFvX8oMi_Gfu2fkHT4GTli-PcxexIdxKv/s320/Scan+6.jpeg" width="229" /></a></div>
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Edward Fricker, my dad's cousin, or Uncle Eddy as we knew him. It was through him that my father first got the idea to move to the DC area to work for the Government Printing Office when the situation at the newspaper was looking bleak.<br />
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Note the can of Carling Black Label he's holding. I suppose they were celebrating our soon-to-be-new-home... I wonder if open container laws were in effect back then? And isn't it fascinating to see a couple of guys hanging around a construction site in jackets and ties? I'm guessing they'd stopped by after work on day to check on the site, and back then that was standard dress for a linotype operator. Different times.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilh0Duqd51i7Im-NBTDFyq63jVwLgMAWuPFGBSvmDiLaydeIpZd7ikbzDx-efGbCnvA3gw_MIaeIzJGwc9F2y6XFzPOHUh3m1x4HKmMlk9Tn-AoRlBPia83g-n9liZ7I65grgL-f2Ut2P2/s1600/Scan+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilh0Duqd51i7Im-NBTDFyq63jVwLgMAWuPFGBSvmDiLaydeIpZd7ikbzDx-efGbCnvA3gw_MIaeIzJGwc9F2y6XFzPOHUh3m1x4HKmMlk9Tn-AoRlBPia83g-n9liZ7I65grgL-f2Ut2P2/s320/Scan+4.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Here you can see the basic footprint of the house. To the left in the front is the garage (a big deal to us, having not had a garage on Long Island). Closer to the viewer is the narrow laundry room, and to the right is the rest of the ground floor, which consisted of a kitchen/dining room, living room, bathroom and two bedrooms. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMT7XCJR7X_wUgR7ySy24fKeTVKAgsKHk7Wx2v1NwsRdlrDnQbv6YZyng9alIBlVn0sl-mcbm77XS2RDkfX6Ef5BS4faKWvtQUSg0Ry_ji-Z5D_5YleQsXe0rU4lhCKu_ssrXoLfwo9d1C/s1600/Scan+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMT7XCJR7X_wUgR7ySy24fKeTVKAgsKHk7Wx2v1NwsRdlrDnQbv6YZyng9alIBlVn0sl-mcbm77XS2RDkfX6Ef5BS4faKWvtQUSg0Ry_ji-Z5D_5YleQsXe0rU4lhCKu_ssrXoLfwo9d1C/s320/Scan+8.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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The view from the front yard of the house, looking down Ivy Hill Lane. Standing in the same spot today, it's hard to imagine it ever looked like this.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXF6J0tme2wPIzLTm8P5gvn_7CbCQRGRXUgat3t0cp_k6EDfL901vJN_Tf7WEqX1d0LBkc0D5VV7PMdokrQzKi9oeE_pl17UiWYI53EYSV4PzmRdnsYFATovCOfaM_45aFNbblKgBwpNd/s1600/Scan+30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXF6J0tme2wPIzLTm8P5gvn_7CbCQRGRXUgat3t0cp_k6EDfL901vJN_Tf7WEqX1d0LBkc0D5VV7PMdokrQzKi9oeE_pl17UiWYI53EYSV4PzmRdnsYFATovCOfaM_45aFNbblKgBwpNd/s320/Scan+30.jpg" width="320" /></a> The same view in 1968, with houses and landscaping all in place. It's starting to look lived in, though it would be quite some time before the trees really filled in. Over time the generous plantings in the yards began to be overwhelming and most home owners ended up taking out some or all of the original trees.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZ_jKxld7JG__keZemtso0C7A57CnCtvyKuX7mRM8-9O4DZYEzp-iLSndK_tKrmJj3IjQam6tAkDnkpaikm6KVmDz-p8YyGlfUBPzDvd8GtBJCHRYKi9Tv4y-y3ffp-eHf37vp1SA14wk/s1600/Scan+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZ_jKxld7JG__keZemtso0C7A57CnCtvyKuX7mRM8-9O4DZYEzp-iLSndK_tKrmJj3IjQam6tAkDnkpaikm6KVmDz-p8YyGlfUBPzDvd8GtBJCHRYKi9Tv4y-y3ffp-eHf37vp1SA14wk/s320/Scan+18.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The ground floor taking shape. The two car (!) garage is to the right, with the living room picture window just to the left of it, then the front door. On the far left you can see the window to the master bedroom in front. Note the pile of construction materials in the yard... the houses were put together like a giant model airplane kit, with all the pieces deposited on the lot for assembly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJEThiLlq0HmbkAZXsYUdVUz67q9c_QyRJNv7LVk7OvB3PRn8LKwR5oCWgo-u78ILpH_yUBXZGEVirB1rG2jq-K9TuTvs4y_ezLhKe80AmA0zz6XtTpr7-EJ0ZVSpzwBMbPA7BS3zl3Ov/s1600/Scan+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJEThiLlq0HmbkAZXsYUdVUz67q9c_QyRJNv7LVk7OvB3PRn8LKwR5oCWgo-u78ILpH_yUBXZGEVirB1rG2jq-K9TuTvs4y_ezLhKe80AmA0zz6XtTpr7-EJ0ZVSpzwBMbPA7BS3zl3Ov/s320/Scan+10.jpg" width="320" /></a>And here it is with most of the framing in place. This is looking from the opposite end from the previous picture, with the master bedroom closest, and the smallest bedroom (which was mine for many years) to the left. Beyond that you can see the front porch awning, and then beyond that is the garage. Two bedrooms on the ground floor, two on the second floor, and a bathroom on each floor (a big improvement over the house on Long Island where we had one bathroom for the 7 of us!).</div>
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Somehow we didn't seem to get any pictures of the house when we first moved in, or at least we haven't found any yet. But to get an idea of what the finished product looked like, here's a copy of the ad for the Levitt Cape Cod. This shows a bit earlier version of the house, but the basic design is the same.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDFzjuAl9QrvGRSgQ2KJVzABc13G36KubJrwrgTONydcKveRN3_yBTpfjG6EduTAEbvgXdX0Ri3QqqGoxTA0jvozU5ls3ofIKu28EZEafYMYTIqMmprdSaA_xblEjLIvTomK6wKKfU3mEa/s1600/BelairCapeCod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDFzjuAl9QrvGRSgQ2KJVzABc13G36KubJrwrgTONydcKveRN3_yBTpfjG6EduTAEbvgXdX0Ri3QqqGoxTA0jvozU5ls3ofIKu28EZEafYMYTIqMmprdSaA_xblEjLIvTomK6wKKfU3mEa/s320/BelairCapeCod.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
By today's standards, a modest house no doubt. But to us, and many other families in that place and time, they came to be wonderful homes.<br />
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For the curious, more info about Levitt, and specifically Belair at Bowie, can be found here: <a href="http://levittownbeyond.com/Belair.html">http://levittownbeyond.com/Belair.html</a><br />
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And more photos are <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/43828356@N00/albums/72157674459163525">here</a>. <br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><p id="blogfeeds"><$BlogFeedsVertical$></p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02091258691699601116noreply@blogger.com0