Meet the Newest Member of the Herd

Meet the newest member of the fleet/herd/flock or whatever you call the collection of bicycles that are currently in residence here.

This one was given to me by one of the mechanics at my LBS, because he knew that I like “old stuff”.

This is a 1964 AMF/Hercules. I don’t know much about the Hercules/AMF bikes, only that they were built by Raleigh Industries and primarily sold in North America. The bike is typical of the British 3 speeds of the era. Sturmey Archer AW three speed hub, 26×1-3/8″ tires, Dunlop steel rims, etc. I have just started the cleanup process so I have a ways to go. Initial impressions is that this is a well built bike and of better quality than what Raleigh was putting out by the 1970’s.

This particular bike shows signs of much use, but no real abuse. It has been well cared for in the past, but had been neglected for a while. Mechanically it is in good shape and won’t need much done. Cosmetically it is a bit rough, but nothing some elbow grease, oil and polish won’t cure.

Hercules was it’s own brand started in Birmingham, England in 1911 and was absorbed by Raleigh in 1960. The Hercules Museum webblog has a lot of information gathered in one place.

This bike most likely will be going to my sister to use riding around her neighborhood and the large park behind her townhouse. I will have to find out if she wants a basket and if so what type. Perhaps a Peterboro from Maine or a Wald Woody?

More to be posted as things slowly progress.

Aaron

Labor Day Weekend Riding

I was “supposed” to Labor on Labor Day…but at the last minute my lovely bride got a long layover in MSP so of course having the opportunity to see her and only being 6 hours away was a no brainer. Put the work crew on autopilot, loaded the Twenties into the truck and away I went.

For those that don’t know she is a Senior Flight Attendant (25 year veteran) for a US mainline carrier. Works fairly well for us, with both of us being on the road (most of the time).

We had a grand time and rode the bike paths around Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet. The cycling infrastructure in the Twin Cities never ceases to amaze me. It was about a 7 mile run, but that was plenty for my bride and served as a shakedown/checkout ride for my Twenty since undergoing a fairly complete overhaul.

The weather was perfect for riding, and listening to the acoustical band at the bandstand at Lake Harriet. In all a wonderful and relaxing weekend.

I will be headed back to the Twin Cities for another weekend retreat for the ABCE. Stay tuned for a report on that!

Aaron

Double the Fun!

Received my new to me Twenty from Ebay today!

It is a 1972 model and is complete and in great shape. Only thing missing is the head light bracket. It will need a new set of grips, the old ones are cracked. Other than that a complete and thorough cleaning and we are good to go.

These things are addictive!

Aaron

Migrating?

I am trying out WordPress for my blog. Same name just subsitute “wordpress” for “blogspot”

I have already migrated the existing blog over, but will keep both for the time being.

Aaron

Homesick?

Do bikes get homesick for their homelands? Well maybe this will help a bit.

Found this British Red Phone Box in Iowa City, Iowa and could not pass up the chance. The box has seen better days, but that is to be expected seeing how at this time last year it was standing in 6′ of flood waters.

BTW the phone box still has the original cards in it and claims it is Bournemouth S12400 at the Junc of Wimborne Rd and Alma Rd Winton Bournemouth so if you are missing a phone box it is currently in front of the Wig and Pen in Iowa City, IA.

The Twenty has gone through a few more upgrades. I have my Brooks B67 saddle installed, the new B&M Retro headlight, the Spannigia LED taillight, Schwalbe Marathon tires and a Banjo Brothers bag. It has become a sweet riding little bike with the current round of upgrades. Only things left are to swap out the crank for a nicer looking one, find a pump that will fit the OEM pegs, and possibly build up a different set of wheels using polished rims.

Aaron

Went Visiting Today

Went for a ride today on the Twenty. Checked out a new to me bike shop in Iowa City, IA. 30th Century Bicycle, super neat shop. Met the owners Steve and Cody, hung out an enjoyed being around a bunch of sweet bikes. They stock Masi (among other brands) and have some beautiful bikes on hand. I also loved the selection of used bikes, they have an excellent selection with some interesting bikes available.

Aaron

I am sure the Housekeepers just love me…

But you have to do what you have to do! Here is my “on the road” bike storage area and work area. Getting ready to install the new B&M Retro head light and B&M 4D Plus tail light on my Twenty. That big wad of wire on the bed is actually speaker wire, but it will have to suffice until I can source some proper generator wire and the correct slip connectors. More pictures to come when I get the install done. The Twenty has an AG hub installed on it so no batteries to mess with.

Aaron

There is a Bike in there…HONEST!

This is why I need a folding bike! You can just barely see the Twenty right at the tailgate of the pickup. When I went up to this job site we orignially had scheduled a truck to come and haul at least two loads of equipment and job related items back to the office. Somewhere along the way the first truck got canceled, the foreman wrecked his pickup and was driving a crew van instead, so lets load up my truck…

Aaron

Dutch Chic

Look what came to live with us

On a bike ride with a friend of mine (previous post) we ran across this at a local bike shop. Took my bride back to see it and for a test ride, the rest is history so to speak.

It is a 1966 or 1967 Columbia Commuter II. Not really a folder, but the handle bars rotate and drop down, the seat goes down, the pedals can be rotated inwards and the fork assembly comes off the frame for storage, it has a wheel driven generator, headlight, interesting fender mounted taillight and the Sturmey-Archer 3speed TCWIII hub(more pictures to come). The Dutch part comes from it being built in Weesp, Holland by the Magneet Company, no longer in business.

Not sure which markets it was available in. I have found one advertisement for it via Ebay where Mr. Donut was giving one away in a contest around 1969.

My bride loves it and wants a wicker basket for the rear rack.

Aaron

New Technology?

Met up with a buddy of mine today for a ride about town. He has a sharp looking little Trek F600 quite the contrast to my nearly 40 year old Raleigh Twenty. But both bikes serve their purpose and got us where we wanted to go in comfort and more importantly got us back!

The Twenty has been undergoing some upgrades, it has new rims and spokes, Koolstop brake pads and a Kalloy 400mm seat post. I am still riding on the original tires…they were new when Nixon was in office, but new Schwalbe Marathons are on the way. Along with lights and a Brooks B67.

This is a good example of how the Twenty is paying off for me, I am riding a bike with a friend in a town over 1000 miles from my home. I had wanted to bring one of my full sized bikes with me, but due to space constraints the Twenty was my only choice.

Aaron