In preparation for bike camping, the back yard is a good testing ground… Along with earplugs and Tylenol pm for adults.
Tonight’s sleeping accommodations
Posted by Verne on June 11, 2013
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Grey Kitty gazing wistfully at the front porch bird houses.
Posted by Verne on June 10, 2013
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Ready for a recycling run…
Posted by Verne on May 27, 2013
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Here’s my decked-out cargo bike. This was my main transportation in 2005-2006. It has an xtracycle rear-end and an electric-assist hub up front. I added the aerobars this spring I also replaced the tyres with some 2.25″ City Hoppers in brown. They provide some nice cushioning over the bumps.
It’s mostly used these days at night on recycling runs. However, once it warms up at night, it’s going camping!
D&D update…
Posted by Verne on May 17, 2013
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Bike project: 1971 Schwinn Super Sport
Posted by Verne on May 7, 2013
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Here’s my latest (and hopefully last for a while) bike project – a 1971 Schwinn Super Sport. These bikes were fillet-brazed by hand. This type of construction is fairly uncommon in modern bikes. You can read more about these bikes here: http://sheldonbrown.com/schwinn-braze.html
This bike received a thorough cleaning and greasing. I converted the heavy one-piece Ashtabula crank to a modern 3-piece crank using an insert and sealed bottom bracket. I also upgraded most of the heavy steel groupset with decent vintage suntour parts from a more modern Schwinn bike that was converted to single speed.
It weighs in at 29 pounds as pictured. I find the ride quick, maneuverable, and fairly comfortable. The smooth fillets and bright yellow paint are quite lickably pleasing!
Project of the day: 3-speed hub refurbish
Posted by Verne on March 2, 2013
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I’m recovering from the flu. My body is still wonky, but the brain is bored, bored, bored. I’ve been doing some work on my Raleigh Tourist seeing if I can get the antique rod brakes up to snuff (more in another post). As a result, I’ve ended up with a couple of vintage/antique 3-speed hubs. I’ve taken them completely apart, scraped off 50+ year-old gunk, greased, and totally refurbished them. The middle hub is a Sturmey Archer AW from the mid-70′s. The closest is a fairly rare Brampton from the 1950′s. It’s a better quality clone of the AW. The hub in the rear is a new dynamo hub – no need to rebuild.
Finished coat project
Posted by Verne on March 2, 2013
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After two years of planning and a couple of months of sewing, the full -length, merino wool and velvet coat is complete. It turned out quite well, and will likely be my last coat project for while. I’m pretty burned out on sewing. The next sewing project will probably be some bicycle bags and panniers. Hopefully, I can get back in the mood enough to finish them before cycling season arrives.
Coat project progress
Posted by Verne on February 1, 2013
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Project of the… Uhh… Two years? Wool coat
Posted by Verne on January 26, 2013
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I’ve finally started work on a wool coat for which I’ve had the materials around two years! I’ve been at it for around two weeks on and off. It needs sleeves, lining, buttons, and some finishing touches. It should be complete in a couple more weeks, all things being equal. Hopefully there will still be cold weather for it to be worn in!
Weirdness of the day: hot dog chips
Posted by Verne on January 26, 2013
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