scored at a local vintage goods store for $40. Leather is hard as a rock but not cracked, so nothing some conditioner can't fix
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@3speedseattle
scored at a local vintage goods store for $40. Leather is hard as a rock but not cracked, so nothing some conditioner can't fix
It's crazy how humanity invented bicycles and decided to try it with one big wheel and one small wheel BEFORE they tried having two wheels the same size
This is not quite true, though it would be very funny if it was.
The classic "old bicycle" we're all thinking of, which looked like this:
Is actually a technological compromise developed in the early 1870s. The very first bicycle was invented in 1817 and it looked like this:
It had no pedals and the rider would push it along with their feet, the same way toddlers learn to ride bikes today.
In about 1864, a mechanic in france came up with the idea of adding pedals to the front wheel, making the first self-propelled bicycle.
This was a great improvement because it's a lot easier to move and a lot more fun than the Fisher Price version above. It was a big thing for about five years, but there were some drawbacks.
First, because the pedals were directly attached to the front wheel, you couldn't go very fast without moving your legs incredibly quickly, which takes a lot of effort. It also is kind of awkward to steer because your legs are in the way of the wheel.
The other issue was bumps. Roads were not very smooth in the 1870s, most of them were unpaved and full of ruts, potholes, and rocks. And at first there were no rubber tires, just wooden wheels with metal rims. Altogether this made for a very bumpy ride.
The big front wheel, which was made possible by the invention of wire spokes and solid rubber tires, solved all of these problems. A big wheel runs over bumps more easily: think of how rough it is to ride roller skates over bumps in a sidewalk that you would hardly notice on a bike. And the bigger the wheel, the faster you can move with one push of the pedals. Having the seat on top of the wheel, instead of behind, also makes steering less cumbersome.
There are of course drawbacks to this design, in particular being so high up makes it very easy to go over the handlebars if you crash, and more likely to hit your head or break your arm.
Two more inventions helped drive this comical beast into extinction and bring back a more balanced, and safer, bicycle.
The first was the pneumatic tire, which contains a cushion of air, and makes for a much softer ride compared to a solid tire or a metal one. The cushion effect eliminates the need for a big wheel to smooth out the bumps in the road.
The second invention was the sprocket and chain drive. This lets you put the pedals anywhere you want on the bike, and with a big gear at the pedals and a small one at the wheel, you can get more speed out of a small wheel.
The first modern bicycle to combine a sprocket and pneumatic tires was built in 1879. It was an instant hit, not just because it was much less dangerous, but because the low drag profile and the smooth pneumatic tires made for a faster ride, and the trendsetters in cycling, then as now, were the racing community. There have been plenty of innovations and modifications in the years since, from ten-speed gears to carbon fiber frames, but these are all variations on a theme. The basic form of the bicycle has not changed.
Happy riding.
Okay full disclosure I was high as a kite when I made this post, otherwise I might have fact-checked my joke before posting, but this is awesome. Thank you for the bicycle lore.
Didn't use this tire for very long before sharp metal wires started poking out of it. I think the bead failed or something. Hmmm.
Time for new tires! (Schwalbe Delta Cruisers of course).
Schwalbe now lets people order directly from them, and since their American distribution hub is in Washington, it only took 2 days for these to get to me!
Hell of a find in the clearance section at Fred Meyer. "For 3-speeds only"
I bought all five
that's kinda clever
Had a fun time exploring the Snoqualmie Tunnel and surrounding area. 3-Speed "mountain biking" anyone?
Got a hefty package in at the post office. Fortunately, my trailer was juuuuust big enough for it
Was biking home last night and hit a bump and felt something under my butt snap. Looks like I busted my nice Brooks saddle :C
Bike news: my hub kept slipping out of gear so I took it to the shop. Two options: a complete rebuild, or buy a new hub. I opted for the second, and got a brand new Sturmey-Archer SRC3 rear hub. Laced it into my wheel, and I'm good to go again
I love you bike racks, please come and visit my city some day. You add so much to an urban environment are the only form of parking that looks presentable
Okay but this particular style of bike rack is so annoying because it's impossible to get a u-lock through both the frame of the bike and the rack. I hate seeing these racks.
Shout out to my true love: waveform bike racks.
World's most useless bike rack?
3 Speed October Week 2 Ride 2: 10/11
Miles: 5
Weather: Rain
I forgot something at work, so I made a quick jaunt down to the ship. It's a nice ride, using the Westlake Cycle Track. The weather held off on my way down, but while I was getting my stuff out of the ship, the heavens opened. Oh well, fortunately I had my rain cape with me!
@urbanadventureleague
Three Speed October: Week 2 Ride 1 10/8
Miles: 5
Weather: Overcast, low 60's
In honor of Indigenous People's Day, the National Nordic Museum over in Ballard was free on Sunday! I've been meaning to check out their new temporary exhibit (Arctic Highways: the art of 12 Indigenous Artists from Circumpolar communities), so I decided to drop by before work.
Of course, getting to Ballard means dealing with the dreaded Missing Link of the Burke-Gilman trail. Since it was a Sunday, it also meant dismounting to walk through the Ballard Sunday Farmer's Market, which closes off the street I usually use. (That was okay, it gave me a chance to grab lunch)
The museum has teamed up with a Danish artist to install giant trolls all over the state, so of course I had to get a photo with one.
I also bought some spoke reflectors from the museum gift shop. I'm a sucker for shiny things.
I then headed straight to work (with another stop to walk through the Fremont Sunday Market, since it blocks the bike lane that gets me up and over the Fremont Bridge)
@urbanadventureleague
Three Speed October: Week 1 Ride 3. 10/7
Miles: 4
Weather: Sunny, upper 70s
I had a little trip to make after work on Saturday, so I headed up to REI for some shopping. (Boy, I could spend hours in REI I swear)
That done, I headed home with a stop at a place for dinner. They had a neat hanging bike rack, with an old air pump and tools on chains. Love seeing creative (but still usable) bike racks like this.
@urbanadventureleague
Three Speed October 2023: Week 1 Ride 2. 10/5
Miles: 6.5
Weather: Sunny, low 70's
On Thursday, I had to make an unexpected trip to the storage facility where I keep my car. (I know, a car, who are you and what have you done with Ed?). I got a call that one of my tires had gone flat, so I needed to go fix that.
So I left work and biked home to fetch my bicycle tire pump, then took the Ship Canal Trail over to the storage facility (with a pause at the Fremont Bridge, which went up to let the daily Gravel Barge through). Ten minutes of pumping brought my car tire back to full (boy was that hard work), then I biked home to make an appointment to get my tire fixed.
@urbanadventureleague