I'm Riding Home on Friday Afternoon

Woah, woah - strike up the band. I'm going to ride home this afternoon. Last time I posted a photo of my Univega in the office, set up in the trainer. It's here because I have storage issues, of a sort; I have a lot of bikes. As of this writing, here are the bikes in my garage, some of which I have pictures of; 

1968 (?) Falcon San Remo Single Speed

1968 Schwinn Twinn single Speed

1973 Raliegh International

1974 Schwinn Suburban

1978 Peugeot Super Competition

1986 (?) Ross Mount Whitney with a Nu-Vinci CVT hub

1986 (?) Suteki Mixte (My wife's) 

1992 Univega Ultraleggera

1999 GT Force

2010 Dahon internally geared 8 speed folder

Plus my daughter's two bicycles, and my tools, and my 1901 Oldsmobile Replica. 

As I said before, I took on a car hobby as I fell out of bikes; cars move under their own power and I can be relatively lazy. 

Back to the beginning of this entry though - Friday, I am riding my Univega Home. I posted my Peugeot snag on Bikeforums, and one of the members contacted me to see if I could get my bike to Southwest Frameworks here in Dallas so they could match the color, as he is restoring the same model.  I talked to David from Southwest today, and we are going to hook up next week so he can take a color match. In the meantime, I need to get my Peugeot up here, and take the Univega home. I hate to haul bikes on the back of my car, because it is hell on my paint, so I'm going to ride the Univega home and then ride the Peugeot up here on Saturday. David is going to come here and take me and the bike to his shop one day in the next couple of weeks. I've met David before at some of the "retro picnics" he throws, and I am looking forward to seeing some of the bikes he is working on in his shop. I will report back here with plenty of photos. 

I'm writing this entry in advance of my ride, so if it is published and I never show up again, there is a good chance that I expired on my ride home, or just got lazy and gave up cycling again. Or maybe just gave up blogging. Or went blind. Actually, I guess you can't jump to any conclusions if I never show up agian, because there are many things that could happen to me that could prevent me from making my next entry. 

Cold comfort, indeed. Let's hope I make another entry soon. 

Social Riding Dirty.

On Saturday the 22nd, there was a bike friendly ride through Ray Charles' South Dallas. I wasn't aware that Ray Charles rode bicycles, nor that he lived in Dallas, so I was intrigued by the ride and wanted to go. The stars aligned and I was able to hook up with Hubbard and Curnutt and do a little South Dallas slow riding with Jason Roberts and a bunch of other folks with some interest in the history of Dallas and riding bikes.

1973 Raleigh International

I decided on the Raleigh for this ride. I don't ride it very often, as it really needs an overhaul; the spokes are rusty, the tires are a little mildewed, and it's just kind of cruddy. I want to get it completely disassembled and cleaned up, but that is a task for Januaryish. Look for a series of articles on that project then!

Hubbard has been trying to get me to come along on one of these history rides for a while, and I'm happy I went on this one, because it was lots of fun and very interesting. It was mostly lots of fun because hanging with Hubbard is lots of fun, but it was a beautiful day for a ride, and I do love Dallas history. Seeing it from a bike is also much more personal and intimate than driving around, getting out, etc. 

Good morning, Hubbard

After joining Hubbard in a fortifying grain based breakfast drink at The Lily Pad Cafe, we were off by 10:15 or so. There were probably a million of us on the ride (I'm not good with numbers) and after some initial confusion caused by red lights splitting the group near the Farmer's Market, we made it into South Dallas just fine. After riding under a bridge that was one of the first capital improvements in Dallas, we ended up at the site of a former recording studio where Ray Charles did some early recording. I won't give you the whole history, because I am not a good reporter and didn't take notes. I was also distracted by sadness because the Jamaican restaurant next to the former studio was out of business. I love Jamaican meat pies, and have actually eaten at that restaurant a couple of times before.

Mmmmm. Meat pies. 

After that, our group was off to South Ave - but not before schluffing our bikes out of the parking lot and crossing the highway. 

The next stop was a revelation to me. I've never been to South Avenue in Dallas, and was absolutely blown away by the beautiful homes there. South Ave is apparently where some of the early monied Jewish families ended up in Dallas, about the time that Swiss Ave was built out. We stopped in front of either Neiman's or Marcus' son's house (once again, bad reporting) and were soon greeted by the owner, doing some of what must be an incredible amount of work to maintain the house. Jason told him what was up with the throng of cyclists in front of his residence fairly early on a Saturday morning.

Incredible. Also, tilted so you feel like Batman. 

We moved on to my favorite stop next.

oooooOOOoo

Oakland Cemetery was an incredible place. When I was young, I used to ride my Peugeot to an old cemetery in Garland, off of Highway 66, and just hang out reading tombstones and having lonely little picnics. My family  also did lots of weekend trips that included old graveyards when I was young, and on longer vacations we stopped at old cemeteries all over the US to make rubbings or to just stroll through. That is to say; I have some cemetery tourist experience. Without a doubt, Oakland Cemetery is the most incredible one I've ever been in. The art on display here was just amazing though unfortunately the place was overgrown and unkempt.  I'm sure that makes it even spookier at night, but makes it very melancholy during the day.

Sadly unkept

Some of the biggest names of early Dallas are buried down here, and the monuments are here to prove it. 

I want one of these when I go. 

I loved the place, and will be coming back here, I can guarantee it. Look for another post on this incredible spot with a ton of pictures soon. I can't wait to go picnic here, and do some exploring on my own.

After Oakland, we moved on to a house where Ray Charles lived for 3 years or so, where we were bogged down by a bathroom break. 

Can you hear me? This is Ray Charles house! Ha Ha! Get it? 

I decided to skip making a natural here, because the store didn't seem like one where non customers were welcomed. The hand painted sign on the outside specifically said "no drug dealing", so I didn't know how nice a neighborhood this was; around my neighborhood that's just kind of understood.

Milling around in front of Ray Charles' house.  

After that it was on to the Woodmen's Club, and to be frank, I really didn't pay attention. I'm a Freemason, so caring about some other fraternal order was just not in the cards that morning.

After the Woodmen's club we rode to a bridge over the Trinity, where Jason was demonstrating how bridges can be turned into foot parks by closing one side to traffic. It was awesome to see, and really well set up, though I didn't see any news people there other than myself (and you folks can see what level of reporting I am up to here.)

Benches, tables, lamp posts, even a sax player. 

The Sax player was mostly on key, and I walked around checking out the river, eating a tasty taco from the Ssahm truck, and just enjoying the beautiful day. I don't see why Dallas doesn't do some of what Jason is proposing, instead of investing so much in building new parks and removing bridges. Thankfully(?), my taxes go to Collin County, so I don't really have a dog in this fight. I did for a moment consider starting Bike Friendly Plano, but I'm not sure of the level of work I'm willing to take on. 

Foot park and diverted traffic.

After the instant park stop, we were off to the Bikes, Blues, and BBQ festival. I am not much of a blues guy, so Hubbard and I peeled off from the group and headed back to the Lilypad, and then went our separate ways. As is usual for me, my phone died shortly after the last photo you see above, so I don't have any pictures beyond that point. It was a great ride and a great day, and I cannot recommend enough going on one of Jason's rides. I'm looking forward to the Tweed Ride on November 18, and I'm sure it will be even bigger this year. I plan to make sure that Claire (of the Missoni for Target bike) attends to show off her new ride this year. I have been distracted by the best World Series ever and will finish her bike tonight, since there is no game. Look for a full report with some photos soon. 

Limited Edition Missoni for Target and Headbadges

I finally got the Missoni for Target bike up on the repair stand to start assembly and I took a snap of the "headbadge" sticker on the front. I didn't know that these bikes are limited editions, which is kind of a neat thing, even if it is manufactured rarity. That being said, I have several Death of Superman watches that I bought in the '90's, and I'm not sneering at their manufactured rarity today. This bike is number 696 of 2984, which is both a low total production number and a low number on bike, which is pretty cool.

0696/2984

Taking this picture started me contemplating headbadges in general - I love headbadges, and if I had some extra scratch I'd probably collect them on their own. I had a couple of thoughts about the Missoni for Target headbadge; first, that if this bike is such a limited edition, why didn't they use a real headbadge instead of a sticker? Second, that the Missoni for Target headbadge looks a lot like the 1970's Schwinn headbadge.

1974 Suburban 574000/2000000

The Missoni for Target bicycle badge is a little longer, but it was obviously designed by someone that is familiar with the Schwinn headbadge. The oval headbadge wasn't the only one that Schwinn used - or the only one in my garage.

1987 Schwinn High Sierra

I'm not sure when the switch was made to the round badge, but a good way to know if you have a "high end" Schwinn from the eighties is to check the headbadge for the model name. If it is there, it's a better model.
Schwinn isn't the only company whose headbadge will help you determine the relative "worth" of the bicycle. Raleigh used several headbadges over the years, and the basic design remained the same, but the wording under the heron changed over the years.

This is a bad picture. Come on upgrade time/Phone 4S

You can't read it very well, due to the crappy photo, but it says "Nottingham England" under the headbadge on my 1973 International. If you are at a garage sale and you find a Raleigh with this lettering, pay the ten dollars that they are asking. Less than a decade after this badge was riveted to my bike, Raleigh had sold part of its name to Huffy, and had outsourced most of its production to Taiwan, like everyone else. While I love the Raleigh Heron badge, my favorite badge is on my Falcon.

1968 Falcon San Remo

As you can see, the badge on my Falcon wasn't removed when I had it powdercoated, and it got a little overspray on it. In addition, the high heat required to bake the coat altered the original colors in the badge. I've been considering repainting the badge, but I would guess that the only person bothered by the badge's appearance is me. I do think it's an awesome badge with the Falcon, the Olympic rings, and the flame on top.

The final headbadge in my garage is on my Suteki. the Suteki bicycle was the nicest bike sold by Sears, with a high ten frame and Shimano 600 gruppo. While not a 'high end" bike, it was nice, and it does have a very cool headbadge. 

Suteki Headbadge

All of the rest of my bikes have a decal for a headbadge, like the Missoni for Target bicycle. I don't mind the decals, but I do love the way a 3-d headbadge looks on a bike; they remind me of the figurehead on a ship, and make even a pedestrian bike seem classier. The Missoni bike is certainly going to stand out with the paintjob they gave it, but as a bike guy, not a fashion guy, I'm a little disappointed with the choice of a sticker on a bike with such a low production run.

Do you have a favorite headbadge on your bike? If you want to participate in the blog, I'd love to have you send me your favorite headbadge photos, and I will get a few and put up a post with all of your photos. I'm going to hazard a guess that I get zero - but we will see!

Grab baggin'

I'm just going to wing a post because I don't have anything in the pike right now, and I don't want things to get dusty around here.

I had to do some work at the office on Saturday, so I rode up with the plan to go on a longer ride after I finished my "business time". I rode the usual 14 miles in, did my work, and then went on the trails to spend a couple of hours and rack up some miles. My office is at Forest and 75, and there is an "exit" on the White Rock Trail  right down the street from us here at the world headquarters.  They recently completed the connection between the Cottonwood trail and the White Rock here under Forest Ln, and it makes my commute a ton easier; I no longer have to fight Dart, disinterested drivers, and the angle of the sun at the intersection of Forest and Schroder. I can shoot under the busy road and hop right off the trail and be at my office.

On Saturday, I got on the WRT and rode as far as it would take me. For most of the ride, until I got to White Rock Lake, I didn't really see anyone else on the trail, I assume because it was so hot. Once I got to White Rock, there were a few people around, but not as many as usual; once again, because riding was almost like riding through an oven. I went around the lake, then hooked up with the trail as it headed downtown. It was here that I really had some privacy; I rode to the end of the trail and only saw one other rider, and no runners at all. If you haven't been down to the far end of the WRT, as the trail comes to its end, it is not shaded - it was like riding on my own superheated superhighway - though I did run out of water and refreshments as I approached the end of the trail. Well, I guess I'm exaggerating there; I didn't run out as much as the liquids in my bottles got hot. Very warm tapwater level hot. I kept drinking my hot liquids to stay hydrated, but I was not refreshed, and I could almost feel my core temperature increasing. I didn't find any refreshment stations on the trail, so I wobbled off of the trail at the park and ride on Forest and hit the Racetrac for water and a snack.

My Route - Thanks new speedometer. 

I must confess that I really ride for these moments; when I am completely shot, covered in salt, uncoordinated and wondering why I am doing such stupid things to myself. At that moment, when I get the first couple of bites of the candy and the first sweet sips of ice cold water, I can actually feel the goodness from them flooding into my tired cells, and all of those cells sighing in relief. That moment is like no other. I finished my pit stop and rode my route home. When I finished my day, I had ridden over 40 miles over the course of a very hot afternoon. I know that may not sound like a lot of miles to some of my readers, but it's plenty in Dallas from 2-5 pm in July. When I got home, my wife whisked me off to Babe's Chicken Dinner House in Garland. I refueled and fell asleep not too many hours later on Anna's bedroom floor, tired, full of chicken, and counting this among my "good days".

Babe's Garland

On another note, I found an original catalog scan for my Raleigh International. The few that have an interest in this can click the photo to make it big.

Original Catalog Scan

I am trying to decide what to do for my birthday this year; there is a metric century ride here in Plano on Oct. 1 to benefit the  "Make a Wish" foundation. I rode it last year and it was nice, but a little Frederiffic. I am considering making the drive to KC with Anna in tow to ride the Tour De BBQ instead. It should be a little cooler up north, I love BBQ, and I have never ridden in KC, so it might be fun. I ride a good portion of the Wish 100 on my weekend rides, so I am leaning towards the Tour. If I decide that, I'll be hitting you up for donations to help me raise money to fight cancer. Thanks for joining me for my grab bag today, and I will try to have something more substantial for you to read soon.

1973 Raleigh International - last one.

I found a price list that Raleigh sent to dealers online; you can see that the bike I recently added to my collection retailed for $350. This is interesting to look at because of what the bike was; it was a hand brazed, high end example of the framebuilder's art, built in what remined of a small shop that had been swallowed up by a giant company that was at it's height, but soon to come upon hard times. The components on the bike were the best in their day, but their time on the top of the heap was limited; Japanese component manufacturers like Shimano and SunTour were nipping at their heels by building quality parts that funcioned well and were much cheaper than Euro components, thus lowering the price of dependable cycling for the masses. 

This list is confidential, so be cool.

1973 was the very heart of the bike boom with 15 million bikes sold that year - and in 1973 more and more  of those bikes were wearing Shimano and Suntour gear than Campagnolo. Campy was the ne plus ultra - but Shimano Dura Ace/Crane was nearly as beautiful, and certainly as functional, but most importantly were available. Euro component manufacturers were overwhelmed by the demands of the boom, and that gave the Japanese companies a toe hold in the market - one that soon turned to dominance. 

 Hubbard's 1973 Schwinn World, complete Crane/Dura Ace. Hub has short legs.

So in a way, the Raleigh is very representative of the end of European dominance in cycling manufacture - within 6 years of the 1973 International's release, Raleigh was reorganized and partially owned by Huffy, no longer the great company it once was, riding the fumes of it's good name. Campagnolo released a new group in 1973, but wouldn't release a new gruppo for another decade - while the Japanese quality continued to get better even as costs continued to fall. The two Japanese giants Suntour and Shimano slugged it out, squeezing a big part of the market away from the european component manufacturers - through lower prices and innovation. The International heralded the end of an era, though no one knew it at the time.

1973 Raleigh International with complete Campagnolo gruppo.

This will be the last post about this bike for a while - I know you are all bored with this crappy old green 10 speed. Not too long ago I took a "Tour De Garland" through my old stomping grounds, and I finally found the photos I took on the ride. The ride was fun, if a little bittersweet, but I'll finish that post soon.