Re: [CR]Winter riding and bicycle you ride during winter and style

(Example: Component Manufacturers)

Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:29:29 -0500
From: "Daniel Artley" <hydelake@verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [CR]Winter riding and bicycle you ride during winter and style
To: "Classic Rendezvous" <Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>


Winter weather that warms up or is changeable brings out the bikes w/ bags. Sunny and dry is an excuse to ride the nicer bikes, my 30 year old primary ride, the Richard Sachs tourer, always my favorite when out on it, and it virtually lives with a small rack pack. I just put the monstrous bag, a leatherlike oilcloth one on the Taylor ASC fixed gear and made it more reliable for winter w/ seat stabilizer and chain tugs. If I can ride the gentler hills south of Baltimore, I can't get enough of that one.

For crappy weather I bring out the Cinelli built Centurion modernized with an off topic ergo triple, the bike that's fun to ride but a beater none the less. It's the frame I experiment with. On it I've learned that split saddles & no fenders don't make for a rain bike.

And like Harvey, I've got a perfect fixed gear built for the rail trail next to the house. It gets used as much as any of the bikes. I was pedaling through light snow last weekend on a short warmup ride, luckily no ice. It's been commutered on, city ridden, and is geared to climb some of the not so steep hills in our area. The Steamroller frame is a bit off topic, steel and tigged, but built up like most of mine w/ classic components, NR cranks, brakes, Cinelli bar, Dura Ace hubs, a Brooks and bulletproof Pasellas. It gets put away wet too often, but is the easiest to maintain.

Now I've gotta cut the holes out for the cleats on that new pair of neoprene booties to be ready for tomorrow's Bob Moore memorial ride north of Baltimore. Bob was a dear friend and one of those regularly present at our vintage rides here in Parkton, Maryland. It's going to my favorite bike tomorrow!

Happy trails,

Dan Artley