Bicycling, who else?
I know Bob (aka bob, aka fatboy) is a cycling fanatic, and I used to be quite the aficionado at one time. I was always a fan of odd and unusual bikes (sounds about right for me, no?) owning things like a German shaft driven bicycle, and a slung frame Danish Pederson in the past, along with many other strange builds. I even wrenched and built plenty of my own bikes over the years, as does Bob. But as time went by, I found less and less time to ride, a common story.
Since the heart procedure, the doctor has recommended I get on my bike more to work on the cardio-vascular, so it has been dusted off and cleaned up. "It" being a Bianchi San Jose, a single speed road bike, which is a niche category of cycling that is growing by leaps and bounds.
These are not your single speed cruiser or newspaper boy bikes of our vanished youth, but rather full blown, light weight, road bikes, with drop bars (replaced with pseudo mustache bars on mine), skinny rims and tires, high quality brakes, etc. Think Tour de France with only one gear, which is exactly how it was done for the first twenty or thirty years of the event!
None of the foregoing should be any indication of my having great skills with a bike mind you, my glory days are long gone, but I am determined to regain as much as possible of my former endurance. Speed, on the other hand, might be another matter. 
The wife has expressed interest in getting back on a bicycle as well, so we explored another niche market current in cycling, and purchased her a so called cargo bike, the Sun Atlas X-Type. It is essentially a heavy duty cruiser bike, with an unusually reinforced frame along with an integral rack (actually welded up as part of the frame). It comes as a single speed, but will eventually have the coaster brake replaced with cantilever brakes and an internally geared hub, another antique avenue of the sport that is also currently experiencing a renaissance. The Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hubs of old (which are still being produced) have been further supplemented by 5, 7 and 8 speed hubs from both S-A and Shimano. There are more expensive internally geared hubs available, most from Germany, but at horrendous prices compared to the English and Japanese offerings.
We already have some excellent pannier bags from one of my older bikes to use on her Atlas, and are shopping around for a good cargo trailer. She is bound and determined to begin using her new bike as much as possible. She even wants to mount a basket up front, to maximize the usefullness.
I have to admit to having great fun simply fussing about with changing the bars and saddle to suit her, along with adding lights and other foofaraw. If it gets us out and about, I am all for it.
So, who else here bikes? Any thing unusual to report on in the way of equipment?
Otony
Bicycles interest me in-so-far as riding them interests me
by Hobie 
, Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Sunday, April 29, 2012, 20:37 (4385 days ago) @ Otony
but I'm not a bicycle tinkerer.
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Sincerely,
Hobie
Bicycling, who else?
by Jeff Taylor , Tampa FL, Monday, April 30, 2012, 05:18 (4385 days ago) @ Otony
My wife and bought Trek aluminum frame, feet forward cruisers and make 3-4 rides a week varying from 5 to 10 miles in our neighborhood. It's great exercise and even better together time.
Bicycling, who else?
I ride a mountain bike quite a bit in between running. I have a older Gary Fisher.
Commuter -- 10 miles a day, enough to...
by John Meeker , West End of Lake Erie, Monday, April 30, 2012, 10:07 (4385 days ago) @ woody
keep the 'health numbers' good. BP 100 over 45, Resting pulse 42, cholesterol & sugar better than good. 60+ pounds off in four years. Under 180 on 6' frame. Had really good motivation, tho. The docs said I'd be an amputee and then dead: always a good prompt, that.
Pretty much year round, so winter riding really burns the calories just keeping warm. Discovered Finnish studded snow bike-tires a few years ago, and they really add stability and traction on ice or in deeper snow. This year it was so mild I never put them on.
I run an old Trek cross-trainer that takes 1 3/8 by 700 tires, and think they are marginal for the studded biz. They get by, but will throw or tip the studs under some conditions. More width and a 'meatier' tread would be better.
Once worked a couple of years as a mechanic in bike shop while I was learning my antique-repair trade, and it's still my old alma mater for parts, etc. Bikies can be some good folks.
It's been a while...
by Paul , Monday, April 30, 2012, 11:26 (4385 days ago) @ Otony
back when we lived in Brazil I built my own bike from a Monark frame. It was built for ruggedness to the best of my ability, using what parts we could get. It had a coaster brake, not common down there, heavy duty spokes and I always ran the best tires I could on it. Parts were iffy so always carried spares when out and about in the backwoods. It was great, you see a lot of wild life that you'd not see otherwise. A good bike can be quieter than walking.
Now? We live in a city of half a million with no regard for human life and no safe lanes for biking. I'd have to carry the bike way up to ???? to find some place relatively safe for riding. So it's been a while since I did much with one. Currently have a chinese frame with Shimano gears and hardware. Would like a better frame to put my sub-assemblies on but with no where to ride it'd be a waste of money.
Phantom Equipment
This is a Schwinn Centennial Edition Phantom in live color: Green.
![[image]](http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z43/lubaloy/SGP/SGP01.png)
I have 'balance issues,' so I don't ride anymore, but it still makes a cool conversation piece*.
Enjoy.
*That's bachelorspeak for 'furniture.'
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![[image]](http://www.sixshootercommunity.com/share/awkward.gif)
I love riding my bicycle!
by Dave in NM , Alamogordo, nm 88310, Thursday, May 03, 2012, 20:16 (4381 days ago) @ Otony
I have a 21 speed Mt bike that collects a lot of dust, and a 7 speed Townie by Electra that is a dream to ride, it is a cruiser type. I ride to the store to buy my adult beverages and other small items. I look like a dork, but I gave up on caring what others think of me for the most part.
Dave