Current Bicycles
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| Current iteration of the Sam Hillborne |
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| 1994 Bridgestone MB-S |
The Bridgestone mountain bike pictured above was acquired through a local re-seller of bicycles and parts. After expressing interest in potentially trying out mountain biking, Sam thought it would be a good idea to find an inexpensive, but decent ride to give it a go. Not only are the lugs pretty on this bike, but it is functional as well. While it may require some work down the road, for now, it will be a great way to test out my interest level in mountain biking.
The Rivendell A. Homer Hilsen above is the latest addition to the bicycle family. This one is used primarily as a long distance and/or slightly faster riding road bike. It doesn't hurt that it's absolutely beautiful either. I happened to come across a discounted frame in the correct size, and using the parts from the Betty Foy, it made this ride a somewhat affordable option. Am I becoming a Rivendell collector? I don't think this quite qualifies as "collecting," but I am definitely enjoying the ride(s).
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| Rivendell A. Homer Hilsen |
Past Bicycles
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| Stuart at Roosevelt Park |
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| Phoebe out for a winter ride |
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| Duchess Dylan poses in the garage |
Along the way, I also picked up a Novara Transfer bicycle. I should've realized that it was too far hunched over for me to functionally operate this bicycle and not be in pain, but I'm not always the sharpest tool.
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| Novara Transfer after the first ride |
Around the end of 2009, Sam picked up a 5 speed Schwinn Suburban for a decent price. I was super excited to get the bicycle, but found that it wasn't quite in the shape it had been described (Shocking, I know, since no one on ebay ever tries to deceive buyers).
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| 1976 Schwinn Suburban |
I also purchased a Motobecane bicycle for a camping/bicycle trip we were venturing on in the summer 2010. She arrived a bit more torn up than she appears in her sellers pictures, but I remained hopeful that she'd make for a lovely companion.
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| Motobecane Nobly's pre-me owner picture |
When the Motobecane didn't work out, the Raleigh/Triumph 3-speed moved into our lives. There was talk about possibly redoing the paint, changing some things and bringing her up to modern times, but that never quite materialized.
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| Raleigh Triumph sitting on a bike path in Madison, WI |
Another bicycle that was here and then gone relatively quickly was the Raleigh Super Course MK2. Sam picked this bicycle up for me after I had been whining about wanting to do some longer rides for exercise purposes, rather than just for errands or joy.
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Raleigh Super Course MK2 waiting to go
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It is a great ride, but was also in need of some work. The brakes weren't great, particularly the rear, making it difficult for me and my weak grip to utilize them properly. He was also a bit large for me, which is why I ended up selling him. Vin, the guy who bought the Raleigh, was extremely happy to have him, and will put him to good use up in Cheyenne, WY.
My Pashley Princess Sovereign is the bicycle I purchased when I sold the three Electra's pictured above, but I have to say she was well worth the cost. Though I didn't want to lose the Electra's, and it was quite sad to see them go, I thought it was a good decision. While there is a part of me that thinks a bicycle should be practical cost-wise, I also think that it's important to find a bicycle that fits your own riding style and comfort. Because of my weak hands and wrists, I just couldn't seem to handle mountain or most road style bicycles, and even the wrong angle on an upright bicycle seemed to send me into long bouts of pain.
My Pashley Princess Sovereign is the bicycle I purchased when I sold the three Electra's pictured above, but I have to say she was well worth the cost. Though I didn't want to lose the Electra's, and it was quite sad to see them go, I thought it was a good decision. While there is a part of me that thinks a bicycle should be practical cost-wise, I also think that it's important to find a bicycle that fits your own riding style and comfort. Because of my weak hands and wrists, I just couldn't seem to handle mountain or most road style bicycles, and even the wrong angle on an upright bicycle seemed to send me into long bouts of pain.
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Pepper Potts sitting pretty in the house
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I was so grateful to have found a bicycle that I could ride for some distance without coming home and aching for days. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Electra bicycles, and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for this style of bike (obviously I feel strongly about this as there was another one added back into the fold), but the reality is, at that particular juncture, the Electra's just weren't an appropriate need for me. It was time to say goodbye to the Pashley though when I realized that she just wasn't getting the use she deserved. I felt quite guilty about having such an expensive bicycle sitting around in the garage. While part of me regrets letting her go, I am glad someone else was putting her to good use.
The newest addition, and subsequent subtraction, was a 1972 Raleigh Lady Sports. She was well taken care of by her original owner, and was actually quite a sporty ride.
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| Annabel Lee on her first day home |
I was enjoying riding her on short errands and such, but because it just felt like more of a road bicycle, I decided to give her up, in part, to fund the re-purchase of an Electra Cruiser bicycle, which took Annabel's place in the pack. The gentleman who purchased her will put her to great use riding her around Boulder on short errands. I was glad to see her go to a great home.
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Fred poses for his "glamor shot"
Sam surprised me with an Electra Om in early January 2011, after a semi-disaster with my attempts to order one online to save some money. He is so pretty! Not only is he a gorgeous sight to see, but he is also a blast to cruise around on. He won't break any speed records, but that also isn't his purpose. Due to a move to a potential move to a much smaller home, we had to eliminate some bicycles, and unfortunately, Fred went on the chopping block in mid-February 2011. He went to a great home though, and I'm sure he'll get lots of use.
The Pashley Poppy came into my life a bit by accident. She was such a great deal, that I couldn't say no. I made some changes to the stock Poppy by changing the handlebars to mustache bars, and adding a Wald basket, but it seems to be a good match for my around-town needs. After purchasing a Public J7 bicycle, the Poppy was sold to help cover the costs. I do believe Pashley makes some amazing, beautiful bikes and would highly recommend them.
 The Bella Ciao Superba is a beautiful city bike with a 3-speed internal hub and dynamo lighting for both the front and rear lights. She came my way in late October 2011, and was sold in early spring 2012 because she just wasn't being used as intended. She is one of 12 of these bicycles at the time of her sale in the U.S. |
After deciding that a "stripped down" road bike might be a good investment for longer rides, a Surly Pacer was purchased to add to the group. It was a sturdy, functional, and great bike, that was fairly comfortable too. However, after some mod's to the Hillborne, I figured that the two bikes were functioning in very much the same manner so the Pacer was sold off to a friend who is building it into a great bike.
Rivendell's Betty Foy was built up in March 2012 and was a lovely addition to the group. I found this bike to be true to Riv's concept/design, and fun to ride. The bike was certainly easy to ride, and in many ways became a "long city distance" bike, for lack of better terminology, so as to not duplicate the Sam Hillborne. She is definitely pretty (though perhaps a tad overkill on the girly factor). She left the bike group here in July 2012 (very shortly after arriving, really) because of my inability to figure out what I would use her for, and because space is limited in the house. Other bicycles were offering the same functionality, and it was important to me not to hoard bikes unnecessarily.
A city bicycle seems to be a need for me for short trips around town, and although I have tried a variety of options out there, I kept coming back to Public Bikes. I had purchased a J7 in the past and enjoyed it, but after modifying it found that it wasn't working for me and soon sold it. In the end, I came back to Public, and decided to try out a C7 model from a local distributor.
Rivendell's Betty Foy was built up in March 2012 and was a lovely addition to the group. I found this bike to be true to Riv's concept/design, and fun to ride. The bike was certainly easy to ride, and in many ways became a "long city distance" bike, for lack of better terminology, so as to not duplicate the Sam Hillborne. She is definitely pretty (though perhaps a tad overkill on the girly factor). She left the bike group here in July 2012 (very shortly after arriving, really) because of my inability to figure out what I would use her for, and because space is limited in the house. Other bicycles were offering the same functionality, and it was important to me not to hoard bikes unnecessarily.
A city bicycle seems to be a need for me for short trips around town, and although I have tried a variety of options out there, I kept coming back to Public Bikes. I had purchased a J7 in the past and enjoyed it, but after modifying it found that it wasn't working for me and soon sold it. In the end, I came back to Public, and decided to try out a C7 model from a local distributor.
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| Public Bikes C7
Originally, I wasn't keen on the orange color. One reason being that I already have an orange bicycle, and the second that it is such a bright orange. In the end, I think it worked, as it makes it highly visible to motor vehicle traffic... and it definitely gets noticed (for better or worse)! She was sold in January 2013 because she just wasn't getting used as often as the other bikes, and I needed to fund another project. Who knows? Perhaps another one will find its way into our home at some point down the line.
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