Re-Learning What I Thought I Knew: I CAN Ride Drop Bars!

In the summer of 2009, my darling Sam picked up a road bike for me from a Craigslist ad. At the time, I had been riding upright/city style bikes and enjoying my slow pace around town. When I started daydreaming about long rides for exercise, touring, and so on, Sam decided to take matters into his own hands and found me a mid-70s Raleigh Super Course to try out, rather than spending hundreds or even thousands on something that, potentially, I may not have ever touched. When he brought it home my initial reaction was split: I was thrilled at the opportunity to ride a road bike (I hadn't been on one since childhood), but I was terrified of the position on the bike and the handlebars. Surprisingly, things went pretty well... except, that is, for the drop bars.

The bike was large for me, so we chucked it up to sizing issues and moved on down the road to the next choice. Even though the bike that followed was sized properly for me, I just couldn't seem to make any kind of drop bar work. I tried a variety of them, but every time I would be in so much pain, that I'd end up not riding for a week or more. I had tried classic style (code: old) drop bars, noodle bars, randonneur bars, but nothing seemed to help me find a position that worked. Ultimately, I gave up on the idea and just started looking for an alternative. The one that worked best for me was the albatross handlebar, and so, for the last couple of years, that has been my go-to choice for any bicycle - even road bikes. I've done just fine with them and travelled well enough that I came to the realization that every bike I'd ever own would have these bars. I even have a "spare" set -"just in case." Sick, I know.

The "usual" bicycle for long or organized rides

Still, I couldn't help but have some drop bar envy when I'd see folks pedaling by. In reality, there are simply more hand positions on this type of handlebar, and knowing that I do have hand/wrist issues to contend with, I stubbornly kept trying to make some kind of drop bar work for me. After each attempt and subsequent failure, I would return the set up to the albatross bar and let out a huge sigh. "I guess this is just what I'm destined to ride," I'd constantly try to reassure myself. I had switched out the handlebars on the newer Homer bicycle at least half a dozen times, convinced that I could make the drop bars happen. With my last attempt I told Sam, "Let's just put them on and leave them for an extended period of time and see what happens. I'll start riding them on short trips and just see if it's all in my head, or if there's some possible way to make these work." And so, we did. We set up the Homer with the randonneur bars, and I figured I'd slowly allow myself to try them out without the pressure of having to do a long distance ride.

Ah, but fate had other plans. The evening before my recent Venus de Miles ride, we had an incident with the Hillborne which left me without a saddle/seatpost. As we desperately tried to figure out how to resolve the problem so late on the eve prior to the ride, Sam and I looked at each other already knowing what this meant: I'd be riding the dreaded drop bars on an unfamiliar bike for the 51 mile ride the following morning.

"I'm a big girl," I said, trying to reassure the slightly-flustered Sam that I would manage this on a bike I wasn't completely used to riding. "It will all be okay, I promise." After having joked just days prior that this would happen, I honestly didn't expect it to actually be coming about (talk about speaking things into existence). Frankly, I was terrified that I would get 10-15 miles in to the ride and not be able to finish because of hand pain, but I wasn't about to worry Sam with such thoughts. We took a few minutes and did our best to get the Homer set up in a manner that would keep me as comfortable as possible, and while doing so, the handlebar stem was dropped significantly lower than it had been. I took it for a quick ride down the street and said, "Well, I think it's as good as it's going to get with the time we have."

In the morning, we agreed that Sam would come out and meet me at or near the first refill station/rest stop in case there were any problems.  When he arrived to meet up about 11 miles into the ride, I was doing great. "My hands don't hurt at all," I proclaimed with glee. "We'll see what happens as time wears on, but I'm really doing fine." We were both in a bit of shock knowing my history with this type of handlebar, but I wasn't going to fight it. We decided to meet up again close to the half way point, and off I went to continue the ride.

To make a long story short(er), I made it to the end of the ride (including the ride to and from the starting/ending point) and I wasn't dying or in extreme pain. There was a bit of fatigue, though that was to be expected as it was a longer distance than I typically ride, but I survived and even rode again the following day and rest of the week.

Perplexed by all of this, we attempted to figure out what had changed about the set up, but the only item we could definitively point to was the act of lowering the handlebar stem. While this had always seemed counter-intuitive to me (to lower the stem, thus putting greater pressure on my hands), it actually had the opposite effect. Rather than making the ride more painful, it actually made it easier and more pleasant. When I rode, I used my core muscles more frequently, which kept a great deal of the weight off of my hands. The stem is still high by roadie standards (it currently sits just a tad higher than the saddle), but lowering it seems to have solved the problems I was experiencing with drop bars in the past. The lesson? I'm not entirely sure, but I believe continuing to experiment and try different ways of setting up a bike is important. I may have driven poor Sam absolutely batty with my constant requests to change handlebars, stems, etc, but in the end, I think we've managed to find a way to make this set up work.

Annabel Lee

It took me several days, a couple of rides, and some serious pondering, but I have named the lovely Raleigh Lady Sports. Her name is Annabel Lee.

Annabel Lee at the market

For anyone familiar with Edgar Allan Poe's Annabel Lee, you may think that I am jinxing myself with naming her as such, but I think it is one of my top three favorites by Poe, and beyond it being a favorite, who doesn't enjoy a good tragic love story? For any unfamiliar with the tale, here it is for your reading pleasure.


It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me-
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we-
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea. 

- Edgar Allan Poe

As a little piece of personal trivia on this specific Poe work, I actually recited it for an audition to be valedictorian of my graduating junior high school class. Surprisingly, I was selected by the committee; however, I was completely terrified to give a speech in front of so many people and decided to decline, giving someone else the opportunity instead. 

I'm very excited that the Raleigh now has a name, and I think it's a great one. I look forward to riding her for many years to come (and let's hope that her name isn't some sort of bad ju-ju on our relationship)!

Haulin' with the Raleigh Lady Sports

This morning the 25F temperature didn't stop me from riding the new-to-me Raleigh over to the market to pick up some things for our Thanksgiving meal. Other than making pumpkin pie, we generally don't do the traditional type of dinner, but instead usually pick a theme of "easy" food to prepare. Some years it's Mexican bar, some years it's Italian, and this year, it will be "Sandwich Fixin's." I know it sounds lame to those who count on Thanksgiving as a day to indulge, but for us it seems to work. Getting to ride the Raleigh to the store was the first real ride we'd had together, and things went pretty well as a whole. The ride is smooth, and it doesn't have the weight of the Pashley, so it feels a bit livelier or sporty to pedal. This can also seem squirrelly in some sense, until I get used to the lightness of this type of bike again. The latest addition to the Raleigh Lady Sports was a large wire basket from Wald.

As you can see, the basket really is huge and carries a ton in it. I did this purposefully because I was unsure as to whether or not I'd like to add a rear rack to this bike, but wanted the bike to still fulfill its purpose as "bag hauler." After obtaining the necessary groceries, I was concerned that it might not all fit in the basket, but I managed to cram everything into two large reusable bags.

 These bags will hold up to 40 pounds a piece, but I wasn't sure that the Wald basket would be able to handle the weight of all the food, nor was I certain the the fork of the Raleigh was up to the challenge. Total weight in these two bags was likely around 20-25 pounds (bags held 2-12oz cans of evaporated milk, 3 pie tins, jar of mayo, mustard, large jar of pickles, large can of black olives, celery, cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, 1/2 gal of milk, whipped cream, lg sour cream, loaf of bread, a bag of soft rolls, bag of hoagie rolls, 4 containers of sliced meats, and 4 containers of sliced cheeses), but I didn't want to kill the bike on our first adventure out together.

I think I was more tense than necessary, but we managed to make it home just fine, with all groceries remaining in their proper place. I do think, however, that a rear rack may still be in order, simply because there will be times when more than two bags will need to be carried. For now, the Raleigh (who is yet to be named) has performed superbly and I'm happy to have her join the family.

Copy Cat: The New Raleigh Sports

I'm beginning to think I have no originality left in me at all. I'm not entirely sure how it happens, but I'm starting to see that it appears as though I'm constantly copying other bicyclists with their rides of choice. I swear, this is truly not the case.

It started with the Pashley Princess Sovereign. I had been longingly watching and reading about these bikes for some time before I actually took the plunge to buy one for myself. After all, it's not an investment that should be taken lightly. At the time, I never, ever, ever saw myself riding a road bike, and I was discovering that I was dealing with some unnecessary issues on my Electra bicycles (these were entirely personal body malfunction issues and not anything to do with the quality of Electra by any means). After lots of test riding and looking, I decided to sell my three Electra bicycles to be able to afford the Pashley that seemed ideal for my needs. I was so happy to get this bicycle and found myself riding anywhere within a reasonable distance. Reasonable distance was the key phrase as it turned out.

Pashley Princess Sovereign

I was becoming a bit disgruntled with not being able to go longer distances on my bicycle. Sure, physically I could have gone any distance I desired, but trips seemed to take an eternity and the weight of the bike was, at least somewhat, slowing me down. In the back of my mind I had secretly been wishing that I could ride a road bike, but with severe hand/wrist issues, I was fairly certain (due to past experiences of riding mountain bikes as road bikes) that this was never going to happen. Several months before I even started thinking about buying the Pashley I had come across the Rivendell Bicycle Works website and had browsed their selection of bikes, as well as looked through their many articles about the way most people ride. I've never thought of myself as "most people" though, so I put it out of my mind and went back to riding my fabulous Stuart. Sure, I had a road bike as a kid, but a lot has changed since I was ten. Every once in awhile, I'd be looking for something completely random and I'd end up reading about Rivendell bicycles. I started longing to have a touring road bike, but I didn't think there was anything road-style wise out there that would allow me to ride for more than a few miles without being in pain.

Sam Hillborne

Then one day it struck me: Why can't I ride a road bike? What is it that makes it physically impossible? I had read on some various bike forums that individuals who couldn't use drops often use flat bars or other bars, and so the wheels started turning. I went back to the idea of a Hillborne from Rivendell, but how would I come up with the money, and how on earth would I justify this expenditure? Ironically, just as I was in deep thought mode, I came upon a post on Lovely Bicycle about Velouria's newly built up Sam Hillborne. I'm not sure if one looks at it as the fates colliding, or as a strange coincidence, but it almost seemed as though things were coming together. Soon, I was starting my very own build with Sam (okay, so it was mostly Sam doing the building, and me picking a lot of pieces of the puzzle).

Sam building up the Hillborne

As if this little reliving of the past hasn't gone on long enough, I will get to the purpose of this long tale. It seems a new "copy" has made its way into my life. A Raleigh Sports ladies bicycle, ala S of Simply Bike has managed to find her way into our home. It's a 1972 (I'm told, though I will need to verify the information to be certain) Raleigh Sports model, in the oh so similar green color famous for that era of Raleigh bicycles. This bicycle will be the replacement for the Pashley (which has been sold, and a post on that matter is forthcoming) as my all around city bicycle. I met the sweetest older man who sold the bike to me, and who had bought this bicycle brand new for his now-83-year-old wife. She had been dealing with some issues with balance and decided that she wasn't comfortable riding it any longer.

Raleigh Sports in all her glory

While it does have several scratches on the frame, it really seems to be in fairly decent shape for a bicycle that's going on 40 years old.

Sample scratches on the Raleigh frame

I don't think I've seen such a clean chain, or hub on a bicycle of this age, well, ever. Pretty impressive, I thought. I was told by the owner, Bob, that he did spring time tune ups on this bicycle every year, which I think shows on the mechanical side of this ride.

Raleigh Sports very clean chain

Raleigh's quite shiny and clean hub

We went ahead and added the Brooks grips that were on the Pashley and the Brooks B67s saddle that was just sitting around, and I think they give it a nice look, without going over the top. There's also this fascinating little Raleigh emblem on the front of the handlebar stem.

Raleigh emblem on handlebar stem

I have absolutely no idea what its purpose is exactly, but it's kind of cute and I'm interested to figure out if it was merely decorative or had some actual purpose. Perhaps it was a basket hanger? I honestly don't know. The biggest issue will be that I need to get a rear rack and some sort of carrying device for groceries and such, as that is this bicycle's purpose. I have no doubt, however, that something suitable will be found in the near future. I look forward to taking it for a slightly longer ride than my test ride, and especially after adding the newer grips and saddle... if only this slushy snow would stop coming down.

TGIF and More Bicycles for Sale

I am entirely grateful that it's Friday, and even more so that my painting class is over for the day. My word, I've certainly been mentally beat up enough this week, and next week isn't shaping up to be any better (though hopefully less mentally stressful). But, before that happens, I thought I'd take a moment to sit and type. Not much to say though, and I'm starting to feel as though all I write about is hocking my wares these days... but, 'tis true, there is yet another bicycle in the fold up for sale.

I posted the Raleigh Super Course (aka: Hooptie) bicycle this evening in hopes to rid some clutter from our lives. As much as I adore this bicycle, the reality is that it is too large for me, and it's really just occupying space in the garage that is unnecessary. Though I'll be sad to see him go, I know someone out there can put him to better use, and will likely fit the frame size much better.

I'm definitely looking forward to the weekend (even though I will be working on projects that I've, of course, procrastinated in completing), and it's going to be a beautiful mid-70s couple of days once again, so I fully intend to get out and ride, even if it isn't for long.

Here's to hoping that the time change on Sunday brings with it a much better and more efficient week.

Battle with Clipless: Conquered Fear?

Clipless pedals have been a source of anxiety in my bicycle life for some time. When Sam and I first met, I remember watching him clip into his pedals to go mountain biking, and having a twinge of fear ring through my body. I can't help it. I'm just one of those people who can literally feel pain when someone falls. An empath is the term some would use, though I think I'm just very open to my emotions. While Sam doesn't regularly fall off his bicycle, I have built up in my mind that these 'evil pedals' can bring no good. The mere mention of clip/clipless pedals in the past instantly brought a sensation of being trapped and of falling to the ground.

Clipless pedals on the Raleigh... do I dare ride?

Because of this innate fear and caution when even seeing clipless pedals, you can imagine Sam's surprise when I started talking about the possibility of putting them on the Hillborne. I have to admit, I surprised even myself with this matter. So, after a bit of talking, discussion, back and forth on the issue, I finally decided to order a pair, and set about a plan to conquer the mighty clipless pedals.

Shimano clipless pedal on Raleigh Super Course

While it may not be a factor for some individuals, one of the other things that bothered me about the idea of clipping into pedals (though this was a minor issue in comparison to my fears) is that the shoes, much like cycling apparel, are so unattractive in my opinion. I just wanted to find a shoe that looked like a semi-normal shoe, rather than one that looks as though I'm about to enter the Tour de France. It's just a personal opinion, but I was happy to find a few different choices in a more every day kind of shoe. I ended up getting a pair of Keen Presidio shoes that had compatibility with the Shimano pedals I purchased.

Normal looking shoes, which is just what I wanted, rather than a more typical 'road' shoe

The bottoms of the seemingly normal shoes have a small clip on them
to attach to the pedal (please, ignore the dog hair)

While looks are certainly not everything, there is something helpful in being excited to put something on, rather than not loving it, or even liking it remotely. I think I was able to find the happy medium with this shoe. It's not the most attractive, but it doesn't repulse me either.

So, after having both pedals and shoes, it was time to start practicing.

Day One:  We (the royal we, of course, as Sam is the one who did the work) put the pedals on the hooptie bicycle. Just looking at the pedals kind of made my stomach drop, so I had to get used to the idea first.

First try was in the house to see how the clips worked

Day Two:  First, I tried the pedals out indoors to see what they felt like and where the clips were in relationship to the shoe/pedal. Then, I got on the saddle and sat with one leg up on the curb and practiced clipping in and out of the other pedal. Then, I switched sides and tried clipping in and out of the other side. I never once pedaled the bicycle.

Trying out the pedals outdoors on day three

Day Three: I repeated day two's activities, and then was brave enough to try riding with only one side clipped in to the pedals. After practicing this a few times, I decided to take the leap and attach both sides and hope for the best. Miraculously, I didn't fall over; but, since the brakes on the Raleigh aren't great, and probably need to be replaced, it was a little scary stopping at times. On this evening, I asked Sam to go ahead and put the clipless pedals on the Hillborne, so that I could ride it on day four. A scary prospect, but it needed to be done eventually anyway.

Clipless pedals on the Hillborne! Woo hoo!!

Day Four:  I decided that in order to feel comfortable enough with these pedals, I needed to take an actual ride somewhere that involved lots of stop signs and signals. Having them on the bike that I'm comfortable riding made more sense to me than trying to make things work on the Raleigh which is in all honesty, too big for me. I had made the decision not to go on too long of a ride this first time out, so I took a path I'm familiar with that is about 20 miles. Seemed like a long enough ride and I'd be able to stop and start plenty of times to test my proficiency with the clipless pedals.

A familiar road that runs along the major interstate. Though not many stops, I had plenty of room
to start and stop the bike as I saw fit.

All was going well. I was riding along, stopping at will, all the while preparing myself by clipping out of the pedals before I started braking, to know that I would be able to put my foot down when the time came. I was able to take in the beautiful sites, and even though things are quite dry/dead right now, the skies were just beautiful!

Beautiful, partially cloudy skies in Colorado today

I considered going on a longer ride because all was going so well, but instead decided that I should return home. Riding home, I was becoming so confident, that I even took out the little camera to take some cool pictures of the shadows of the Hillborne.

Look at me! Riding with one hand, taking pictures AND pedaling in clipless pedals.
Who would have thought?

I was nearing home, and debating another fear I have: curbs. When I was about 8 or 9 years old, I had an incident in which I was riding on my mothers' road bicycle (which was, of course, too large for me) that had super skinny tires. I remember riding up on the curb to the house, and falling on my elbow. Not only did I do this once, but I did it three times in a matter of four days. I ended up with this horrible, scabby elbow that was green and pussy for months. I've never forgotten that, and have been working on this fear slowly, as I know that I won't actually fall over on a curb, but always remember that. As I neared the house, I unclipped the right foot, so I could prepare to ride up the curb of the driveway. I suppose I should point out that these aren't flat curbs like those in many neighborhoods, but rather are sloped curbs that don't recede to the ground at all. As I approached the curb, I decided to go for it. I rode up and had no problem at all!

Until..........  As you will recall, I had unclipped my right foot, but I forgot that when I come home, my habit has been to put my left foot on the ground.  As I was nearly stopped, I attempted to put my left foot on the ground, but it was, of course, still clipped into the pedal. In an instant, I was on the ground. Ugh! So close to a perfect ride. As I lay there laughing at myself, two neighbors came rushing to my aid. One of these neighbors doesn't even speak English, but was still trying to help, the other just kept asking if I was okay. I couldn't stop laughing, but tried to choke out, "I'm okay. I'm okay." I really was okay, sans a bit of a bruised ego, a small scrape on my hand/elbow, and a bit of a sore left ankle (from trying to twist out at the last second, I presume).

Small scrape on the outside of my hand/palm

A tiny bit of blood, and a little scrape, though very hard to see with all my freckles!

While my biggest fear was realized in one quick moment, I understand now that it isn't that bad to fall. I had read prior to doing this that everyone falls at least once in their clip/clipless pedals, and I guess I was no exception to this rule. I'm just hoping it was the first and only time it happens, mostly because I felt like a complete idiot for falling in my own driveway.

I rock! Riding in the clipless pedals and taking a picture. :o)

In all of it though, I have to say that there's something to be said for conquering a fear. I felt free, and as though I could do anything in these moments of riding. I didn't feel trapped by the pedals at all, and in reality, didn't notice them much, other than knowing that I needed to be aware of stopping and prepare for it before the last second.

Though the unknown is scary, it can be freeing to conquer a fear

I've discovered in all of this that it is important to overcome fears, especially when they are irrational. While I am a klutz (as was proven by my tumble this morning), I think this is helping me be more aware of my surroundings, and to take chances with things that I might not otherwise try at all. I am very proud of myself for working through this fear, and I truly believe that if I can use these pedals, anyone who can ride a bicycle can do so as well. While clipless pedals may not be something everyone needs or wants, I would encourage those who have a fear to try to work through it. You may surprise even yourself! Now, I must go and ice my ankle, as I believe it is swelling before my eyes. Probably should check the Hillborne for scratches as well. :o)

WARNING: Does Not Play Well with Heat

Today's bicycle adventure took me off to visit with a friend in town for lunch. One of the funniest things of note for me, was the fact that the friend knew I'd be riding, rather than driving. It can be amusing when the norm becomes what used to be abnormal behavior. Regardless, I set off on the newly acquired hooptie bicycle (as he has affectionately been nicknamed) to meet up for lunch. While normally I'd prefer the Pashley because I'd be able to dress appropriately for lunch and take my time, I have become enthralled with this ride and thought I'd see if I could make it into town quicker, as well as just wanting to take it for a bit of a longer ride. As I started to leave the house, my sixth sense started to kick in and I questioned whether I should be riding in the 90 degree summer temps, with no cloud cover in sight. I twinge set through me and I thought that perhaps I should skip the ride.  But, stubborn woman that I am, I decided to just go for it.

One important fact to mention about the Raleigh is that he has no cage for a water bottle. As I was leaving I thought I should take water, but I had no idea where I would carry it. So, I opted not take along water, thinking it would be fine and I'd drink some water when I arrived at my final destination. Unfortunately, about a mile and a half from my final destination, I began experiencing signs of heat stroke, which really scared me. I've had heat strokes in the past (yes that was plural) and I've been told that it can make one more sensitive to the heat. Today, I found that to be true, and had to call Sam to fetch me on my way to lunch with Linda.

After a dramatic afternoon ride, it was nice to see a friendly face and have a chance to quiz Lin on her upcoming interview. What are ex-HR friends for, right? So, now we've learned our lesson: always take water on bicycle rides during hot summer days. Thanks to Sam, I now have a cage to PUT a water bottle in, so I hope to not experience this again any time in the near future.

More on the Raleigh Super Course

The first real ride on the Raleigh (outside of going in endless circles around the neighborhood) was pretty exciting! I had the opportunity this morning to take the SC MK2 to the bike path for a bit of a longer and more varied terrain ride. I opted to physically take the bike to the trail, rather than riding there because of some issues I'll explain below.   

Raleigh SC MK2 loaded up on the CRV

I didn't want to haul a bunch of stuff with me on the ride, so I only had my camera phone. The funny thing is it put this weird hazy glow on this picture, which was amusing because it felt kind of dream like to ride the Raleigh today.

The weather was perfect this morning because it was in the mid-70s and cloudy. I knew I'd be able to handle a bit longer ride because of this, so I tried to take advantage of the fact that the sun wasn't beating down directly on me. I took the St Vrain bike path to its end at Golden Pond, and noticed that there were several people out enjoying the coolness of the morning. I couldn't believe how still everything was.

Golden Pond on an eerily cloudy morning

The skies looked as though they'd open up and pour down at any moment, but I managed to make it the entire length of my ride without a drop of rain falling on me. At one point, the sun even seemed as though it would come out and shine.

Cloudy skies beginning to part for the sunshine

One of the best things about the bicycle paths through town is that I don't worry about road debris. Because I'm so unfamiliar with this particular bicycle, haven't replaced the tubes or tires and just generally feel unsure of myself while riding it, I thought taking the opportunity to ride on cemented surfaces would help me focus more on the ride and less on whether or not I'd get a flat tire.

A small portion of St Vrain's bicycle pathways

I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed myself this morning. I think I'm more surprised by this than anyone. I enjoy riding the upright style of bicycle so much because it's so comfortable and I get to see everything going on around me. However, the reality is that on longer trips, it's so slow to pedal because of the set up and weight of the bike itself, I think it's nice to have a faster option.

Additionally, I've been struggling with some neck issues from my short rides over the last couple of days on this bicycle, but today, I tried to focus on relaxing my neck, keeping my head down, bending my elbows and dropping my shoulders. While I know part of it is the breaking in process of a different style of riding, I don't want to develop bad habits that lead to injuries at some point down the line.

This bicycle is truly awesome! For something that is so beat up and in desperate need of restoration, it really rides pretty decent. I look forward to extending the rides, and eventually feeling comfortable enough to let myself just go on the streets without fear of having a near death experience.

Another Raleigh Arrives to Feed the Bicycle Addiction

Yesterday, I was surprised in the late afternoon by a 70s Raleigh Super Course MK2 that managed to find its way into our garage. Some might say it was the bicycle fairy who brought it, other more logical individuals would say that Sam, after looking through Craigslist ads, annoyed by my constant whining about wanting to try a "road" style bicycle, went out of his way to pick this bad boy up in Louisville and brought it home to surprise me.  And surprise me he did.

Raleigh Super Course MK2, in all its glory

Of course, I had to take it for a little ride last night, even though it was getting dark. Sam, after all, is just feeding my bicycle addiction, and if he's going to be a pusher, by all means, I'm going to try the stuff out. My first impressions were that the bicycle is definitely holding on to some surface rust, and that the paint has not been well taken care of, as can be seen in the pictures.

Raleigh name is becoming invisible as the paint chips away and rust eats at it.

The headbadge is also in need of some rust removal, but no more so than the rest of the bike

I was a bit hesitant to get on and ride, but Sam assured me that it shifted and rode well. Mind you, I really haven't been on a road bicycle since I was about 12 years old, so the thought of attempting this "scary" activity had my mind swirling.  Though I did have to ask Sam to raise the handlebar height, miraculously, I didn't die on my first go of it. This seemed like a feat in itself.

More than anything, I was amused by the old school front light on the Raleigh, that is powered by the bicycle pedaler him/herself.

Raleigh headlight

While it's similar to a dynamo driven hub (like my Pashley's front light), in this case you have the friction of the generator against the front and/or rear wheel. It's also similar to the type of generator that was on my Electra Amsterdam.

Rear generator to power headlight and tail light on the Raleigh

This morning, I thought I should try to ride again, since yesterday I was too afraid to even attempt the friction shifters of this era of bicycle. While the old Schwinn Suburban also had friction shifters, it was a bit different because they were quite close to the handlebars, and I didn't have to lean over to attempt to use them. The Raleigh shifters are below the top tube, making it a little more challenging for me to shift.

Raleigh friction shifters

Fortunately, I was able to shift with them, but I have to admit, this is no easy thing for me. I'm a little hesitant to ride this in any sort of traffic, as I feel as though I'm not comfortable enough with my ability to shift and keep an eye on the road and keep myself from falling to the ground.

As for the ride itself, I was surprised that it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, and actually quite pleasant. My neck is a bit strained, partly because if I shift my hands to a lower position, I still feel the need to crane my neck up to see what's coming, but also because I am so used to an upright position of riding, that it makes me tense to ride this style of bicycle, so I'm constantly straining my body. In addition, the bicycle is probably just a tad large for me, so I'm stretched out quite a bit. While I do want to have that stretched feeling so I don't feel as though the cockpit is cramped (as Sam so delicately put it), I also don't want to be strained too far in the other direction.

For now, I think it will be an interesting challenge to see if I can get myself used to the older style and its unique quirks. And, as an added bonus, I can still hold out hope that perhaps it will satiate my desire to obtain a Sam Hillborne frame (though I doubt it).

To Restore, or Not to Restore... THAT is the Question

So, the lovely Raleigh/Triumph three speed bicycle currently sits in the garage after our fun camping trip this summer. While it was nice to have a bicycle to ride on vacation, I feel as though there are improvements that could be made to this bike. After Sam took the time to clean the bicycle, we discovered that the hub is actually in pretty good shape (as in almost new, despite the fact that it's a 34 year old bike), and overall it's in decent shape, but I was thinking that it would be nice to make it a bit easier to peddle with a larger cog on the back, getting a nicer saddle (the Brooks has now spoiled me that's on the Pashley) and perhaps grips, and I'm thinking about changing the wheels, simply because I hate trying to find 27 inch tires. They do exist, but the ones that I want don't seem to be readily available. Then I think that it is a back up bicycle, so perhaps it isn't that big of a deal. I'd also like to repaint the bike and find some new decals and a head badge to complete the look. I suppose the question is, do I really want to spend the time/money as an investment in this bicycle when it runs perfectly well now?

I can't help but think how pretty she'd look though if she had some restoration done. I think the biggest thing is that I'd want it to be a different color, but the classic colors would be the black or the darker green color, much like the Pashley. I thought about a red, but my word, I've had so many issues with red bicycles, that I feel it would be a jinx on her. I also thought about a brown or possibly cream color. I guess I feel as though it's a commitment though once I start the project. It obviously wouldn't all have to be done at once, but if I started it, I would want to finish the job.

On the side of not wanting to put in the work is of course the costs involved, the fact that the bicycle is a bit cramped for my preferences, despite the reality that the frame size is actually larger than the experts say I should be riding, and it was supposed to be the bicycle I could actually just kind of throw around and not worry about. If I do put the work in, I won't want it to be mistreated (not that I would really mistreat her anyway, but I just don't have the paranoia I would have).

The debate rages on, and in the mean time, I keep my eyes open

for any deals that might sway

me into working on the project, like a Brooks B66s/B67s saddle for one quarter the regular price, as an example, or finding 27" Schwalbe Delta's in a nice cream color. A girl can dream, right?

Paying it Forward: A Costly Lesson Learned

As you may or may not recall, I recently purchased a 10 speed Motobecane Nobly online with the hopes of it becoming my "beater" or extra bicycle. It was going to be a bicycle to take on our camping/bicycle tour of the Midwest. It was going to be the extra bicycle for a friend to ride while they visited. It was going to be the bike to ride when the Pashley was getting spruced up, or for any other reason that one may need an extra bicycle.

When the bicycle arrived, Sam promptly pulled it out and went to work putting it together because we only had a few days until we were departing on our road trip. When he went to put it together, he discovered that the rear derailleur was broken and that several nuts and bolts were missing. So, I emailed the man I bought the bicycle from and explained the situation. He replied that he stated in the ad that it would be sent not put together. I felt as though I was speaking in a foreign language. I stated that I wanted to return the bicycle and asked for the return address to send it back to him. After a long bout with trying to get the address, I discovered that it would cost me $120 to send the bicycle back to him, at which point I realized I had been had. Now, I don't consider myself a person who falls for much. After all, I had many pictures to see the bicycle and it looked in decent shape for a 70's bicycle, but in all reality it is a complete POS, and without a lot of money and time, it would not be ridable. I was so sad, and we only had a day before we left.

To make this story shorter, we ended up at a garage sale in Ft Collins the afternoon before we left and purchased a 1976 (a fine year, if I do say so myself) Raleigh/Triumph 3 speed bicycle.

Poor Sam only had a few hours to check it out and make it functional for the trip. After buying new tires and tubes, we also learned that the bicycle doesn't have 26" or 28" wheels, but in fact it came with 27" wheels. Regardless, he was able to get it going and it functioned just fine for the trip (though I do have plans to make it a little "nicer" than it is in its current state). Anyway, when we got back from the trip, Sam tried to make the Motobecane work as he'd received the piece he needed for the rear derailleur. It turns out that the front derailleur was also not functional, and it was having some serious issues.

We had some discussion about what to do with the bicycle. We could put the money into it to try to restore it (it would've taken quite a bit), or try to re-sell the bicycle on Craigslist or E-bay, but ultimately, I thought the best thing to do was to take something incredibly stupid and costly I had done and try to help someone else. While I don't want someone else to get stuck with something, I also know they won't be charged what I was for the bicycle, so they will probably have a few extra dollars to put into it. Today, I ended up taking the bicycle to the Longmont Humane Society Thrift Store, and it made me feel good to know that it will at least help the animals still looking for their forever homes. While I feel like a complete dolt for falling for something so stupid, I remain hopeful that it will be beneficial for someone out there who has the time and energy to put into it. After all, how can anyone not want to help faces like Kiley here.

Hopefully, I have learned my lesson from this little round of find-the-perfect-bicycle, and I can only hope that it is a pay it forward kind of situation, and something good will come out of it all.