# I couldn't wait!



## Harold (Pete) Allen (Feb 11, 2017)

I haven't been on a bicycle since the late 70's, early 80's. I am going onto 77 years old.  This past summer I found a well preserved 1929 Hawthorne that belonged to my wife's 89 year old cousin.  He gave it to me and I brought it home.  In the mid 40's he had remodeled it with new 26" wheels, and fenders.  He also painted it blue.  I have been working on it off and on for the past 4 months or so.  My plan is to restore it to nearly new condition and make a rider out of it.  I have found most of the parts and pieces from various CABE members (and I thank you).  About a week ago I put on the 28" tires I had bought and aired them up.
It was time to test ride it.  I didn't want to get far from the house with it so I went to the end of the driveway and turned around and came back to the garage.  That's one trip!  I went to the end of the drive again and the rear tire went flat.  I got off and looked at it.  It was flat!  I pushed it back to the garage and found that the stem had pulled out of the tire, so I went back to WTB and was looking for 28" chain tread tires.....low and behold, there were 2 listed for sale (NOS) and I bought them.  They have not arrived yet.
Today, in Fort Scott, Ks. the temperature was 75 degrees and my bike has a flat, non fixable tire and I wanted to go for a ride.  (I'm getting the fever)!  The answer was to put the 26" tire back on and go for a ride.  As you can see I did and I rode about a mile, for my first ride in 35 years or so.


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## TR6SC (Feb 11, 2017)

My hat's off to you, Pete.


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## catfish (Feb 11, 2017)




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## GTs58 (Feb 11, 2017)

Cheers!


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## stoney (Feb 11, 2017)

Way to go Pete.


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## Flat Tire (Feb 11, 2017)

Heck yea!


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## phantom (Feb 11, 2017)

Pretty inspiring Pete.....stay young at heart


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## None (Feb 11, 2017)

Ride on! Awesome!


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## birdzgarage (Feb 12, 2017)

You are awsome ! I love it. Enjoy that bike brother.you deserve it!


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## syclesavage (Feb 12, 2017)

Congrats well done .


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## 2jakes (Feb 12, 2017)

Glad you got it out of your system.
Today the weather was sunny so
like you... I couldn't wait!

The ride downhill was great!
But had to walk part of the way uphill.

Pete, here's hoping that you have
mostly flat roads and not flat tires
in the future!

"Ride vintage....ride on!"
(got that from Desireé)


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## Awhipple (Feb 12, 2017)

Great story! Keep on riding.


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## bikecrazy (Feb 12, 2017)

You can always count on those 26 inch tires to get you through. Way to go!


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## Harold (Pete) Allen (Feb 12, 2017)

Thanks to all the CABER's for your words of encouragement.  Now I have decided to use the old Hawthorne as my delivery bike.  I have a ebay store and I sell stuff about every-other day I have to ship it.  Most of the stuff is small and I take it to the post office, which is one mile from my house.  I currently use my 1980 MGB to deliver the stuff, but now I want to use the bike. 
In the barn of my wife's cousin I found a basket for the bike.  The cousin said it was on the bike when he got it, but it was not cool, so he took it off.  I spent the better part of two hours cleaning it up and putting it on the bike.  I have to take this learning to ride pretty slow.  For me to ride a mile and then back, would be pretty hard to do.  I can almost coast from my house to the post office, but it is all uphill coming back.  Google says my house is 59 ft. higher elevation than the PO.  
I live at about 13 1/2 street and the PO is on the corner of 2nd and National.  That's about 13 blocks one way, downhill going and uphill coming back. To test my durability, I decided to try to go halfway today, and that would be to 6th Street.  It's 20 degrees cooler today with a pretty stiff wind out of the north....I put on my sweater and headed out.  Before I got to 6th my legs said "turn around", even going downhill, but the wind was in my face, holding me back.  I made it to 8th Street and turned around.  The wind was now at my back but it didn't seem to be blowing quite so hard.  I huffed an puffed my way back to 12th Street where most of the elevation difference takes place.  I then got off and pushed the bike the final 2 blocks and put it away in the garage.
This is how it stacks up:  
     Yesterday to 10th,
     Today to 8th,
     Tomorrow to 6th,
     Tuesday to 4th,
     and Wednesday to the PO.  (but I will still have to push the last 2 blocks coming back)
I hope i haven't bored you all and thanks for the support!

Pete


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## GTs58 (Feb 12, 2017)

As the Hippies said back in the day, "Take it easy man, but take it."


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## Harold (Pete) Allen (Feb 12, 2017)

I forgot the pictures


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## 2jakes (Feb 12, 2017)

Harold (Pete) Allen said:


> Thanks to all the CABER's for your words of encouragement.  Now I have decided to use the old Hawthorne as my delivery bike.  I have a ebay store and I sell stuff about every-other day I have to ship it.  Most of the stuff is small and I take it to the post office, which is one mile from my house.  I currently use my 1980 MGB to deliver the stuff, but now I want to use the bike.
> In the barn of my wife's cousin I found a basket for the bike.  The cousin said it was on the bike when he got it, but it was not cool, so he took it off.  I spent the better part of two hours cleaning it up and putting it on the bike.  I have to take this learning to ride pretty slow.  For me to ride a mile and then back, would be pretty hard to do.  I can almost coast from my house to the post office, but it is all uphill coming back.  Google says my house is 59 ft. higher elevation than the PO.
> I live at about 13 1/2 street and the PO is on the corner of 2nd and National.  That's about 13 blocks one way, downhill going and uphill coming back. To test my durability, I decided to try to go halfway today, and that would be to 6th Street.  It's 20 degrees cooler today with a pretty stiff wind out of the north....I put on my sweater and headed out.  Before I got to 6th my legs said "turn around", even going downhill, but the wind was in my face, holding me back.  I made it to 8th Street and turned around.  The wind was now at my back but it didn't seem to be blowing quite so hard.  I huffed an puffed my way back to 12th Street where most of the elevation difference takes place.  I then got off and pushed the bike the final 2 blocks and put it away in the garage.
> This is how it stacks up:
> ...




Pete....you can "bore" me anytime!
Keep on posting, always enjoy reading from members and how they're doing.
The good and the bad.
If I can offer something positive to make your day a little better,
Let us know! 
jake.


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## okozzy (Feb 13, 2017)

Congrats, great bike!!!!


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## kreika (Feb 13, 2017)

What a great post. Thank you for sharing! 77 and still pumped to ride.....awesome.


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## partsguy (Feb 14, 2017)

Way to go, Pete! You got this!!


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## HIGGINSFOREVER (Feb 14, 2017)

Way to go pete i live here in n.j. at the wildwood boardwalk i try to ride twice a week this time of the year.The summer months i will make 5 days a week.When i started about 2 years ago i was 255 lbs. and had to walk the bike after one way trip (boardwalk is 1.5 miles)now i make10 round trip rides at 185 lbs.This is the 60lb. bike that i ride.Oh and by the way i am 76 so dont over do it just do what you can and good luck


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## Harold (Pete) Allen (Feb 14, 2017)

Gene,  I congratulate you on a job well done....what an inspiring story!  At our age, we still have a lot of things to do, but we both know our time is running out.  We need to do all we can as long as we can.  I would never have thought I would be riding a bicycle at this point in my life, but I do it because I enjoy it.  I remember in the 90's with my first grandchild.....I bought her a new bike and then attempted to teach her how to ride it.  My wife and I ended up tying ropes to the saddle, and ran along each side of her to keep her upright.  She eventually got it right.  Yesterday I had to take my daughter to KU Med Center for a Colonoscopy and we were late getting back so I did not get to ride, but I did enjoy the day spent with her.  Today I will do what I had scheduled for yesterday and maybe on Thursday I will make it to the post office.
BTW, that's a great looking bike you have....I bet the babes all watch you go riding by!  Keep it up and enjoy every minute of the rest of your life!

 Pete


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## Scribble (Feb 14, 2017)

Beautiful bike !!


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## Cadorino (Feb 15, 2017)

Never too old to ride!!! Enjoy the freedom.


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## Harold (Pete) Allen (Feb 15, 2017)

I made it to the post office today with a package!  My 28" chain treads should be here tomorrow also!!!


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## Intense One (Feb 15, 2017)

Awesome bike.... Awesome person.....you're truly an inspiration.  Ride on, buddy


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## Ed Minas (Feb 15, 2017)

You guys Rock.   Thanks for the inspiration


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