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Actually Riding Your Classic or Antique Bike

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.... I put girls bike gears on my rusty DX. don't know the numbers. MUCH better than standard boys bike gearing of the day. what the heck were they thinking?

my brother is an antique dealer in California's Sierra Foothills where every road is uphill. he rarely if ever finds old bikes in his weekly yard sale trips, he tells me tales of the barns and things he goes into... 1800's stuff to modern, yet no bikes other than some 60's models and he has been doing it for 30 years. I don't think a lot of people rode bikes in these areas back in the day. too many hills and not enough room to ride on the side of the road..
 
Along roads or mostly flat trails with a few hills i’d rather ride a balloner than a new mountain bike or carbon fiber road bike, but if you take it into the moutains and are riding up a mountain half the day and down rocks the rest i’m sure you’d want gears and shocks then. Train on a balloner and then you’ll be 3x as fast as everyone else on new bikes!
 
Great replies. :cool:
From the time I left my Sting Ray in the mid 70's, I've never rode a single speed since.
From Nervar cottered cranks to Super Record and beyond.
For me, I need the modern convenience of having two or three gears (on an old bike). At least.
I like art in bicycles and motorcycles. Doesn't have to be ancient to be art IMO. I think a 3 speed mid 50's Schwinn is as old as I can go. Kick back is a good option too.
I upgrade (restomod) everything, so I will probably never have a true original. ...Done my share of intervals too.
My goal is to have my SA 3 speed top gear slightly lower than a 46x18 single speed. Then I can get out and stomp. Its just my way.
Fun stuff guys. Just checking on where your heads are at!
 
For my 26” wheel bicycles, I find that 26-11 tooth configuration is not too bad on the flats near the beach; and for 28” wheels, 24-11 works out about the same, from a force times distance equals work perspective. For the internally geared hubs, additional planning may be required for the cog and sprocket ratios.
 
I just put two spd ND on all my bikes and can ride anywhere and everywhere! Good times!!!
How does that compare to the ND 3 speed kit? I've thought about going with one of those so I could keep the skiptooth/ND model D setup.
 
Last time I rode one of my old bikes the 1924 ND model A hub seized halfway into the ride-
 
All my bikes are riders. I really enjoy pulling up next to someone on their carbon fiber machine look over and see my Pierce and the headlamp and the the curiosity gets the conversation going. There are a number of people in this town who ride vintage, I've talked to a guy riding his uncles 1937 Silver King, another on a 1920s BSA set up as a single speed path racer, numerous 50s and 60s Schwinn around town. We're lucky that Alameda is pretty much flat. I've done some 25 miles rides on my 58 Schwinn American and my 1916 Pierce Roadster. Going south to Bay Farm Island the bicycle draw bridge over the bay has the steepest grade in town but my 62 year old legs can still push the Pierce up and over sitting down, for now... The Pierce has a high gear ratio with a 28 front and 9 rear, Golden Gate park rides or anywhere off the island and there can be lots of walking.
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My wife has really enjoyed the 50s Armstrong, that Sturmey Archer hub really make the small hills a breeze. Her 47 Schwinn has been relegated to a loaner for friends. ;)

Our 82 year old neighbor Ken regularly rides a 30s ladies Westfield around Bay Farm Island from his house, probably 12-15 mile round trip or so, with a partially paralyzed right arm from a stroke, and he's passed me on the flats. When I took this he had a 3 speed hub but the bike was stolen. A trend of his traced it to a homeless camp and recovered it, he put a nexus 5 speed on it so now he has real gears.;)
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I ride old bikes, and they all only have one gear.
1" pitch 22/10, 24/10, 24/9, 26/11, but most are 26/10 t.
For a few years now, I ride to the 2 group rides we have here every month, Long Beach 1st Sunday, Orange 2nd Sunday.
The Orange ride home for 12 miles, into the headwind really made me stronger.
I think I'm pretty fit, but thats not why I do it; It's Fun!
My Heavy Duty Western Flyer (26/10) rolled San Francisco, Golden Gate bridge, all day Saturday, and Marin the next day with hills, what an awesome time.
Keep Riding, it gets more fun, the more you do it.:D
Tag @mr.cycleplane Tyler as my witness.
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I ride old bikes, and they all only have one gear.
1" pitch 22/10, 24/10, 24/9, but most are 26/10 t.
For a few years now, I ride to the 2 group rides we have here every month, Long Beach 1st Sunday, Orange 2nd Sunday.
The Orange ride home for 12 miles, into the headwind really made me stronger.
I think I'm pretty fit, but thats not why I do it; It's Fun!
My Heavy Duty Western Flyer (26/10) rolled San Francisco, Golden Gate bridge, all day Saturday, and Marin the next day with hills, what an awesome time.
Keep Riding, it gets more fun, the more you do it.:D
Tag @mr.cycleplane Tyler as my witness.
View attachment 1311007

I would have to guess when you say 26x10 you are speaking skip tooth? Which could actually be 52 tooth if it was not skip tooth?
Your bike pictured has a large front chainring, not a 22, 24 or 26 (non skiptooth) by any means, or a low geared bike.
Indulge me.
I know gearing, tire diameters and bike weight. I have no illusion on what can or can't be done with tall gearing.
Just learning what the Cabe folk live with. Its interesting to me.
I will roll out my bike for gear inches and adjust to what I think I can handle.
 
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