Riding Tips For Classic Antique Bicycles

[SKPC]

Those two bikes Tripple-3 shot above are a couple of bikes that I put a lot of miles on. Basic maintenance for me is #1. Nice pics Mark-o! Most of my vintage "riders" are pretty hopped up and not very original. I wipe down and clean my bikes every ride to look for any potential problems. Good cycling shoes/gloves help for longer rides. These days, depending on where you ride, you gotta be paying attention all the time. Even so, when you put a lot of miles in on these vintage bikes, you are bound to have some repairs and/or crashes. Just a part of the price you have to pay. Worth every flat, busted spoke or long limp home IMO..

 

[bulldog1935]

if any of you 26'ers (ISO 559) want some nutso fast tires, and don't mind paying the big bucks, check out Compass
https://www.compasscycle.com/product-category/components/tires/26-inch/

The tires are made by Panaracer, with casings designed by Jan Heine, and are without question the fastest vulcanized tires ever put on the tarmac.
For about 10 years, I ran nothing but hand-glued tires with linen casings on my bikes (ok, still do on my Moser), but have gone to Compass 700C on my other bikes.
The logic with a soft tire casing at low to moderate pressure is that the tire conforms better to the pavement - while tire chatter feels ragged edge, it's actually slower, because the tire loses momentum every time it leaves the pavement, and has to catch up when it recontacts the pavement.
These 700C x 38mm are the largest tires that will fit the chainstays on my Viner Pro CX, are like riding on clouds, and as fast as the skinniest pencil treads (ask the Sunday morning sprint group who tax their pumps and jar their teeth to keep up with me).

ps, the C in 700C has nothing to do with centimeters, millimeters, etc. - the C was to designate French rim diameter, 622 mm (as opposed to 700A and B)

 

[SKPC]

Xln't info above.. Never seen those Compass Rattrap 2.3's before. Always looking for faster wheels/tires...
Edit: I always bring...chain breaker tool, small crescent wrench, hex heads, swiss army tool, tubes, patches, pump, misc. nuts/bolts,..... and depending on the length of the ride, other repair items..

 

[bulldog1935]

flats
I carry crazy roadside on all of my bikes, but I Will get home. Fold-up tire, 2 tubes, a tool for every fastener on the bike, leftover chain pieces and a mini chain tool (+quick links).
But when I have a flat, removing the wheel is only necessary if the tire is cut.
Otherwise, my Alt flat kit is a 2 oz. bottle of Stans and a valve core tool.
Remove the valve core, pour in 1 oz of the Stans, put the core back in, pump and ride away.
After 6 weeks, the tire will begin leaking again. Use the other ounce for 6 more weeks. After that, you will probably have to remove the wheel and replace the tube.

 

[fattyre]

@bulldog1935 Seen these?

https://pedalinginnovations.com/




I'll second don't ride down big curbs or over logs with front fenders. Been there done that!

Pedal up on inside corners is another excellent tip. Lots of these bikes have pretty low cranks. Very tough to successfully recover from a solid pedal strike.

Spoke tension. Make sure your not on the verge of folding a wheel. Adult weights & wheels with old rusted steel spokes with low tension can be a risky combination.

A wrench is also a great idea if you feel like carrying one. I've found Knipex Plier wrench to be an excellent option. It's smaller sized and fits every nut & bolt on your bike. That and a flat head screw driver will cover just about anything critical. The larger sizes works very well for headsets & bottom brackets too.

http://knipex-tools.com/index.php?i.d.=1023&page=group_detail&parentID=1368&groupID=1500

 

[OhioJones]

@bulldog1935 Seen these?

https://pedalinginnovations.com/








I'll second don't ride down big curbs or over logs with front fenders. Been there done that!

Pedal up on inside corners is another excellent tip. Lots of these bikes have pretty low cranks. Very tough to successfully recover from a solid pedal strike.

Spoke tension. Make sure your not on the verge of folding a wheel. Adult weights & wheels with old rusted steel spokes with low tension can be a risky combination.

A wrench is also a great idea if you feel like carrying one. I've found Knipex Plier wrench to be an excellent option. It's smaller sized and fits every nut & bolt on your bike. That and a flat head screw driver will cover just about anything critical. The larger sizes works very well for headsets & bottom brackets too.

View attachment 787502



http://knipex-tools.com/index.php?i.d.=1023&page=group_detail&parentID=1368&groupID=1500

Crescent wrench in the back pocket works nice as well.

Never wear a white t-shirt and roll through puddles if you have no rear fender.
Tie porkchops to your belt and enjoy riding rails to trails. See how fast that old bucket of rust will actually go when you've got a posse of animals on your ass. Haha

 

[vincev]

I believe in carrying a spare inner tube and tire removing tools made of STEEL.Plastic ones are crap and break when you least want them to.

 

[OhioJones]

I believe in carrying a spare inner tube and tire removing tools made of STEEL.Plastic ones are crap and break when you least want them to.

American made tools. That's all you have to say. Not some crap-ass, three dollar gizmo that is half used up after one use.

 

[slick]

Riding tips:
1. Take bike out of attic/bedroom/museum collection use it as it was originally intended to be used.

2. Disassemble entire bike, check screws, nuts, bolts. Degrease every bearing properly and inspect for wear damage. Rebuild both hubs and BB. Oil chain. Diassemble pedals and regrease and inspect for bent axle shafs. Install new tubes and tires.

3. Ride it!! Don't hide it!!!

4. Bring sunglasses if you ride with the Cyclone Coaster guys in Long Beach. Bikini babes playing volleyball on the beach will get you in deep trouble if your girlfriend sees a wandering eye as you're riding. Or leave her at home. LOL

 

[bricycle]

now don't get upset, but while maybe kool when you are 10, what is the big deal about riding hands free? or feet on the bars?