John D. Williams
Finally riding a big boys bike
The money for this goes to the bike charity Brett's Bicycle Recycle--https://www.brettsbicyclerecycle.com/. 400 firm. Someone had given them this item and I took it home and fixed it for them. It was mechanically good and now runs well. I used Titebond on many sections of the rattan that were unraveling, and then used jute twine (in the spirit of the bike) to rewrap some sections. I repaired the fender sections with Titebond. Some of this glue became soft during a rain ride, so I reglued and then clearcoated the bike-- it is now watertight. I posted on CABE about this bike and received some info suggesting it is '70s. It is a true bamboo-framed bike, no steel main tubes. Lugs are iron. Rear triangle and front fork are rattan-wrapped. Rear rack, fenders, handlebar, frame bracing, and chainguard are wood. The wood handlebar is definitely the weak point of the bike; I am 5'9, 145 pounds, but had to use the inner parts of the bar to put any weight on (hence the steel braces there). But it is ridable, feels like an English classic 3-speed in a way (it is one-speed), and is a real attention-getter. Type in "bamboo bike" in CABE to find out other info about this bike and other versions. Type in "bamboo bicycle" in Ebay, look at prices for Sold, and you will see this is a good price. I cannot ship this, so pickup is on Long Island NY. Since it's for a charity I would be willing to drive it into NYC or possibly CT, NJ a bit.
