What a Difference a Day Makes

Hello and Welcome. I found this beautiful old Fuji "Gran Tourer S.E."on Craigs list Sat evening. I had recently been admiring one like it on oldtenspeedgallery.com So when I ran across this one for sale in Milford, I had to go check it out. At first glance it looked a little dingy. But I noticed all the decals were intact. And that even though it was filthy, I did not see many scratches. The original owner Joe told me that He had up-graded the 27 x 1 1/4 inch wheels. And that He had also invested in some better side pull caliper brakes. And He was not finished yet. He has changed the shifters from stem mounted shifters to the down tube mounted shifters. "I really like the way this guy thinks" So I took it for a short spin. It felt tight and the front wheel was "dead on". And even though it was filthy from laying around for 15 years, it shifted fairly smoothly. I`m really starting to think this bike has great potential. I must have it! lol..I loaded the bike onto the rack and shook Joe`s hand and told him thanks. Then he reminded me that I had not paid him for the bike yet. Opps! I did apologize a couple times (feeling like a total jerk) and paid the man. Then off I went. Fast forward about 8 or 9 hours . Now I have had some time to clean the Fuji up a bit. And I am absolutely amazed what a nice bike this is! The tires while "not new" by any stretch are still soft and have some decent tread left. And while they are not the same brand, the tread is a near perfect match. And the color of the gum-walls is a good match too. I can tell someone really put some effort into the selection. I`m guessing Joe had a blow-out and was not able to find the exact tire. Well the ARAYA Alloy 27X1&1/4 wheels cleaned up great. And the Dia Compe side-pull caliper brakes (and levers) cleaned-up nicely as well. Will this be my new main ride? Will it dethrone my new MotoBecane Mirage Sport? I doubt it. But I am gonna finish the restoration and ride this one a few times before I decide. I wonder how much I could get for a very low mileage new MotoBecane? Ride Safe and remember to RESCUE-RESTORE & RECYCLE

The Bike-Trail To Nowhere

Hello and Welcome,
Sometimes a good idea just goes bad. The Duck Lake Pines Community Park Trail seems to one of those ideas.




Last year I rode the trail many times as a small part of my Sunday morning ride. I did notice that on several rides around the paved trail, that the back part of the trail was wet. And many times you had to ride through some water. But this year has been unbelievable. The back part of the trail has been literally swamped. To be honest I`m not sure what the trail was officially built for. But I`m pretty sure that is is supposed to be above water all the way around. I don`t know who checks the "lay of the land" or checks to see if an area is flood prone. One would think this would be done before spending the tax-payers money on a new paved trail. And maybe something else was done after the trail was built to create the problem. I don`t know who is to blame, or if anyone is to blame for that matter. But none the less there is a problem. And times being what they are, I doubt very much that it is a priority. It is really not much of a trail, when it comes to distance. I just enjoy getting out of traffic for a while when out riding. And there just are not that many places in "East Highland"(as it was once called) where you can do that. But over-all the Park seems to be Really Nice. There were a couple of baseball games going on when I rode through this morning.(5-30-09) And two boys were playing tennis over on one of the tennis courts. There were some kids playing on the playground near the start of the trail. People were walking their dogs. One little guy was playing on the roller hockey rink. So the park was definitely a good idea. And many people seem to be enjoying it. And I include myself in that number. I just hope that the people in charge of such things can figure out a way to keep the trail above water. Hopefully someone is already working on the problem. I sure hope so. I did hear that a new paved bike trail is opening in Milford this weekend. And that it starts at Hubble Pond Park near Peters Street and Commerce Road to the Ford Dam. It runs along General Motors Road to Martindale Road, ending near the entrance to the park off South Milford Road . I think I will load up my bike and camera, and go check it out! Ride Safe, Wear a Helmet & Remember RESCUE-RESTORE & RECYCLE Cheers, Hugh
P.S. Since this post was published the trail has been redone. Not saying this post had anything to do with it.

Riding the Kensington Metro Park Bike Trail

Today I finally made it over to Kensington Metro-Park in Milford Mi. Having never ridden there before, I asked for a trail map at the toll booth on my way into the park. I had not been in the park for quite a few years. My Dad and I would go fishing there (and sailing once) when I was a boy. My Dad passed away last December so today brought back some memories. When I saw the area where the rental boats were docked. (see pic) I was surprised to see how small it now looks. The trail is really nice with the exception of one part that runs parallel with the expressway. There are many beautiful views of the lake and the woods. And if your a people watcher there are lots of people to watch. As you can see on the map there are many places to stop along the way. I encountered a group of cyclists having a picnic on the beach. Actually I saw them twice. That`s when I realized that I was on my second lap around the lake. oops! So I ended up riding about 4 miles farther than I planed, No big deal. If I had not missed my exit, I would not have stopped and chatted with the cyclists. Who by my second pass were packing up their picnic supplies. It was mid day when I was there and it was warm in the sun. But the trail is in and out of the woods so it never got too warm. There is a large herd of deer in the park. But being mid-day I did not see any. If you have ever seen the original Christmas card with the deer eating the snowman`s carrot nose. That photograph was taken in Kensington. Wow! I`m just a fountain of useless information today! Over all, I think Kensington is a great place for a ride. Especially if you have a group because there is lots to see and do. And there is food as well. And beaches for swimming. and places to fish. I also saw a kayak`er, I gotta try that some day. The Eskimo-roll is on my life "must do" list. Someone told me (and I can`t remember who) that the bike trail in Kensington has lots of hills. It does, but it`s nothing to demanding. I think Indian Springs is less crowded and the woods are a little more natural. But Kensington has the Lake and lots of things to do. But both are great in their own way. So I am looking forward to riding the Kensington Bike trail again. But tomorrow morn I think I might ride over to the park at M59 and DuckLake and see if the back of the trail is still under water. Maybe while I am there I will find out the name of the park. Ending on a good note, I received an e-mail from my supplier today. It said that my order was shipped today! That only took 13 days! But hey, most of the time they are very fast so I will forgive them. Ride Safe and Remember to Always.... RESCUE-RESTORE & RECYCLE.... Cheers, Hugh

Waiting For Parts

Nothing new to report about the Schwinn "World" restoration. I am
still waiting for parts. Good thing I ordered them way ahead of time.
Meanwhile my dear friend Sue from segerstudio.com sent me these cool photographs from Hobe Sound in Fla. Thanks Sue! Visit her site sometime and check-out the photographs. Sue has the distinction of taking the only photograph of me (actually 2) that I like. I absolutely cringe when I see a camera.
I went for my ride today it rained most of the time. However it is warm
and very humid today.So it did not feel bad at all. In traffic, it would have sucked though. But the paved bike path was not very busy today. I had on yellow glasses which really brighten up a gloomy day. And wow the woods really come to life! Still no deer sightings. I did see some wild Turkeys (one up close). I was hoping for something more exciting than a really fresh Butter-Ball. On the way out of the park I did spot a red-tail hawk in a tree off to the side of the road. Since the park ranger was right on my back bumper, I decided not to pull over and try to photograph it. I think He was investigating a "bear-Pick-nic basket" incident. Just kidding no bears this far south. Maybe someday.
UPDATE: A Bear was recently spotted south of here in Washtenaw County Mi.It appears someday has arrived!
Also if you haven`t already, visit the oldtenspeedgallery.com You can submit pics of your classic (or not so classic) ten-speed. And vote for the "Ten-Speed of The Month." An honor that has eluded me so far. Tell them Hugh sent you. Well that's about all I got today. Ride Safe and remember to RESCUE-RESTORE & RECYCLE
Cheers,Hugh

Future Project and a Good Find!

Hello and Welcome
Above: I found this little Raleigh yesterday. This will be an easy one. It will get new gum-wall tires. (to help it go fast) And also some new brake shoes. (to help it stop fast) And I gotta scrap that handlebar foam. Even though it is in perfect condition. I really hate handlebar foam! The cables look perfect. So I will disconnect them just long enough to lubricate the covers. About 2 drops (oil) for the shorter ones and 3 for the longer covers. Then some very minor surface rust removal & a good washing. And adjust the derailleurs (if needed). The head-set and crank are smooth as silk, I might just leave them alone.


Today I am feeling a little under the weather. So I took the day off and finished the "quick flip" on the above mountain bike. So tonight I will watch the Detroit Red-Wings finish-off the Chicago Black-Hawks. Then off to the finals against the Penguins. That should be interesting. I`m wondering if the Penguins will look as good against the Wings. Actually I`m not really wondering at all. I know the Penguins will not look so good against the DRW best in the NHL! Go Wings!!!. I know this has nothing to do with bicycles! But hockey IS listed on my profile. And This Is The Play-Offs! Until Next Time Please Ride Safe and Remember to Always....... "RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE"
Cheers ,Hugh

Me and my shadow

Nothing happening with the Schwinn "World" restoration today. I had to do some masonry work this morn. On the way home from the site I did a little bike-hunting. I found a Girls Mountain Bike (24 inch wheels). The back wheel was mangled pretty bad. But the rest of the bike looked real good. It was tagged 25.00, but it was 1/2 off day at the Thrift Store! I got to thinking, my neighbor gave me a 24 in wheel mountain bike the other day. And while the bike was a little rough, the 24 inch wheels looked pretty good. I think this could work out. Well it worked out great. It even had the correct free-wheel,(6 gears) Sweet! I also found a very sweet women`s "Raleigh Capri" at a resale shop. It was 79.95 but before I could walk away the fellow told me it is 1/2 off today. Well looking the bike over I could not find anything wrong with it. The tires are original and dried-out. And I`m sure the brake shoes are too. But everything else looks great. The paint and decals are like new. The bicycle saddle is perfect. And there is not even a hint of rust on the cables. So I went ahead and bought it. I normally would not pay that much for an older Capri. the Capri is basically an entry level Women's bicycle. But I usually have to put much more work (and cash) into the bikes than this one will require. When I arrived at home I removed the wheels from the bike with the bent back wheel. Then I cleaned up the wheels my neighbor had given me. I removed the tires and tubes off the damaged wheel set. Then I mounted those tires on the straight (and actually much nicer) wheels. Then put those on the newer mountain bike. I had to re adjust the brakes to fit the new rims. while I had the wheels off I also degreased the derailleurs and crankset. So now I just have to dig through all my collection of salvaged saddles and find a nice one. And this little bike should be "good to go". Actually, I think I will replace the front derailleur shift cable as well. But that is no big deal. And I will need to adjust the Shimano rear derailleur, which should be simple enough. I think when finished it will make some young lady a nice looking and solid little bike. And it should bring in a few bucks for parts for the next project. Well that`s all I have for tonight. Please Ride Safe and Remember to Always... RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE
Cheers,Hugh

Schwinn World Restoration 5-25-09

Hello and Welcome, I think the photographs pretty much say it all. But just in case they do not, today went really well. I was able to true the wheels using my wheel truing stand and spoke wrenches. Then polish the wheels with Mother's Mag & Aluminum Polish. The threaded headset is rebuilt,the stem and handlebars are polished and re-mounted. The seat-post has been polished (along with the nut and bolt) and re-mounted. I Polished the crank and chain-rings. Also cleaned up the front and rear derailleurs and re-mounted them. I cleaned up the chain, but ended up replacing it anyway. The side-pull caliper brakes have been polished and mounted. Also cleaned up the free-wheel . Oh yes, and I polished the stem mount shifters and re-mounted them. Also I was able clean up the fork. I am too tired to go into detail right now. The only thing that I am not happy with is the chain. It is new, but looks like a piece of crap. I was having trouble re-connecting the old chain. So I took the easy out and just installed a new one I had laying around. I will fix that latter. The original cable housings are clear. They look cool, but I might replace them with new black ones. I`ll give the original ones a closer look before I decide. Ok, I`m really tired so I will say Goodnight and Please RIDE SAFE and Remember to Always....RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE
Cheers,Hugh

Schwinn World 5-24-09

Above: Today I began the restoration on the Schwinn "World". As you can see in the photo I have removed everything but the crank set.
Above: Note the pic of the tire. The 27 x 1 1/4 gum wall tires have almost all of the original tread. But as you can see the side "gum-wall" is dried out and literally coming apart as I pry the tire off the rim. That`s why I`m always annoyed when I see a bike for sale with the "original tires" that are "like new". I don`t give a rats pa-tootie if the tires have all the nubs and all the tread. If they are 25 year old gum-walls they are shot (99.9% of the time). And don`t even get me started on cables!... lol
Anyway I managed to remove the threaded head-set bearings and soak them in the cleaner for about 45min. Let me see if I can insert a picture of that?

Cool there it is. Now what that actually is is carburetor parts cleaner. It is available at any good auto parts store. CAUTION!!! READ THE DIRECTIONS carefully it is serious stuff.
For the parts that I spray clean, I use a product called White Lightning Clean Streak. It can be found at your local bike shop or at many on-line bicycle parts & accessories stores. I did have to use a little WD40 on the seat post and a pair of vice-grips. Here is a good tip. If you clamp onto the seat post with vice-grips to help remove it. Clamp onto the very top 1/2 in or so of the post. That way if you scratch it, it won`t be seen as that part of the post is inside the collar that mounts the saddle to the post. I did manage to clean up the frame. First a good wash, then the Meguiars Three Step Polish . It looks really good but I did not have time to take a photo. So tomorrow I plan to rebuild the head-set (after I clean-up the fork). And polish and mount the brakes. And clean-up the derailleurs and at least start working on the wheel-set. That will be 'after my ride". If I can get an early start maybe I can get a few wild-life photographs. I was not able to get a pic of each part coming off the bike. But I will try to photograph each component as it is refurbished and re-mounted. Ride Safe and Remember to RESCUE-RESTORE & RECYCLE Cheers,Hugh

Schwinn World Project

This is the project bike I will be restoring on the blog. It is a 1980`s Schwinn "World" with a GIANT built frame. I have taken several close-up photographs of the many different components. My first idea was to post all the before photographs at once. But after seeing all the pics posted together, I decided maybe that was not the way to go. It just looked like a big mess. So now I`m thinking, as the individual components are refurbished or replaced, I will show before and after photographs. And also attempt to show how each part is worked on. That is tricky because I am doing this solo. But with the tripod that I recently rediscovered, it should be do able. You may have noticed that this bike is in pretty good condition. That is not by accident. There are probably thousands if not millions of bikes like this hanging from the rafters of garages all over America. So I try to find bikes that are going to look really good when finished. It just seems silly to me to not search out bikes that have the good paint and all the major components. And that is not to say that I am against total restorations (paint etc...etc..) when it comes down to it. It`s just not necessary with 1960`s through 1980`s models. There are just so many that are still have good paint, savable wheels, etc...etc...etc. Having said that. I will be doing a total rest o conversion of a tall "Sprint" that will need almost everything including paint. It will be a fixed gear bike when finished. I just want to find out what all the fuss is about. This will not go-over well with my hard core 10 speed purists friends. I`m sure they will think that I have been lured over to "The Dark Side". Before I close I would like to say Congratulations! to my nephew John who just graduated from high school. He is out there in the wilderness somewhere with his whole life in front of him. God I wonder if he knows how lucky he is? Good Luck John and God Bless You and Yours. Please RIDE SAFE and Remember to always...RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE
Cheers, Hugh

Randor Traveller 5 Speed folding bike

Hello, I got some masonry work in this week, so not too much to report. I did manage to get the folding bike cleaned up a bit. The top photo is when it first arrived. Look closely and you can see some rust. And a slightly kinked cable. I did a little rust removal and installed new brake-cables and housings. Also re-positioned the bicycle brake shoes so they make better contact with the rim. I think I will install new rear brake shoes. Although it is better, it still feels a little weak. Also the spring on the rear rack was sprung. I just re-wound it a bit, and it seems fine now. So now I will polish the rims first chance I get. And I need to clean-up the white-walls a bit. And wash the bike. Then it should be good to go! Oh yes, I do need to adjust the rear derailleur a bit. I`m only getting 4 out of 5 gears. I don`t expect that to be a problem as the derailleur looks to be in good condition. And the adjustment screws are clearly marked. The Next Project is a Schwinn "World" with a "Giant" built frame. And some pretty nice Belgium made alloy bicycle wheels. It is very dirty but appears to be in really good shape. A definite case of LTSD (long term storage disorder). I`m thinking about doing a step by step restoration on the blog. If you think that would be cool please leave a comment and let me know. Remember, RESCUE-RESTORE & RECYCLE Cheers, Hugh

Magenta SEKINE

This SEKINE had been hanging around the shop too long. It was filthy and had no saddle. The 27 x 1 1/4 tires looked old and had begun to harden and crack. It also had white (also filthy) adhesive cloth handlebar tape. The surface rust was not too bad. The rear wheel had a wobble and a broken spoke. The shift cables had rusted badly. And the rear derailleur and free-wheel and chain and crank and front derailleur were all coated in a thick coat of oil and dirt mixture. The dirty white cable housings were cracked badly. And one of the inner-tubes was deformed and patched and the other was like new. And you know the broken spoke was on the drive side! So I had to remove the free-wheel "for which I did not have the correct removal tool". So off to Cycle-Therapy in Waterford again. (Thanks James). The up-side of removing the freewheel was it made it easy for me to clean-up the stenciled pie-plate. I used a full can (12oz) of White-Lightning Clean Streak on the drive stuff and derailleurs. The wheels trued up pretty good. Getting all the adhesive residue off the SAKE "Road-Champion" handlebars was a real treat. First I used Mother"s Mag and Aluminum Polish. Then I got the remaining traces of adhesive off using Goo Gone. Also did the stem and brakes with Mothers as well.(and all the remaining Aluminum Alloy). I love Gum-walls (tires) but I have found that the younger generation does not share my love for them. So lately I have been going with "some" black-walls. Although I have not yet embraced the idea. Anyway, it took me a while to figure out how I wanted this Magenta masterpiece to look when finished. At first I was lost thinking "Who`s gonna want a Magenta colored road bike"? (notice how I avoid even calling it pink) lol. Well, to hell with that. Instead of trying to make a magenta bike look manly. I will embrace it`s "Magentaness" (new word) and maybe a tall woman or some guy "in-touch with his feminine side" will buy it. So I went with the White Saddle and Handlebar cork Tape. And even some almost magenta cable covers I removed for my Lotus when I was manning it up. (mann-ing: to make man like) another new word. Anyway I still hate the color, but I have to admit it does look good in it`s Barbieness. (Barbie-ness : something Barbie would like) another new word. Note: A trick I picked up from Cameron at oldtenspeedgallery.com If you can`t find the right word, invent one! Thanks for that lesson Cameron. Anyway the grass needs cutting (as you can see in the pic) and I have a folding bike I would like to work on today. So I will just say Please RIDE SAFELY and Remember to Always... RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE. Cheers,Hugh

Morning Ride Indian Springs

The woods have really greened-up this last few weeks. So I just thought I would post a few picks taken on my Saturday morning ride. When the woods come to life, there is nothing more beautiful. I need to finish the SAKINE I am refurbishing, today. So I better get at it. Ride Safe and Remember to always Rescue, Restore & Recycle
Cheers,Hugh

Massasauga on the Bike Path

This morning I encountered a Massasauga warming himself on the asphalt trail. It looked just like the one in the picture above. I stopped after I passed by on my bike. By the time I got turned around to get another look, it had vanished. Probably a good thing too! I am no rattlesnake wrangler, that`s for sure. I also saw a group of 6 wild turkeys. But did not spot any deer today. I was riding the bike path at Indian Springs in WhiteLake Mi. Probably my favorite local place to ride. As far as my ride went, I only did one lap (8 miles). But I attacked the hill at the end, so I got a pretty good work-out. I was trying out a new saddle. (it did not make the cut) I have a WTB "Speed V" saddle that is on the way here from Jenson USA. I can hardly wait to mount it on my MotoBecane. The WTB Speed-V comp saddle sells for about 40.00 but can be found on-sale from time to time. And if you are looking for a comfortable "sport saddle" that does not cost an arm and a leg. The WTB Speed-V comp might be the saddle for you. And it has a sporty look. Some so called "comfort saddles" look like they came off a hot-dog cart. I have used the Speed-V on Road bikes, Mountain bikes Hybrid bikes and even BMX bikes. Now that`s versatile. The back part of the paved trail in Highland twp is under water. The park is on DuckLake rd. just south of M59 on the west side. It has been flooded all spring. And I am sure with the storms that moved through here last night it still is. However if you go left when you enter the trail you can still go to the viewing dock on the pond. Nice view of a natural wet-lands area. Unfortunately also some graffiti too! and it is not even good graffiti! Hey back to snakes for a minute. There is a snake in Michigan that lives in wet or swampy areas. They are not often seen as they spend much of there time below the surface. They like to eat grubs (so they tell me anyway) It is a fire-belly snake. If you ever see one PLEASE leave it alone. They must have the proper habitat to survive. And trying to keep one in a artificial environment would be difficult, for even an experienced snake handler. Ok that`s all I wanted to say about that. until next time RIDE SAFE and Remember to Always... RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE
Cheers,Hugh

Lotus Excelle Sport Series

Well I said I would post the Lotus soon, so here it is! I really like this bike and I would love to keep it. But sadly it is a 62cm frame. And I am five foot & eleven inches tall. Now don`t get me wrong I can ride a 62cm frame. I rode this bike today. But the proper size frame for me is 57 to 58cm (5ft11 to 6ft1). And frame size really does matter, especially on long rides. I did lots of clean-up on this bike and installed many new parts. Even took the saddle off my new MotoBecane. Which is ok, I have already ordered a new saddle for the Moto. So if you are interested in owning a classic 62cm Road Bike. Which by the way is 100% Road Ready For a mere 350.00 it can be yours to have and to hold... Now that may sound a little steep. But this Lotus is worth every penny.U pdate: The lotus eventually sold for around $300.00 US. The list of new and refurbished parts is too long to list here. I don`t buy bikes and pump up the tires, wash it up and try to pass it off as "all original needs nothing". That is a bunch of crap! "Homey Don`t Play That Game" I put a lot of effort into finding bikes that are worth saving. This Lotus is a perfect example of what I look for. Good frame, good paint and graphics, straight or fixable wheels. a smooth crank and head-set. Basically low mileage bikes suffering from" long term storage disorder". (LTSD) Tires hard and cracking, cables brittle and corroded, all grease broke down and hardened. Derailleurs partially frozen in time and lots of surface rust. Those are the main symptoms of LTSD. If you have never heard of LTSD it is because I just now made up the name! But there is only one cure for LTSD and it`s not "a quick wash and air in the tires"! It`s hard work and lots of elbow grease. And yes many new parts. So don`t listen when they tell you" Oh it`a all original has been stored for 20 years but really does not need any thing" That`s a bunch of Horse Hockey! Ride-able and Reliable are not the same thing. A little oil and soap does not cure LTSD. Do you hear me people! Ok I`ll shut up now and say goodnight.
Cheers,Hugh

A Successful Bicycle Hunt

Hello and Welcome, Yesterday was a very successful bicycle hunting day. I stopped at 3 of my favorite "secret" places and found something interesting at each one.
Above: At the first stop on my hunt I found this very nice (Made in France) MotoBecane Mixtie.
Above: At stop number two I found this interesting KTM commuter bike. And I thought they only made motorcycles? Then I stopped by my place to unload.
Above: Then at the third place I found this little folding bike. Eventually all three will all be refurbished, getting everything they need to be safe and functional. There will be a lot of cosmetic work done as well. I am currently in the process of refurbishing a sweet Lotus Excelle (very cool bike). So these three will have to wait. I will undoubtedly be doing a post about the Lotus very soon. Before I sign-off I would like to say this. The key to successful bike hunting is knowledge. Example: Seller sees "A little green bike with two flat tires". I see a French Built original MotoBecane Mixtie. With no air in the tires "probably because they don`t have a presta-valve capable pump". Bingo!
Until next time please RIDE SAFE and Remember to always... RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE!
Cheers,Hugh<

Motobecane "Mirage Sport" First Ride

I have no prior experience with shifters that are integrated into the brake levers. So I was having a little trouble getting the derailleurs dialed in. So "Thanks For All The Help" to my friends at Cycle Therapy in Waterford Mi. Yesterday I took the MotoBecane to Indian Springs Metro Park in WhiteLake Mi for it`s "First Ride". And so far I really like the bike. I managed to ride the paved path twice for a total of 16 miles. Climbing the Hill near the end of the first lap I was feeling pretty good. Then this young man passed me like I was standing still.(I am still in denial about being in my 50`s). I caught up with this kid in the parking and told him. (half joking) "You made me feel old flying by me on the hill like that". He said "I almost hit a deer on the trail,(that's right, change the subject punk...lol)"It jumped out right in front of me". I told him I have seen lots of Deer there but never had one do that before. As he loaded up his bike I headed back to the path for another lap.Thinking "I`ll show this kid,! I`ll do another lap! (Like anyone gives a crap..lol) I decided I better take it easy (once I`m out of sight) because this is only my second real ride this year. Last year my goal was to make it around the path 2 times with out stopping. I managed that ok. So this year I am going to raise the bar and try for 3 laps. Before I go on I should mention that I smoked for 30 years. And by the time I quit in Feb of 2003 I was in a constant non stop asthma attack. When I got to the emergency room I thought they were going to tell me I had cancer or emphysema or something like that. When the Doctor told me I was having an Asthma attack. All I could say was "Well I`ve been having it for a couple of months now" Well I was finally ready to quit smoking. So with some help from my doctor, who we call Dr Jay (not her real name)I managed by some miracle to quit.
So now here I am a 50 something ex smoker, ex drinker, ex junk food eater trying to recapture something. I`m not really sure what that something is. When I was a young man I played Hockey. And I was pretty good for a yank. And I also played tennis (weird combo there) and rode my bike everywhere. And I loved to ride wheelies on my Sting-Ray. I could run all the way home from school (almost a mile). I was a healthy kid for the most part.And I assumed that I always would be. I was only gonna smoke till it affected my ability to play sports. And I could stop drinking any time I chose to. Well,I was wrong on both counts. So I try not to compete with anyone but myself at least for now. Maybe a few years down the road I can find some other geezers to race. That might be a possibility. Anyway today was one more step in the right direction, and that's not too bad.

Ladies Schwinn World Tourist

I finished this Schwinn ladies bike Sunday evening. I took it apart Friday night. Then I worked on it all day Saturday. And about 6 or 7 hours Sunday. And (maybe for the first time) I had ordered all the parts in advance. So this was like a marathon build. It was never intended to be a rush job. Things just kind of fell into place. What a refreshing change. This Schwinn has the Shimano Integer FF system. Which is kind of cool and weird at the same time. The idea was (I`m guessing here ) to build a bike that you could shift while coasting "like a 3 speed bike." That`s what this system allows the rider to do. Instead of the rear cassette free wheeling. It is fixed meaning the gears spin with the wheel "no matter what". And the free-wheel unit is built into the bottom bracket assembly. The only problem with being able to shift a ten speed while coasting is. Nobody gave a S#!&. In other words there was no real demand. Eventually it just faded away. This is the 2nd Schwinn with the FF system bike I have rebuilt. And I`ll tell you what, It is kind of cool! Especially the first time you run across one. At first I thought the free wheel cassette was seized up. Then I was mess`n with the crank and noticed I could spin it backwards while the rear wheel was spinning frontwards. Then it hit me! That`s why the rear gears don`t free-wheel! They`re not supposed too! Well I could not wait to tell my friend Cameron at old ten speed gallery . com about my incredible find. Of course he knew exactly what it was. And then told be that a few had been featured on OTSG. Well these things came out in the early 1980`s And at that time I was into the motorcycle thing quite heavy.

Above: That was me "Rebel without a clue"...ltms. I stopped riding after I lost most of the sight in my right eye. So that is my excuse for not knowing what a Shimano Integer FF system was. And I`m sticking to it! Ride Safe. And Remember to always...RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE
Cheers,Hugh

New Ride MotoBecane Mirage Sport

My New Ride. Finally got a chance to assemble it!