Relax In Style - Outdoor Living

 

With summer not too far away - it's time to start thinking about upgrading our outdoor furniture. We never have enough seats for when the weekend visitors arrive. What were we thinking when we bought a four seater outdoor table all of those years ago? We must have been mad? At the time we didn't realize that we were going to be a destination holiday house over the summer months. We all cosy up and we can squeeze 8 around the table but it's time to go upmarket with something big, dramatic and stylish. There is some amazing outdoor furniture around these days - even being on a tight budget doesn't limit your options. I am loving these very sleek designer options so I think it's time to start shopping!

PS. A big thank-you for everyone's well wishes and congratulations from yesterday

 - I had a great morning reading all of your lovely comments!

Melissah xox

Images via 1, 2, 3-7, 8

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Rare Old Beast: a Very Early Brompton

Brompton folding bikes have remained virtually unchanged since they entered into production in the late 1980s. But before that happened, there was a small pilot run and the machines from this early batch were just a tad different. Only several hundred of these were made. Two of those recently ended up passing through Harris Cyclery on their way to the Brompton museum. And one of those I had the opportunity to photograph and ride. Pictured here is the 358th Brompton ever produced. Red and black 3-speed with upright handlebars, dynamo lighting, rear rack and fenders. 

The most striking difference between the Brompton we know today and this early model is the "humpback" frame construction. As the Brompton history page explains it, "this feature had come about for the simple reason that standard pipe-bending tools could not produce the gentle radius desired. Change would only come with expensive retooling." By the time the bikes went into full production, the capital investment required for this had been secured and the bend of the main tube became more elegant.

Other differences are more subtle. For instance, the handlebars are welded(?) to the stem.

Here is a close-up. I take it this means the early handlebars were steel. 

Likewise, the rear carrier is welded to the rear triangle.

Like so.

The bike comes with a wide, sprung plastic Brooks saddle.

Fitted onto a set-forward seatpost.

The dynamo lighting functions via a bottle generator on the rear wheel. The rear fender has a special cut-out to accommodate it.

The cable routing is interesting.

If I understand this correctly, it appears that several cables are gathered into the same housing and secured to the frame and stem at various points to facilitate the fold?

Here it is passing over the bottom bracket. 

The fold itself is mostly identical. Same process, with similar bolts on the frame and stem as on the current production model.

Only the pedal fold is different. 

Levers are involved; it is more complicated and bulky than the current snap-fold.

Finally, it looks to me as if the frame construction itself is different in places - the way the tubes are joined. The other differences are mainly in the components. The retro lights. The fender stay attachment. There is no front block system, and instead some of the early models were fitted with front racks. Brompton experts will no doubt notice a myriad of other differences that I haven't picked up on. As far as weight, the bicycle felt a bit heavier to pick up than current production models built up with equivalent specs, but not by much. 

I rode the older bicycle carefully and briefly - not wanting to ruin its pristine condition (it had barely been ridden by the previous owner). The first thing I noticed was that there was much less room in the "cockpit" compared to my own Brompton; it felt a bit cramped. The difference seemed too great to be explained by the older bike's saddle being more forward; it seemed that the frame itself was shorter. Later I asked about this at Harris and was told it was indeed the case. Unfortunately I had no time to measure the two bikes, but it appears that when they got rid of the bend in the main tube, they also lengthened it.

However, the front-end handling of the older bike felt very similar, if not identical to modern Bromptons. Overall, riding it felt like riding an older and more upright version of the same bike. Reading Brompton's history and hearing about it firsthand from those in the know, it is striking how little the bicycle has been tweaked since its initial development. Aside from straightening out the bend after the pilot production run, they've mostly just worked on getting the weight down a bit and improving the components. The fold and the handling have remained the same.

For locals who'd like to see the pair of early Bromptons, they will remain on temporary display at Harris Cyclery until September. Many thanks for the opportunity to photograph and ride the #358! You can view more close-ups of it here, and Elton Pope-Lance has photographed both bicycles here.

One Year Anniversary

 

A Big Thanks!

 Just a quick hello to say a huge thank-you.

Today is my one year anniversary of
 'Coastal Style'

and I'm in the mood for celebrating!
I have had so much fun in putting this blog together
and I just wanted to say thanks for keeping me company
on this happy, little blogging adventure!

Thanks for stopping by and an
extra special thanks to those who take the time to say a few words.

I just wanted everyone to know it puts a huge smile on my face!

Oh ... I have another reason for celebrating today -
I just found out I was listed in the top 5 for the
'Best Beach Blog Competition'
by Style-Passport
so thank-you to everyone who went to the trouble of voting for me.
It was a real honor to be on the list! 

Melissah xox

Images via A Creative Mint (edited by Coastal Style)

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When Spouses Worry About Cyclists

I get a fair number of questions from readers - and, interestingly, only heterosexual men so far - asking for advice on how to deal with spouses worrying about them cycling. Some describe situations where wives implore them not to go on club rides, or are against them riding for transportation. Other stories are less dramatic, but nonetheless involve an overabundance of spousal distress that in turn makes the cyclist feel guilty. Doesn't my husband worry, they ask? What do I say to ease his mind? 

Of course my situation is different, in that my husband is himself a cyclist. His understanding of what riding a bicycle entails is based on reality and not on the negative portrayals of it in the media. Still he does worry about me at times, especially when I go off with riders whose speed and skills far exceed my own. He deals with his concerns by asking me questions and trying to gauge how prepared I am for the ride and how well I myself understand the risks. And I admit that I worry about him too. While he rides considerably fewer miles than I do, I would describe him as more of a risk-taker. If he is late coming home from work, I worry. 

It could be that this is the essence of spousal worry: Perceptions of risk. Do wives tend to perceive their husbands as risk-takers more so than the other way around? It would explain why I never hear from women complaining that their husbands worry too much. It could also be that, for whatever reason, female cyclists are more likely to have spouses who also ride bikes. 

Either way, unfortunately I am not certain what to suggest here. You could reason with your spouse using statistics, descriptions of how safe your route is and how careful you are - but when fears are irrational this does not always work. Attempts to get your spouse into cycling could do the trick, but could also backfire if they try it and find it frightening. Showing them entertaining materials (films, books, pictures, blogs?) that depict cycling as safe and fun could be a way to go, but how exactly this could be implemented is not clear to me. 

While we all want to be free to do as we like, we also don't want to drive our loved ones sick with concern for our safety. It would be good to hear from readers who've gone through this type of situation and resolved it successfully. 

Sears Free Spirit "Brittany" deja vu in blue

Hello and Welcome, Last August I restored a blue step through Brittany. Eleven months latter here I am restoring the exact same model bike in the exact same color. Minus the rear rack.

Above: The blue step through lugged frame Brittany that I restored in August 2011.

Above: This ladies bike showed up here when I was knee deep in some other work. I do not have any pics of the entire bike before the restoration. This pic shows the rear wheel, tire and fender struts with the original front tire in the background. I show you this pic to give you an idea of what the front end looked like before I worked on it.

Above: Front wheel after light rust removal and polishing. The struts had some more substantial surface rust. I used a copper scrub pad and med. 420 grit automotive wet sand paper on the struts and a few of the spokes as well. The wheel required very little truing as this bike was put away when it was virtually brand new. One of the indicators that it was stored when still new is the underside of the fenders or mudguards. Absolutely no rust what so ever. They cleaned up like new with a few "Armor All Cleaning Wipes". There were other indicators of the unused condition of this bike I will get to Latter.

Above: I removed the side pull caliper brakes for rust removal and polishing. The cables were replaced although I could have easily justified leaving them alone. But for a couple of bucks I would rather just replace them. Old cables regardless of how they look have a tendency to snap even after being lubricated. The brake shoes were replaced because they had hardened. Again not a big expense, especially if you purchase them in bulk. I like the Jag Wire X Caliper brake shoes (vintage style) that come on a card of 40 or 20 sets.

Above: The original brake shoes are hard as rock, but show no visible wear. Another indicator the bike was put away when it was virtually brand new. Also the gum wall tires, while the side walls are brittle the tread appears to be all there. I discovered a few things that I think probably contributed to the bike being packed away so early in it`s life. I`ll get to that a little latter as well.

Above: While the saddle's cover does not show even the slightest scuff mark, the underside is rusted pretty badly. If only they had found a dryer place to store it. These rusty coil springs did lead to me to coming up with a new rust removal technique.

NOTE: Unfortunately I do not have a "before pic" of the underside of the saddle. I am using this pic only to show the parts that were removed for cleaning / rust removal. Above:First I took the underside of the saddle apart (rails, springs, spreader etc..) Then I removed the rust from the outer surfaces using a fine brass wheel brush on the (low speed) 18 volt rechargeable drill. (safety glasses)

Above: I crammed this copper scrub pad into the inner part of the coil spring. For this part you might want to wear mechanics gloves, a little rough on the skin. I inserted a power screw driver tip into the copper pad. (slotted works best) And while holding the spring by the outer surface only I turned on the driver rotating the pad inside the coil spring. As you can see, it pushes the pad to one end. So you will need to do this from the opposite end of the spring as well. It was much quicker than the sand paper method I used last time around.

Above: Although some of the rust was too deep to remove leaving a shiny surface, it is still about 98% better than it was. I think this bicycle cruiser sprung saddle has many good useful years left in it.

Above: To remove the handlebar grips first I tilt the stand so the soapy water will flow down into the grip. I used a small slotted screwdriver to "Carefully" pry open a spot to add the mixture of dish soap and water. (mostly dish soap) If you do this very carefully, you can remove the grips without damaging them. I just dip my fingers in a bowl and let the mixture run off my hand. I guess you could use a turkey baster or syringe if need be. I had planned from the beginning to use cork handlebar grips which I install with hardening gasket sealer smeared inside the grips before sliding them onto the bars.(this will hold them firmly in place) I then coated the cork twice with amber Shellack using a small paint brush (about 2" wide). I use a small piece of cardboard held in my other hand to catch any drippings.

Above: The surface rust on the touring brake levers was removed easily using the fine brass wheel brush on the 18 volt rechargeable drill/driver. (safety glasses) One of the cork grips was slightly split. The hardening gasket sealer took care of that just fine. I kept the small split facing downward just in case it was noticeable. (it was not) Then the two coats of Shellack sealed it up from the outside as well.

Above: The rear derailleur was an easy clean up. First a quick spray and brush using the White Lightning Clean Streak. Then after wiping it off, a little brass brushing on the chrome. Then a little polish on the chrome parts and she is good as new. The rear wheel only required some Turtle Wax "Chrome Polish and Rust Remover" then a little touch up with the brass brush. The spokes got cleaned with Armor All wipes and a few were lightly sanded as well. The free wheel only required a little spray and cleaning between the gears with a rag "shoe shine" style. I also added a little oil to the free wheel holding the wheel flat and spinning the free wheel by hand. And adding a few drops of oil to the seam where the free wheel spins on it`s axis. If you have the freewheel facing upwards the oil should work its way in no problem. You should be able to feel the freewheel spinning easier as the oil works it's way in. Then just wipe off the excess.

Above: A shot of the rear wheel and derailleur and free-wheel all cleaned up. The rear fender struts also had some surface rust which I removed using the copper scrub pad along with a little sanding and brass brushing. And as always on this style bike I installed a new set of Kenda 26 x 1 - 3/8 HP Gum Walls I also replaced the inner tubes(schrader valve) with fresh Kenda's as well.

Above: The front derailleur was the same story as the rear. Just a quick spray and brush with the White Lightning. Then a quick wipe down and a little brass brushing. And finally a wee bit of Turtle Wax Chrome Polish & Rust Remover. They should all be this easy!

Above: A pic of the cotter pin crank set. Unfortunately those rusty bolt heads are fake, they are actually rivets. But fortunately the crank set was not "all that bad" and cleaned up fine without breaking down the chain rings. Had they been bad I would have had to break out the Q Tips. (which I have been known to do)

Above: The road crank set finished. A few more other good indicators of this bike being put away new are the following, the block pedals. After cleaning the metal parts with Turtle Wax Chrome Polish I scrubbed the blocks with hand soap using a fingernail brush. The rubber blocks look new and show no wear at all. Everything looks sharp and not rounded off at all. Also the individual sprocket and chain ring teeth show no wear what so ever. Not rounded off in the least, still sharp like new. There was no need to degrease the bearings and cups. They were wiped off clean with a rag, then re greased and put right back in place. As I mentioned before, They should all be this easy.

Above: The threaded head set was the same story. Break it down, wipe it off then re grease and re assemble. I really deserved an easy one after the Rusty Raleigh Sprite and the Raleigh Teton Mountain Tour projects. The Trek 330 I am doing now is almost as easy as this one was too! But that is another day.

Above: The stem and touring handlebars cleaned up beautifully with just the slightest amount of pitting on the handlebars. For this I mostly used the copper scrub pads and the Turtle Wax chrome Polish and Rust Remover. I did use the wheel brush on the stem bolt and the wedge nut. And maybe a little on the handlebars and stem as well. The head set parts got a little brushing as well.

Above: This pic really shows just how pristine the inner bicycle fenders are. All I did was wipe the inner fender off with a couple of Armor All Cleaning Wipes. The only problem I found was the mount screw that holds the top of the fender in place at the cross brace was loose. This caused the fender to rub the rear tire. This along with the front and rear axle cones being set much too tight is why I think this bike was "parked" in the first place. I thought to myself, "This bike must have been a nightmare to ride". It really annoys me to think that, the improper assembly of this bike might have turned this person off to cycling altogether. I mean this might have been their first exposure to cycling. And what a lousy first impression that must have been.

Above: I found this old Pletscher kickstand on the shop floor, it looked pretty nasty. I decided to try and clean it up with the wheel brush. I did this because this bike had one of those old dime store kickstands. The crappy ones that you really did have to kick! (hence the name) As I was cleaning up this old Pletscher stand I found on the side of the bottom mount plate these words "Made in West Germany". Now that is what I call an upgrade! And to think this crappy looking old stand almost got tossed in the wheelie bin. Ok! That is about everything I was able to photograph. Here are some pics of the finished project.

Above: A shot of the drive side and my wife's flowerbed. No worries, the flowers did eventually get watered.

Above: A close up of the twice shellacked cork handlebar grips

Above: A pic from high in the front

Above: A close up of the stem mount shifters (New Jag Wire shift cables as well)

Above: A little closer from the front right

Above: A really cool shot of the rear brake. Well this is the part where I realize I do not have any pics taken from the left side of the bike. LTMS.... Maybe they will send me one via e mail, as I do not know how to download pics from my phone.

Above: Coming Soon! TREK 330 Restoration AND Hugh (me) enters the 21st Century!!! Until next time Please RIDE SAFE and Remember to always RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE Cheers, Hugh

A sincere Thank You to those of you who have been using or just checking out "Hugh's Online Bike Shop". It is pretty well stocked now and it is getting a little more organized every day. If you have not visited it yet and would like to. The link is in the top right column just below the Followers. Also I have been adding "word links" to most of the products and components mentioned in the blog posts. This will make it even easier to shop while visiting the blog. Just like "Hugh's Online Bike Shop" the word links are powered by amazon.com. Thanks for your continued support. Cheers, Hugh