Western Ave Cycletrack meeting Tomorrow

Tomorrow from 6:00PM to 8:00,  and I swear I got the date right this time!
Not at the Senior center, but instead at the Cambridge COmmunity Center, 5 Callendar Street.

All kinds of info here

Classy Tourer

Now this is a classy Touring bike:

Parked outside of Ride Cafe- a Seven built up as a Grant Petersen Pastroral  (to borrow a nicely turned phrase from Cris).  It didn't appear to be locked (!?!)  but I suspect that its owner was just behind a pane of glass watching it like a hawk.   There were a lot of unlocked bikes around, including the orange Public visible in the photos.   If this were my lovely bike, I think I'd at least self lock it to keep someone jumping on and pedaling away before I could jump up and apprehend them.
Also although the raw titanium color is lovely,  I think I would drive myself to distraction trying to coordinate all the clear finish metals (titanium, aluminum, stainless).  That's why you need custom made titanium racks and fenders of course????

drowned bike

This showed up along the bike path the other day.  From across the street, it merely looked really really dirty.

On closer inspection it looked like it had spend time not only in a damp place, but actually underwater.

The drive train- YIKES!

It even looked like coral was growing on it, although that seems impossible.  Perhaps it was fragments of sponge rubber, like a mattress pad?

I wonder how it came to be in such shape, and how it came to be propped up against a trashcan on Memorial Drive?

Long run for a short slide

Two weekends ago, at the very last minute, I decided to go to a "bike swap" out in the center of MA.   It's a little amusing to me, having grown up in Texas that in about an hour's drive you can get halfway across the state.   I had heard about this swap meet via the Old Roads website, and it was in Dudley, a small town south of Worcester, almost to the Connecticut border.   I had heard that it could be a giant event, full of guys with no teeth, who pull vintage bikes out of dumpsters and old barns, and that by sifting though the trash there was the possibility of treasure. It was this possibility that compelled me on a grey Sunday morning to get the Scientist to drive out with me to the "wilds."

Unfortunately it turned out to be a bit of a long run for a short slide.  We spoke to a couple of vendors (bringing a small and very friendly dog along is a great way to start conversation with anyone)  who said that it was much smaller than usual, and that nothing was selling.   Most of the vendors were selling heavily modified "chopper" style bikes out of the backs of conversion vans and pickups- some even had motors and were styled after motorcycles or dirt bikes than regular bikes.  Not really my thing.

There were a handful of decent English three speeds and similar city bikes.

I like the nostalgia of these child seats, but they don't look terribly comfortable:

This vintage tandem was out the parking lot.  I wanted it, but the Scientist did not  :(

This van had a very, very tall bike strapped on the back.

Nothing really tempted me enough to buy- the prices were very low, but I already have enough English three speeds, don't need another project.   Although after I got back home, I realized that I probably could have bought a couple for $50 each,  lubed the hubs, cleaned them up, put new tires on and sold them on Craigslist for $150.  I know that a lot of people do that, but I on reflection, I have a job,  and it's not flipping bikes.  I barely have enough time to work on the bikes I have, so it's probably better not to take on further obligations.

However, if you're interested in getting a project bike for a very low price, it would be worth it to check out this kind of thing, in hopes that you will discover treasure.

CCM

What drew my eye to this bike was the fantastically curly lugs.

 I thought for a second it might be a Hetchins, down on its luck, spray painted and locked in front of  REI.    The (spray?) paint job obscured any labels, but I did notice this stamp in the chromed rear dropout:

Evidently CCM the Canadian Cycle and Motor company was the Schwinn of Canada, making some great bikes, a lot of decent bikes, and at the end of its life cycle, BSOs.

Anyway, I'm a sucker for Chromed forks and chainstays, and I'm glad I stopped, if only for the history lesson.

Wait!

But all my clothes are already cycling clothes!  I'm so confused......

Minnie Pearl,* is that your bike?

Recently spotted BSO outside the grocery store:

*Minnie Pearl was a character on Hee Haw who wore a hat with the price tag still attached.  I believe the idea was to show off how much she paid for it.