Commuting on a old classic bike

[rogerzilla]

I'm using a 1978/79 Harry Quinn. It's been pumped with rustproofer and all the chromed bits are smeared in vaseline against corrosion. One winter I used a 1950s clubman frame with 23mm Fortezza Tricomps and got zero punctures, although I had one crash on black ice and a few buttock-clenching moments on dieselly roundabouts.

No legal requirement for pedal reflectors, either

 

[Black Sheep]

No legal requirement for pedal reflectors, either

I got pulled for that one at one point!

I'd actually got pulled over for overtaking a police car on a roundabout, complete farse really, there were three lanes on (or four, can't remember)
Junction 6 of Coventry Ring road before the station re-development - I'd come pegging it down Warwick road from the memorial park, took the lane for straight over to the right of the police car, blasted past it as it was clear onto the roundabout, they were setting off from stopped. we each had our own lane for straight on, so no problems.

get pulled over,

starts having a go at me, I politely suggest that I'd adjusted my speed for the large gap and nothing was amiss.

He then started having a go at my bike, for no reflectors front and rear "as you can see officer, there is limited space and lights are fitted and in use in the place of reflectors, there is a rear one on the mudguard though"

"no pedal reflectors"

"It doesn't need them"

"what do you mean?"

"that law came in around the 80's I think?
It's like seat belts in the back seat of my car, they were not fitted when the car was built so it doesn't have to have them, but if they are fitted they are tested at MOT and must be used, this bike was built before pedal reflectors"

other police officer to his colleague: "you're just finding excuses" to me "get on your way"

 

[froze]

When I commute I either take my 84 Fuji Club or my 85 Schwinn Le Tour Luxe, both are factory original components, I even tour on the Schwinn, I would have no second thoughts of taking either across country. Neither of those bikes have more than 2 thousand miles on them! I got both of those bikes uses with the Schwinn having about 250 miles and the Fuji with just 5 miles! Up until earlier this year I was riding one of my Miyatas to work but I sold both of mine to a Miyata collector, so now I use the Schwinn and the Fuji. Anyway I wouldn't worry about using a vintage bike for commuting as long as it's kept up you'll be fine.

Speaking of Miyata, I had an odd thing happened this last week was that I had a third Miyata called a 512 I found in a dumpster, fixed it up and gave it for free to a friend of mine about 5 years ago, last week this friend returns the 512 because he bought a new bike on clearance at an LBS in town, and he wanted my grandson to get it when he's ready size wise, so now I got a 512 but it's a tad small for me so I can't ride it comfortably anywhere, but it looks nice.

I am considering selling all my bikes except the Fuji and my Lynskey of course, and use the money to buy a new sloping down tube touring bike, so I may be reducing my herd this spring. The Schwinn I use for touring now works just fine for touring but being 65 years old I have some flexibility problems getting off a standard top tube bike when it's fully loaded, so I think a sloping top tube is in order. I'll probably get the MASI Giramondo, it seems to be the best equipped for the money for touring.

 

[KneesUp]

I do it sometimes on the Raleigh Twenty, but tbh they paint has been breached in the odd spot and it's too much of a rust magnet...even with regular greasing. Doesn't help that sweat from the helmet has a tendancy to dribble all over the folding joint in the middle.

I just spray over any rust bits with clear enamel once I’ve cleaned it up. Adds patina.