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Post by oldroadietehachapi on May 8, 2021 15:06:12 GMT
The forum has seen little activity the last day or two. To liven things up I am posting a link to this This Bizarre Bike Safety Video from 1963. The video (originally a film) would have been longer but they ran out of monkey people; I especially like the asphalt road roller. The video is said to be from 1963, but I see a monkey squished by a 1964 Ford; perhaps very late 1963? 1964 was cool as it was the year when I got my first 10 speed. I find it nostalgic and some of the old bikes are worth seeing. Interestingly, in my old age I find my ridding partners and I, look more and more like the monkey people.
By the way, some years ago (in a fit of nostalgia) I acquired a completely original bike like my first 10 speed.
Ride Safe Jim
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Post by brianbutler on May 8, 2021 16:32:50 GMT
Wow, nice bike. What is it? And thanks for that informative safety film. It made me go looking for more in the same genre. Here's a gem from 1950:
Those poor kids. You would think Russians and polio would be enough to worry about but no, safe bikes and clumsy parents were also big concerns.
Brian
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Jem
Viscount
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Posts: 3,390 
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Post by Jem on May 8, 2021 16:48:32 GMT
It has been quiet hasn't it? Must be the time of year- although the weather here hasn't been great.
That monkey film just terrified me and I think I will have trouble sleeping
Did you have an equivalent to the Cycling Proficiency that we had here? A short course with school and then an on-road assessment. Usually around age10/11. Then , hopefully, a nice certificate and a button badge.
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Post by franco on May 8, 2021 18:09:51 GMT
The monkey people video is bizarre, I do like looking at the old bikes though, how they set them up, most things nostalgic really, even the fashion of the day.
When we were kids we had the ‘Cycling Proficiency Test’ in the UK, if I remember right you got a badge and a certificate for it. They basically taught you to ride tucked into the kerb and various hand signals etc, you can’t do that now of course because there are thousands of parked cars alongside every road and street.
It has been quiet lately. I planned to ride today but the weather is awful for this time of year.
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Post by oldroadietehachapi on May 8, 2021 19:09:41 GMT
Wow, nice bike. What is it?
Brian
This be it
Cheers Jim
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Post by oldroadietehachapi on May 8, 2021 19:21:28 GMT
The monkey people video is bizarre, I do like looking at the old bikes though, how they set them up, most things nostalgic really, even the fashion of the day. When we were kids we had the ‘Cycling Proficiency Test’ in the UK, if I remember right you got a badge and a certificate for it. They basically taught you to ride tucked into the kerb and various hand signals etc, you can’t do that now of course because there are thousands of parked cars alongside every road and street. It has been quiet lately. I planned to ride today but the weather is awful for this time of year. Not much, we had movies like Brian's. We also had a safety oriented "bicycle rodeo" once a year at our local school. As for a badge, we had soda bottle caps.
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Post by wheelson on May 9, 2021 0:40:12 GMT
Wow, nice bike. What is it?
Brian
This be it
Cheers Jim
Ah, the Austrian-built J.C. Higgins, built by Austro Daimler, Reynolds 531. Actually, a very good bike that still has a following in the USA. Best, John “w” |
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Post by oldroadietehachapi on May 9, 2021 3:03:38 GMT
John wrote
"Ah, the Austrian-built J.C. Higgins, built by Austro Daimler, Reynolds 531. Actually, a very good bike that still has a following in the USA.
Best"
In 1964, I was 13 and my buddies rode Schwinn Continentals. My Sears bike was lighter, quicker, had better handling and better workmanship. Big thrills when you are 13. Did I mention that it was also cheaper? My little buddies still teased me for having a bike from Sears.
Thanks
Jim
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Post by oldroadietehachapi on May 11, 2021 19:27:28 GMT
John wrote "Ah, the Austrian-built J.C. Higgins, built by Austro Daimler, Reynolds 531. Actually, a very good bike that still has a following in the USA. Best"
I have never been able to document the type of steel in the frame. Many secondary sources say Reynolds 531 (straight gauge). The seatpost diameter is of no help as it is set to 25.0mm by the seat lug. I suspect this was done as the standard stick style seatpost of the day was 25.0. In those days "alloy" usually refereed to Chromoly or Magmoly steel. The bike is still a nice ride, even by modern standards.
Of even greater mystery is the version I had in 1964 (the pictured $74.95 bike). It seemed to have an identical frame but came with Huret Allvit derailleurs, wing nuts instead of quick release, a stick seatpost, and other small differences. Nevertheless, it was $12 ($102 today) cheaper, better equipped and much lighter than the "Electroforged" Schwinn Continental competition my buddies rode. I also was lucky; my Dad ordered the $57.95 model but they were out of stock and sent my $74.95 bike. Come to think of it, the cheapo $57.95 bike was probably better than a Continental.
Time to Ride Jim
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Post by wheelson on May 11, 2021 20:31:32 GMT
John wrote "Ah, the Austrian-built J.C. Higgins, built by Austro Daimler, Reynolds 531. Actually, a very good bike that still has a following in the USA. Best"
I have never been able to document the type of steel in the frame. Many secondary sources say Reynolds 531 (straight gauge). The seatpost diameter is of no help as it is set to 25.0mm by the seat lug. I suspect this was done as the standard stick style seatpost of the day was 25.0. In those days "alloy" usually refereed to Chromoly or Magmoly steel. The bike is still a nice ride, even by modern standards.
Of even greater mystery is the version I had in 1964 (the pictured $74.95 bike). It seemed to have an identical frame but came with Huret Allvit derailleurs, wing nuts instead of quick release, a stick seatpost, and other small differences. Nevertheless, it was $12 ($102 today) cheaper, better equipped and much lighter than the "Electroforged" Schwinn Continental competition my buddies rode. I also was lucky; my Dad ordered the $57.95 model but they were out of stock and sent my $74.95 bike. Come to think of it, the cheapo $57.95 bike was probably better than a Continental.
Time to Ride Jim
Some of the early Schwinn Continentals were filet braised frames with the threaded bottom bracket shell. That preceded the electro-forged frame/ Ashtabula crank era. I started working in a Schwinn dealership in 1966, and I think that transition had already been made. Best, John “w” |
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Post by oldroadietehachapi on May 12, 2021 3:33:14 GMT
John, you were a Schwinn guy! You sure got me thinking; so, I sat down and did some research and found this wonderful site Fillet Brazed Schwinns. Of course I am doing my usual thing of flogging trivia to death. In a nutshell, the article says were three classes of Schwinn ten-speed bicycles : 1. The top-line Paramount series , with framesets built of silver-soldered Reynolds 531double-butted tubing and Nervex lugs. 2. The Superior, Sports Tourer, and Super Sport , whose frames were brass fillet-brazed of SAE 4130 chrome molybdenum straight-gauge seamless tubing. 3. The remaining models from the "Continental" on down, made of flash-welded ("electro-forged") 15-16 gauge longitudinally-welded steel tubing produced in Schwinn's own tube mill.
Which frame has what can be identified by the tube spacing on the head tube. Some other sources list the very early Continental (1948-1952?) as fillet brazed but the pictures they show look like the they have the electro-forged head tube spacing. I suppose it is just another mystery.
In 1964, my main riding partner traded in his Continental on a new 1963 Schwinn Superior; it was a very nice bike and (to me) much nicer than its’ Continental sibling. It had nice Huret dropouts, but It still had the Ashtabula crank; what was Schwinn thinking? Nevertheless, the bike was painted the most wonderful blue.
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Post by wheelson on May 12, 2021 12:51:29 GMT
Yes, I'm by default a Schwinn guy! First job out of high school in 1966, returned in 1974 after military service. Being a bit nostalgic, I have a thrift shop find 1966 Schwinn Varsity with some patina but totally original, complete with long Huret downtube shifters - brazed on mounts. I also have a 1974 Paramount, all Campagnolo, built up from a frameset piece by piece, which of course violates all sense of economy. My other currently rideable Schwinn is a 1985 Voyageur SP light touring bike with full matching pannier kit. Also, the unbuilt Schwinn frames seem endless: Collegiate, Varsity, LeTour, and a nice '78 Superior frameset that I need to build to replace one of my more modern riders.
This "collection" does not negate my new found affection for the Lambert / Viscount clan. Currently, with 6 bikes or framesets, I'm struggling to find a "purpose filled path" for each: the little Lambert is for Mrs.Wheelson, the blue one gets mudguards and racks for light touring, the pseudo-Supa for nice day special rides, the silver/black Aerospace longer term as a daily rider, the black one is a possible weight-weenie project, and the as-acquired-paint-stripped-lightly-rusted-too-large Aerospace frame is likely free for the taking or powder coated, built, and sold. Sad that road bikes in the local market just do not sell unless they're modern high end.
Too many bikes, at 72+ years old I better start thinking about a succession plan!
Best,
John "wheelson"
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Post by brianbutler on May 12, 2021 13:25:47 GMT
Yes, I'm by default a Schwinn guy! First job out of high school in 1966, returned in 1974 after military service. Being a bit nostalgic, I have a thrift shop find 1966 Schwinn Varsity with some patina but totally original, complete with long Huret downtube shifters - brazed on mounts. I also have a 1974 Paramount, all Campagnolo, built up from a frameset piece by piece, which of course violates all sense of economy. My other currently rideable Schwinn is a 1985 Voyageur SP light touring bike with full matching pannier kit. Also, the unbuilt Schwinn frames seem endless: Collegiate, Varsity, LeTour, and a nice '78 Superior frameset that I need to build to replace one of my more modern riders. This "collection" does not negate my new found affection for the Lambert / Viscount clan. Currently, with 6 bikes or framesets, I'm struggling to find a "purpose filled path" for each: the little Lambert is for Mrs.Wheelson, the blue one gets mudguards and racks for light touring, the pseudo-Supa for nice day special rides, the silver/black Aerospace longer term as a daily rider, the black one is a possible weight-weenie project, and the as-acquired-paint-stripped-lightly-rusted-too-large Aerospace frame is likely free for the taking or powder coated, built, and sold. Sad that road bikes in the local market just do not sell unless they're modern high end. Too many bikes, at 72+ years old I better start thinking about a succession plan! Best, John "wheelson" Haha, purpose filled path! Good luck. I'm going through the same analysis with my dozen or so bikes. Let's see, a Trek 520 for loaded touring, Viscount Sebring with rack and fenders for light touring, Dawes Galaxy for mid-weight touring, Motobecane Grand Touring for light midweight touring, etc. Then the road bikes, one for each day of the week, one for gravel trails, and following Jim Gude's lead, one that I allow to get wet. Might need some duplicates in case one is dirty or needs maintenance. And a couple for parts or that can be used in a pinch. Oh yeah, I forgot the Raleigh Sports 3-Speed, which I plan to use on some sort of tweed ride "real soon now."
It reminds me of Steve Martin's bit - "I never smoke pot. Well sometimes in the late evening. And occasionally in the early evening. Or late afternoon, or early afternoon. Maybe sometimes in the early mid late afternoon, but almost never in the morning."
Brian
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Post by oldroadietehachapi on May 12, 2021 15:02:19 GMT
Brian, John and I (as well as more of you) have an old bike addiction and many bikes. This does not diminish our love for old Viscounts; we find a mixture of bikes enriches our experience. I think that a nice way to say they feed our addiction. Some (but not all) of my bikes can be found on Pedal Room. I also have ten or so frames waiting for resurrection. I have reached a point where if something comes in, then something must go. Of course that works both ways. If something goes, then something must come (right?). My wife is supportive as they keep me fit and she knows what I am up to. Jay Leno said it best "I have one woman and 150 cars". See it here at 3 minutes .
I do need a succession plan. If I croak first, my loving wife is stuck with a bunch of bicycles and no idea as to what to do with them. There is a need as many on Classic Rendezvous mention this as well. I think some kind of broker who sells entire collections on consignment would be a solution. The main problem (as always) is shipping. Any ideas?
As for Schwinn; funny how Schwinn diminished while Trek grew. I don't have a Schwinn in my collection and john now has me looking at them. A Paramount wold be nice but they are too expensive. The hard to find Volare from 1977-78 always catches my eye. Maybe I can just ignore this, and maybe not; pity me my friends.
My Bare Frames and Frame Sets:
Atala (Columbus SL)
Basso Gap
Ideor Asso
Mondia Special 1972
Motobecane Team Champion 1978
Paragon (Lars Zebroski) 1964
Peugeot U08
Rocky Mountain Thin Air
Trek 660 1984
Trek 710 1979
Vitus 979
Ride Safe Jim
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Post by franco on May 12, 2021 22:21:33 GMT
It is an addiction, like others here I have a bike for every day of the week. Love seeing those old promotional pictures, it’s pure eye candy. Thanks for posting this stuff up Jim.  |
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Post by oldroadietehachapi on May 13, 2021 1:32:31 GMT
Love seeing those old promotional pictures, it’s pure eye candy. Thanks for posting this stuff up Jim. Franco, I like them too!
Ride safe Jim
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