Author Topic: Interesting and Unusual Bikes You've Seen (Read 640583 times)

clarion · « **Reply #275 on:** 06 March, 2010, 12:48:07 pm »

I saw yet another cruiser. This one was an Electra, and it was so curly the tubes seem to have got lost on the way from one joint to another.

dave r · « **Reply #276 on:** 06 March, 2010, 08:50:22 pm »

Over at Shenton yesterday in Whitemore's antiques and tea room this was languishing round the back out side one of the units with a £35 price tag on it

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looks in need of a little TLC.

clarion · « **Reply #277 on:** 06 March, 2010, 09:01:43 pm »

Terrible things, but interesting.

dave r · « **Reply #278 on:** 06 March, 2010, 09:17:17 pm »

Quote from: clarion on 06 March, 2010, 09:01:43 pm

Terrible things, but interesting.

I must admit to knowing nothing about them, it looked like restoring it might make an interesting project for someone with the time to do it.

TimO · « **Reply #279 on:** 06 March, 2010, 09:23:25 pm »

I suspect the big problem with doing work on an Itera would be getting the spares, since a lot of it is incompatible with other bike bits.

According to the Wikipedia entry, someone has actually bought up the IP to use in the design of a recycled/recyclable bike, but since that was slated for 2009-2010, and I've heard nothing about this (has anyone?) I wouldn't be surprised if nothing ever happens.

clarion · « **Reply #280 on:** 06 March, 2010, 09:33:03 pm »

You could buy the two Iteras at Re:Cycling in Elephant & Castle for spares

TimO · « **Reply #281 on:** 08 March, 2010, 02:40:35 pm »

A brand new Moulton in the bike store at work. It didn't look like the components were massively expensive, but it did have a Nitto seat post and Brooks saddle.

It just seemed curiously apposite, since this morning I watched an episode of Country Tracks with fairly extensive coverage of Alex Moulton and his bikes.

jezhiggins · « **Reply #282 on:** 08 March, 2010, 02:48:56 pm »

Rode with the kids to school today (and broke a spoke

), but was massively cheered up seeing a little lad unicycling his way across the playground and into the bike shed. What a star.

CrinklyLion · « **Reply #283 on:** 08 March, 2010, 09:54:55 pm »

Whereas I got to school and played an entertaining round of bike jenga in the sheds to try and help all the late kids fit their bikes in. A really shocking number of the bikes I moved where just plain unsafe. I think a word in the head's ear might be due... bit less emphasis on helmets, bit more on brakes.

TimO · « **Reply #284 on:** 08 March, 2010, 10:09:05 pm »

When I was at school, the local plod would periodically check the bikes in the bike sheds, and since in that era we didn't seem to lock our bikes to anything (just a lock around the rear wheel and frame), they'd then remove all the unsafe ones, and require whoever they belonged to, to come and pick them up.

Presumably they then explained to them what was unsafe, and told them to walk home. Mine never got taken away, so I'm not sure exactly what happened!

ed_o_brain · « **Reply #285 on:** 11 March, 2010, 12:49:25 pm »

clarion · « **Reply #286 on:** 11 March, 2010, 01:08:50 pm »

Chain's a bit slack.

With a derailleur?!

ed_o_brain · « **Reply #287 on:** 11 March, 2010, 05:23:39 pm »

Quote from: clarion on 11 March, 2010, 01:08:50 pm

Chain's a bit slack.

With a derailleur?!

I know.

It's a Raleigh Dyna Tech, bonded construction!
The lady owner said it didn't ride very well.

TimO · « **Reply #288 on:** 11 March, 2010, 05:45:51 pm »

As I recall the DynaTechs had a tendency to come apart when the glued joints failed. I can't imagine that there are that many still in use for that reason.

Oaky · « **Reply #289 on:** 14 March, 2010, 07:11:28 pm »

Saw a Mercian today at the park in Witham. Was quite pleased that I identified it across the park, on the basis of frame geometry and the dark blue colour.

Not unusual in itself, but the stem was pretty odd. it seemed to be 50mm or less. I also believe ti was angled down about 45 degrees. From the distance it almost looked like there was no stem at all and the bars were lashed directly to the steerer.

I didn't get a close enough look, but I assume it was a quill-type stem.

I've never seen the like of it before. Are they more common than I imagine?

Zoidburg · « **Reply #290 on:** 14 March, 2010, 07:20:27 pm »

Quote from: ed_o_brain on 11 March, 2010, 05:23:39 pm

Quote from: clarion on 11 March, 2010, 01:08:50 pm
Chain's a bit slack.

With a derailleur?!

I know.

It's a Raleigh Dyna Tech, bonded construction!
The lady owner said it didn't ride very well.

A lot of late 80s early 90s MTBs rode like dogs.

The huge top tube length, coupled with a lot of trail and a huge stem.

They turn like oil tankers, they do make OK tourers though.

recumbentpanda · « **Reply #291 on:** 14 March, 2010, 07:29:59 pm »

Quote from: clarion on 06 March, 2010, 09:33:03 pm

You could buy the two Iteras at Re:Cycling in Elephant & Castle for spares

All this loose talk of buying and restoring Iteras is dangerous dalliance with the

Forces of Evil

. I had to ride one once. The front wheel takes a full three seconds to respond to any movement of the handlebars while the torque works its way down the steerer. The wheels rims flatten between the spoke ends and give you a weird out of phase vibro-massage. One poor soul actually rode a jogle on one: he said the brake-blocks caught fire on long downhills. If you are ever tempted by an Itera, get a friend to lock you to a sheffield rack until the fit passes . . .

The recumbent panda

Eccentrica Gallumbits · « **Reply #292 on:** 16 March, 2010, 10:58:12 pm »

There was a Dawes tandem locked to the bike racks when I was at my evening class tonight. I've been going to that class for nearly 2 years and I've never seen the tandem before. I wonder who it belongs to.

MattH · « **Reply #293 on:** 25 March, 2010, 08:01:16 am »

Saw a Calfee locked to a bike rack in Sainsburys somewhere on the south coast (I'd popped in for water on a 260K DIY)

Bamboo frame, with full Dura-Ace (including wheels), Brooks saddle and bar tape.

The tubes are connected using resin soaked hemp

The dropouts are metal, not wood.

The owner (Keith?), who'd just been out on a club run, said that it rode better than his carbon or steel bikes, soaking up the vibrations nicely, but being light and responsive. It cost him close to £4000.
I lust that bike!

tiermat · « **Reply #294 on:** 25 March, 2010, 08:05:59 am »

MattH, that is a thing of beauty!!!!!!!!!!

fred the great · « **Reply #295 on:** 25 March, 2010, 08:26:29 am »

Saw a Royal 12 speed parked outside our Clinic. A road bike with no grips or bar tape and an imitation Brooks saddle.

I'm guessing it has come from China though generally it was in good condition. 12 speed suggests a very old bike to me.

Deano · « **Reply #296 on:** 25 March, 2010, 08:40:33 pm »

Spotted an offroad tandem outside a bike hire place in Keswick on Saturday. Had we not been halfway through a 300km audax, I might have been tempted to ask if it was for hire...

oncemore · « **Reply #297 on:** 25 March, 2010, 08:50:04 pm »

And when feeling a bit down just hold a flame under the "resin soaked hemp" and breathe in.

But yes it's very nice!

DrMekon · « **Reply #298 on:** 26 March, 2010, 10:07:12 pm »

Had a nosey round the cycle shed.

Very old Brooks fitted to a new Dawes (and an Add a bike next to it)

A badly resprayed Woodrup

A plastic Brooks fitted to a old Indian bike - not one I've seen in their Heritage Collection.

clarion · « **Reply #299 on:** 31 March, 2010, 10:05:36 pm »

Last night, there was a woman on a cool Hetchins in Wallington.

Author Topic: Interesting and Unusual Bikes You've Seen (Read 640583 times)

ed_o_brain

ed_o_brain

Zoidburg