Fender reflector installed on my Hanford

 I recently installed a cool 1950s French reflector on my Hanford. Evidently, I am serious about safety, multiple tail lights, Phil Wood CHP pedals with reflectors and now a rear fender reflector.

Barely visible in the waterbottle cage is a Alex Singer leather tool pouch that a fellow bike collector picked up for me in Paris over the winter. I had one before, and never used it, but as soon as I sold it, I wanted one. Isn't that always the story. It is modeled after the TA one from the 1960s.

My Hanford all ready for PBP

I took my Hanford out for one of the last rides in the US before PBP, and even with a overly stocked front handlebar bag, the bike always performs flawlessly. I am now meticulously scrutinizing what will go in the handlebar bag and debating on a small rear saddle bag. I have been deciding on what tools to bring, how many inner tubes(i think I decided on 3), and I think I finally decided on arm and leg warmers, no tights.

I decided not to use a dropbag(a service offered to bring a bag to a certain checkpoint) because I feel it is a little against the spirit of self-sustained riding. This has left me with a dilemma, because I need to bring 2 spare pairs of shorts and a few pairs of socks. It might sound like a luxury, but nothing feels better than a fresh pair of shorts after riding in the same pair for 24-35 hours. I don't want to cram the clothing in the handlebar bag, and my only seat bag is way too big and I know if I had the space, I would probably start to fill it up. So I will look around work for something that might work.

I'm also thinking about posting the contents of my handlebar bag, so other randoneurs can compare. I know that I am probably bringing more tools than the average rider, but at the same time, I usually offer my services to help others if I can and the tools assist me with that.

Hanford #1 set up for test ride

I have set up the bike to be ridden and to dial in stem length and height, so please excuse the black stem. Simon is going to build me a stem, something that will perfectly compliment the frameset, and also build me a front bag support. I love the French Blue, Bleu Farce.

TA cyclotouriste pro 5 vis cranks with 46/30 chainring combination.
Campagnolo 50th Anniversary front derailleur.

Chris King 'no logo' ahead set.
Campagnolo alloy Chorus 9spd Ergo shifters converted to 10spd.
(I prefer the shiny aluminum look over the carbon)

Recent Campagnolo Record seatpost. Paul Racer brakes.
Cool old foil Columbus decal. The frameset is built with Columbus Spirit for lugs.
Simon did the red lug lining.

pictures from NY bike Jumble

The weather held back, after threats of rain and the turnout was great. Here are a couple bikes that I saw, and remembered to photograph.

Postwar Japanese city bike with expander rear brake. It is as heavy as a modern Toyota.

Zeus track frame, that has been outfitted to best fit a messenger???
Nice Molteni orange color.

Frejus track bike.

Simon Firth built this bike in 2004 and won Best North American bike at Cirque du Cyclisme that year. What a cool stem,with a six-pence built into it.

1950s French city bike. with Prior hubs, Mafac Raid brakes, Stronglight 49d cranks, etc.

My bike with the framebuilder in NYC

I still need to refine and change a couple things, but the bicycle is ride-able and ready for this weekends 600km bike ride.(yes, I am going to change the stem, I have to figure out the perfect setup before I have Simon build me a handmade stem)

My painted Hanford frame!

Me and my framebuilder Simon Firth traveled north today to pick up my frameset from the Peter Weigle, who painted it. I pulled a lot of strings and traded a lot of favors to have one of the top framebuilders in the world to paint my first frame. It came out better than I could have imagined. Love at first site. I cannot wait to build it up and ride it. It has has to have the logos handpainted on, that is going to look very sharp, and have some nice subtle luglining. Yes, It will be at the Brooklyn Bicycle Jumble this weekend in NYC. more info about the bike swap meet here.

Hanford bicycle frame complete

Just needs some paint, graphics, and some parts. Simon Firth has made me a beautiful frame. I can't wait to ride it!

Hanford bicycle is coming together

"When is a race not a race"- when it is Paris Brest Paris

Recently I was rereading a testimonial about the 1999 Paris-Brest-Paris in an issue of On The Wheel written by Larry Strung and fantasizing about my ride this summer. It is vivid account, with many of the same worries and observations I had 4 years ago before trying to ride PBP. Will I ride too hard in the beginning, and fall apart on my way back from Brest? Who would I ride with? How long should I sleep? What bike to ride?

I quickly looked on the internet, and I was surprised that the article -"When is a race not a race? Paris-Brest-Paris 1999"- is not available online. If you are thinking about riding PBP, or just wonder what it is like, I recommend tracking it down. It is in issue #12 of One the Wheel(out of print).

Larry rode an older Peugeot, where as his friends rode fancy Litespeeds. Four years ago, I did all the brevetes in the series and took to France a 1968 Jack Taylor Super Tourist. I was shocked at the disproportionate amount of modern race bikes present in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, the start and finishing town of PBP. Along with Joel Metz, also on a Jack Taylor, it would be fair to say, we were in the minority riding old steel bikes, probably in the 1 percentile.

This year, I have been doing all of my riding on an early 1980s Eddy Merckx, not something I would have ever imagined doing more than 70-80 miles at a time, yet I have done two 200kms on it and plan to do a 300km in a week on it. I did install 700x28c tires on it, but it is far from ideal, as there is no provisions to install fenders or lights.

I put up with inconvenience because I am waiting for my custom frame to being built by Simon Firth, former head framebuilder at Bilenky Cycles, that has started to build his own bikes. I will own the first Hanford, named after the small town in the United Kingdom Simon is from. It will have a mix of modern and older parts, and will be the first new bike I have ever bought. Im excited.

Frameset is getting closer

I love the updates I get about my bike. look at this, it is starting to look awesome!

Seat stay cluster on my bike

My frame is jigged up, not brazed together, but more of a mock-up to see how everything fits together. It is really starting to look beautiful and I am getting excited.
I talked with my painter yesterday, and I can't wait!

Stronglight chainrings for my Custom built bike

I thought I had thought of everything when it came to planning out my custom bike Simon Firth is building me but one collector friend reminded me how interesting older chainrings were. I have always loved these Stronglight Touriste chainrings were, and we have a set here that I have always coveted. So, I think I am going to get a set reproduced, for my new bike. The photographs below are of reproductions made in Japan, with the current price of $550 for a set! Yikes!
But aren't they beautiful?

File under H- Headlugs

Simon filing my lugs into shape

Of course, my Paris-Brest-Paris bike would have Fleur de lis shaped lugs.

Local NAHBS winner- Bilenky Cycles

(photo from NAHBS website)

Bilenky Cycles won "Best Lugged Frame" at the North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show over the weekend. Sure that picture above does not show the lugs or anything, just a little group shot, but I am very happy that Simon is building my custom bicycle for Paris-Brest-Paris, with custom handcut polished stainless lugs.

Bilenky, maxicar

here is some very nice pin-striping done by Simon Firth at Bilenky cycles in Philadelphia. I didn't take note of what the bicycle was, just took this closeup shot. I really like the seat collar treatment.

nice fork crown seen at Bilenky.

2 rear Maxi-Car hubs. One bolton and one quick release.

Porteur chainguard

I decided after work to finally install the chainguard I got from Velo Orange a year or so ago. It was as difficult as I imagined. I was kind of limited to TA cranks with the small diameter of cutout(they have since made one that accepts more variety or cranks- with a larger hole). The original Porteur bicycles with steel cottered cranks were offset to allow for clearance so neither the crank arm or the chainring would rub against the guard. I created a "spacer" to move the position of the chainring over a little, away from the chainguard, out of a Lambert outer chainring. The mounting brackets were fabricated at Via Bicycle(I bought the chainguard without any hardware). After about 2 hours of work, I had it mounted and it did not rub, but it was a lot of measuring and was a bit of work to put it into the proper position so it would not rub. I noticed, after the final tightening, that the chainring is not center into the cutout hole. That sucks. But that is the position where it does not rub, so. . . where it will stay.

More info on Porteur bicycles here on Joel Metz's website



a chainguard mounted on a Bilenky Porteur owned by my friend Pat built by Bilenky Cycles. It is 9th Bilenky he has had built. the Pinstriping was done by Simon Firth at Bilenky Cycles, he is really coming into his own with it. (as you can see, some rubbing. I assume my might end up like this too. well I hope not).

Another awesome Employee bicycle- Davis's Bilenky

Davis(David to his mother and father), has been working at Via Bicycle for some time now, many 7 years, maybe 300, it's hard to say, he seems to know everything about the business. He works part time at Bilenky Cycle Works in North Philly learning the bicycle building trade there, I assume to one up me. Under the firm tutelage of Simon Firth and Stephen Bilenky, this bicycle was built for him, by him, with a little help from his friends. Bilenky Cycles, known for their retrofitting of S & S couplers on frames to make them more transportable, is a formidable bicycle building force. The frameset is built up with a mix of Shimano and Campagnolo, even with a hint of Velo Orange.

Maybe if I felt like working 7 days a week, I would be up at Bilenky Cycles as well. But I am known for being kinda lazy, only working 6 days a week at the bicycle shop. I love the vibrant seatstays, reminiscent of the Hetchins I own.