customer's bike- Late 1950s green Bates

A beautiful Bates. I have always wanted a Bates, and I even have went as far as buying a Diadrant fork, in hopes a frame would later come in my possession(so far, not yet). Bates were known for the wacky fork design and the use of Reynolds Cantiflex tubing, also known as 'cigar tubing.' Cantiflex tubing gets larger in diameter in the center and it looks like a rolled cigar.

The owner of this beautiful bicycle came in inquiring about restoring the bicycle to period correct parts. We were more than happy to help him.

Membership has it privileges

. . .well when the temperature is 97 degrees outside and the heat index is 107 degrees.

It's been a while

Well, this summer has been great for riding for me. My Hanford is mostly dialed in and ready for Paris-Brest-Paris. I have been riding a lot and I'm confident that I will finish comfortably. I will be spending a couple weeks in France, including a trip to Bordeaux to visit a bike collector and maybe to St. Etienne to visit the Musée d'Art et d'Industrie, because they have an amazing bicycle collection, (some pictures of the museum and the bicycles can be seen here on the czech website)

so, I will of course post many pictures from France, and hopefully, get back on track with postings here. I do have a lot I can post, but to just find the time.

Raleigh Lenton Sports Ladies Bicycle recently sold

Recently sold at the shop
53cm Raleigh Lenton ladies bicycle. Reynolds 531 tubing. Sturmey Archer 4 speed internal rear hub. Milremo pedals. Beautiful Raleigh decaled plastic fenders. 26 x 1 1/4" wheels. This bicycle will clean up beautifully. The paint, decals, and pinstriping is in excellent condition, and the chrome will polish up nice and shiny. This bicycle is a super example of a 1950s-early 1960s unrestored, original bicycle.


More photographs here.

You know you've been into bicycles when. . .

Click on picture to see full size, to read.
(from On The Wheel magazine)

Bicycle Shop frame stickers

(please note the address is our old address, we are now at 606 So. 9th St.)

I have slowly archiving and photographing bike shop frame stickers with the idea of setting up a Tumblr or something, to display the wide variety of shops. We are here in Philadelphia, so most are local shops, but I have so far come across some distant shops as well, including California and United Kingdom.

Hendee Indian racing bicycle

A collector friend of the shop brought by this beautiful original paint Hendee Indian racing bike. I couldn't find much online about Indian racing bikes but he headbadge suggest it was built before 1923, because the design changed that year. This bicycle is equipped with BSA cranks, bottom bracket and hubs, Duckworth block chain, wood rims, Troxel leather saddle, and Standard toe clips, and what appears to be Torrington pedals. It was originally sold here in Philadelphia on Broad Street, at Star Cycle Company. The color and boxlining are excellent, what a cool bike!