Art Stump dropouts

Art Stump dropouts seen at on Long Island, NYC . These dropouts were super lightweight
Can you guess what the one unusual dropout is for?

For information about Art Stump on the Classic Rendezvous website.

Biking lets me run

well not very bicycle related, but I just completed my first half Marathon today. That was all because of Paris Brest Paris endurance.

Racing for Profit prewar cycling catalog

This 1930s bicycle catalog is a valuable source to see what was available here in the United States before World War 2 for racing bikes. I didn't photograph the whole catalog, also available was a derailleur, all the bits and bobs to build frames(fittings and tubing), tools, tires/rims, and other miscellaneous and sundry.

This photograph is from an exhibit at Sportsman Show at Grand Central Palace, New York City, in 1936.

Pbp performance?

I was looking around on the internet this morning and stumbled upon this posting on Tarckbike.com . I thought it was funny that the time it took for me to finish riding 750+ miles was brought up, when I posted pictures of some bicycles I thought of as ridiculous for riding a comfortable Paris Brest Paris. At no time during the ride did I think I was not going to finish the ride in the allotted time. I took hundreds of pictures and would stop and take corny scenic pictures with my bike. I even stopped and ate frittes at some random village party outside of Loudeac, that ended with Karaoke and I saw a drunken fist fight. This ride was anything but a race for me, and a lot of other riders I knew riding it. And sure, many were riding the exact bikes I thought were ridiculous, but we all had one goal, finish the ride comfortably. I knew I had another week in France and I did not want to be hobbling around or laid up in my apartment. I finished the ride Thursday and by Friday morning I was completely recovered physically, and even went for a very nice bike ride that Sunday in Bordeaux.

So, for people to look at my time and say it was close to the cutoff, they should know that my last day was filled with casual riding, meeting a like minded Italian rider named Fabio, and lots of pictures and video taking. Oh, and a wrong turn. And would I do PBP again? yes, and maybe slower!

Orange Jamie Swan bicycle

Recently I visited Jamie Swan and was taken back by his work shop and his bikes. I had seen them in passing before, but an afternoon really gave me time to see that they are some of the finest crafted frames handmade today.


I love the use of spokes and nipples as the rear cable hanger.

Early 1900s bicycle ridden on PBP

Yes, this bike was ridden the whole route of Paris Brest Paris. It is a single speed with an Eadie coaster brake rear hub, plunger front brake and leather saddle, that has seen better days.
Early bicycle tax plates are visible on the headtube. As cool as this bicycle is, I was happy riding my bicycle with some gears, and proper brakes. Well done to the British rider who completed this ride, PBP he rode a Hirondelle retro-direct, and before that a triple seat tandem, and I think a more conventional road bicycle on his first Paris Brest Paris.

vintage bicycle hugger

forget about treehuggers.
from Sierra Club website