On yer bike!

[billyspew]

Well..I've been in touch with the folks in "Hope Valley" (what a great name!) at William Lennon's. - thanks to Libs for sending those.

They've kindly sent me some leather samples for 'brown' cycling shoes. I've taken good detailed photos so *CLICK* on the little photos and they will magically grow in size!

I'm toying betwixt the waxy tan or the waxy brown colours. The tan (it's a darkish tan) looks like it will develop more character and patina with use and abuse on the bike (Billy..? any comments).

The leather is a good, strong thickness too that I wasn't expecting!! I'm surprised in a very 'good' way. Without further ado, the photos...

(Colours are listed as TAN WAXY; DARK BROWN LATIGO; BROWN WAXY).

It is pretty thick isn't it? Oddly very soft and supple at the same time, so no breaking in problems either.

I can attest to the waxy tan developing a lovely patina, the leather on the boots I have have really started to gain that patina (I use 3 different polishes, light brown, light tan and clear).

[esteban68]

I'd go for the lightest you can always darken it and it will darken naturally, darker brown eventually will go almost black-ish...Hope Valley/Stoney Middleton is quite forboding when you drive through it with tall cliffs at it's sides, defo worth a visit Paddy if you can afford the time/fuel.... tie it in with a local-ish vintage fair and you're laughing.

[PADDY]

Cycling into Stoney Middleton..."Hello, hello. What's going on? What's all this shouting?
We'll have no trouble here. This is for local people..."

Yes - I must make a weekend of it there !

(Thanks to 'League of Gentlemen' for my humour!).

[PADDY]

LAMPS CHAPS...? I'm deliberating here in relation to my 1930's Saxon (you have enough photos already in here to bore the cycling pants off you!).

CHOICES ARE: A tin Eveready small front lamp that works on batteries (with the bakelite/plastic switch on top). These became plastic later but the shape..etc, essentially the same. OR...an old Carbide lamp (there's a few up for grabs)? Would I use the carbide? (I've used them a few times for pot holing/caving, but on the bike, I'm not sure..). Also, would they have been used on my age of lightweight? I think they look 'good,' but ...I need some advice on the choices I have, please. Thanks in advance!

[billyspew]

On the issue of lighting, I would never take a chance, I always use modern LED lamps, cycling around London is dangerous and you need to make yourself very visible.

I do have one of these which I attach to my lamp bracket on the 50's roadster when I am going to be using it in the dark. It's classic enough to not look out of place, but has the modern brightness I need.


However I am working on a project to use an old carbide lamp and add an LED into it. Not keen on the Everready style lamps myself, I think it looks very 1970's for some reason.

[esteban68]

LAMPS CHAPS...? I'm deliberating here in relation to my 1930's Saxon (you have enough photos already in here to bore the cycling pants off you!).

CHOICES ARE: A tin Eveready small front lamp that works on batteries (with the bakelite/plastic switch on top). These became plastic later but the shape..etc, essentially the same. OR...an old Carbide lamp (there's a few up for grabs)? Would I use the carbide? (I've used them a few times for pot holing/caving, but on the bike, I'm not sure..). Also, would they have been used on my age of lightweight? I think they look 'good,' but ...I need some advice on the choices I have, please. Thanks in advance!

my grandfather was still using carbide lamps during WW2

[Gin&Tonics]

Thought these might be of some interest to the cycling types on here. They're actually vintage surplus, too. I was thinking of buying a pair to use for cycling when the weather turns a bit nasty and long trousers are called for:


Now don't you all go buying them up and not leaving any for me! :P

[Mike1973]

I've used a carbide lamp before now, on my commute from work one winter. I'd blagged a jar of carbide of a friend and this lasted quite well.
I loved it! And if I could find a local supplier of carbide, I'd use it again. A really bright white/blue light, that cast a good beam of light. It was fiddly to use though, and obviously needs care and maintenance to keep it in order.
From reading my old cycling mags from the late 30's, they were still quite popular, especially from the 'old guard', who preferred them to the new battery lamps. I have a photo of mine (from '28 I think) on my 33 BSA, in the beginning of this thread, and it didn't look out of place.

I've also used old Silverkings a lot in the past as well, but on older Edwardian roadsters. Quite a comforting glow, and the little red and green glass in the sides is very pretty.

The main thing to remember is modern lamps are designed to make you be seen, in a way these old lamps are not. I used a hub dynamo on my winter bike now, in conjunction with a discreet little LED strapped to the handlebars and set to 'stun'.

LAMPS CHAPS...? I'm deliberating here in relation to my 1930's Saxon (you have enough photos already in here to bore the cycling pants off you!).

CHOICES ARE: A tin Eveready small front lamp that works on batteries (with the bakelite/plastic switch on top). These became plastic later but the shape..etc, essentially the same. OR...an old Carbide lamp (there's a few up for grabs)? Would I use the carbide? (I've used them a few times for pot holing/caving, but on the bike, I'm not sure..). Also, would they have been used on my age of lightweight? I think they look 'good,' but ...I need some advice on the choices I have, please. Thanks in advance!

[botty]

I am off to a vintage bicycle rally in a few weeks and decided that much as I would like to do it on a vintage bicycle, modern working items such as brakes etc would be a good idea over 250 miles. So with the help of my local bike shop who runs frame building courses I made my own:



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Shame about the tyres but the modern rubber will be removed for more authentic ones after the ride.





Uploaded with ImageShack.us



Uploaded with ImageShack.us



Uploaded with ImageShack.us



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Uploaded with ImageShack.us



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[FinnSpinn]

Very nice!