The Other Bikes in my Life . . .

Yesterday I posted about all the road bikes I have had. Down deep I am a roadie. Road bikes and road racing is what I really like, but I have dabbled in mountain bikes.

My first mountain bike was a Miyata Ridge Runner. I bought in in the mid 1980s.his was the early days of mountain biking. It was a simple, 18-speed rigid frame with friction shifters. I have to admit that the bike was a hoot! The first day I took it out to the trails behind my apartment, I had a blast. It was like being a kid again. I rode it thru puddles, over logs and rocks, thru the mud and brush. I laughed my head off the whole time. I kept the bike until the early 90s. I gave it to my brother for a favor he did me. We replaced the brake and shifter cables, but it still rode fine.

Miyata Ridge Runner

In time, I bought a Trek 830 Mt. Track when we lived in Vermont. It had a rigid frame, but was a 21-speed bike with indexed shifting. I rode that bike for a quite a while. I had bought my daughter a Trek 800 Antelope. I still have that bike. I rode it a lot when we lived in New Jersey (I swapped the tires with slicks). It was my 'urban assault' bike. The Trek 800 now sits on my turbo trainer for riding indoors in the winter.

Trek 830 Mt. Track

I sold the Trek 830 and my Denti road bike around 2000. I then bought a Mongoose D50 full suspension mountain bike. The D50 was a low-end full suspension bike. It was heavy, and the full suspension did not have any lockout, so the bike suffered a lot of sag when standing on the peddles when going uphill. I had swapped the tires to semi-slicks (allowing me to get a couple of mph faster on the road).

Mongoose D50i Full Suspension MTB

Frankly, mountain biking was never my thing. It is fun as a change of pace, but I always likes the speed of the road bikes. If I could drive a Ferarri or a Jeep, give me the Ferrari!

I gave the Mongoose to the son of a friend of ours in Vermont in 2003 and bought a Klein Quantum road bike (which I still have).

I bought a Haro V4 hard-tail mountain bike a few years ago. I ride it in the early season when the roads are messy. I also ride it occasionally as a change from road riding. Mountain biking can be a nice change from the road as it requires different skills.

Haro V4

When we lived in Vermont we used to go to a used bike shop called the Old Spokes Home. It was a great shop. There were very old bikes, and gently used bikes from all decades. I picked up a 1970s vintage Hercules (Raleigh) British 3-speed. I ride it around on occasion when going into town or when the wife and I go for rides (we should do this more, but we are not a matched pair when one considers riding speed - it is hard riding with an ex-bike racer).

Hercules British 3-Speed

It is amazing to look at how the technology of bicycles has changed over time. Now bikes are made with carbon fiber and titanium alloys. There are now computer-controlled shifters and power monitors. I can't wait to see what the future brings.

Two-Wheeled Memories

I was thinking the other day that I have owned more bicycles than cars. For those of you who follow my blog, you know I like to ride. I even did some racing (but that was over 20 years ago). Still, I like to get out and feel my legs moving me along, know I am breathing, and see the world passing by.

I learned to ride in second grade. I guess that would be sometime in 1968. I don't remember that bike much - a simple 20" boys bike of the day (pre-banana seat days). I got a cool banana seat bike around 1970. It was metallic green with a green seat. It was chopper-styled, with a 14" front tire and a 20" racing slick in the back. It had chrome fenders. It was very sweet.

A Chopper-Styled Banana Seat Bike (mine was green with fenders)

When I graduated from 6th grade (1973), I got my first 10-speed. Actually, I got my second 10-speed also. My first 10-speed was stolen from our yard a few weeks after I got it. It was chained to the clothesline, but the chain was cut. I was sad, but my parents went out and bought a new bike (I wish they were still around to tell them thanks - we didn't have a lot of money). I rode that bike everywhere. My brother and I would ride our bikes around the neighborhood and over to the shopping mall on Sundays (malls were closed on Sundays back then so the parking lot was empty and we could ride in any direction without worrying about cars). It was a Sears bike (Mom worked at Sears and could get a 10% discount). It looked a lot like the one below:

A Sears 10-Speed, circa 1970s.

My next bike was a Peugeot. I got it when I was in college. It was a touring bike. I put toe clips and straps on it. I started to really get into cycling then. I would average 60 miles or more a week.

1980s Peugeot Touring Bike (mine did not have the rack)

When I went to graduate school in 1983, I left my Peugeot with my brother. I bought a Lotus sport / touring bike. I bought my first set of cycling shoes ( a pair of Detto's), my first set of cycling shorts, and then started to get into racing (time trialing and team triathlons - I did the bike portions). By then I was riding over 100 miles a week.

1980s Lotus Sport / Touring Bike

Detto Shoes

I decided to upgrade my bike about a year later. I bought a 1984 Bianchi Limited. It was an entry-level racing bike. I had the bike shop swap out the touring rear derailleur with a low end Campagnolo racing derailleur. I loved that bike. By then I was riding over 150 miles per week. By then Greg Lemond was making a name for himself.

1984 Bianchi Limited

Campagnolo Derailleur

I rode the Bianchi until 1987. I was now averaging about 200+ miles per week and was in the prime of my racing form. I could ride like the wind. Riding was my life. I had cycling posters on the walls of my office at work. Ride to live, live to ride!

In 1987 I was involved in a cycling accident, and my beloved Bianchi was busted up (I was pretty banged up also, but I healed). I still have the jersey I was wearing in a frame.

Bianchi Jersey

I decided to get a new, custom bike, so I picked out the frame (a black Mino Denti frameset), Matrix Ico-C wheels, Campagnolo hubs and head tube bearings, Suntour Superbe Pro derailleurs, and other bits. The bike fit me like a glove, but the Matrix wheels would never stay true (early generation aero-shaped alloy wheels). The black frame was accented with a white saddle, white handlebar tapes, and lots of chrome. It was a beautiful bike.

Mino Denti Frameset (mine was black with chrome)

I did more mountain biking and grew away from road biking in the 90s. By 2000, my Italian frame was getting aged. It did not have indexed shifting, it needed new wheels, and could do with new freewheel and chain. I sold the old Mino Denti. I bought a new Klein Quantum in 2003. I have been riding on it for the last 7 years. It has been a great bike. I put new wheels on it last year (they had developed cracks in them). I try to ride 100 to 150 miles a week in the summer. I don't have the speed I used to twenty years ago, but can still ride over 20 miles per hour.

Klein Quantum

One of these years I'll upgrade. Actually, I might get a cyclocross bike (it would be good in the winter). I have a 1970s era British 3-speed and a Haro V4 mountain bike. Maybe I'll do a post on all the mountain bikes I have owned (4 counting the one I own now). I even had a unicycle as a teenager! Like I said, I have had more bikes than cars . . .

Blooming Time

As I was out and about the yard, I came across a number of signs of spring . . .

The common dandelion.

Daffodils.

Dainty Violets.

Ground Ivy.

Most of these plants are common, and the violets, ivy and dandelion are pretty invasive and sometimes considered to be weeds. I am not obsessed by perfect lawns. Grass is boring compared to any of these plants.

However, the warm weather has brought out the Japanese Knotweed. Though the knotweed is only2 inches tall now, it can grow to 6 feet or more. I've already sharpened up the scythe. Bring it on . . .

Emergent Japanese Knotweed.

Project Updates

I had recently posted about stabilizing the bank at the creek. It was a lot of work moving stone and building up the embankment. I still have some more work to do. I'll wait for another warm weekend to work in the creek.

I also put a coat of stain on the gate leg table. I'll probably need to take some steel wool to the top to get it real smooth and finish it.

Gotta make room for new projects . . .

Tasks Interrupted

We have an old sidewalk going from the driveway under our deck toward the back door. I had decided to break the concrete up. It was always a nuisance mowing around the slab. I decided that I would use the concrete chunks to help stabilize the bank of the creek.

I got out the sledge hammer, a pry bar and a pick. I started to bang away on the side walk. I started to make a deep groove in one section of the concrete. I then got the pry bar under the slab to see if I could lift the piece. I then discovered that the slab is reinforced with wire mesh. I'll need to rethink how I break the side walk.

I did learn something. I had heard that you can get worms to come to the surface with deep thrumming noises. As I was banging away on the slab, I noticed a bunch of worms had come to the surface. I guess the story is true!

I then decided to work on my tractor. I remembered that I had noticed a broken sway bar bracket. I went to the tractor store and ordered a new part. I did remove the wheel weighs and put a new air filter and gas filter in, but still have a number of tasks to do before I can mow the grass (sharpen blades, change oil and filter, install new bracket, remove the plow, install mower deck).

I then went for a bike ride. It was windy and cool, but the sun was out and the trees and bushes are starting to leaf out.

I guess I have something to do next weekend!

Horseshoe Update

In my previous post, I noted I found an old horseshoe. Based in my research, it is a fullered draft horseshoe with heel calks and a toe grab.

This was a shoe for a working draft horse with features in it to add traction (heel calks and toe grab).

The grooves along each side are the fullers. This is an older shoe (modern forged shoes do not have this feature). Pretty cool!

I really need to get a metal detector and work around the barn!

Busy Day

We continue to have a very warm Spring. It was over 80 degF today. I spent a lot of time working in the yard. I changed out the clothesline (the old line was getting pretty worn). I then finished removing the fencing which was about the barn. It looks a little bare now, but the post were rotting out as well as the rails. It didn't take much time to take it all down.

I raked out the hosta garden. I did some touch-up painting around the barn, and also raked out some of the other flower beds. I built up a rock foundation around the well head to put an older pump head over the well head. It looks a lot better than a modern well head.

We have had some erosion on the creek. I spent a few hours stacking rock on the back to limit the erosion. While working on the bank, I found a horseshoe. I need identify it (if you know what type of shoe it is, let me know).

It was nice to be outside, but after several hours of working outside I was getting tired. I walked over to the creek to sit on the bench I put there last year. I startled a pair of mallard ducks. They flew just a few yards down stream, but stayed around a while.

We'll be grilling outside tonite. Enjoy the warm weather!

Auction Finds

Yesterday was my 'off-Friday'. We went to the local auction house. It was a good auction (at least for "mantiques"). We picked up a 6 gallon crock. Surprisingly, we saw it a few months ago. Back then, the crock went unsold (minimum bid was $10. Had I known the wife wanted it, I would have jumped on it. It came up ago, so I bought it, The colors were good, though there are a few chips and a slight crack. I got it got $25. The wife loved it.

I took a toolbox with some braces (drills) and assorted tools. It also went for $25. We also picked up a few pitchforks ($15). I needed some for the compost piles. For $15, you can't beat the price.

And what would Uncle Tractor do without a cast iron tractor seat. It is a Eureka 128 (you can see the name Eureka cast into the seat). It was repainted a solid red. It might be a reproduction (at $15, no big deal), though is a nice decorative item (I now have it hanging in the barn). Tractor seats are collectible. Maybe I'll start collecting them!

We also put an absentee bid in for some red / white toile plates for our daughter. I am sure that we did not bid enough - but you never know. We'll see in a few days if we get a call!

Character

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.” - Lance Armstrong

"That which does not kill us makes us stronger." - Friedrich Nietzsche

I remember talking to my father after his first heart attack. He was home from the hospital and on the mend. He was not yet ready to go back to work, but he was allowed to take walks. He had his nitro tablets if he had any chest pains. I sat at the kitchen table with him one morning and asked where he walked. He said he did not go far from the house because he might have pain. I found this a funny response. He knew everyone in the neighborhood. If he had any discomfort, he could sit on someones porch and take a nitro pill. I guess he did not want to bother anyone if there was an issue. But how would you know your limit? You have to push the edge a little to find your limits (we all have them).

Today was one of those days.

I went for a 34 mile yesterday. The winds were light, it was in the high 40's, and I had a good ride.

Today was tough. It was around 35 degF went I left. The winds were around 15 to 20 MPH from the south. It was cloudy. With the windchill, it felt like 25 degF!

Today was to be a hill day. I chose a route to do some hill work for the first 10 miles, head into the winds for about 5 miles, turn east for more hills for another 7 miles, and then ride 13 miles north back home. The headwinds and cold temperatures just drained the snap from my legs. I would get to the top of a hill, then freeze as I accelerated downhill. The headwinds felt like pedaling through molasses. By the time I got through the hills and headed north, bu toes felt like ice, my legs were stiff, and I just couldn't get my legs to turn fast. I plodded home.

When you have one of these type of days, you think of cutting the ride short. I could have just called the wife and have her pick me up. Though my speed was well under what I would have liked to see, I was not cramping nor did I feel like I hit the wall. I powered through it all.

It is expected to be in the high 60's and 70's by next weekend. I hope this character building only makes me stronger next weekend. We'll see . . .

Auction Update

We did get the winning bid for the metal cooler. $10! The wife got a call today from the auction house. The tractor bell went for 'way more' than the $25 we bid. The cooler reminds me of the coolers we had on our porch. The milk man ('Old Man Miller') used to deliver milk in glass jugs 3 times a week (we were big milk drinkers). You still can get milk delivered in certain areas, but home delivery of milk is now a vestige of a simpler time.

A Similar Kamp Kold Cooler

We've seen similar coolers for as much as $100! Ours has a slightly different handle and is not in as good shape. The wife bought it for its decorative appeal. A fun find.

Nice Weather

The last 3 days have been beautiful. I had Friday off from work. The wife andI decided to visit my sister,who also had the day off. I rode my bike out towards her place. My wife followed in the car. It was cold when I started, though I made good time. At about 22 miles, I headed into the wind and my speed dropped off. My wife had started out a few hours later and caught up with me at mile 44. I was glad to throw the bike on the rack and jump into the car to get out of the winds. After a quick shower at my sister's place, we all went for lunch. Italian - yum!

We headed home later in the afternoon and stopped by one of the local auction houses. We put a couple of absentee bids out for a bell (it had a tractor on it) and an old-fashion milk jug cooler for the porch. As we didn't hear anything, guess we didn't get them.

We came home and I did a little cleanup in the yard. The roofers had left 2 large pieces of roofing which I dragged into the barn. The new roof is done and it looks great.

New Metal Barn Roof

New Roof Over Gym

Saturday found me working in the yard. We spread some topsoil around the new well and where the crew dug out the old village water line. I hooked the roller to the tractor and smoothed out the soil and pushed down the tread marks from the heavy equipment. I did some raking, collected all the sticks from the yard, did some work on the barn gutters, and used some roll sheet metal to cover a hole the birds had made in the garage (pesky varmints)! I went for a 26 mile ride in the early afternoon. As it was nearly 60 degF, I did not wear any of my cold weather kit. It felt nice riding. I saw my first bluebird. What a nice ride. We fired up the grill and enjoyed the warmer weather.

Today I was lazy. I got a 32 mile ride in, but did not get out to the workshop to finish the gate leg table. It was just too nice to work inside. After my ride I grabbed a nap, and then went out to the creek to listen to the water and watch the birds. I noticed the daffodils were coming up. This warm weather (about 20 degF above normal) has really jump-started spring. We are headed back to normal temps and rain over the next few days. Next weekend will only be in the 40's. Oh well. . .

Enjoy the warmth while you can.

Daffodils

It's Official!

It was a beautiful day. I decided to go out for a quick bike ride after work. I had the sun in my eyes on the ride out so I couldn't see them, but I could hear them . . .

Red wing blackbirds!

I had a flat. I fixed the flat and then headed back home. As the sun was setting, I could then see the red wing blackbirds.

It is officially spring!

Spring News Flash

Though I have been hearing them, I haven't seen any robins. Yesterday, I saw my first! Spring is here!

Signs of Spring

It rained all day yesterday and into the night. Today it was cold and windy, but we had a respite from rain. I decided to get outside for a bicycle ride. Though the wind and cold sap your strength, it is more fun than sitting on the turbo trainer watching last year's Tour de France videos.

With the coming of spring, the signs are appearing everywhere that life is stirring. I hear more songbirds calling, but I still haven't seen any redwing blackbirds. When I see the redwing blackbirds, I know for sure that spring has come.

I rode north following the east branch of the Owego River. A few years ago, I saw signs of beaver in the river about 15 miles from my home. Now, I saw beaver dams and a lodge around 10 miles from here. Last spring I saw beaver signs just down the street from our house, though the river is too an large here for them to dam the river. Upstream, the river is slower and there are more small creeks for the beaver to navigate and dam.

The sap buckets are on the maple trees. A nearby neighbor has a small sugarbush just down our street. About 2.5 miles up the hill from our house, there is a sugar shack making syrup. Real, fresh maple syrup is so much better than the syrup you find in the grocery stores. The thought of a hot, steaming plate of pancakes with maple syrup sound real good right now after my bike ride in the cold!

Progress

Spring is soon to come, and the outside projects are starting!

We found a contractor to put a new roof on the barn. They started this week due to the unusually warm March weather (it was nearly 50 degF - amazing we had 18 inches a snow just 2 week ago!). They got the purlins on the main roof barn, and are nearly finished on the east side of the main barn. They will then work on the single-story section over the gym. With the new roof, the barn work will be finished (for now)!

The well drillers are busy around the neighborhood. A number of our neighbors have followed our lead and getting wells drilled.

With the warm weather, the melting snow has brought the creeks and rivers up. Our creek is running high, but there is no worry about flooding.

Gate Leg Table - Part 2

So . . .

From my previous post, I had finished the basic frame elements. I attached the sides to the front and back rails. I then glued it together and clamped it. I also added corner braces at the top (these also serve as a place to screw the top into the frame) as well as several chair braces to the lower rail sections.

Corner Brace

The gate leg is constructed the same as the other sides, but only uses 2 rail sections and 1 spindle. Size the rail sections so that the gate leg assembly swings from the center but just clears the other spindles by 1/4".

Attach the gate leg using hinges at the rails.

Completed Frame w/ Gate Leg

I was going to make the top from oak - but the price of oak boards in ( approx 16 feet 12") would have been around $150! I opted for pre-glued pine sections (one 48" x 24" and one 48" x 18") which totaled around $40.

I cut the top and drop side to size and attached the top. I notched the top rail of the gate leg to pass over the hinges, then attached the hinges to the top and the drop side.

Notched Section of Top Gate Leg Rail

I need to sand the piece and stain it.

Completed Table

Table w/ Side Down

Overall, I am pretty happy with the piece. The spindles are a little long, so the piece is tall for a table, but it is the right height for a counter. This would be a good piece for a small kitchen to hold an appliance or two but still give you workspace when you pull up the drop side. I might shorten the legs a few inches. Only time will tell . . .

Simple Gate Leg Table - Part 1

I was inspired by my daughter to attempt a table without using any complicated tools or mortise and tenon joinery. This was in part based on an approach she saw on another blog for simple furniture building.

Before I begin, I will state that this may not be the cheapest way to build such furniture, nor will it be the strongest (though it will be a strong as the stuff you buy partially built in the major brick and mortar stores). However, it can be done with just a drill, clamps, a mallet and a saw (I did use a table saw, but a hand saw will work). Some sanding, gluing and screwing will also be required. What is not used is a chisel, router, stacked dado head, etc. you see in other furniture building.

You start by getting your wood. What makes this an easy way to build furniture is you use stair spindles for the table legs, basic 1x3 boards for the frame members, and some 3/8" dowels (which you cut to size). I cut the 1x3's into 4 38" sections (2 sections each for the upper and lower rails for front and back of the piece). You will also cut the 1x3's into 4 18" side rail sections. Make sure all you rails sections are the same length (if you are off slightly, clamp all the similarly-size rails together and sand them on the ends to be the same length). You will also need some angle brackets and hinges, but that will be brought up in a later posting.

Typical stair spindles will have a shorter rectangular (i.e., unturned) area at the top and a longer rectangular area at the bottom.

You get a small (approx. 8") piece of 1x3 and use it for a jig / template for aligning holes for the dowels. You will carefully cut it in half lengthwise. You flip it sideways and then mark a line across it for aligning the dowel holes. This will become clearer when you look at the photos.

Hole Alignment Jig / Template

You lay out the position for 2 equally spaced 3/8" holes in the jig piece. This is the most precise part. Once you align the holes, carefully drill them out. Now here is the key part of the project. The jig can be used from either direction, but you need to be consistent with your usage. I would use 1 side for drilling the holes for the legs (spindles), but the other side for the holes in the 1x3 frame members. By flipping the jig around, any error in your drilling will work itself out in the assembly (trust me this work fine).

Use the jig to align and drill 3/8" holes into the spindles at the top and bottom ends. You will need to drill the holes into 2 adjacent side of the spindles. Make sure you use the same side of the jig when aligning the holes for the spindles!

Jig Used to Align Holes at Top of Spindle

Jig used to Align Holes at Bottom of Spindle

Once that is done, you flip the jig around and drill the holes into the ends of the rail pieces. Pick your rail pieces carefully to that you have the best side facing out.

Drilling the Holes in the End of the Rails

One the holes are drilled, you then cut short sections of dowel and glue them into the rail pieces. You then glue the spindle pieces into the shorter rail and build the sides of the table frame. Clamp it all together and check that it is square.

Detail of Joint

Basic Side Frame Subassembly

Stay Tuned for Part 2 - Finishing the Frame and the Adding the Gate Leg . . .

Keeping Busy

Brrrr!

It was a 'warm' and sunny day. The high is around 34 degF (1 degC). I went for a short (15 mile) bike ride up one of the local hills. The downhills were brutal as the wind felt like it was sucking the heat right out of you. I'd do it again in a heartbeat (once I warm up).

I opened up the jigsaw I got at the auction Friday. I found the speed control board looked like it has a burnt trace. The saw is a Freud FJ85 jigsaw. I got the parts list online. I'll call the customer support line see if I can get a new controller board. The saw sells for around $100 new. It is a 6 amp variable speed saw. If I can get a controller board cheap, it would have been a great investment.

I started on a gate leg table. My daughter pointed me to an approach for furniture making using pre-made stair spindles. Essentially, you use 1x3's and the spindles for the basic frame. I am using dowels to pin the basic frame together, but will mortise the gate leg assemblies together. The forstner bits I picked up at the auction worked great for drilling out the holes for the dowels. I'll post some photos as the project progresses.

I also added a few caps to the end of the axles for the doll carriage we got our granddaughter (it only had 1 hub cap). I touched them up with spray paint. It really helps to complete the carriage.

I'll hit the gate leg table hard next week. I should be able to get the frame together and get the drop-legs assembled and attached. Then I will need to work on the top and sides.

You Win Some, You Lose Some

We went to a local auction house yesterday. They have the outside 'mantiques' (tools, old furniture, etc.) auction as well as the traditional inside stuff (furniture, dishes, toys, etc.).

I picked up a jigsaw for $15 and a set of forstner bits for $30. The saw was a heavy duty saw with nice roller bearing support for the blade and dust collection attachment. The bits were in a wide variety of sizes. I was very happy with the bits, but . . .

. . . the jigsaw doesn't look like it works. I'll work on it tomorrow to see if it is something simple. Oh well, all sales final!

More Toys

We went to a few antique stores yesterday. I am always on the lookout for good antique tools. It is not that I collect them - its just that you can get quality tools for a very good price.

I found a decent spokeshave. It is marked No. 51. Most like a vintage Stanley piece. I sharpened the blade on the wheel and it is good as new. Paid $6. I also found a wooden mallet. The head was tight to the handle. It has seen some use, but it was in good shape. Again, $6!

I am still looking for a decent froe, decent chisels and gouges. I should also look for more bits for the brace I picked up recently.

Happy antique hunting!

The New Addition

If you haven't guessed it, I found a treadle-powered sandstone grinding wheel. It is in good shape, and is a welcome addition for sharpening my tools. At a price of $75, I think it was a bargain. I haven't found a maker's mark on it. I am not sure when it was made. I assume it is early 20th century.

I sharpened my ax, scythe, hatchet, some wood carving tools, an iron from an old block plane, and a half-dozen kitchen knives. The large sandstone wheel spins at a nice rate. The material is not aggressive and gently cleans up a rough surface. It's large surface is great, and the dripping water keeps the wheel cool.

We also found a nice little doll carriage. I am sure our granddaughter will like it . . .

A Great Find!

First - I'll have to keep you waiting . . .

We went antiquing today. I am always on the lookout for tools and other 'mantiques'. I saw some neat old tin signs that would look great on the barn. There were some cool tools, but nothing that I felt I really would use.

Then, I saw it. I've been looking for one of these for a long time. This one was in great working shape, and it had a seat!

I already have a bunch of tools lined up to use the new addition. My son-in-law will be jealous!

We did not have room in the car for it today. I'll have to pick it up tomorrow with the station wagon.

Stay Tuned . . .