SoWa Bike

This bike was getting a lot of attention at the SoWa Open Market (Sundays in the South End). There was an Italian family touching it, I got to feeling a little bit uncomfortable with their enthusiastic appreciation - it seems that bike groping etiquette is different across cultures. Would you touch another person's bike? Most particularly, would you explore the firmness of their Brooks saddle?

White Raleigh is very Orange

As a Raleigh fan, of course this Carleton-made Reynolds 531 Gran Sport caught my eye as it was parked in Kendall Square. It's been updated in a manner consistent with my personal preferences to make an attractive, practical city bike.

I was particularly delighted to see such a functional front rack, and all the more happy when I got back to my desk and saw that there is currently a coupon available for exactly this rack: Velo Orange Porteur Rack

The whole bike seems to have been updated with Velo Orange parts - racks, grips, handlebars, saddle, bag, and I particularly like those chrome fenders.

I'm not sure about the bag though. It is looking a lot floppier here than my Giles Berthoud bag, on which it was modeled. I would be interested in speaking with the owner of this bike and learning how much exposure the bag has taken. It's all academic though, while one thing is certain - this bike will catch your eye, even if you're running late. Gotta go!

Brooks Saddle Bummer

Someone was working in the shed where I keep my bike and accidentally got latex paint on the saddle. Such a bummer!

I've been doing my research about how to get it off, and have a few ideas to try, but I'm wondering if anyone else out there has experience with this to share?

How do you get latex paint off of a Brooks saddle?

Old School Raleigh Sports

This bike stood out among her peers due to her vintage perfection. How many Raleigh Sports still have their pumps? Not many.


Gleaming chrome always pulls me in...

Lovely Bike Morning

Overheard while sitting outside at a café:

Oh, I'm just over here.

Is that your bike? It's lovely! What year is it?

(admiring chatter while Charlotte frantically digs her camera out and gets whatever shot she can of the lovely green Raleigh with the Brooks saddle)



What a perfect day for a bike ride! I'm jealous.

This chic cyclist and her friend are right, today was a delicious day to be on a bike. Hope you're enjoying it!

Handsome 3 Speed

Every time I see this guy he is impeccably turned out. Look, even his shoes are recently shined.

Sunny 3 Speed

This classy three speed bike made me smile. I love the white sidewalls on the tires, the beautifully broken-in Brooks saddle. For necessary modern upgrades we have the Continental Kool Stop brake pads and the Planet Bike blinkie, both of which I enjoy on my own bike (more on that soon).


Those worn cork grips complement the brown frame perfectly, and Grant "Beausage" Petersen would certainly approve. The Crane bell is the perfect touch, of course, and I can't neglect the vintage basket. Everything is perfect.


Since starting this blog I've learned to appreciate many subtle things about old 3-speed bikes (painted fender stays? check!) This one has them all. Perfect.

Handsome Cyclist MGH

I'm happy to be feeling better and ready to start blogging again. I missed you guys.

I have for you here a handsome gentleman spotted near MGH. I got several photos of him but it was difficult to capture the gleam of his bike. Despite the muck everywhere his bike was obviously well cared for. It looks like a perfect city bike - fenders, rack, basket, chainguard, and a sprung Brooks saddle. Beautiful.

Happy start of street cleaning day!

International City Bike

You all know that I'm a fan of the Raleigh International, particularly that model's chromed lugs. I was interested to see this copper International, all dressed up in city components. It certainly makes a lovely singlespeed, and the bridgepiece for the rear brake is effective in protecting this bike's tail light. It has the original cranks and pedals, and I believe the rear brake was put on the front because the brake pads were jammed all the way up in the slot, yet you can see that the clearance of the wheel looks like mine after I'd changed from 27" to 700c wheels.

The bike is a looker, and if my experience is any indication, it will attract the attention of old men everywhere, internationally. It's fun to strike up a conversation with them, I'm not sure if they miss their old bikes or their old youth, but they're every one of them nostalgic. Aren't bikes fun?

Simple City Bike

I just liked the clean lines of this bike, it's clearly a useful bike. I was especially amused by the plastic bag tucked in the Brooks saddle. Yep, I've got one of those too (though mine's in the bike bag).

Philosophical Question: If you were walking down the street in a sudden downpour, would you use that plastic bag to cover this stranger's saddle?

Carved Brooks Saddles

Photo by karagleather

I first came across these saddles on the to be, inspired blog, but the entire Flickr set is worth checking out. Kara does absolutely gorgeous work. I'd love to see a Western styled custom Brooks saddle.

Updated photo of my commuter

I'm pretty happy to have finally found a silver rear rack. I think the bike is starting to look really good. Next question is whether to service the rear wheel (and lose the plastic pie plate) or build new city wheels with an internal hubs. I go back and forth. Bike projects are fun though!

Perfect Green Raleigh

I think this bike may be perfect in every way. Beautiful old frame, gorgeous Brooks saddle, working headlight, great colors, Carradice bag, and those streamers. Those streamers get me every time. On whole, a perfect balance of practicality, classic aesthetics, and whimsy.

Beautiful Bike Flowers

Happy May Day!


Xue was the first to respond to the free Friday bike flowers, and here they are on her bike. I think they look better on hers than mine! Helps that her bike is so cute.

It adds a nice touch of springtime, and when she's ready to move on the flowers come right off.

This photo of the bikes in the grass may be my favorite, just because it reminds me of lounging on a warm summer day. Happy bikes, happy day.

This dad has great taste in bikes

Dad and his nice bike just dropped Junior off at day care. He's not wearing a cycling cuff, he has a chain guard to go with what looks like an internally geared hub.

This photo reminds me a bit of the Porn for Women book (that link is safe for work). The Amazon description states:

"Give the fairer sex what they really want - beautiful PG photos of hunky men cooking, listening, asking for directions, accompanied by steamy captions: "I love a clean house!" or "As long as I have two legs to walk on, you'll never take out the trash." Now this is porn that will leave women begging for more!"

I wasn't so into the book, but this dad with the baby seat on a sexy bike?
Not bad... :)

Rainy Day Portrait

It is raining today, and I didn't see a single fellow cyclist on my way into work. I'll try again on my lunch break. In the meantime, here's my bike in his raincoat.

A charming group effort

I chanced upon this lovely lady and told her about this blog, asking to take her photo. She already knew of the blog (how exciting!) because her friend had been featured on the blog twice already.

This lovely lady then went on to explain to me how she came by her bike. It, and basically everything on it, as well as the maintenance for it, have been gifts through the last few years. That dynohub of hers I was lusting over? That was last year's birthday present from a group of friends. The parts go on like that. She pointed out her light which attaches to the dynohub is modern, and doesn't go as well with the overall 'look' of the bike. I have been looking into these dynohubs, and it seems her friends are very wise, the modern light will save her many headaches and blown lightbulbs.



I just love that she has streamers.

Porteur Bike Noir

Photo from Cyclofiend.

I was recently drooling (virtually!) on these gorgeous French porteur bikes. They seem to be largely ignored by the fans of the Dutch bike but I think they're super-sexy. Then it dawned on me - my bike is starting to look a bit like them! I guess my time in Paris made a deeper impression than I thought.


I still want that chainguard, and I can't decide on a front rack or a front basket. Black or silver? So many choices!

Product Review: Nitto Periscopa stem

This is really just an excuse to post another photo of my beloved bike.

The new stem is a Nitto Periscopa from Rivendell. It is intended to "shorten the cockpit" and that it does. I take a larger frame because my legs are long, but then I feel like I'm reaching too much for the handlebars. This stem has completely changed that. As I ride around town I have noticed that I'm finally getting things to exist where I intuitively reach for them. That's proving to be good when attempting to take photos, ride a bike, and stay safe in Boston traffic, all at the same time.

Finding the right saddle

I can't tell you what the best saddle is (Brooks! Brooks!) because only your bum can tell you (Brooks!). I can point you to an excellent article on saddle fit, and excerpt some content, with deepest gratitude to Sheldon:

Everybody wants a comfortable saddle on their bicycle. What is not so obvious is what constitutes a comfortable saddle.

You'll notice that I do call them "saddles," not "seats." There is a reason for this. A "seat" is something you sit on, and is designed to bear essentially your entire weight. Recumbent bicycles have "seats," but conventional upright bicycles have saddles. A saddle is intended to carry some, but not all of your weight. The rest of your weight is mainly carried by your legs, and some by your hands and arms.

A cyclist who is out of cycling shape, from being off a bicycle for a bit, will start out strong, but the legs will tire rapidly. When the legs tire, the rider sits harder on the saddle, and that's when the trouble starts. Many saddle complaints are actually traceable to fatigue caused by starting out the season with a longer ride than you are ready for.

Hard or Soft?

When a cyclist finds a saddle uncomfortable, the first impulse is often to look for a soft one. This is often a mistake. Just as the softest mattress is not necessarily the most comfortable to sleep on, the softest saddle is not the most comfortable to cycle on.

Imagine sitting down on a coffee table. Your weight is concentrated on the two bumps of your "sit bones", also known as the "ischial tuberosities." These are the parts of your body designed to bear your seated weight. Most cases of saddle-related discomfort arise because the load is carried on the soft tissues between the sit bones.

Imagine placing a soft pillow on top of the coffee table. Now, as you sit down on it, the sit bones compress the pillow, which yields until the sit bones are almost on the table surface again. The difference is that now, you have pressure in between your sit bones from the middle part of the pillow.

Many cyclists are unaware of this, and many saddles are made to appeal to the purchaser who chooses a saddle on the basis of how easily the thumb can sink into the squishy top. This type of saddle is only comfortable for very short rides, (though an inexperienced cyclist will often find it more comfortable than a better saddle, as long as rides don't exceed a mile or two). Saddles with excessive padding are also a common cause of painful chafing of the inner thigh, as rides become longer.

OK, so you want a minimalist saddle which is just wide enough to support your sit bones.

Most saddles are designed for men, not for women. Due to the wider hips of most women, this can result in the sit bones overhanging a narrow saddle, leading to painful pressure on soft tissues.

In general, women's saddles are somewhat wider and somewhat shorter than those that work best for men. Some newer women's saddles have a large cutout in the middle to eliminate pressure on soft tissues. These work well for many women, but some riders find the sharp-ish edges of the hole irritating.

My solution is a tensioned leather saddle (Brooks!):

Until the mid 1970s, most good quality bicycles came with tensioned leather saddles. These have a frame basically similar to that of the padded plastic saddle. A thick piece of leather is rivetted to the bridge, and to an adjustable fitting at the nose of the saddle. The leather is suspended sort of like a hammock.

A properly shaped leather saddle is an excellent choice for the high-mileage rider who doesn't mind the fact that it is a bit heavier than a plastic saddle.

Leather saddles provide "give" by stretching and flexing, without the need for foam padding. The lack of foam greatly improves comfort in hot weather, as heat and perspiration can "breathe" through the porous leather.

Leather saddles also "break in" to fit the particular shape of the rider, in much the same way as a baseball glove does (or a fine pair of shoes!). They do require more care than plastic saddles.

I have a Brooks B17 and a Brooks B72. No, you can't have either of them, I love them both. Best of luck finding your perfect saddle!