On 12/19/07, graywolf <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Well, there was no one in my neighborhood who had a Raleigh, too expensive. I > was the first kid with an "English Racer". That was because my grandfather > bought it for me. He wanted me to have a real bike, like he had in the old > country, and it had to be black too. Within a year every kid in the > neighborhood > had an "English Racer" but they were all bright colors and came from Sears or > Wards. I remember that they were not as well built as my Dunelt. > > There were two reasons you did not see full chain guards on bicycles in the > US. > The first was import taxes. American bikes were heavy and to keep imported > bicycles from competing with them there was a much higher tax on bike that > weighed more than 35 lbs. The second was that bicycles here were considered > kids > toys and doing away with the full chain case made them both cheaper and more > sporty looking. As I recall the only bicycle that had them were the very top > of > the line Raleighs. That tax thing was another reason that the heavy Roadster > type bicycles were not imported. Most of them that wound up were brought back > by > GI's who had picked them up while stationed in England. The so called English > Racer was actually a "Sports" or "Light" Roadster. It was a city bike, while > the > Roadster was a country bike intended to deal with much rougher roads and > tracks. > > I have kind of come full circle on bicycles, from that Dunelt 3-speed, through > an aluminum Raleigh racing bicycle, to a hybrid commuter and now I have > another > Black Dunelt (about 20 years newer than the one I had as a kid and nowhere > near > as well made) that I have to find an original 32 spoke front wheel for. I > would > like to have a full Roadster too; something about a long tall bike. > > Graywolf > Website: http://www.graywolfphoto.com > Blog: http://www.graywolfphoto.com/journal/ > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > > P. J. Alling wrote: > > My first adult bike was a Raleigh three speed roadster, even that bike > > only had a half chain guard. After about 6 years I wanted something > > fast and worked in a factory over a summer and bought a Supercourse Mark > > II, (10 speed), put an aluminum rack on the back that I could hang > > canvas panniers off if I needed to carry anything. I think I'd still > > have that bike if it hadn't been run over by a car. > > > > graywolf wrote: > >> Hey, that bike has been made exactly like that since 1903, kids! Oops! > >> Sorry, > >> they did upgrade it in the 70's when they started putting bright stickers > >> on it. > >> There are about 20 companies in India building those bikes, most of them > >> get > >> shipped to Africa. However you can get basically the same bike build in > >> Holland > >> with high-tech parts for $1500 or so. > >> > >> A little less tongue in cheek, the old roadster bicycle has its place when > >> you > >> need a bicycle for transportation instead of for a toy. They ain't fast, > >> but > >> they don't break, even when you hang a few hundred pounds of cargo on them. > >> > >> Graywolf > >> Website: http://www.graywolfphoto.com > >> Blog: http://www.graywolfphoto.com/journal/ > >> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > >> > >> P. J. Alling wrote: > >> > >>> Actually I was alluding to the point that bikes with full chain guards > >>> were at least WWII vintage and therefore ancient... > >>> > >>> David Savage wrote: > >>> > >>>> I interpreted Peter's comments as meaning that bikes with chain > >>>> guards are for juvenile delinquents & sissies. > >>>> > >>>> But that's just me :-P > >>>> > >>>> Cheers, > >>>> > >>>> Dave > >>>> > >>>> > >>>> At 01:11 PM 19/12/2007, graywolf wrote: > >>>> > >>>> > >>>>> So, Peter, just what is your point? That you have been deprived? If > >>>>> that is so, > >>>>> I can understand your resentment. > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> P. J. Alling wrote: > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>>> I haven't had a bike with a chain guard since I was 12, and I never had > >>>>>> one with a full chain guard. > >>>>>> > >>>>>> graywolf wrote: > >>>>>> > >>>>>> > >>>>>>> Ah, heck, Scott, the wheels are even already laced. This is the > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> > >>>>> way they are > >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>>>> supposed to come (second picture): > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> http://www.yellowjersey.org/EASTMAN.HTML > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>> > >>>>>>>> Scott Loveless wrote: > >>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>>> http://picasaweb.google.com/sdloveless/RaleighRapide02 > >>>>>>>>> > >>>>>>>>> > >>>> > >>>> > >>> > >> > > > > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. >
-- M. Adam Maas http://www.mawz.ca Explorations of the City Around Us. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
