At 12:19 PM -0700 04/09/04, Jay Sexton wrote:
>>Steven Barner wrote:
>>
>>I never got a chance to ride one of these more than around the block. (Our
>>shop was one of those that discouraged long test rides that might make the
>>bike look slightly used.) Anyone ever do any miles on one?
>>
>>
>>http://bulgier.net/pics/bike/Catalogs/Raleigh75/13-SuperTourer.jpg
>>
>>Steve Barner, Bolton, Vermont
>>
>
>I have one of these bikes but I have to admit that I don't ride it very
>much. The furthest I have ridden it is about 20 miles. I haven't figured
>out exactly why yet, but the front end is really twitchy, for lack of a
>better term. It doesn't seem to matter what bar or stem combo I use; I
>don't trust it. The handling is very strange. I would like to find a set
>of those stock North Rounder handlebars. They might make a difference in
>the handling. I haven't given up yet, because I liked the look of the
>bike so much I sought one out. My frame has brazed on pump pegs on the
>underside of the top tube, and it also came stock with the Brooks
>"mattress pad" saddle, which I din't get with the bike. The bike in the
>link must be a later model.
If you're using handlebars similar to the stock unit on the bicycle, how long a stem extension have you tried using? I have some French handlebars that are takeoffs from a mid-80s Peugeot and are essentially flat bars with their ends swept back at almost 90 degrees for grips and brake levers. I tried fitting them to a Mercier road bike beater, with the bars a couple of centimetres below saddle level. The handling became *very* twitchy. The extension on the stock stem was fairly short (~6-7cm) and I noticed that when my hands were on the grips they were further back than the headset -- in other words, a line drawn between both hands would pass behind the axis of rotation for the stem. In contrast, when the bike was fitted with a similar stem and drop handlebars, my hands were always further forward than this and the bike handled quite well. I wouldn't be surprised if the rearward positioning of my hands on the flat "town" bars, coupled with road bike geometry and a change in weight distribution because of my changed upper body position on the bike, caused the twitchy handling.
While trying to diagnose the problem, I compared that "town bars" setup with photographs of roughly comparable handlebars on *much* nicer French bikes put together by people who *really* knew what they were doing. Looking at a Rene Herse Gentleman on Chuck Schmidt's website, for instance:
http://www.velo-retro.com/
more specifically:
http://www.velo-retro.com/
I noticed that the stem has a fair bit of extension, placing the handgrips largely in front of the headset. This may have been to provide the desired handling, to fit the owner, or probably both.
Of course, if I'm talking complete rubbish about stems, handlebars, frame geometry, and handling here, I'd be more than happy to be corrected.
>Which brings me to my WTB. I would like to find a set of the North
>Rounder Bars and the Brooks "mattress pad" saddle (for lack of a better
>term; I don't know the model name or number). Anyone have a lead or have
>these two items for sale?
The saddle in the scan looks like it could be a B.66, but it sounds like you're looking for one of the synthetic-covered sprung Brookses with the metal frame and stretched coil springs running the length of the saddle and supporting the padding. I don't know the model name(s) or number(s), either, but I do see these Brooks "mattress saddles" occasionally in saddle bins at used bike shops. Unfortunately, most of them don't seem to have aged particularly well. Sorry I can't be of more assistance.
>What brand of fenders are on the bike in the link that Steven Barner
>included in his post?
It's a WAG on my part, but they look like they could be Bluemels Airweights:
http://www.equusbicycle.com/
The major visible difference is that the front fender on the bike has one set of stays, while the front fender in the Bluemels catalogue illustration has fittings for two sets. For the entire Bluemels cataloue, see:
http://www.equusbicycle.com/
Hope this helps.
Jeff Noakes
Ottawa, ON, CA