We sure had fun at Dan's this past Saturday. It is so nice to get out a ride with a bunch of people who know how to have a good time with vintage bikes. Riding them in the rain and all that. Wayne Bingham's gorgeous new Baylis was pristine but there he was, riding through the puddles, having a grand ol' time. It seemed like we all had a wonderful time, with the rain just making it more interesting.
There was quite the assortment of cool old bikes. It was good to see Harvey's Peter Weigle. It was almost complete. (shy some HB tape). This was the shakedown cruise. Tom Adams, who happens to ride my size bike, had some great machines to show off. I was, of course, drawn to his '54 Algurn that he got from Mick Bulter. Great Patina and original finish. And I know Tom sometimes sells off his bikes to get more. (Think of me before repainting that one Tom). I got to check out Dan's workshop and spotted his white Viking. That is my kind of bike. His build up is looking good. I bet he can't wait to ride it. Larry Osborn brought out his brown (Coffee?) Carlton for me to see and it looks great. I saw pictures of the frame awhile ago and it was cool to see it built up, out on the road. Pete Geurds had a very nicely outfitted Super Grand Prix. The parts mix had the heart of an old three speed: Cottered crank, SA hub. I'll have to check my rim stash for a 32 hole matching rim to the very sweet 40 hole Sun rear he had. Peter Kohler's Team Pro was awesome. Yes, it was perfect. There were many more. A great turnout for sure.
The riding was fantastic. Rolling hills, traffic-free for the most part. Beautiful countryside. I didn't envy those on fixed gears. They were geared a bit high for my legs. My five speeds were perfect for the day.
Meeting some new people was fun. Rita and I traveled over 10 hours round trip for a 26 mile ride and a little hanging out. Hey, it's only one day. It was possible to do so why not.
After spending a while cleaning the bikes and noticing how much cleaner Rita's remained due to the fenders, I think I'll have mudguards next time. My Butler's headset needs to be repacked, which I'll get to someday.
All in all, a great weekend. Thanks to Dan and Barb for hosting and thanks to everyone for coming.
Paul Lee (+ Rita too!)
Huntington, NY