Toronto Tweed Ride

We went on the inaugural Toronto Tweed Ride on Saturday afternoon. The 1970 Kent Auto-Mini folding bicycle held up well in the circumstances and attracted many favourable comments. The bike has iffy brakes at the best of times, the chrome-steel wheel rims being the limiting factor, particularly in the wet. So I rode with considerable circumspection as the rain came down, being aware of the many cyclists around me and the need to avoid a collision. The street car tracks were another hazard. After a tour of the city centre we finished up at Grange Park in time for tea.

Bike Friday: know when to fold

We met Peter and Sally on Queens Quay in Toronto, obviously sold on their Bike Friday folding bicycles, built in Eugene, Oregon. Here Peter shows off his version with drop handlebars and Schwalbe Stelvio tires. The pair have been to Italy, Cuba and major US cities with their Bike Fridays. We talked of the 1970 Auto-Mini appearing in the Tweed Ride next Saturday and they said they might show up.
Pic by Ron Stockey.

Shoe shine kept for best

This unused shoe polishing set, with simulated leather pouch, came down through the family from Annette's grandma. All the brushes say "Made in England," from a time when they actually made things in England. The additional large brush was acquired at an estate sale here in Toronto, bought for buttons as part of a job lot.
The Kiwi shoe polish says: "By appointment to H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh" - good to know. The Kiwi company address was Ealing, London, W5.
Of course we shan't be using these items as we're keeping them for best.
Pic by Annette.

Oil flush

Some of you may think I'm not playing with a full deck but bicycle restoration requires some lateral thought. I am attempting to resuscitate a second Auto-Mini bicycle where the bottom bracket (BB) was not turning freely. I'm fairly certain the bottom bracket hadn't been lubed in decades.
I tried some drops of oil down the seatpost from my $10 bottle of oil from my LBS (Local Bicycle Store) which brought about some improvement. I then thought if some is good more is better. So I bought a litre of 30W non-detergent oil in Walmart for $4. The oil container says "Recommended for use in hydraulics, light-duty gear boxes, general oiling and pre-1940 engines."
I poured a quarter of it down the seat tube, letting it run out the bottom bracket. It ran through fairly rapidly dislodging some crud on the way. The cranks are now turning freely.
For those of you who thought you should use grease I can only quote Sheldon Brown: "The difference between oil and grease is mostly a difference of degree. Grease is very thick oil; oil is very thin grease." I am old enough to remember that my first bicycle, a Raleigh, had an oil port on the bottom bracket. Anyway stripping the BB, wrestling with cotter pins, and possibly damaging it in the process is not for me. I shall investigate fitting an oil or grease port later.
I wondered if this bush mechanics trick had been tried before and found somewhere on the internet where olive oil had been used to silence a noisy bottom bracket in similar fashion.
Pic by RLT.

Trigger happy

The gearshift on my Kent Auto-Mini bicycle failed at the anchorage. It was relying on a piece of bent wire to connect the shifter cable to the small chain, which actually changes the gears. This wire straightened out and failed under load. I concluded that if this could happen once it was bound to happen again.
I'd never experienced a failure like this in over ten years riding the Brompton folding bicycle, also equipped with Sturmey Archer hub gears. A trip to my local bike store and I obtained the Brompton-like anchorage (Manufacturer Part #: HSL759) which I fitted myself (see pic). A test ride to Queens Quay, some 15 miles in all, and the Auto-Mini is behaving itself once more. The 3-speed trigger is shifting satisfactorily, as well as can be expected for a component over 40 years old and known for its eccentricity.
Pic by RLT.

Brighton breezes

The week-end before Angoulême I was in Brighton for the Speed Trials. This traditional event was on good form, but the second runs were affected by rain. The run-what-ya-brung format is illustrated by this Mini-Cooper heading to the startline.
Pic by RLT.