The joy of Sachs

Took out the Supercycle Traveller for proper test run, five miles round the neighbourhood. What fun! There is a buzz to be had from putting an old bicycle back on the road, especially when it features the iconic Sachs three-speed gear. This particular bike is an unlovely specimen from Canadian Tire which just happens to feature this gem - a bit like fitting a Volkswagen with a Porsche gearbox. Ideally the Sachs needs stripping and regreasing but for now it will have to make do with a few squirts of oil down the hollow rear axle.
I gave the bike another thorough clean, including 'flossing' with a length of woolen yarn. I coated the Swallow tyres, pre Schwalbe from 1977, with Meguiar's Hot Shine Tire Spray:
"Water resistant polymers combined with patent antizonant technology keeps your tires looking blacker longer while preventing cracking, browning and premature aging. Gives tires deep, black wet look for weeks."
I would add saves old tyres from giving up the ghost.

Technical description: Supercycle Traveller folding bicycle, circa 1977, distributed by Canadian Tire Corporation, Toronto. The bike features a maple leaf sticker. The frame is chromoly steel almost identical to the Austrian-made Auto-Mini, but with proper butted bottom bracket. 44-tooth chainwheel, 18-tooth sprocket. No-name pedals with reflectors. 3-speed Sachs Torpedo Dreigang gears with coaster brake and Torpedo shifter. 36-spoke wheels by Sun Metal Products Inc. Shimano 535 front hub. Pletscher rat-trap type rack (made in Switzerland) and stand. Mattress-type sprung saddle.

Supercycle spindle switch

The improvised front brake on the Supercycle Traveller was frankly dangerous. The 90mm spindle was too short, having only a few turns of thread exposed at the back. The locknut could not be secured.
These bikes were originally supplied with only a rear coaster brake, which might be OK cruising on the boardwalk but marginal on any sustained descent. I managed to source a 100mm spindle from an old Weinmann 730 brake and now the bike can be used with confidence. Having two brakes has more than doubled the stopping power. It is now suitable for use round the neighbourhood.

Bicycle design

This rather uninspiring headline is in fact the name of a book - Bicycle Design, an illustrated history by Tony Hadland and Hans-Erhard Lessing. If you want to know about the history of the development of the bicycle this is the book for you. The authors make a good case for the bicycle originating from 1817, with the bicentennial coming up in 2017.
Which leads me to the picture of my latest restoration. Hadland and Lessing say on Page 226: "Coaster brakes became popular in North America (where they had been invented) and in Germany, whereas rim brakes were preferred in the United Kingdom and in France."
This Supercycle Traveller bicycle from Montreal is a mishmash of parts, but features the German Sachs dreigang (three-speed) gearbox with rear coaster brake, neatly illustrating the quote from the book. These bikes were supplied with rear brake only. I have fitted a front brake because I value my personal safety.