Changing of the Guard

Dear Readers,

We are having a changing of the guard (well, bloggers) here at Alpena Tweed and Bike Club. So as I sign off I would thank you for reading, and hope that you have found the blog both entertaining and informative. I am sure the new bloggers will continue this tradition, and build up a great resource for Tweed Rides all over the world.  I hope to see you on the road. P

Buster Keaton, 1924 Sherlock, Jr.

Think About the Weather

We have less than a week before the Alpena Seersucker Ride, and you may have noticed that the weather has been on the warm side. Please, think about this when figuring out what to wear! We don't want people frying their bacon out there!

Dust Off Your Ride

Time is getting short, it's time to dust off that old ride and get it ready for the Alpena Seersucker Ride!

It doesn't matter what you ride, but check your tire pressure, chain and brakes. Make sure your bike is safe to ride BEFORE you try to ride with a group.



Wear the Hinny Meets the Saddle

While many people spend hours sweating over what kind of bike to ride or buy, sometime you can improve an old friend (or a slightly used new friend) with a few accessories. The two most important to my mind are quality tires (which we shall leave to another post) and a quality saddle (that’s a bike seat to the novice). Remember this is the part of the bike that makes contact with some of your most interment parts. You deserve something that will give you the support you need.

 

While I love the feel of a classic, leather Brooks B17, many other people would say the old girl is as uncomfortable as she looks. While you can read online and print reviews till your eyes fall out, the best way to make sure something works for you is to see if you can borrow one from another rider. After all, your hinny is probably not exactly the same as mine (and you are lucky if it is not).

Some Nice Suits

Ride in Style

Robert Montgomery

Susan Peters

Harold Lloyd

Spring Check Up

Just like many of us go to our doctors for an annual physicals, even if we don't feel sick, it is also a great idea to run your bike through a check up at the beginning of the riding season.

Many people take their bicycle to their local bike shop, or ask a more experienced rider to take a look at their bike. This may be the best solution for a beginner, but if you have been riding for awhile, it may be a good idea to try to learn a few of these skills for yourself.

There are many ways to pick up these skills (books, YouTube, websites, and friends) it can help you become a more comfortable rider if you don't have to worry about being stranded if you have a problem with your tires, chain or brakes.  While you may still want to have a professional look it over every now and the, we challenge you to learn at least one repair this May!

Wish List...

Just a thought... if you have been a good little boy or girl you may want to ask for a new bike this holiday season!



Wheels of Change – Sue Macy

Wheels of Change; How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way) by Sue Macy is published by a little known publishing company, National Geographic  (wait, maybe I’ve heard of it a time or two). While most of the readers of this blog probably haven’t  had the opportunity to take a 400 level class on Women in America Since 1870 taught by a PhD specializing in women’s sports history, if they have really followed this blog over the last year they will have already come across most of the revelations in this book. Now saying that, this would be a great book for anyone who is interested in bicycle history! Written mainly for the pre-teen and high school audience, the pictures and style should appeal to everyone even if it's just a refresher.  

 Denver, Colorado, circa 1905

We see old friends like Bloomer, Kopchovsky and Pope (that’s Albert Pope not “The Pope”) Macy covers both the early evolution of the bike, and the Woman’s Rights Movement. This bike also introduces us to many other great members of cycling past. There are great photos of rare bikes like a sidesaddle Penny-Farthing and African American cyclists of the time. This book also gathers together many great quotes. Including my favorite from Charlotte Smith (Brooklyn Eagle, August 20, 1896) “Many a girl has come to her ruin through a spin on a country road”; everyone in rural Northern Michigan knows all about the evil of a country road! And who can blame her or those of a similar mind for worrying about women once they started dressing like men! Oh my! Though I bet those souls are once again rolling over in their graves with the current bicycle chic movement.

 Lady on the right has a sidesaddle bike

Anyway! This is a great book that links the importance of the bicycle to what we consider the modern role of women in our society. It may soft peddle (pun intended) the role of the bicycle in general society, but that is not a detractor for what it offers. We strongly recommend this book.

Adopt an Old Bike

First off I know we have used this photo of Buster Keaton riding a "Dandy-horse" in Our Hospitality before, but this last weekend I actually watched Buster woo his actual wife Natalie Talmadge (the first of three) in this great silent film. Though many people have pointed out that the Dandy-horse would have been rather old fashioned in the 1830's, when the movie is set, the thing that amazed me was how much fun Keaton made it look!

Another great fact is that when Keaton couldn't find a real Dandy-horse to use, he and his crew decided to make the one shown in the film! They did such a great job on it that it now sits in the Smithsonian Institution in a display for bicycles and not film history. This made me realize two things; first that I would LOVE to ride/have an old bike (or proto-bike), and second that there is no way that I have the skills to build something like that!

What I can do is beg! So if you have an old bike like a Dandy-horse or a Penny-Farthing just lying around... with its sad puppy-dog eyes begging for someone to love it and take it for walks... just let us at The Alpena Tweed and Bike Club know and we will give it a good home! (P.S. This would be out of the goodness of our heart, no money need change hands... P.P.S. I would also give that motorcycle pictured above a good home)

Riding Safely

It is our hope that The Alpena Tweed Ride will be a SAFE and FUN ride for all involved. Since we are just a group of cyclists riding together, and not an organized ride, we do not have the power or desire to require participants to follow any sort of minimum safety standard.

Yet we do have a few suggestions. First, have a bicycle that is in good riding condition, and that you are used to riding. If you have not been in the saddle (fancy bike name for the seat) for a while, you might want to take it for a spin beforehand to make sure everything still works.  Second, make sure you are comfortable in whatever you are wearing. We hope everyone dresses up in some spiffy duds, but it is probably a bad idea to show up with a new pair of shoes, or try to wear a dress for the first time while riding. Even if you don’t want to ride around in your full getup, you might want to make sure you are comfortable with all the parts.

Lastly, there is the question about helmets and other safety equipment. The City of Alpena does not require the use of safety equipment. In fact to quote the City of Alpena News Release dated June 20, 2011 “Common sense and common courtesy go a long way. Use of safety equipment like bike helmets is encouraged.” You know your skill level, and comfort with risk better than we do. Keeping those in mind, and please use any safety feature in accordance to these personal comfort levels.

Three Speeds of Fun

Another style of bike that is both historic and has been gaining renewed popularity over the last decade or so is the internal geared hub bicycle. These dependable and long lived hubs have no exposed parts and are pretty much maintenance free. Their short coming is that they don't offer as many gearing options as the more common derailleur gear bikes such as a 10 speed. Many modern utility and “city” bikes offer 7 and 8 gear hubs, but the classic version is the English-three Speed exemplified by the Sturmey-Archer hub that has been around since the early 1900’s.

One place to see great classic three-speeds is the Old Three-Speed Gallery. Amongst the beautiful bicycles featured there is the 1959 Robin Hood Sport pictured above. While it might not be the highest priced or rarest bike they show, it does bear a striking resemblance to my own 1959 Centaur Sport pictured below. So I love it!

I guess with only about 50 miles between Nottingham and Coventry, the makers of their Robin Hood and my Centaur (the respective homes of each manufactures) must have had the same inspiration that year. (These cities were the heart of the bicycle
industry of England, and the world, for generations.)
 

Another place to find a plethora of information about the venerable old three-speed is on the page of the late Sheldon Brown. Sheldon (and those who now maintain the page) have a treasure trove of information about makers, models, age, and maintenance of these great machines.

Bamboo Bicycles!

We have said in the past that the style or type of bike you bring to the ride doesn't matter. So we wanted to show you a cool bike trend that is both old and new! The bamboo bicycle!

A bamboo bicycle from 1896

For those of you who follow bicycle and green trends the idea of a bamboo bicycle will not be new, but this blog has been written for those of you who really don’t care about either, but just like riding bikes. So here is an interesting idea: using bamboo, that giant member of the glass family, to build the frame of the bicycle. It is fast growing, renewable, strong and one of the first attempts to find something lighter than steel to serve the same function.

A modern Example form Jungle Supply Bamboo

Aluminum alloys, titanium, and carbon fiber have all been used in attempt to do the same thing, but there is now a trend to go back to the first attempt and use something that is fast growing, and in some areas even an invasive species

Example from Calfee Design

There are a growing number of shops who will build, or help you to build a bamboo bike including; Organic Bikes,  Bamboosero, Jungle Supply Bamboo, and Bamboo Bike Studio. They may or may not be something you would want to own, but they are pretty cool.

 

Also, check out the The Bamboo Bike Project

Bring a Friend

William Powell & Myrna Loy of The Thin Man fame.

Now I think we all agree that the Alpena Tweed Ride sounds like fun, the only thing that could make it better is if everyone brings a friend! 'The More the Merrier' we always say! Biking with friends and loved ones is always a good idea!

W.C. Fields and Baby LeRoy

Remember we do have a One Seat per Seat Rule so bring a second bike too! 

A Place to Start

As announced before, the Alpena Tweed Ride will start in front of Blue Phoenix Books. We would hate to assume that everyone knows where that is and have a bunch of lost people dressed in tweed wandering around down town Alpena. So here is a picture of the storefront which is located at 106 N 2nd Ave, Alpena, MI 49707.

The owner, Kim, has agreed to provide a few refreshments to rides the day of the ride, and hand out fliers and maps to anyone who would like to know more the last few weeks before the ride.

A big thanks to Kim and everyone else at Blue Phoenix for all their help with the First Annual Tweed Ride.

You should stop by and give Kato a pat on the head!

Open Ride

This ride is open to everyone with a bicycle!  

The Muppet

One Seat per Seat Rule

We want to encourage a warm and friendly ride… but not overly “warm and friendly”. So we would like to ask for a “One Seat per Seat Rule.”

Buster Keaton & Sybil Seely

We know this first picture seems pretty sweet and romantic, and very authentic to the time, but it probably is not the safest way to transport two people! Tandem bikes on the other hand ARE a great way to safely transport that special someone, and look great doing it!

 Glen Ford & Rita Hayworth in The Lady In Question

So remember, “One Seat per Seat!”

 Paul Newman & Katherine Ross in Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid

Safety first, and yes, this post was mostly an excuse to work these photos in…

What should you Ride?

The simplest answer is whatever bike you have, or can borrow, but please not one that you have stolen. The Alpena Tweed Ride (or any Tweed Ride we know of) is not a vintage or classic bicycle rally. It is a group of people getting together to have a fun, and relaxing ride. We ask that you attempt to dress up, but the style of bike is not important.

Buster Keaton riding a "Dandy-horse" in Our Hospitality

If you have a real or replica of a vintage bicycle, that would be great! A charming lady or dapper gentlemen on a classic steed would look awesome and really lend itself to the event, but it is not required.  The most important thing is for you to find something that you feel comfortable on, and will not mind riding a few miles.  If this means finding a new bike at a local shop, or at a garage sale (tis the season!) that is great. If this means bringing your well-worn road warrior or dusting off the one in the barn or garage, that is great too. We would just like to see you there!

Pennyfarthing

In fact, unless you really know what you are doing and feel very comfortable on one, we would suggest leaving the Pennyfarthing or Dandy-horse at home. Let’s have a safe and fun ride!