Below is the LED i use when riding at night
by: 68.94.172.104
If you are trying to determine the genealogy of your bicycle by it's features, go to our Vintage Bicycle Price Guide
which details bicycle features, wheel sizes, brake types, etc., as well as showing a price estimate for your old bicycle.
If you are trying to determine the make and model of your bicycle, go to our Vintage Bicycle Picture Database
which details bicycle features, wheel sizes, etc., as well as showing a price estimate for your vintage bicycle.
| I was scanning the 1956 Brown Brothers cycle catalog book and was half way through it. When out of the blue a ringlet curled, blonde haired, blue eyed, giggly angel decended on me and snatched up the poor defenseless aged book off the desk and before I could stop her.( gasp) She ripped it to shreds. I gasped and saw those pages of the book the interchangability chart for Sturmey Archer hubs all torn up. The project died right there. The Giggly angel laughed at me and ran off to her Mama. The torn pages of the old catalog lying there crying up at me. Then it was gone and there was this haunting stillness. Now the old 1954 Brown Brothers catalog was already complaining at the rigors of the scanner and the string binding coming away from the fragile loose pages. It was not until the angel ripped it into ribbons that it really cried out and shuddered and died right there on the desk. The book is beyond repairing. Nobody would buy half a C.D. The project died right there. Now with other things I have had professional copies made of originals and things are out of my hands as my new computer tech guy is scanning and working with it.I had lovely copies made of one project and it's on this nice paper that has a sheen to it and I am afraid of how that will clash with the scanner. Nerve wracking and not cheap but I am going to get this done. I pulled a 1950's Raleigh Rod brake handlebar apart to replace a rod gear piece and cannot get the spring re- set and this is the most awesome handlebar I have ever seen. Long, long stem, wide marvelous bars, and the most luscious chrome plate ever. And I go and mess it up. It's in a box, and I have thus ruined the whole bike that was not easy nor cheap to get into the stable. The most difficult thing for me as a bike collector was finding and getting the vintage posters, catalogs and art and other paper things. Worse than the vintage bicycle tools. The worst is the paper collectables as far as finding it and keeping it from getting torn. They are certainly not going to let me get behind the counter and operate their equipment that cost several thousands of dollars and the guy picks it up and tosses it around like it's a rag. This is a 70 year Italian poster! He remarks" Dude, Do you want this done or not? I'm busy. The utter terror I went through to get it removed from old shops and saved and back to my house and stored and I remember the time this one pal of mine was burning stuff like this in the wood stove and I saved it from him and then I got e- mail from folks in the Raleigh Chopper club and they were saying that they never saw one of those before and they were excited. Things I saved from a pal of mine who was burning the paper catalogs in the wood stove was worse than finding him letting Chater Lea and Campagnolo parts go to the scrap man. Keep the vintage bicycle literature under lock and key and away from lightning fast small children weilding fast fingers. There is a fellow from Scotland, I believe and he has been offering these old catalogs, the Brown Brothers cycle catalogs for sale on C.D.'S and he's been doing quite well having been sucessful at running off with my idea. He has done a marvelous job and so regrettably, I may as well point the way to him except I forget his name. Watch e- bay as you'll see him at it again. A hot water heater is a marvelous thing. I have a large, new one, but it should be regarded as a potential enemy that can can spew water all over your basement flooding everything you have in there. A basement is a lousy place to store anything of value. 100 year old newspapers and clippings, posters, books, catalogs and scrap books are a pain and things get ripped and they desentrigrate- dissolve before my eyes. I always hear, "Where did you find this?" by: 209.104.139.130 |
| That would be a wonderful chap named Mr.Bruce Robbins. by: 68.94.172.104 |
| What was the first year that pedal reflectors became standard equipment on U.S. bikes? What years were those frame mounted amber front and red rear side facing reflectors used? by: 4.18.85.3 |
| I think it was 1972 on the pedal reflectors. Childsafty got a lot of gov action about this time.They also outlawed those top tube shifters used on Choppers(and stingrays) by: 68.94.172.104 |
| I don't know about other bikes but Schwinns had clear pedal reflectors on the pedals in early 71 then they were switched to amber. Red and amber wheel reflectors appeared in 1974. 1973 was the last year for the Stik Shift on Sting-Rays. by: 216.153.176.113 |
| Yea... 'bout 71 or 72... was that not when Ralph Nader was pretty much saving the entire world from it's own self-destructive tastes in design? Cheers! Larry "Boneman" Bone by: 69.39.169.151 |
| I know there's no such thing,but when your safty is at hand,use the best.Get a lucus bottle gen or S/A hub for show or even use,but also carry a LED of some type.LEDs use almost no elect so the batteries last a supper long time and they don't filliments that burn out when ridding over ruff roads.Average life of an LED is 5years.They are supper bright but do have a blueish tent to them ,a moon light effect.Also for safty do use a red blenky--be seen! Below is the LED i use when riding at night
|
| The LED lights enable you to be seen from a greater distance. They are a real lifesaving item to carry with you. Everybody should have one when they are riding. by: 209.104.139.130 |
| I have an LED I've been using for 9 years, now on third set of batteries. In the UK you must have a fixed lamp as well as LED if you use the flash mode. I do. Hi viz jacket, helmet, lamps & LED, reflective cycle clips you CANNOT do to much to be seen, and cars will still hit you! Matthew - highly visible. by: 62.252.0.12 |
| Agreed.... and if I may suggest one heed the first rule of motorcycling too: Yes, in fact, you ARE invisible, RIDE ACCORDINGLY. Cheers! Larry "Boneman" Bone by: 69.39.169.116 |
| I like these...it's the bifurcated fork and lock that does it. Ebay # 320037045911 by: 24.224.181.22 |
| Yes... quite nice. In a larger frame, it would be bidding fodder for sure. Later! Larry "Boneman" Bone by: 69.39.168.142 |
| They made these with locking forks and this particular bike does not have the locking fork. Still very nice by: 209.104.139.130 |
| I'm actually the seller of that one, and if it were a larger frame, I'd be keeping it for sure. No locking fork, but I really like the seat tube decal: "The Aristrocrat of All Bicycles"! Quite a claim. Neal by: 18.79.6.248 |
| Bizarre...I assumed that it had the locking fork. Another odd thing is the decalled headbadge. I have a 55 womens Sports and it has the nice brass one. Another thing Neal, is it truly black and not that dark Humber blue? It looks blue in the pics. by: 24.224.181.22 |
| I believe that the decaled headbadge versions came before the metal type. Just my guess. This looks black but the Humber blue is very dark. by: 205.188.117.71 |
| I have a mens 1952 with the headbadge. It is the dark blue but someone painted it over with light blue. My frame is a 22" from what I remember. The frame is damaged so I need to replace it. I am going to look at another one soon. Beautifull bike but no locking fork. by: 142.161.123.242 |
| The headbadge actually is metal (brass?), but came out looking like a sticker in the photo, unfortunately. And, yes, Warren, it's black rather than Humber Blue. I wish I had a bike that was Humber Blue. Neal by: 209.6.26.141 |
| I have a catalog page and this particular model is (A long drum roll here).................... A COBB TOURIST. Available with or without dynohub lighting. This particular model was only offered in the black paint anyways. The Humber Royal Elf came in the blue and it had the D.B.U. dynohub kit and enclosed chaincase and Brooks Best leather seat and luscious chrome and all that. The Humber Clipper ( Similar to the Raleigh Record Ace) came in Reynolds 531 Tubing and Polychromatic Lilac paintwork. This bike we are discussing is a very nice bike and I hope to see it bring in a good price for the seller. by: 209.104.139.130 |
| Thanks for that info, Chris. I have the 1956 UK Rudge catalogue, and the model it shows most similar to this Humber is the Sports Tourist (model 123). The one in the catalogue, however, shows a rear Dynohub and a DBU. The only color listed is black. There's an Ulster Sports in that catalogue that looks to be the equivalent of the Clubman and came standard with a flip-flop rear hub (3-speed extra). I'd sure like one of those! Neal by: 209.6.26.141 |
| http://www.brooksengland.com/brooksengland.html by: 68.94.172.104 |