Review of "Lucy 3-Speed": Raleigh Lady's Sports

Lucy 3-Speed is a prototypical vintage Raleigh Lady's Sports, and I initially questioned the need to review her. But in the end I decided to go ahead and write the review, making it a sort of general commentary on buying a vintage 3-speed.

The benefits of Raleigh 3-speeds are that they are sturdy, comfortable, durable, easy to ride, have good front and rear loading capacity, and can be fairly easy and inexpensive to obtain. Some people, myself included, are also drawn to their aesthetics and history. The late Sheldon Brown wrote a great deal in praise of the English 3-Speed, and I invite you to read about it here and here.

From my own experience I especially stress the "easy to ride" aspect. Lucy 3-Speed is very much a "hop on and go" kind of bicycle. It is comfortable, but lighter than the Pashley. It is sporty, but more stable than the Motobecane. I don't think about it too much, I just get on it and go - and it always feels great.

A blurry illustration of the "lighter than the Pashley" factor.

My Lady's Sports is a 1970 model. It was "re-claimed" by me from the depths of my parents' garage, and you can read all about that here, as well as see lots of photos in its "before" state. In the classic "Raleigh green" colour and 21" frame size, this bicycle had all the standard features of a Lady's Sports, including a lugged straight step-through frame, 3-speed Sturmey Archer AW hub, North Road handlebars, matching fenders and chainguard. Though it sat abandoned for decades, there was nothing really wrong with the bicycle, other than a stretched out chain, flat tires, and some rust around the handlebars. Still, I made some upgrades to it that I consider crucial when one is buying a vintage 3-speed:

New Tires: As a rule, you should always get new tires after purchasing a vintage bike with original tires. It does not matter if the previous owner (or the bike shop you bought it from) assured you that the original tires are fine. Replace them anyway. The reason for this, is that vintage tires have a tendency to explode after their second decade of life, even if they appear "fine". You don't want this to happen while you are cycling in traffic. It is easy to find new tires for an English 3-Speed, because they come in standard 26" and 28" sizes. When you are buying new tires, spend a few extra dollars and get ones with kevlar protection to save yourself the trouble of getting flats. The nice cream tires on Lucy 3-Speed are Schwalbe Delta Cruisers, and I have written a detailed review of them here.

New Brake Pads: Vintage 3-Speeds have one tragic flaw: steel rims on the wheels. This means that in wet weather, the caliper brakes do not have great stopping power. Getting new, super-grippy brake pads will help with this, somewhat. The salmon Kool-Stop pads are generally considered to be the nicest and grippiest.

Lowered Gearing: Some find the standard gearing on Raleigh 3-speeds too high, making it difficult to go up hills. This is easily remedied. Simply ask you local shop to "lower the gearing" by replacing the rear cog with a larger one. For the hills in the Boston area, I recommend a 22-tooth cog. Lucy 3-Speed is now a great climber.

I also had the chain replaced, brakes and hub adjusted, and a general tune up. All this was done by the excellent Harris Cyclery in West Newton, Mass.

Other functional/aesthetic upgrades included replacing the old saddle with a sprung Brooks B67S in "honey", replacing the original handlebar grips with shellacked cork grips, installing a Low Rider Bullet Headlight by SunLite, adding a chrome pump from Old Roads, and adding a Pletscher rear rack. The bag on the rear rack is the Sackville Trunksack.

As you can probably tell if you have been reading this website, I am detail-oriented and tend to get carried away with aesthetics! Still, none of the updates I've made to this bicycle were expensive, except for the new saddle, which I could have done without. I hope this review shows that it is possible to make an elegant and comfortable bicycle out of a vintage 3-Speed. You might be surprised how many old, neglected 3-speeds are lying around in people's garages and basements, weeping and waiting to become somebody's beloved commuter!

Read More

Review of "Eustacia Vye": Pashley Princess Sovereign

[Edited to add: There is now an updated review of this bicycle here. I suggest reading the updated version first, as it's the most complete.]

Meet Eustacia Vye: my precious and unique beauty, made by Pashley and customised by the fine people at Harris Cyclery. If you are familiar with the works of Thomas Hardy, you probably got the reference of the name. (If not, read Thomas Hardy!) Eustacia roams the heaths and meadows with wild abandon, seducing those whom she encounters with her regal beauty. And she is excellent in Boston traffic.

Here are the front and back views. If you are interested in how I came to select this bicycle, you can read about it here.

I. THE BICYCLE:

The Pashley Princess Sovereign is a classic "loop-frame" ladies bicycle. It comes standard with fenders, a fully enclosed chaincase, dress-guards, a heavy-duty black Pletscher rack, a hub-driven dynamo headlight and an LED rear light, a Brooks B66S saddle (sprung, suspended leather), enclosed hub brakes, puncture-resistant Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires, a pump attached to the frame with braze-ons, an "O-Lock" for the back wheel, a "ding-dong" bell, and an enormous wicker basket. My Princess is the 20" frame (51 cm), which fits my 5'7" (170 cm) proportions perfectly. Standard specs for the Princess Sovereign can be viewed on Pashley's website here.

For those not familiar with Pashley, they are an English manufacturer and have been making traditional bicycles since 1926, specialising in transport cycles and classic English roadsters.

A close-up of the Pashley headbadge.

This is a traditionally lugged and brazed handbuilt frame. The frame is powder-coated and the paintjob is very durable (a powder coated finish will scratch and scuff, whereas a liquid-coated finish will chip). The Princess is available in two colours: "Buckingham Black" and "Regency Green." I chose the green, because it seemed to have a stronger personality, and because I generally like green bicycles. The shade is a dark and subdued "British racing green".

Pashley bicycles are made in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Some cool photos of their factory, including the brazing process, can be viewed here.

II. CUSTOMISATIONS:

As mentioned earlier, many customisations have been done to this bicycle. Here they are, not at all in the order of importance or magnitude:

Dress-guards: We replaced the standard dressguard pictured here with a netted dress-guard I bought in Germany. I wanted a dressguard that resembled latticed wroght iron rather than transparent plastic. This one certainly does. It also covers more of the wheel than the original dressguard.

Here is a close-up of the netting over the chaincase...

... and around the opening for the "O-Lock". The O-Lock is a European locking system that locks the rear wheel, making the bicycle impossible to be ridden away by a thief. In most areas in the US, it is probably prudent to use this for supplementary purposes only.

Kickstand: We replaced the standard Princess kickstand with the Pletscher Twin-Legger, which provides support on both sides of the bicycle and lifts either the back or the front wheel off the ground (you can adjust the balance to determine which).

Not all bicycles will accommodate this kickstand, but the Princess has a special braze-on below the bottom bracket for this purpose.

Grips: We replaced the standard Raleigh-style plastic grips with Brooks leather washer grips in brown. These are probably the most comfortable handlebar grips I have ever tried: They provide just the right amount of texture, softness, suppleness and durability. And they look gorgeous!

Gearing and Brakes: But wait, what's this next to the right grip? The Princess Sovereign comes with a Sturmey Archer 5-speed hub. Mine has been replaced with a 7-speed Shimano Nexus coasterbrake hub (and yes, the gear-shifter has been twined and shellacked). This is by far the most dramatic customisation, and I cannot thank Harris Cyclery enough for doing such an amazing job.

I wanted a coaster brake on the back wheel instead of the (hand-operated) drum brake that Pashley bicycles normally come with. Most people would have been glad to have the standard hand-operated brake option, but I wanted a coaster brake due to some problems with the nerves in my right hand. I can operate a hand-brake, but in stop-and-go traffic a coaster brake is more comfortable.

To accommodate this, the wheelbuilder at Harris Cyclery rebuilt the back wheel of the bicycle. This was done so impeccably, that it looks stock and absolutely flawless. I also asked Harris to set the gears lower, to make it easier to climb hills. They used a 23-tooth cog, which provided the lowest setting possible, given the enclosed chaincase. The 2 extra gears that came with the Nexus hub were pretty helpful in the hill-climbing aspect as well!

The front wheel retained the original Sturmey Archer hub dynamo/drum brake.

If you're confused, this means that I have a hand-operated front-wheel brake on the left handlebar, a 7-speed gear shifter on the right handlebar, and a coaster brake on the back-wheel that is operated with the feet by pedaling backwards.

Lights: We have added extra lights to supplement the standard lighting system.

Saddlebag: Not exactly a customisation, but the bag on the rear rack is a Carradice Barley. I absolutely love these remarkably roomy and attractive bags.

Initially, I had considered also replacing the basket and saddle, but on further testing decided to keep the originals. Please note that the 20" and 22.5" frames apparently come with a larger and more sturdy basket than the 17" frame.

III. IMPRESSIONS:

My first impressions of Eustacia can be summarised as "gorgeous, fits me perfectly and rolls like a dream... but unreasonably heavy". I had tested the Pashley Princess before purchase and had also tried several Dutch bikes -- so I thought I was prepared for the weight. But that was before I had to carry it up and down the porch stairs every time I wanted to ride it. I admit that during the first few days of ownership, I cursed and despaired, gave myself many bruises, and almost fell down the stairs a couple of times under Eustacia's weight. I was pretty upset about it and could not reconcile the fact that I had the most beautiful, elegant bike in the world and found it unmanageable.

Then, after a week, something magical happened: The bicycle miraculously lost weight! Well, either that, or I developed arm strength. Either way, carrying it up and down the porch stairs now takes only a couple of seconds and I take it in stride. Do I wish it were a lighter bicycle? I honestly cannot say for sure: Its weight also contributes to its stability, comfort on the road, reliability in traffic and tank-like indifference to pot-holes. (Edited to add: See also this post about speed.)

A summary of pros and cons:

Pros:
. stunning looks
. quality construction
. utilitarian add-ons
. luxurious accessories
. curved step-trough frame for easy on-off with skirts
. roomy and well-proportioned, with 3 frame sizes to choose from (I am 5'7", got a 20" frame, and can just reach the ground with my toes in the lowest saddle position).
. upright posture for relaxed riding, great views of surroundings, and visibility to traffic
. enclosed hub brakes make it weather resistant
. puncture-resistant tires are pretty much indestructible
. super stable
. handles extremely well in traffic
. sneers at pot-holes

Cons:
. heavy (specs state 45lb, but more like 50lb once you add accessories)
. not "agile" or sporty by any means; slow to accelerate
. upright posture restricts speed and uphill cycling
. saddle adjustment can be tricky with a "sliding off effect" unless perfectly tweaked
. if you are a private person who dislikes being approached by strangers, you might be overwhelmed with the attention this bike will get you. I get an average of 2-3 comments each time I take it out of the house.

IV. CONCLUSIONS:

The Pashley Princess Sovereign will give you elegant utility, with the bonus gift of increased upper body strength. As a town-and-country bike and a transport bike, it is a success. An agile, sporty bike it is not (and to be fair, does not claim to be). As with any bicycle, you can always customise components, which includes lowering the gears if you live in a hilly area. Enjoy the city and the meadows, and be prepared for lots of attention when people see this bicycle!


Edited to add:

Since this review, I have aded updates that may also be useful:
Pashley Princess as winter bike

Pashley Princess after some modifications

Pashley Princess with cream Delta Cruiser tires

For other perspectives on the Pashley Princess, you may also want to check out...
. Miss Sarah at Girls and Bicycles
. Sigrid at My Hyggelig

. Michael at EcoVelo
. Lorenza at Where Do Roots Belong
. Dottie at Let's Go Ride a Bike

Read More

Review of "Marianne": Motobecane Mirage Mixte

I. THE BICYCLE:

Marianne is a 1981 Motobecane Mirage Mixte in a shimmery aquamarine colour. She is a 21" frame, 12-speed, with original Weinmann and Suntour components. Motobecane was one of the better-known manufacturers of French road bikes in the 1970s-early 80's. The Mirage was a mid-range model. We bought the bicycle from the original owner, who had not ridden it much and kept it in good condition. Photos of the bike in its original state can be seen here.

Even though this is a vintage bicycle, I am reviewing it, because it is a readily available product in many areas of the US. Search your local Craigslist and similar sources!

II. IMPROVEMENTS & CUSTOMISATIONS:

Tires: 27 x 1 1/4" Panaracer Pasela Tourguards. I chose these because they combine puncture resistance with the nice vintage look of amber walls. Some people dislike vintage French road bikes because of the non-standard 27" tires they use. But I love the size, as it seems to suit my proportions just right. Also, apparently 27" tires are now undergoing a "renaissance" and are easier to get than they used to be.

Fenders: Fluted Honjo fenders. These fenders are extra-extra long, which is useful for wet conditions, but also makes scrapes more likely. And I fell in love with the stunning art deco details.

Saddle: Brooks Flyer Special in brown. The Flyer is exactly the same saddle as the B17, only with springs. The Flyer is designed for riding with the saddle at about the same height as the handlebars. The springs are very stiff, so they do not bounce you and do not impede speed. But they do act as shock absorbers when the road is less than perfect, which is very useful. The "Special" differs from the regular Flyer in that it has copper rivets instead of chrome.

Saddlebag: Carradice Barley. I am so in love with this bag! It does not take up much space, but is surprisingly roomy inside, and remains amazingly stable while cycling. Mine is secured both to the saddle loops and to the rear rack, because I like for my bags to lie horizontally. The side pockets are super-convenient for grabbing small objects (like mobile-phone and camera) while remaining on the saddle.

Handlebars: I decided to keep the original drop-bars and see whether I could handle them. As described here, my idea was to make them a sort of neutral/olive green. Initially we used cotton tape for this. It looked great, but my hands hurt like hell, because the bars were too stiff and too thin. I had to ride wearing padded gloves, and even that did not entirely take the edge off. So eventually, we wrapped the bars with Cinelli cork tape in "celeste", which turned into an organic-looking olive green after 2 coats of amber shellac. The tape is secured with shellacked cooking twine. The cork tape provided enough padding to stop the pain, and made the diameter just right for my long fingers to wrap around. The drop bars now feel fabulous.

Bell: Japanese brass bell with a "watch-winder" style ringer in the smallest size.

Flowers: Faux cherry blossoms from a local craft store. Maybe they are a bit over the top, but I could not resist!

Lights: The headlight is a very retro-looking Low Rider Bullet Headlight by SunLite. A vintage-style headlight was very important to me, and Harris Cyclery was nice enough to do some reaseach and find this great product for me. In the rear we attached a CatEye TL-LD1100 onto the back of the rack. Both of these are battery operated.

III. FIRST IMPRESSIONS:

This was my first time riding a bike with drop bars and narrow tires. And okay, I will just come out and admit it: When I first got on this bicycle, I was unable to ride it down the street. I tried to take my feet off the ground and start pedaling (after all, a bike is a bike -- how different can it be?) and almost fell off. It felt like I was trying to balance upon a razor's edge. Frustrated and close to tears, I consoled myself that at least we hadn't spent any money on restoring the bike at that point, because clearly I had made a mistake in imagining myself capable of riding it.

But just as I was about to dismount and call it a night, frustration gave way to determination, and I kept stubbornly practicing until finally -- it seemed magically -- I was able to ride it. It was scary, and I felt incredibly unstable, but little by little the Co-Habitant coaxed me further down our street, then across the street, and before I knew it, I had followed him on a 10-minute ride to a local coffee shop without incident.

Whew. Seriously, Ladies -- if I can do it, anybody can! And just two days later, Marianne and I went on a long ride along the Charles River trail.

IV. PROS AND CONS

Of course I had known that road bikes are very different from mountain bikes, transport bikes, and hybrids. But knowing is one thing; doing is another! Here are the pros and cons of my experience with Marianne so far:

Pros

. Speed: She is a gazillion times faster than any bike I have ridden before.

. Hills: What hills? Up hill, down hill, it is all the same to her. I feel nothing as I climb the same hills that leave me panting and covered in sweat on an upright bike in 1st gear.

. Weight: At "only" 30lb including saddlebag, she is a joy to carry up and down the stairs compared to my Pashley.

. Aesthetics: I love the graceful look of vintage French road bikes!

Cons

. Stability: The narrow tires, low handlebars and light weight make Marianne radically less stable than any other bike I have ridden. Once I get going and pick up speed I am fine, but starting and stopping, as well as riding slowly through tight and narrow spaces with lots of turns, can feel like a circus act. I also have a hard time handling pot-holes and objects on the road.

. Sensitivity: Most racers would consider it a good thing that this bicycle is super sensitive, but for a beginner the sensitivity makes the bicycle difficult to control.

. Cycling in Traffic: I am not confident on this bicycle in traffic at all. The drop bars place my body in a position where I find it difficult to look back over my shoulder, and I also have trouble taking my hands off the handlebars to signal.

While some people report physical discomfort from riding road bikes with drop bars, I do not find the position uncomfortable. It is certainly different from the relaxed upright position of my Pashley, but I have not had problems with pain in my back, neck, or arms. It took some time to get the saddle and handlebar positions just right, and I encourage you to experiment with this as well if you experience pain. Try changing the height of the saddle and handlebars, as well as moving the saddle backward or forward. The right saddle and handlebar tape will also play a major role in your comfort level, acting as shock absorbers for your hands and butt.

V. CONCLUSIONS

Giving new life to a vintage bicycle is an immensely rewarding experience. You can make the bike as personalised and unique as you wish, while maintaining a connexion to history. Vintage French road bikes are a world onto themselves -- a world of beauty, performance and quality. Mixte frames in particular have a romance and charm that is hard to resist, as well as a wonderful versatility: If you can't ride with drop bars, north roads and albatros bars are just as glamorous.


Edited to add:

Since this review, Marianne has undergone many changes. See here for updated reviews:

. with "Milan" handlebars 

. with upside-down "Albatross" handlebars

. as single speed fixed gear

. with "Belleville" handlebars

Read More