1975 Schwinn Continental

1975 Schwinn Continental
This is the bike before most of the restoration work - click to view full-size

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Planting Urn Discount | Better World Club Auto & Bike Membership Deal | Win a Sprout Watch

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Tell us why you bicycle

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Bruno Maier, PeopleForBikes.org" <info@peopleforbikes.com>
Date: Aug 28, 2012 12:43 PM
Subject: Tell us why you bicycle
To: <aquarianm@gmail.com>

peopleforbikes.org


Every year, PeopleForBikes.org surveys our supporters to understand how bicycling fits into their lives. We have found that some of you are crazy about bikes and ride every day, while others ride occasionally or even not at all. That's what we think is cool about our movement - we represent everyone who is for bicycling, no matter how many bikes they own or what type of riding they do.

We know you are busy, so we shortened our survey from last year's edition. Please consider taking a few moments to fill it out. The information you submit helps us make the case for bicycling and understand how and why Americans ride bikes.
Completing the survey makes you eligible to win one of two $250 gift cards redeemable at a local bike shop or one of five PeopleForBikes.org prize packages.

Click here to take survey: http://feedback.leisuretrends.com/fs.aspx?surveyid=7f053e53e3446c1b3e2b67c572102b2&fspid=25FCC501-AA5A-44A4-B1FA-98E5779ACC29

Survey rules: http://www.peopleforbikes.org/pages/survey_giveaway_rules

Happy Trails,

Bruno

Bruno Maier
Vice President, PeopleForBikes.org



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Saturday, August 25, 2012

35-Mile Ride

I had the Connie out on the prairie path with my 2nd-oldest and best friend, Luis.

We rode a mile North on Ardmore to the rail-trail in Villa Park, then West to Wheaton.

At Wheaton, we headed South to Danada Square, the had lunch at Whole Foods.

After lunch, we went South & West through Danada forest preserve to Herrick Lake, then West to Saint James forest preserve.

After St. James, we rode North back to Wheaton, then home.

I'm beat but happy.

Ride On,

Dan

Thursday, August 23, 2012

75 Shwinn Continental: Breakfast Ride, Slightly Chaotic

I took a ride over to Juicy-O about 1pm thos afternoon for a late breakfast. They close at 3:30pm.

I swear, at almost every driveway and side-street crossing along the way, there were completely oblivious smogger drivers who were turning without looking. Even though these people are crossing a bike path, they just don't look.

Beacon Hill was still a good, solid workout both directions.

I had a spinach and feta cheese omelette with tomato, onion, and avocado, side of fruit, (canteloupe and honey dew) no potatoes, toast, or pancakes, and un-sweetened coffee with half-and-half.

For some reason, it took about 30 minutes for the omelette to get to the table after ordering, which is unusual.

Still, the food was good and healthy, the weather was beautiful, and I feel great after a good, hard ride. Now I'm fresh off the shower and ready for the rest of my vacation day.

Ride on,

Dan

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

75 Scwinn Continental: A Great Ride This Morning - Riding For Breakfast

I was off this morning for breakfast-by-bicycle, riding out 22nd Street to Finley Road, and over Beacon Hill to Juicy-O.



I had the path mostly to myself on the way there. The intersection of 22nd and Finley is still stupid. There's only a pedestrian crossing of Finley on the North side of 22nd, so to Go South along Finley, (which is the only side with a sidewalk) you have to cross that intersection three times. That's also the side Juicy-O is on.

Beacon Hill is still a great workout, but no longer a hard challenge as back when I first got into riding again.

I had coffee, cream but no sugar, a small orange juice, an apple-cheddar omelette, and mixed fruit. No toast, pancakes, or potatoes.

After breakfast, I rode back up Beacon Hill and passed a young lady biking the way I'd just come, and another jogging the same direction I was riding. There was only one other bicyclist all the way home, and a couple of walkers.

The weather was glorious, about 80 degrees and sunny. About a six-mile ride, round-trip, but Beacon Hill put the work on it.

Ride on,

Dan

Get Outside!

Sounds fun...

From: "E-The Environmental Magazine"
Date: Aug 14, 2012 2:33 PM
Subject: Get Outside!

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August 2012

Go Green!
Eco Vacations Offering Adventure or Relaxation

No matter what speed you vacation at—slow lane to high octane—you can travel green this summer. Adventurous options abound, from biking, hiking, kayaking and river rafting, to quieter exploration and indulgence of your vegetarian or vegan diet. Check out our green travel picks below:
Wine Country Biking
This six-day bike tour is an experience of a lifetime biking through the best and most beautiful attractions of northern California. This tour gives bikers a chance to cycle through Napa, Sonoma, Bodega Bay and the Redwoods while stopping at several of the best wineries and inns in California. The trip accommodates both beginner and advanced bikers allowing people of all skill levels to join the tour. This is the perfect trip for anyone who wants to cycle through some of the great scenic views of California. More Info
Maine Walking & Hiking
This trip in Maine takes you through Acadia National Park and along Penobscot Bay.  On this six-day hike, you'll enjoy all the beautiful outdoor attractions of Maine. This is a great trip for walkers of all levels who would like to spend their summer vacation outdoors on the coastline of Maine. After a day of walking through the beautiful outdoors, hikers are accommodated with a room at three of the best inns in Maine to rest and relax before another day of exploring. More Info
Yellowstone & Teton Multi-Sport
For the more adventurous vacationers, try this six-day multi-sport trip to Yellowstone Park.  Including biking, water rafting and hiking, this tour allows vacationers to explore Yellowstone Park and Teton Village in a variety of different ways. The tour starts with river rafting through the rapids of the Snake River and ends with hiking the Grand Canyon in Yellowstone Park.  On the way, adventurers are accommodated at four of the best lodges and hotels to relax at before the next escape. More Info
Rosalie Bay in Dominica – The Nature Island
Known as the nature island of the Caribbean, Dominica is located between Guadeloupe and Martinique. Rosalie Bay is a popular resort that many people like to stay at for a luxurious eco-indulgent experience. With vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free menu options and a variety of environmental tours to choose from, this is the ultimate environmental vacation. The resort generates electricity from solar panels, uses LED lights with seating made from recycled materials. There's even an organic garden for guests to enjoy. More Info
Deer Run Bed & Breakfast
Visit the Florida Keys' Deer Run Bed & Breakfast  for another green travel adventure. The eco-friendly inn accommodates vegetarians and vegans. In and around the inn are a variety of activities that guests can participate in including biking, kayaking, hiking or just relaxing. Bahi Honda State Park and Looe Key Marine Sanctuary are only minutes away and allow guests to explore the white beaches of Florida or scuba dive and snorkel through the clear Atlantic Ocean reefs. Guided eco tours are also available for kayaking and bird watching.  More Info
Idaho Afloat
Idaho Afloat offers one-day or multi-day white water rafting trips through four of Idaho's rivers and two of Montana's. They offer a variety of experiences whether you want a trip full of adventure or one that is more relaxed for the whole family.  Each river has its own unique traits, but no matter which one you choose you are guaranteed an experience of a lifetime. More Info
Travel wisely. Go Green with a trip that will leave both you and the planet happy!
ASHLEY LEIFELS is a freelance writer and advertising/marketing intern with E-The Environmental Magazine


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Wednesday, August 8, 2012

75 Schwinn Continental: Out Exploring The Bicycle Way Again...

I rode out to the little park on Macarthur Drive, and took the other fork in the gravel path. It leads to another small neighborhood park and dead-ends there.

I wound my way around through the suburb, and found that Macarthur goes through to 22nd, which gives access to the sidewalk along 22nd, and a lot of strip mall action - including the big & tall men's store. That suits me just fine, I'm 6'6".

There just isn't a pedestrian crossing for HWY 83 to get to Oak Brook Center mall. The safest way is to go up the shoulder a bit from Hodges, where 83 is divided with a wide meridian. Then you can wait for one side to get stopped at the light, cross to the meridian, and wait for the other direction to get light-blocked.

The most logical place for a ped-crossing is at Hodges. The other two intersections are too dangerous.
Time for an IDOT petition.

Ride on,

Dan

Truck hits, kills, woman on bicycle on South Side - chicagotribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-bicyclist-struck-killed-by-truck-identified-20120807,0,906614.story

The Tribune is reporting it as a hit-and-run.

The lady who was killed has a name: Evelyn.

Keep that third eye open, people, and keep pushing for bike routes separated from smogger traffic.

Ride on,

Dan

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

75 Schwinn Continental: The Morning Adventures of the Airmail Rider...

Well, I wear a Nutcase-brand "Airmail" bike helmet, and I love trying to fly my very own Continental...(Continentals were one of the last, largest, and best propeller-driven civilian airliners for you non-airplane buffs)

So anyway, I started my adventure this morning when I went to get the Connie out of our condo building's (VERY FULL) bicycle storage room. (I can't keep her up here, there's three of us in 1,200 square feet.)

Someone bought a brand-new tricycle and decided to park it chained to a building gas line right in front of where I've been parking the Connie for three years now. This has made it so that the only way I can get the Connie out is to hoist it over the three-wheeled behemoth. I also have it on very good authority that the trike owner is in excellent physical condition with no obserbable disabilities. They jusy want and adult trike - and are damn rude about it. The attached pics show the result. The Connie is immediately left of the trike in the photos.

Once I got the Connie out, I decided to see if there was a good bike path from the condo tower where I live to the Oak Brook Center Mall. From now on, I will be calling all such nearly car-free bike routes The Bicycle Way. (And of course bike culture in general) I took off on the Connie determined to search out a new leg of The Bicycle Way that goes to Oak Brook Center, but with a side errand enroute.

I took the cut-through behind the Automobile Trade Association building, (Ah, the delicious irony!) and turned left onto Trans Am Way. I went through the office complex to The Road To Nowhere, and took that to the dirt path to the paved bike path between Ardmore and Butterfield. I then took Ardmore to 16th Street, and rode 16th toward Summit.

Along 16th, there is a sign shop. I stopped in and spoke to Joe at the sign shop. It turns out they can make four copies of the Schwinn Continental decals for around $120.00, and within about two days of me dropping them off. I'm thinking two paychecks out. Hurrah! I can get the Connie painted this Winter!

After talking to Joe, I took 16th to Summit, and then took a right on Summit to my next left. I don't know the name of that road, but suffice it to say that I was able to wind my way through this little subdivision to Hodges Road, which comes out at a stoplight immediately across Highway 83 from Oak Brook Center. Drat the luck, there are no pedestrian signals there. Clearly, my Connie has nowhere near enough weight to trigger the pressure pads under the concrete at the white line at the stoplight, so I'm never going to get a green light to cross Hwy 83 until a car going the same direction I am comes along. Hodges is very lightly traveled, the ligjt is more for the benefit of gas vehicles (Smoggers in my lingo) exiting the mall. I decided to save "how to cross to the mall" for another day or an appeal to Oak Brook Terrace's Park District for pedestrian signals. Highway 83 is four six lanes of 55 MPH sudden-death at that crossing. The exursion for today had been more about extending The Bicycle Way to the mall perimeter, rather than actually going to the mall this morning. At this point, I turned around and started back. It was just then that I spied what had been obscured by weeping willow trees going toward the mall.

There was a small park entrance along the South side of Hodges just before it meets Hwy 83. I turned in and saw a typical Western-Chicago suburban park centered on an industrial park retention pond, with swingsets and the new type of plastic toddlers' fort-slide, with benches and a crushed gravel bike/foot path around the perimeter.

I turned onto the gravel and started pedaling, expecting a scenic diversion around the pond. However, before I made it a third of the way around, I discovered a fork in the path going off to the right between two wood-fenced back yards. I followed the trail along, and it forked again a little ways down. I turned right at this fork also, as it went nore the direction of home.

The second fork went over a wooden footbridge crossing a tiny creek, and became a crushed red gravel path (vs. crushed limestone) ending at a small meditation garden complete with foyntain along Macarthur Drive. (Funny, I was just listening to Donna Summer sing MacArthur Park yesterday morning)

I took Macarthur right, and wound up at a stoplight across Butterfield from a paved bike path that I knew would get me back to The Road To Nowhere. I had successfully extended The Bicycle Way.

Now, if you were confused with my directiins above, I don't blame you. I have an idea to do a drastically better version of bicycle routes. I'll save that for another post, however. It will be titled, of course, "The Bicycle Way". Look for it soon.

Ride on,

Dan





Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Morning Grocery Ride...

I got home from work around 7am, this morning. It's a beautiful day out there; sunny, with temps in the low 80's F, and a few puddles from last night's thunder boomer. Everything is bright, lush, and green.

The grocery store is less than ten minutes by bike. I needed some small groceries for lunch; Greek yogurt, muenster slices, hard salami slices, bananas, OJ. I have this cool backpack that I got at the 2011 Chicago Green Festival. It's made out of black recycled "plastic cloth," and nylon drawstrings about twice as thick as shoe laces. When you put it on, the strings close the top.

I got to the store about half an hour before they opened, so I spent the time "bike strolling" around the neighborhood and circling the parking lot.

Once the store opened, I got four ten-slice packs of Muenster cheese, four packages of sliced hard salami, six containers of yogurt, a quart of orange juice, and a bunch of bananas. Everything but the bananas fit in the backpack. This thing folds down as small as my wallet, and goes in my old tan leather fanny pack with my spare inner tube and spoke wrench.

I had to hand-carry the bananas home, and the straps dug into my shoulders a bit because they're strings instead of straps, but that's a pretty good haul for something that folds so small.

Life is good.

Ride on,

Dan

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Beautiful 10 Miles Along The Lake...

One of my co-workers and I took a ten-mile ride along Lake Michigan this evening after work.
We started near Soldier Field, and rode five miles North, then back.

Temps were upper 80's F, overcast, and breezy but not windy.

There was some kind of running marathon getting ready to start, and the runners were wearing campy knock-offs of super hero uniforms. There was at least one Batman, a Space Ghost, and five Wonder Women that I saw.

We turned around about two miles North of Navy Pier, and got back past just as the marathon was starting. There are two parallel sections of pathway there, so we weren't impeded by the runners.

The wire from the dynamo broke loose from my headlamp, so I'll have to fix that tomorrow after work. I also skinned a knuckle putting the bike back in the work truck. I've long since figured that's a due sacrifice to the Gods of Old Machines.

All in all, it was glorious.

Ride on,

Dan

Sunday, July 1, 2012

One thing I hate about living in the inner suburbs...

...is that it's almost the 4th of July, and I haven't seen a single firefly. They are one of the most magical things about Summer to me.

I wonder if it's all the chem-lawns?

Dan

Saturday, June 30, 2012

75 Schwinn Continental: New Cables, Brake Pads, Etc...

...I just dropped the Connie off at Bicycles, Etc. in Lisle, IL to get all new brake & deraillure cables, brake pads, handlebar tape, steering bearings, and a tube cap on the handle bars.

The cables and handle bar tape are all in blue from Velo Orange, and the shop is supplying the bearings, pads, and tube cap.

I should be picking her up next Saturday. Shop cost is $167 and change, Velo Orange parts were about $60, but I got two sets of everything, so I'll have spares at home.

Ride on,

Dan

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

New Game For Light Exercise: Bucket-Disk...

One Bucket-Disk (invented by Yours Truly) set: (4) aluminum tent stakes @ $0.79 each at Dick's Sporting Goods, (2) Home Depot bucets @ $3.00 each, one Disk Golf fairway driver @ $10-21.00 depending on brand & style. Notice how the bucket on the right is already tent-staked to the ground on either side of the white plastic handle grip. The disk hitting the back of the bucket would move the bucket otherwise, so would the wind on a windy day. Click on image to view full-size.


Set up buckets with openings facing each other 15 feet apart. Stake bucket handles so goals don't move. Stand behind your bucket and toss at the other bucket. Teams take turns, 1 throw each. First 20 duckets wins. Disk must be more than halfway in the bucket to count a ducket.

Teams toss at one bucket to see who goes first. Closest to bucket OR most duckets goes first.

Lose two duckets for your team if you hit another player, or physically get in front of your bucket while the other team is throwing. (Off-sides rule; throwing team must declare a throw starting and do a 5-count to let other players clear the target bucket. IE: "THROW-2-3-4-5")

Advanced rules: Get a 2nd disk. The off-turn team may attempt to throw a block at the throwing team's disk AFTER it has left the thrower's hand. Next person up on the off-turn team is also the blocking disk thrower. Lose a ducket for your team if you throw your block before the disk leaves the thrower's hand.

Skips off the ground still count as a ducket if the disk goes all the way into the bucket.

You get a very satisfying "THUNK" sound  when the disk bounces off the back of the bucket.


It's very easy to pack up and carry to the park or the beach.


Let fly!

Dan

Thursday, June 21, 2012

75 Schwinn Continental: I bought a 1974 owners' manual...



...on Ebay for $6.00. It just came in today, but I haven't had time to read through it yet. I'll report back once I've gone through it.

And yes, that is the latest copy of Bicycle Times magazine lying under the manual. I think I have one article left to read in it.

Ride on,

Dan

$525 Online Rebate for Electric Tommy Bahama Cruiser Bike (Choose 2 Styles) - 9 More GreenDeals

It looks kinda cool, but this is my Schwinn, and I'm stickin' to it.

Ride on,

Dan

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Date: Jun 21, 2012 2:03 PM
Subject: $525 Online Rebate for Electric Tommy Bahama Cruiser Bike (Choose 2 Styles) - 9 More GreenDeals

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Saturday, June 16, 2012

75 Scwinn Continental: Kickstandectomy My Hairy Hiney!

I recently ran across a post on www.bikeforums.net where a guy had recently bought a 1970's Schwinn Continental for working out. He was asking people for advice regarding the possibility of touring on it.

Scads of people were telling the guy ways to cut weight, and several were advising removing the kickstand and plate as one way to shed ounces. Huh? The kickstand mount is a welded integral part of the frame on Schwinn Continentals and Varsitys. It was one of the the things I loved about these bikes. When all the cheap bikes were losing their kickstands unintentionally, I still had mine.

Dude, just get on your bad motorless scooter and Ride On.

Dan

75 Schwinn Continental: A nice long hot ride...

I had rhe Connie out for a good 2.5 hours this afternoon. It's about 92 degrees, slight overcast, 7-10 mph breezes. I didn't get sweaty until I stopped to put her away. All the gals in the building lobby were commenting on how nice the bike looks.

Ride on,

Dan

HTC Amaze 4G Charger Voltage & Amperage Specifications

After an HOUR of trying to find the charging voltage specs for my HTC Amaze on Google under numerous search terms, (WTF??!) Ifound that they were printed right on the back of the factory AC charger that came with my phone.

Set your solar phone charger to 5 VDC, and let there be light.

Now, I feel stupid for not lookingvthere first, but HTC and solar charger manufacturers should feel downright idioric for not having a universal list of phone charging power specs easily-found on internet search in this age of green power users on bicycles.

I love my Amaze, but it's a lot like a jet fighter: fast, agile, and capable, but really sucks the go-go juice. Now I can go all light-bright on it.

Dan


Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Bike funding for your community is under attack


From: "Tim Blumenthal, peopleforbikes.org" info@peopleforbikes.org
Date: Jun 12, 2012 2:39 PM
Subject: Bike funding for your community is under attack


Dear Daniel,
URGENT! BIKE FUNDING FOR YOUR COMMUNITY IS UNDER ATTACK
During recent negotiations on a new transportation bill, the House of Representatives proposed drastic cuts that would hurt bicycling. Their plan would allow states to take federal transportation funds that make roads safer for bicycling and divert them to other uses, without any input from communities like yours.
This means local communities could miss out on the important benefits of bicycling, like reduced road congestion, increased safety, and lower health care costs. It could hurt your bike riding experience, too.
This House initiative threatens to scrap 20 years of steady Congressional support for modest, cost-effective investments that make bicycling a safe transportation choice for Americans. It is a bad idea that must be stopped.
Please contact your two U.S. Senators and one U.S. Representative today. (You can find your representatives, review basic suggested text for your email, and send your note directly from this link above.) Urge them to back the Senate's sensible proposal (learn more here) to assure the participation of local government leaders in key transportation decisions about bicycling.

Thank you for speaking up to protect bicycling,
Tim Blumenthal
President, PeopleForBikes.org
 Contact Us

75 Schwinn Continental: I Broke My Front Deraillure Cable...

...it just snapped the end off at the shifter when I tried shifting above 5th on my last prairie path ride.

I'm looking to replace the handle bar tape and the old gray cables with blue cloth and blue-colored cables from Velo Orange this coming payday. Especially since I've had no luck finding any of the original Schwinn handlebar tape, nor do I know if it would be useable after so many years, even if I could find it. The original tape was really great-looking, but it was really slick if your hands were sweaty. You pretty much needed to ride with those thin brown cloth gloves unless you wanted to have your hands slide off.

I have to face it, I'm going to have to do some "resto-modding" on the Connie, there's not much of a way around it - but I'll be as true to the original as possible.

One of the cool things I learned from Velo Orange is about Simichrome polish. I'm going to have to get some of this stuff and see how it does.

The front steering bearings are also a little loose since the accident last Summer where the front rim got pretzelized. I'm going to have to get those replaced.

Unfortunately, I never got a chance to find someone to duplicate the original decals yet, so I didn't get the bike painted before riding season. I need to work on that over the Summer so that I can get the paint done as soon as the season ends.

Still, even with a little slop in the bearings, the Connie is holding up great and I still love riding - but I won't be getting above 5th gear until I get that cable swapped. That also might be a great time to get the original Schwinn front deraillure I bout last year put on the bike, and store the emergency generic.

Ride on,

Dan

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Thank You to Milton Township Democrats


It's little things like this that make me remember who's on the side of the cycling public.
Ride on,

Dan

Saturday, June 2, 2012

75 Schwinn: A Cheap Way To Instant Separated Bike Lanes In Most Cities And Towns...

I broke the ice this week, and have had the Connie out three times. Wonderful weather, great joy, fantastic exercise, and lots of dodging or pulling over for cars.

There are a lot of streets I simply won't ride because the cars will run you off the road for not being fast enough. I am not kidding, I've had cars blare their horns at me, and a couple even swerve at me. The cops are nowhere to be seen whwn this crap happens.

There's a simple solution that would be very cheap; designate all South and East sidewalks for biking, and all North and West sidewalks for walking. Then,mandate that all roadways have sidewalks. Done. Cheap overall.

Cyclists would gain instant access to infrastructure already in place and rarely used.

Yes, it would cost a bit to add sidewalks in places where they don't exist, and to connect them to existing bike paths. Wouldn't a lot if that be offset by reduced healthcare costs and reduced pollution?
Discussion?

Ride on,

Dan