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

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

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

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "GreenDeals" <noreply@greendeals.org>
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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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

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. TAKE ACTION TODAY! Thank you for speaking up to protect bicycling, Tim Blumenthal President, PeopleForBikes.org

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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

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

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

In Portland: Can Freight Bikes Replace Trucks? | ecotrope.opb.org

http://ecotrope.opb.org/2012/02/in-portland-can-freight-bikes-replace-trucks/

Fascinating. 700 lbs capacity and thousands of beliveries on BIKES.

What a way to step on the gas!

Dan

Just read two-thirds of the latest Bicycle Times...

...Have I mentioned that I love this mag? http://www.bicycletimesmag.com/

Ride On,

Dan