Categories
Gear Tips

That Small White Cap

I’ve mentioned the small plastic cap that Bromptons ship in this post:  It goes over one of the front wheel nuts, and helps to protect the bike’s finish when folded.  Mine developed a crack almost immediately after Basil arrived.  Perhaps that wasn’t surprising; this particular fitting may never have been intended to remain on a Brompton, once unpacked and in use.

Once the crack enlarged, and before the cap could fall off, I removed it and took off for the hardware stores.  In my many hours of haunting the small bins there, I knew I’d seen something that would do the trick.  I found it:

It’s a nylon “hole plug locking”, size 13/16ths, extortionately priced at something around a US dollar.  And well worth it, as far as I was concerned.  (Why do I suspect that the packing was more expensive than the bit within?)

The replacement cap has an arguably better design than the Brompton original; instead of a somewhat radically curved edge, the edge on the replacement curves slightly, but has slots to relieve, and then retain, pressure, which I would expect to hold up better than my poor split, unperforated, original.  The new cap required a bit of contortion during installation, but has stayed firmly in place since.

Whilst on a group ride yesterday, I showed this to Mike, of Trophy Bikes in Philadelphia.  He was quite interested, and I was amused by his immediate question:  “Does it come in black?”

Yes, I believe that it can be found in black, though your mileage many vary — along with your eagerness to canvass every hardware store in town.  I like the white; I’ll notice if it goes missing.

Nicks and dings are inevitable — and, certainly, indicative of a proud history — but I’m just as happy to postpone them as long as reasonably possible.

 

Categories
Miscellaneous

November Challenge (Aftermath)

I set a goal in November of publishing a post every single day — and hit my target!

Maine Coon sidles up to Brompton; refuses to pose.

For the first time in many years of blogging, I used WordPress’s scheduling feature, and it worked like a champ, even though I spent nearly a week with essentially no Internet access.

I’ll probably post a bit less frequently through the winter, but I plan to publish at least two posts each week.  One way or another, I should be able to find enough Brompton material to write about to meet that goal, don’t you think?

In spring, I’ll ramp up again.

Categories
Miscellaneous

Late November

I love autumn.  Perhaps I’ve mentioned this before?

On this particular afternoon, the shadows from the suburban trail’s fence looked like railroad tracks:

Late November; who would guess?

Categories
My Brompton

Shadows and Stone

Around 3 PM:

Basil, a little later, oddly, beneath a train trestle, on the same afternoon.  Without the shadows, there’s a completely different sense of light.

I love these arches, which are everywhere in southeastern Pennsylvania.  Basil’s almost invisible, though, beneath all that imposing gray.

Categories
My Brompton

An Unexpected Sighting

In a city park: A Great Blue Heron, looking for dinner.  What wonderful, prehistoric-seeming, creatures these Herons are.  I got a shot of this one flying from one area to another, but snapped it at just the wrong moment to capture the full glory of the massive heron wingspan.

He might have been disappointed.  This little pond is normally stocked, but seemed to have been emptied for the winter.

Just another ordinary day  . . . on a Brompton!

Basil posed, too, at another site. I have no idea what he’s standing on.  It looks like an industrial drainpipe, long disused.

That’s a decaying foundry in the background.

The sealed pipe probably has something to do with the foundry. Much of this area was once industrial, back in the days when there was a lot of industry in the United States.

 

 

Categories
My Brompton

Basil Rides Regional Rail

Basil and I took the South Eastern Pennsylvania Regional Rail system — better known as SEPTA —  to get to and from the Tweed Ride last week.  It was Basil’s first trip on a local commuter train (though on a Saturday).

Yeah, there isn’t much space even for legs, here.

There’s much more room for Basil (and people) in the newer cars which are now turning up on the line; we haven’t happened to ride in one yet.

In this older car, Basil slipped into the windowless area near the carriage door.  This worked fine on a day when the train was only crowded, not packed.  There are other options, though arguably less desirable ones, on these particular cars, at times when the carriages are more densely populated.

Days are still beautiful in a very autumnal fashion, but light fades early in the afternoon now.  It was twilight when we got off the train.

Categories
Tours, Trails & Group Rides

Changing Philadelphia

Years ago, Mr. Diarist and I had a membership at the Philadelphia Art museum, though we lived some distance away.  For several years, we’d meet at the Museum on Friday nights for Art After 5.  Mr. D. drove in from his office, and I took the train.  We’d picnic in the gazebo above the river, and then spend the evening at the museum.

The walk from the train station was a pain:  utterly un-pedestrian-friendly and grueling in summer’s heat.  All that has changed now.  When Basil and I took the train into the city for this year’s Tweed Ride, we got off at the 30th street station, and rode the Schuylkill River Trail along the river to the Water Works.  Quelle difference!

The new multi-use trail is gorgeous.  Talk about making a city livable!  You want beautiful Philadelphia?  You got it.

In general, though, Philadelphia is more gritty than effete.  Here’s effete: Boathouse Row, from the trail.

But I love the way that gritty essence is preserved along this trail.  Yep, that’s a freight train, in the middle of the city.

The trail runs between the river and the railroad track.

You’ve got yourself some cyclists, in-line skaters, pedestrians, joggers, trains and river traffic.  All, essentially, downtown.  Does “urban” get any better than this?

There’s really only one little quibble I have with the new trail.  Getting to river level from the Amrtrak station requires descending (and later ascending) three flights of stairs.  There’s a track for bicycles, but it’s only on one side.

Basil regards the stairs skeptically:

I used the track to go down, but I’m not coordinated enough to ascend using my left hand and arm, so I carried him up the three flights instead.

Here’s a view of the bridge you cross from the 30th Street Station to get to the stairs, which are on the other side of the illuminated arch.

There’s no obvious signage l directing the way to the trail, noting its existence, or identifying the stairs. That’s an oversight that should be corrected.  The trail’s a resource with which everyone, including out-of-towners, should be familiar.  Hey, Philadelphia, don’t hide your trail away!

 

Categories
Events

Tweed Ride 2012: The Picnic

The Philadelphia Tweed Ride 2012 started at the Water Works, and wended its way  to Penn Treaty Park under the bluest and most temperate skies imaginable.  November 17?  The best of autumn, as it turned out.

The park is mostly field, with plenty of room to gather and frolic.

Small groups gathered as people meandered about:

Vintage games were played, including baseball, by lads in these excellent uniforms:

That’s a button-on yoke in front.  Here’s the back:

Note the cap. Modern sports uniforms just don’t cut it.

 

The landscape was littered with cycles.  And wool.  The crowd was easy-going, relaxed, and cordial.

Lots of bikes to oogle, of course, and plenty of great-looking garb, too.

There were a few pair of actual knickers about  (no snickering, you UK people — I’m talking plus fours, here, not what’s under your trews), but many of the lads tucked their trousers into socks, creating instant knickers.  Add argyle socks, and . . . well, the effect is just about perfect.

I loved this lass’s outfit — she’s ready for adventure, and would have been as well-dressed in the 1930s or 40s, as she was today.

These dapper lads were part of the organizing crew:

I think I’ve seen this spiffy-dressed lad in the New Yorker, haven’t you?

But honestly, for dapper, can you beat this fellow?  Note that he has pipe in hand, luggage in tow, and a Philadelphia map within reach:

He’s the navigator on this bicycle:

Which is as well (and cleverly) equipped as a cycle can get. Note the radio, which was playing music from an era when tweed ruled.

The card handed about by the pilot of this magnificent craft explains each component; it was brilliant of him to have printed up the cards. As a result, I can tell you that this is a TREK Lime, automatic 3-speed with custom wood fenders.  The radio is a 1950s Tom Thumb with an amplifier and a mini-disk player; the panniers are converted 1960s Swiss ammo carriers.  Quite a neat accumulation of wonderful things, no?

The navigator was not the only one of his species to ride along.  Meet Ringo:

Ringo co-pilots this marvelous cargo bike:

This gent carried all the necessaries on his person:  a flask and pipe.  He’s obviously a resourceful fellow; he even made his own vest!

I like his idea of a rear pannier, too.

The Bicycle Chef’s  traditional picnic basket was decked with autumn leaves, along with the handlebars on her nifty Schwinn.

She had brought a picnic-for-two, intending to share — a terrific idea!

A lovely picnic it was, too.

I’d brought my favorite egg salad sandwich (extra onions on request!) from the  Old Nelson Food Company at the top of the SEPTA ramp at 30th street station, but I was happy to be introduced to something I didn’t know existed: Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin Ale.  I’d have never tired it, and that would have been sad . . . thanks, Bicycle Chef, for sharing, and inspiring me to picnic properly next year!

Eventually, it was time to go.  These intrepid cyclists got in some all-terrain riding, as everyone headed off to Rembrandt’s for further imbibing and refection.

Thanks, Tweed volunteers for pulling it all together — what a great excuse to come to Philadelphia and cycle!

 

Categories
My Brompton

A Milestone. Of Sorts.

I headed out yesterday morning, before a busy day began, intending to knock off a couple of errands, and, not incidentally, complete my first 200 miles (nearly 322 km)  on Basil.

However, it seems that I was a little sloppy with the math. When I got home, my total recorded mileage for date was at 199.99.  So near, and yet not there. Or, at least not there officiallly.

7 AM. Frost on the grass. Shopping finished.

Of course, I failed to “resume” more than once when I first got my GPS, so Basil and I have actually cycled somewhat over 200 miles together, but it sure would have been nice to see that figure on my GPS report today.  The recorded stats seem so much more valid, somehow.

I doubt it’s going to be a problem to make up that missing .01 mile.  But still . . . the champagne is on hold, at least until later today.

 

Categories
Events

Tweed Ride 2012: Starting Scene

The Philadelphia Tweed Ride 2012 assembled at the Water Works, just below the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

You can see one wing of the museum looming above the Water Works here:

Here’s a view of the musuem from the Water Works plaza, from whence we departed on the Ride.

It was a picture post-card perfect day.

We were an awesome sight as we rolled out from the Water Works.  I thought that at the time, but knew it for sure when I saw thoroughbred21’s video.  Take a look — you’ll be glad you did!

That’s a muzzy still of the Bicycle Chef, her Coffee Schwinn, and me, on Basil (and a slew of other tweed-clad cyclists.  You can’t tell from the image, but I’m already beaming. And why not?