Saturday, December 29, 2012
How a Bicycle is Made - Raleigh, 1945
How to make a Raleigh, circa 1945. No carbon fiber in sight. Just good ol' steel and the scary tools required. Remove the glamor of all things bike - and it looks sorta like a metal shop - a dirty old metal shop.
Check out how they "paint" the frames. Ah, the good ol' days of no OSHA and EPA to worry about - or whatever the British equivalent is. I get a kick out of these vintage films and how things were manufactured.
Interesting stuff...
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Those are some well made bikes! Less prone to break than carbon, especially if you happen to be one of those 300lb fat guys who can just happen to afford a high end carbon bicycle. I have to disagree here and say I would much rather have a bicycle from the past and made with these techniques than one of today's cookie cutter bikes.
ReplyDelete@Johnny. I kind of straddle both worlds, being semi-old guy and digging older steel frames - and newer carbon stuff. I worked in a bike shop during the early '80s, so the now retro steel bikes look "right" to me. I own a few steel bikes and one carbon - as well as aluminum. They all have their place and function. Carbon done correctly is super strong, light, and rides fantastic, no way around it.
ReplyDeleteEven so, if I was going for the custom bike, I'd go for a higher end steel frame/fork from a local shop or custom builder. Partly for the history, the ride, the durability, and yes - with carbon now so common - as something a bit different.
Also keep in mind, back when steel was king, things were a bit cookie cutter as well. Besides different "Paint 'N' Graphics", and steel tubing differences not visible to the eye, most frames and forks looked pretty similar - similar to the carbon scene today. Just a different era...
Dan:
ReplyDeleteJust came across your site and saw your earlier post on the Camry. Looks like you are still driving it--has it worked out well for bike stuff? I have a '96 Camry sedan right now and I am wondering about maybe going the wagon route. Do you have a roof rack? Any insights would be appreciated! Patrick
@Patrick. I'm still driving it and lot more then I imagined. I've fallen off the bike commuting wagon for a few months, so been using it daily. It's also become the weekend family car. Two years later, just a few oil changes and set of front brake pads ($25). The killer used car deal.
ReplyDeleteI installed a Yakima roof rack, using a mixture of old and new parts, can now carry 4 bikes. The wagon space is great for heading to races, rides, etc. Tons of room. Even has a flip out rear seat, so fits 7 people. I'm used to sports oriented cars, so a bit boring to drive - my first ever automatic trans. If you could add about 50 HP, stiffen the suspension some, and add a 5 speed - could be the perfect car.
That is super helpful, thanks--I've been driving Camrys for a few years, and they are boring but easy. I don't see too many Camry wagons (they were never too popular) but I am thinking that if I see one I might dump my current sedan. Like you, I only paid around 3200 for the Camry (a one owner that had been dealer serviced) and it will probably run for another 75k or more...
ReplyDeletePatrick