Riding a Mid-70's Single Speed Bicycle

[snubbyfan]

My wife and I went for a bike ride today and I decided to take my Dad's old bike.
We unloaded the bikes at the trailhead.


At Canal Place in Cumberland Maryland for a ride on the GAP trail.


After a quick brunch, we headed on down the trail.


We rode up and through the Brush tunnel. Anybody know the significance of the year?


Only thing was that it was an incline all the way to the tunnel. Over 6 miles uphill on a single speed bike with slippery pedals.
The downhill on the way back was nice though.

 

[Onomea]

1911, um, let's see... The invention of the S&W Model 29?!

(Or, how about Norwegian Roald Amundsen's Antarctic expedition is the 1st to reach the South Pole?)

 

[two-bit cowboy]

The downhill on the way back was nice though.

What?

You mean it wasn't uphill both ways?

 

[jeffrefrig]

Reminds me of that song, "Mister, You're A Better Man Than I."
Only thing I'd have to do is change that seat to the old-school '60s wider seat with the springs! I'm not fat anymore at 5'10"/185#, but my butt doesn't know that! Even so, I still like that bike!

 

[BC38]

Your dad's bike reminds me of the one that my dad gave me when I was in 7th grade.

I have no idea where he got it, but he "fixed it up" for me and I rode it for a couple of years. It was one of those love/hate relationships, because I appreciated the effort that Dad put into building it for me, but I still got razzed a lot by other kids for riding such an old fashioned single-speed bike with fenders and chromed upswept handlebars. It just wasn't "cool".

At that time (late 1970's) a 10-speed with ram's horn handlebars was the "cool" bike to have. So, I rode that old single-speed Schwinn until I could save up enough lawn-mowing money to buy myself a 10-speed from the Western Auto.

I sure wish I still had that old bike that Dad built for me. It would probably be worth a bit of coin - but for me the sentimental value would make it priceless.

 

[JohnRippert]

Dad had a early '70s Schwinn Continental 10-speed in baby blue that I used to ride a LOT before I got my first car. It had one of those odometers that attached to the front fork. There were days I would put in 70 miles and that pretty regularly. IIRC the most I went in a day was 129 miles. That thing weighed a ton but it took me all over the place.

 

[WR Moore]

Nice to see someone riding bicycles without also wearing spandex.

 

[alwslate]

Sometimes old isn't always better.

 

[SMSgt]

What?

You mean it wasn't uphill both ways?

In the snow! Snubbyfan is getting wimpy in his old age.

 

[LVSteve]

Those old bikes weighed a ton.

 

[snubbyfan]

Reminds me of that song, "Mister, You're A Better Man Than I."
Only thing I'd have to do is change that seat to the old-school '60s wider seat with the springs! I'm not fat anymore at 5'10"/185#, but my butt doesn't know that! Even so, I still like that bike!

Compared to the seat on my regular bike, that is a wider seat.


Then again, I'm 5'8" 160 pounds and my wife tells me that I have no butt.

 

[snubbyfan]

Sometimes old isn't always better.

That old bike did great but I admit, I missed my regular bike on that ride but it was just something I wanted to do.

 

[snubbyfan]

Those old bikes weighed a ton.

It weighs just 33 pounds, just one pound more than my regular bike.

 

[lihpster]

Back in the late '70s when everyone was getting 10 speeds, my father worked with a guy who rehabbed old single speeds. Whole bikes or parts, wherever he could find them. Garage sales, dumpsters, side of the road, wherever. Then he'd refurb the old ones and make bikes from the parts he had. Afterwards, he'd give them away to kids. He always had about 20 bikes at his house, which was right next door to an abandoned military base with miles of flat, paved streets to ride on. Cool dude.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

On flat terrain the extra gears really aren't needed, find what level gear you like the most and you're good to go. I have known several serious cyclist who ride single speeds in the winter, they find the constant pedaling gives them a boost.

 

[Kevin J.]

Looks like a good time. I am glad to see you color coordinated your shirt and bike.

 

[johngalt]

That reminds me of the Schwinn I had growing up. Mine was green.

 

[Alk8944]

We rode up and through the Brush tunnel. Anybody know the significance of the year?

Snubby,

Anytime you see a date like that on railroad masonry construction, Bridges, tunnels, culverts, etc. it is the year of construction. Culverts and tunnels the year will always be over the entrance like in the picture. Steel bridges will have plaques indicating the year they were built, contractor, etc.

I am amazed no one else gave you an answer.

 

[Marshwheeling]

Nice bike. I had, still have, actually, a schwinn Phantom, found in a barn painted orange with a brush. I started to build it back to original-ish (not restored) when I found the springer forks were wobbly and needed to be bushed. That was going to call for some work that was above my pay grade, so I took it in a different direction: Alloy rims, a BMX fork, a Sturmey 3-speed coaster hub and a Brooks B72 saddle, like the ones you always found on English 3-speeds. I geared it real low (36t chainwheel), put some plastic fenders on it and rode it in the wintertime.

I always thought that Schwinn cantilever frame, copied by a lot of other makes, was the best looking bike frame around, if nowhere near the lightest.

 

[snubbyfan]

On flat terrain the extra gears really aren't needed, find what level gear you like the most and you're good to go. I have known several serious cyclist who ride single speeds in the winter, they find the constant pedaling gives them a boost.

Generally out here in the mountains of West Virginia, there's not much in the way of flat terrain.
However, we live 'bout a mile or so from the C&O Canal Towpath. That's pretty even and really an idea place to ride that old bike.