Category Archives: Equipment

Latest Secret Weapon to Fight the Night

Posted on June 2, 2011 by

Readers may remember I modified a vintage headlamp by inserting the guts of a modern LED light.  I wanted better light with a vintage look that blended with my 1936 Raleigh.  I wish I could leave well-enough alone, but that … Continue reading →

Posted in Equipment, Lights | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

DIY Ten Buck Pannier: Ortlieb Beware!

Posted on May 24, 2011 by

This guest post is from regular reader, sometimes contributer, year-round commuter, transiteer and Milwaukee all-rounder Dave Steele.  Dave showed me his DIY pannier, and I was quite impressed.  Thanks for sharing your project Dave.  It opens up a whole new world of innexpensive pannier … Continue reading →

Posted in commuting, Equipment | Tagged | 6 Comments

What’s in a name?

Posted on May 6, 2011 by
Posted in Bicycles, Equipment | 4 Comments

Disco, Angels Flight pants, the White Socks and bicycle bells

Posted on May 3, 2011 by

I remember 1979 as the year Chicago White Sox fans blew up about 10,000 disco records in the Old Comiskey Park and unfurled the phrase “Disco Sucks.”  While much of disco deserved the bad rap it got, I graduated high school in 1980 and … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycles, Equipment, Five Minute Friday | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Transplant Surgery: LED into vintage headlamp

Posted on April 19, 2011 by

I recently swapped a new front wheel with a Sturmey Archer X-FDD 6 volt, 3 watt dynamo hub with cable actuated 70mm drum brake to make my 1936 Raleigh a bit more practical as a regular commuter bike.  The hub dramatically improved my braking and freed … Continue reading →

Posted in Equipment, Equipment Review | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Get your kicks(tand)

Posted on April 14, 2011 by

Kickstands are cool. OK, I admit that in my racing days when I weighed everything, from body parts to bicycle components, I used to take them off any bike that came with one.  But I have grown in years and … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycles, Equipment, Equipment Review | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

’36 Raleigh DIY upgrade: SA dyno hub and drum brake

Posted on April 7, 2011 by

My 1936 Raleigh Sports is a great bike, but combination of the original steel rims and ancient side-pull brakes do not give me stopping power for confident commuting on a good day.  When the rims get wet, get ready to Flintstones your way … Continue reading →

Posted in Equipment, Equipment Review, Lights | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

Dutch Schwinn Upgrades

Posted on February 21, 2011 by

A couple weeks ago the wiring on my DLomotec LED headlight on my Dutch Schwinn broke.  The wires broke right next to the housing, and the light is built in such a way that it is not meant to be disassembled.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycles, Dutch Bicycles, Equipment, Equipment Review | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The storm before the storm

Posted on February 3, 2011 by

I’m 48-years-old and I can’t remember another time when Groundhog’s Day was cancelled due to weather.  Milwaukee got hit with 14.5 inches of snow and 60 mph winds.  Racine won the big dump prize with 23.5 inches.  This was on top of 7 inches … Continue reading →

Posted in commuting, Equipment | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Riding Ninja Style

Posted on January 28, 2011 by

Recent converstions on the Milwaukee bike to work listserv about riding without lights at night prompted me to share this video from the Portland-based Bicycle Transportation Alliance. Enjoy! Strategies for Getting Around Without Bike Lights (or Pants) from BICYCLE TRANSPORTATION … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycles, commuting, Equipment, Lights | Tagged , | 5 Comments