For the past couple summers I have wanted to pick up a vintage city bike to restore. Although I love my mountain bike, it's more suited to dirt trails and rock gardens than city streets and market trips. I have looked on kijiji and craigslist many times, but never found one quite right. They were either too big, too expensive, or too far away. Little did I know, my mom had her old raleigh in their shed just waiting to be restored and ridden again. When I was young my mom got her fine art degree from the University of Guelph. She rode this to and from class.
It needs a lot of work, but that's ok. I love the double frame and I picture a leather pannier and cork grips. Maybe even a
brooks saddle one day.
For the past couple summers I have wanted to pick up a vintage city bike to restore. Although I love my mountain bike, it's more suited to dirt trails and rock gardens than city streets and market trips. I have looked on kijiji and craigslist many times, but never found one quite right. They were either too big, too expensive, or too far away. Little did I know, my mom had her old raleigh in their shed just waiting to be restored and ridden again. When I was young my mom got her fine art degree from the University of Guelph. She rode this to and from class.
It needs a lot of work, but that's ok. I love the double frame and I picture a leather pannier and cork grips. Maybe even a brooks saddle one day.
7 comments:
i got my fine arts degree from guelph too! i wonder if i knew your mum. i rode my "sunshine" bike (made in waterloo, ont. and had balloon tires) up macdonald hill every day. good strong legs in those days!
congrats on the new restoration Jenna! I don't know if yo know this but I ride a bike everyday and it has cork grips and a brook saddle! Jon knows a lot about DIY bike restoration so if you have any questions let us know!
I have been admiring your site for the past year. Love your work. I got lucky last summer and bought a Raleigh bike at a yard sale. It's gonna be my summer project. Will you do any of the work yourself? Thanks for the Brooks link.
Shawn- She started going part time in '85 and graduated in '91. She studied painting. And that hill would be a work out!
Andrea- I would love to see you bike! Send me a picture if you can.
Sarah- I plan to the work on the bike, along with the help of my husband. I think it's a good spring project.
That looks just like my old bike. My daughter has been riding it to classes at, guess where?...Yep, U of Guelph. She is in the Co-op programme so last summer she had classes ,in Enviro Bio, and that baby took her to and fro. I think the bike spent the winter of first year under a snowpile outside a friends apt. near the Farmer's Market. My duaghter plays for the lacrosse team at Guelph so it also takes her to early morning practices in the fall.Thanks for the pic it sure brought back some memories.
I ALSO rode my old vintage cruiser (I don't think it was a Raleigh, but very similar) to U of G from downtown Guelph! But only a few times, that hill is so brutal. The way home was a breeze, but the way to school was not so fun. I usually took the bus...
When I rode this bike to UofG, we lived south of the university so 1 didn't have to deal with the hill. Way back in the 70's, when I did my Botany degree, I had a yellow 10 speed Raleigh that I took up the hill, but also only a few times!
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