Small Wheel Shoppers: Wren and Bobbin

In my recent post about choosing a transportation bicycle one topic discussed in the comments was the available options for those who live in walkup apartments yet want a fully equipped upright step-through transportation bicycle. The thing about transportation bikes is that they tend to be on the large and heavy side, thus inconvenient for hauling up and down several flights of stairs on a daily basis - especially for those without a lot of upper body strength. The solution some might consider is a small wheeled bike. Not necessarily a folding bike, but what in England was at one time called a "shopper" - a bicycle with small wheels and a sturdy frame designed to withstand weight, equipped with fenders, racks and baskets. The Raleigh Twenty was probably the most popular of these and now there are two new bikes from England that channel its features. I rode them briefly at Adeline Adelinewhen I visited New York.






One of these is theWren bicycle shown here. Stiff cromoly frame, 20" wheels with wide city tires, 3-speed hub, swept back handlebars, adjustable saddle height, fenders and front and rear racks with optional enormous wicker basket.






The front rack is attached to the frame at three separate points. It does not move when the wheel moves and it sits low to the ground, which stabilises the weight and does not noticeably impact handling.





With the combination of front and rear rack, this bicycle can carry as much weight as a full sized transportation bike, and the frame is built to withstand that. But the bike itself is not heavy when compared to a full sized upright step-through, and being small it is quite maneuverable through tight spaces. Carrying it up and down the stairs is no problem. The low standover provides the same benefits as a full sized step-through frame. And the short horizontal bar above the bottom bracket functions as a convenient handle for picking up the bike.






While I was not able to get outdoor shots of the Bobbin Shopper, I did ride it briefly. The frame bears a strong resemblance the original Raleigh Twenty, but is lighter with tubing that is not as heavy-duty. Like the Wren, the Bobbin Shopper is equipped with 20" wheels, a 3-speed hub, fenders, a rear rack and an optional front basket. Unlike the Wren, the front brake is a caliper rather than a hub brake, there is a plastic saddle in place of the Brooks, and the handlebars are not swept back. The unicrown fork differs from the lugged crown fork on the Wren.






The Bobbin Shopper's frame is not designed to carry quite as much weight as the Wren and the craftsmanship is not on the same level, but these things are reflected very fairly in the price difference: The Wren retails for $1,150, whereas the Bobbin Shopper is priced at $550.






At these different price points, the basic idea behind the bikes is the same: small wheels,simple frame design, low stand-over, easy to carry,rack in the rear, optional basket in the front, hub gears. Both bicycles are made in Taiwan. And both bicycles weigh around 30lb, depending on how you set them up. One thing I wish is that each manufacturer offered an optional dynamo lighting package and it's a pity they do not.






Having ridden each bicycle briefly, my impressions are not extensive, but I'll share them such as they are: The Wren is undoubtedly a smoother, more luxurious ride. It is simply a higher quality build. But it also felt a little peculiar in both fit and handling and took some getting used to. The frame is very long and I felt quite stretched out and leaned over even with the upright handlebars. The Wren's handling seems optimised for a front load and with the basket empty it took me a bit to get used to it. The Bobbin's fit is more standard and the handling was more intuitive for me on first try. I do not feel that the small wheels are a limitation on either bicycle for city riding. And both bikes felt delightfully maneuverable. For those choosing between the two bikes, I would say it comes down to price point and fit preferences.




Not being folding bikes obviously means that neither bicycle can be made more compact than it already is, save for lowering the saddle. But one advantage of the non-folder is that the bike can be locked up outdoors in the city just as easily as full-sized bikes, whereas folding bicycles can be tricky to leave outside securely. I am a fan of this breed of bicycles and am glad more of them are emerging. What are your thoughts regarding non-folding small wheeled "shoppers"?

The Brinker Kinexxion

The following Deed Record was found on June 7, .. at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. It was the occasion of an extremely happy “Happy Dance” for me, as reported by Carol several days later. You see, it had been many, many years since I've been able to add a new ancestor to my pedigree chart.



I was ecstatic, to put it mildly. I had finally found the maiden name (as well as the actual first name) of the mother of Elizabeth (Switzer) Yarian – Catharine Brinker – and the name of Catharine's father, Andrew!



Not only had I added a new ancestor, but, I didn't know it at the time, I would have the Brinker lineage several generations back to the early 1700s in Switzerland. It seems that extensive research has been done on the Brinker family by two ladies who have documented Andrew's parents and grandparents!



In addition, at least one book has been published on the Leatherman/Lederman family – the wife of Andrew Brinker was Barbara Leatherman.



Yes, those last two days before I left Salt Lake City on June 9th were filled with amazing revelations and I was busy gathering as much information as possible, barely even reading most of it at the time!



And this document, a Quit Claim Deed dated the 11th of August in 1849 was the catalyst for that research frenzy... the heirs of Catharine Sweitzer were “selling” 213 acres in section 12 Fairfield Township, Columbiana County, Ohio to Thomas McCoy for which he gave one dollar to each of them. I've added emphasis on specific "important" portions...

Daniel Deemer, etal to Thomas McCoy.

Know all men by these presents the we Daniel Deemer and Susan Deemer his wife, of the county of Columbiana, Jacob Mondwick and Barbara Mondwick his wife of the County of Portage, Peter Bubecker & Rebecca Bubecker his wife of the County of Mahoning, Jacob Yarian & Elizabeth Yarian his wife of the County of Portage for and in consideration of the sum of one dollar each to us severally in hand paid by Thomas McCoy of the county of Columbiana the receipt whereof is hereby Acknowledged, have remised, released, and forever quit claimed... all our right, title and interest both legal and equitable in and to the following described premises, situate in the county of Columbiana and state of Ohio, and being the South East corner or part of section number twelve, in township number twelve, in range number two in the district of land offered for sale at Steubenville. Beginning at the South East corner of said section then on West with the line of the same thirty chains and seventy five links to a post, thence North fifteen degrees West fifty chains and fifty nine links to a post on Peter Firestones line thence East thirteen chains & twenty five links to a post, thence North ten chains and eighty seven links to a post, thence East thirty chains to a post, on the Eastern boundary line, thence South with the section line fifty nine chains and seventy four links to the place of beginning. Containing two hundred & thirteen acres and forty two hundredths, be the same more or less. It being the tract or parcel of land willed & devised by Andrew Brinker late of Columbiana County, deced, to his daughter Catharine Switzer & her heirs & deeded by the executors of said Andrew to said Catharine. To have and to hold the aforesaid described premises with all the privileges and appurtenances unto the said Thomas McCoy his heirs and assigns forever, so that neither we the aforesaid grantors above named nor our heirs nor any other person or persons claiming by through or under us shall at any time hereafter by any ways or means have claim or demand any right or title to the aforesaid premises or appurtenance or any part thereof. In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals this eleventh day of August A. D. 1849.

Signed, sealed and delivered in presence of us

Samuel Entrilkin

George W. Entrilkin

The deed was signed by Dr Daniel Deemer, Susannah Deemer, Jacob Morndick, Barbary Morndick, Peter Buckecker, Rebecca Buckecker, Jacob Yarian, and Elizabeth Yarian.



Received for record January 30th, 1850. And recorded on the second day of February following.

=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=

But there was one thing that really, really puzzled me about this transaction. Did you notice that I put the word selling in quotes in the paragraph prior to the deed transcription?



Why was the land sold to Thomas McCoy for so little – just one dollar paid to each of the heirs?



It seems I had overlooked another earlier deed recorded in volume 41, page 818. I had made note of it but not the name of the purchaser and I hadn't taken the time to view it while in Salt Lake City – I was concentrating on deeds that included “etal” with the grantors name! On my visit to Columbiana County I looked up the record and found that Jacob and Catherine had actually sold the land for $5,000 to Thomas McCoy. However, I neglected to write down the month and day of the transaction (I got in a hurry because the Recorders Office was extremely busy). The year was 1849. Most likely earlier than August 11th since it was recorded in an earlier volume than the other deed.



So, why?. If Jacob and Catherine sold the land to Mr. McCoy earlier in 1849 then why was there the second transaction with her heirs signing off on a Quit Claim deed? Catharine was still living – she didn't die until 1852. So, why?



I don't have an answer to that question. I'm just very glad that they did, otherwise I still might not know that Catherine Brinker was the mother of Elizabeth Yarian. Nor would I now have several more generations added to my ancestral pedigree chart!





Columbiana County, Ohio Deeds Volume 42, bottom of page 596 (FHL Film 926947)



Columbiana County, Ohio Deeds Volume 42 page 597 (FHL Film 926947)

The Main Parallelogram

I am working on a step-through bicycle frame - a design which is simultaneously common and unusual. It is common if you look around the streets of Boston, which are teeming with vintage step-throughs. And it is unusual considering that no one I know has built this exact style of frame. Mixtes and modified step-throughs yes. But not plain step-throughs where the top and down tubes are parallel. In fact, this bicycle does not even have what can be called a main triangle. It is a main parallelogram.




The head tube and the seat tube are also parallel lines - each at a 72° angle. This double set of parallels makes for an interesting visual pattern.






For this frame I used straight gauge tubing, so that I could practice cutting and brazing unsupervised without worrying about butting and thin walls. The hardy tubing should also minimise flex and twist in the step-through design, as well as make it possible to store the finished machine outdoors and generally treat it as a beater bike.






The joints will be fillet brazed (lugless) - partly because I would like to practice fillet brazing, and partly because there isn't currently a reliable source for a step-through lugset. Fillet brazing requires using brass as the filler material and heating up the joints considerably more than you would with lugged silver brazing. Since I am using straight gauge tubing, this should not be a problem. The only thing I am a little nervous about is the bottom bracket. With a lugged bottom bracket, the tubes are inserted into hollow sleeves, allowing you to look inside after brazing and check whether the filler material has pulled through properly. With a plain shell like the one pictured here, this cannot be done. I've considered using a lugged bottom bracket while fillet brazing the rest of the joints, but ultimately decided against that. I'll just have to be especially diligent in this area.






My goal in making this frame was to get some practice with basic technique without having to worry about thin wall tubing, unusually wide tires or multitudes of braze-ons. However, it was also crucial to me that I ride the finished bike as much as possible as part of everyday life, and I knew that would not happen with a plain diamond frame. The resulting compromise was a single speed 26" wheel step-through with a raked-out fork. Basically very similar to the prototypical English "Sports Roadster," but with lower trail.






Getting the slanted top tube was in a sense straightforward, but not without its quirks. To start with I specced out the slope to match the angle of the downtube. Funny thing though: When the angles were mathematically identical they looked off to the human eye (several spectators confirmed this), so in fact the tubes had to be not quite parallel in order for them look right. Paul Carson taught me how to use his notching lathe, and none of the notches were problematic except for the top head joint. That one had to be adjusted repeatedly to make the angle look right - but finally it got there.




As the mocked up tubes are starting to look bike-like, those who see the beginnings of this frame tend to have an "Aha, I know what kind of bike this is!" type of reaction. It's been nice to get that feedback. While the first frame I made was done in the privacy of a teacher-student environment, now I am working in a shared shop space with loads of people around. Random people passing through will ask what I am working on, and repeatedly I find myself articulating not just the concept of the frame but the step-by-step process of building it. No doubt this recital helps me make more sense of the process myself.

Lugged Non-Steel?

[image via the IF Blog]

I have been curious about bicycles that are lugged, but not made of steel. The first ones I noticed were the lugged carbon fiber frames made by our local Independent Fabrications.I have seen a couple of these in person, and they are beautifully done. The picture above is a detail from the XS model. The lugs are painted titanium, over a clear-coated carbon fiber frame.



[image via theIF Blog]

Here is a detail shot of a cyclocross model where both the lugs and the frame are carbon fiber.



[image via theIF Blog]

And here is a Corvid model frame, from a bicycle built for Boston Celtic Ray Allen - the carbon lugs painted a metallic Celtics green. The lugs on the Independent Fabrications bikes are molded to incorporate the stylised crowns in the company's logo, so the look is especially striking.



[image via Alchemy Bicycles]

Though I have never seen their frames in person, Alchemy Bicycles seems to be doing something similar - carbon fiber frames with aluminum lugwork.



[image via Bruce Gordon]

And Bruce Gordon takes it one step further by making his titanium-lugged carbon fiber frames look like true classics.



Reading the manufacturers' descriptions of the construction, I am wondering how IF and Alchemy integrate the lugs with the frame. I am nowhere close to knowledgeable when it comes to these manufacturing techniques, but don't the lugs run the risk of making the infamously brittle carbon fiber even more so? Is a lugged carbon frame "safe"? And is there any purpose, other than decorative, to lugging these frames? After all, I had thought that the very benefit of carbon fiber construction, was that it enabled the frame to be built in a single mold.



[image via aj_the_first]

But carbon fiber is not the only non-steel material being used in lugged bicycle construction. The above detail is from a wooden Porteur made by a small frame builder.



[image viaaj_the_first]

The lug sleeves here are parts of actual lugged tubing, the lugwork rather elaborately done. Have a look at the flickr pictures that show his process - it's fascinating.



[image via Urban Velo and Sylvan Cycles]

And a lugged faceted frame, made bySylvan Cyclesout of composite wood. The faceted tubing reminds me of this vintage lugged aluminum Caminade bicycleI wrote about earlier. It must feel interesting to ride a faceted bike. I have never heard of Sylvan Cycles before, but apparently they are made in Massachusetts. Amazing how many interesting local builders there are in our vicinity.



[image via antbikemike]

And speaking of local builders and wooden tubing, I still can't get over the antique wooden showbike by ANT.



[image viaantbikemike]

The lugsleeves are copper-plated steel and they were designed to attain the aged look - which makes this bicycle seem wonderfully "alive" to me.



But, same as with carbon fiber, I am wondering whether these wooden bicycles are truly ridable, and what effect the lugwork has on them structurally. Does it improve things, or is it mainly there for the "wow" factor? I would love to try a lugged wooden bicycle or a lugged carbon fiber bicycle some time, and would be interested to hear from those who have ridden one. These construction methods do not receive a great deal of attention, but they are certainly intriguing - and beautiful.

Icy Canopy

Ice-encrusted trees bend over and touch the ground, unable to bear the weight of ice that has accumulated from the freezing spray of Lake Superior. Taken at Tettegouche State Park near Silver Bay, MN.

Visitor to the Rosemary

Look, look! Somebody else likes the troughs - an Indigo Bunting*!

{*Duh, noticed the error after the second cup of coffee - it's a Painted Bunting .}

Although this post was supposed to be the total view from the breakfast room window [following in the path of Austin Zanthan and Christopher in Hawaii], when I saw this lovely bird, it was too exciting and had to be shared.

Gravy Dish

No information on this

Sharing the Road: Notes from Rural Northern Ireland

Traffic is different here. I have shared the country roads with everyone and everything - from cars to oversized trucks, to tractors, horses, cows, other cyclists, runners and pedestrians. Some go very fast, some go very slow, some go somewhere in between. Many of the roads are narrow, winding, with no shoulders - oftentimes with barely room for a full sized lane in each direction. Situations frequently arise when travelers are in each other's way. An old truck putters along below the speed limit. A herd of cows is moved from one pasture to another. A jogger runs wearing earphones. A cyclist takes the lane on a winding descent.A pony and trap race is in progress on a Sunday afternoon. At the same time, the roads are teeming with fast sports cars,long distance lorries, and sedans full of people rushing to and from work in one of the industrial parks or factories nearby. With the limited space, this mix sounds like a recipe for disaster - or at least regular incidents of road rage. But I have seen no signs of that yet. On the contrary, road users across the spectrum are eerily patient and courteous.




I noticed it at first as a cyclist. Out on my bike every day, and sometimes at peak commuting times, I am never made to feel as if my presence on the roads is inconveniencing anyone - even though technically, sometimes it is. But if I am in the way, drivers will simply pass me, or wait until they can. They genuinely don't seem bothered. Sometimes a driver will wave as they pass - not in a hyper-friendly sort of way, but more like in casual acknowledgement of my presence.




Riding as a passenger in a car with locals offered a glimpse of the driver's perspective. Whenever we had to slow down for another road user, that was exactly what the driver did - without altering his emotional state or breaking stride in the conversation we were all having inside the car. There was no impatience, no eye-rolling, no "Jeez, what's this guy doing stopped in the middle of the road?" on the driver's or other passengers' part. Put simply, they did not seem to process slower road users as inconveniences or obstacles.




It would be tempting to explain this attitude as country manners or something specific to "Irishness" - except being here in the midst of it, that doesn't feel like it.The attitude is more matter of fact than friendly or polite. There seems to be a system in place that road users implicitly acknowledge being a part of. Cooperation is necessary for the system to work, and everyone understands that.




Is this system really so different from what goes on in congested cities and chaotic suburbs? In some ways yes, but in other ways not so much. I am not sure whether planners interested in road sharing dynamics ever look at areas like this one for ideas. But I propose they should; it might yield some unexpected insights.

Bella Ciao Superba: Ready and Available!

Fashionably late and appropriately glamorous, the Bella Ciao Superba is here! I was nervous up till the moment I saw it, but the bicycle is perfect. The pre-ordered bikes should be off to their owners very soon.



To recap for new readers, this is the result of a collaboration between myself and Bella Ciao, and you can read about it here and here. Twelve bikes were made as a special edition and they are available exclusively at Harris Cylery in West Newton, MA. I know that a good portion of them have already been sold, so please check with Harris for availability. The price is $1,495. I am not the one selling the bicycles (and I do not receive commission on the ones sold), so please contact Harris directly with all sales inquiries.



The Bella CiaoSuperba frames were handmade in Italy, using Columbus Thron tubing. The frame size is 54cm, with 700C wheels. Tires are the cream Schwalbe Delta Cruisers, 700Cx35mm. The wheelsets are proprietary to Bella Ciao, made inhouse.



The Superba includes all the components and accessories pictured here, which I will detail below. It is a 3-speed bicycle with a rear coaster brake and front handbrake, internally routed dynamo lighting front and rear, leather Brookssaddle, natural cork grips, chaincase, and a handmade rear rack.



The stainless steel racks were designed by me and handmade in Dorcester, Massachusetts by Trimount Ironworks. They are rated to carry 18kg (40lb) of weight, provide attachment for bungee cords, and will accommodate a variety of pannier systems.



There is a provision for attaching a battery-operated tail light to the rack, for those who wish to supplement the dynamo lighting.



One thing I like about the stainless rack with its thin tubing, is that it has the effect of being "invisible" on the bike. I've played around with a number of different racks, and this definitely suits the bicycle best. I may write a separate post about the rack design in the near future.



The high-polished alloy handlebars are made by Bella Ciao. I would describe them as a hybrid between North Road and Porteur style bars, and they are possibly my favourite handlebars on the market today.



The bike is fitted with natural Portuguese cork grips from Rivendell and elegant Tektro city brake levers. The cork grips will be left unfinished, but they can be shellacked by the owner - which will make them darker. The brake lever can be placed either on the right or on the left.



Brass bell, of course.



The dynamo-powered lighting is by the German manufacturer Buechel.



It looks fairly classic and unobtrusive, and works nicely.



The dynamo hub is Shimano. The wiring is routed externally up the fork, then internally through the frame, exiting through one of the chainstays.



Sturmey Archer3-speed coaster brake hub.



Front caliper brake.



Brown Brooks B72 saddle.



Non-slip platform pedals.



And the fork ends/dropouts (I like to remove those black dust caps, but forgot to do it here). You can also see the bungee cord attachment point on the rack here.



The colour of the bike as it shows up in the pictures here is fairly accurate. It is not the same colour as my own bike, but a more vibrant, saturated pastel green. If you have any questions about the features, I will be glad to answer them here. I hope that the owners of these bicycles will be pleased with them - I am very happy with how they came out. There is some talk of more bikes, but nothing is certain yet - so your thoughts are welcome. Many thanks to Bella Ciao again for the opportunity to work on this project, and many thanks to Harris Cycley for all of their help.

No climbing today. Wedding only.

The wedding of Craig and Lotus.

This post is more for my own memory than anything else. Aknowledgements will be imcomplete. But thank you to all the special people who cast this spell.

Sandra and I talked the next morning about how we had all worked on so many details for so many months to make a majic moment. The majic doesn't last forever, but it leaves something special behind.

How to cast a spell: Prepare the space.




Aunty Lorelle showers the ground with rose petals.





Fill the air with the sacred ritual music of the Gamelan.







Bring together the beautiful bride and the nervous, terrifiedbut happy groom.





Perform the ceremony





Bring together fabulous guests from around the world.





Easy!





Now Jools from Panic Hair Bazaar performs her special girls majic.













I was quite busy for the day but I did get to take a few photos. You know, can't trust the professionals and all that.






































Mother and Daughter



Lotus and her Grandmother, Molly phoenix.











I can't take my eyes of this girl!

































Kirsten and Willow












The very fabulous wine from Mike Olsen of Cypress post.








The banquet team.









127 guests, plus the Gamelan and the band, Astrid and the Asteroids.
















The kids have thier own party.







It's a bake off. Sandra made cheesecake, Martha made tarts.



Can you believe this cake?



Willow, the Maid of Honor.



Dear friends.








I was there too.



The ruck.















The lovely guests.










































The perfect spell.