Bikes – Page 3 – Palm Beach Bike Tours

April 3, 2009September 27, 2018

Family Bicycle Pictures

Wife Lila was looking for some old pictures when she ran across these two shots of our mothers holding bicycles.

Dad and mother rode from Cape Girardeau to Advance

Mother is holding the two bikes she and my dad, L.V. Steinhoff, rode from Cape Girardeau, MO, to Advance, where she grew up.

I did the 72-mile round trip ride the first year I got back into biking. My experience was a lot more pleasant than hers. She talks to this day about how her legs cramped up on the ride.

Lila’s mother’s bike looks remarkably similar

They really knew how to do bikes back in those days. They have fenders, racks, lights, kickstands and chain guards. They must have weighed a ton, but they look like they were built with practicality in mind.

Here’s my Dad with the bike

This was taken in Rolla, MO, in 1942. The man in behind the screen door with the “Dad” notation, is my grandfather, Roy Welch.

I’m still looking for pictures of the bike I used to deliver newspapers. The only one I can find so far has it way over in the corner of a picture where you can’t see much detail.

March 19, 2009March 30, 2009

Cannondale Recalls Bikes

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall of about 1,300 Cannondale 2009 Six 5, Six 6, Six Carbon 5 and Six Carbon 6 Bicycles.

They are missing spoke protectors

To quote the CPSC recall notice, “The bicycles fail to meet the federal safety standard for bicycles. Spoke protector discs, required on bicycles to prevent the bicycle chain from interfering or suddenly stopping the wheel, are missing from these bicycles. This poses a fall hazard to the rider.”

No incidents or injuries have been reported so far.

The bikes were sold by authorized Cannondale dealers from October 2008 through February 2009 for between $1,500 and $2,100.

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March 18, 2009March 21, 2011

Kenny Prather has a Manly Kickstand

I’ve written quite a bit about the Click-Stand, the neat folding bike stand I use.

The more I use it, the more I like it, although I have to admit that I still pop down the double-legged ESGE kickstand for quick and dirty stops.

It’s light-weight, doesn’t take up much room and holds my bike securely.

I met the Click-Stand’s manly brother

When I rode with the Freakbike Militia last week, I didn’t notice the bike stand on Kenny Prather’s high rider until it was parked at the Northwood Village Street Party.

A bike with a tall center of gravity like this one would topple right over with a traditional kickstand. Besides, when you have a bike that’s as modified as this one, you’re not looking for traditional.

Receiver is built into tube

The heavy-duty stand has a rubber tip on one end and plugs into a receiver welded to the bike frame on the other end.

I didn’t notice if he locks his wheels to keep the bike from moving like you do with the Click-Stand.

Clips to frame when not in use

I built a Click-Stand holder out of a piece of light-weight PVC pipe and used Velcro to attach it to the front rack. Since then, Click-stand has come out with some nifty mounts.

Kenny attached clips to his frame to hold it when it’s not in use.

It’s made from an old IV stand

He said his was made from an old IV stand like you’d see in hospitals. That’s not exactly lightweight, but neither is his bike. Oh yeah, in case you were wondering, he said his bike isn’t hard to ride “once you get it going.”

March 14, 2009March 30, 2009

Friday the 13th with the Freakbike Militia

The Freakbike Militia’s 50’s Cruise from Flagler and Southern in West Palm Beach was supposed to leave in two waves: one at 5:30 sharp and the other at 6:30 sharp. I arrived a 5:20 to find myself all alone. I wasn’t sure if I was early or late.

That’s what happens when you’re dealing with anarchists

I took off down some residential streets for a ride, figuring that miles is miles. When I circled back around 6 PM, I found a small group gathering a block west of the announced meeting place. This was either my group, or I had taken a time travel to the 50s.

It turned out that the normal start time is 7:30, so most riders aren’t used to showing up that early. The 5:30 wave was a wave-off since I was the only one to show.

We pushed off at 6:30 sharp with a group of about 50 riders, about half riding customized bikes or sporting what passed as mid-20th Century clothing. (One teenager was wearing a peace symbol T-Shirt. Right century, wrong decade, but points for getting close.)

If you LIVED through the 50s, you don’t have to dress that way again

Since I was wearing my normal glow-in-dark bike jersey and bike shorts, I had a few folks look at me sideways.

“Hey,” I justified, “I LIVED through the 50s. That makes me exempt from having to dress that way again.”
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March 10, 2009March 30, 2009

Freakbike Militia’s 50’s Cruise

Ralph Malph of the Freakbike Militia posted this invitation for a chopper ride in West Palm Beach Friday the 13th of March. See details below.

Hey Greasers and Pin Up Chicks…….Mark your Calendars for Friday, March 13th. This Choppernite we are gonna Rock Round the Block!

That’s right Guys and Gals, get out your Pomade and Poodle Skirts, Leather Jackets and Cateye Glasses it’s gonna be a Fifties Cruise! Cuff up those Jeans and get out that Plain White T-Shirt, we’re going back to the Fifties, and things are going to be a little different this time around….so read closely.

Fonzy told me that this is a Benefit ride for our friend “Jack the Bike Man“. Jack is the Man of the night from 6:00pm until 9:00pm at the Northwood Village Street Party. The Event takes place on Northwood Road between 23rd and 24th Street, just North of Clematis off Dixie (details on location at bottom).

Proceeds go to Jack the Bike Man

There will be local artists displaying work, wine tasting, music, food and beer, so bring some extra money, all proceeds from food and drinks go to Jack.
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