Today I think I took the sort of ride only I could have taken.
Actually, there was nothing terribly unusual about the ride itself (which is not to say that I didn't enjoy it). I rode into, and was blown by, wind gusts of up to 50 KPH as I pedaled along the World's Fair Marina Promenade and along under the Whitestone and Throgs Neck Bridges. At least I had the wind at my back for part of the return ride.
Just as I was leaving the WFM Promenade, near LaGuardia Airport, I spotted this on the battered concrete ramp:
I'm guessing that this Park Tool Allen key set fell out of someone's seat bag, backpack or messenger bag. The keys were in surprisingly good condition. The smaller ones showed some wear, but still look usable, while the larger ones are in really good shape.
After finding that little treasure, I rode about two more kilometers to Kesso's for a container of my favorite Greek yogurt, which is made fresh every day.
As the owner packed a container for me, I found this on the floor:
What girl doesn't need a book of Hello Kitty! stickers? None had been removed; the booklet looked as if it just came off the shelf of a kiddie boutique in Park Slope.
I picked it up and showed it to the owner of the shop. He shrugged his shoulders. "You like? Take!"
Between those stickers, the tool, the yougurt and little Greek pastries, I was glad I rode with my Barley bag!
Today you're going to meet Tosca's predecessor.
That is to say, you're going to see the fixed gear bike I rode before Tosca came into my life.
If you want an old-school European steel track bike--or, at least, one that has geometry more or less like what you'd find on a real track bike--you'd do well with the De Bernardi Pista I rode for three years.
The frame was constructed of Columbus "Thron" tubing. So, it's a bit heavier than what most professional racers would ride on the track, or anything NJS would approve. Still, it has that "riding on rails" quality track bike aficianados like. It didn't respond or handle quite as quickly as Tosca does, but it was, I think, a little better than the KHS I had.
I set the bike up for runs along the north shore of Queens and Nassau County, or spins down to Rockaway or Coney Island Beach. So, of course, the bike didn't have pure track--let alone NJS-approved--components. Still, most of them served me well.
I rode the wheels you see in the picture for most of the time I rode the bike. Velocity laced their own Deep-V rims onto Velocity-rebranded Formula hubs with bladed spokes in a gold finish that matched the rims and hubs.
After nearly three years, the rear spokes started to break. At that point, I had Hal at Bicycle Habitat build me another set of wheels with Mavic Open Pro rims on Phil Wood hubs. A few months later, Tosca arrived and inherited those wheels. I bought another set of wheels with Formula hubs from an eBay seller. Those wheels--in black--were on "Dee-Bee" when I sold her.
"Dee-Bee" was, I believe, a worthy predecessor to Tosca.
Just when I thought neon fades had been consigned to the dustbin of history, I saw this:
Now, as you well know, I have nothing against purple and green standing side by side. In fact, it's my favorite color combination. But not in this shade of green.
Too bad it's on such a good bike: a Medici. About 30 years ago, Gian Simonetti and Mike Howard left Masi USA to start the brand. Not surprisingly, Medicis were very similar in design and in finishing details to the USA-made Masis which, according to some purists snobs, weren't quite as nice as the bikes Signor Masi built when he was in Italy.
I knew people who had both US- and Italian-made Masis, as well as Medicis. Truthfully, nobody could quite explain what the differences were between them, and I couldn't tell by riding them. Then again, those people might argue that I didn't spend enough time riding those bikes.
I'd be curious about the one in the photo, though. The early Medicis--including the ones I rode--were made from Columbus SL tubing. On the other hand, the frame in the photo was made from Tange Prestige tubing, which means that it was probably made in the early or mid-1990's.
As far as I can tell, the Medici marquee no longer exists. i guess the Medicis, like all dynasties, had to end some time!
Ah, yes. Today's the first day of Spring. At least, that's what the calendar says. And, according to Punxsutawney Phil, the season should be well under way by now.
However, riding to work today looked more like this--minus the scenery, of course:
At least the snow is on the sides of the street, not in the roadway. I'm grateful for small things.
The other day, I saw this bike parked near the Brooklyn Navy Yard:
It's a Hawthorne Flyer from, I'm guessing, the 1930's or '40's.
Along with the head logo, it has some other interesting features:
The chainring was, for me, oddly reminiscent of one you'd find on a Specilaties TA "Cyclotouriste", or other cranksets patterned after it.
Gotta love this fender:
And this rear reflector is, as far as I can tell, glass, like others from the period:
The seat, with its steel pan and springs, is the exact opposite of a Brooks Professional or B-17. I'm guessing that the seat had padding, or at least a covering. It may have been leather, or possibly cloth. But I can't imagine riding that seat in its current state!
Not everything on the bike is original. This front wheel looks like it came off a Raleigh three-speed. And, of course, the chainguard is missing.
Still, it is quite a find. I hope that it finds a good home!
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