Lets see your Balloon Tire Bikes

[BigSleep]

Hey Kilroy
Ya. It's a recent restoration.
That is my friends hobby.
He has a big collection.
It's so cool.
I actually keep it in my studio.

 

[Lon Goval]

Kilroy, and all the others:

Nice to see people into Balloon Tire Bikes here. My brother and I each have one. His has been "restored" (before he bought it) kinda, and mine is a clunker. His restoration is not show quality by any means, but it did have a fair frame repaint.

Not to easy to find bikes around here that are clean enough to keep original (road bikes included), so many get repaints or powdercoated. The best original I acquired was a Rene Herse that I gave to a friend that had the talents and connections to bring back to life.

Keep the rubber side down.

Ralph

 

[KilroyCD]

That is my friends hobby.

I wonder if he's on the Balloon-Tire bike forum I belong to on Yahoo. Seeing where you're from, by chance does your friend have the first name of Sarmis?

I actually keep it in my studio.

I can appreciate that. I keep my '41 Columbia Superb reissue (see the first post of this thread for a photo) in my dining room!

 

[KilroyCD]

Kilroy, and all the others:

Nice to see people into Balloon Tire Bikes here. My brother and I each have one. His has been "restored" (before he bought it) kinda, and mine is a clunker. His restoration is not show quality by any means, but it did have a fair frame repaint.

Not to easy to find bikes around here that are clean enough to keep original (road bikes included), so many get repaints or powdercoated. The best original I acquired was a Rene Herse that I gave to a friend that had the talents and connections to bring back to life.

Keep the rubber side down.

Ralph

Do you have any photos you can post?

 

[Luddite]

Here is my 53 Schwinn.

My friend Louie GAVE it to me.
I pinstriped his 53 Plymouth for free and he wanted to do something nice for me.
What a great friend.

It even has vintage 1950s saddle bags.
Is this thing cool or what!?!

My dream cycle!

I'm not jealous at all. Honest.

 

[Atomic Glee]

I feel like I should show off my new addition (oh, and I'm back! Been away for a while, missed the place). It's not strictly a vintage balloon tire, but it's definitely inspired by the classics.

It's my new Breezer Uptown 8. Inspired by classic European city bikes, it has everything needed for serious urban transportation:

Full fenders
Full LED lighting system (hub powered, never burns out) with automatic light sensor and Standlight (a capacitor keeps the lights lit while stopped at red lights)
Oversized rear rack w/ spring clip
Velo Plush saddle with suspension seat post
Fully enclosed chain, keeps the chain clean and maintenance low while protecting pants leg
Shimano Nexus Premium Red Band 8-speed hub, internally geared (no derailleur) with twist-grip shifter
Schwalbe puncture-resistant city tires with reflective sidewalls
Comfy upright seating position
Classic-sounding bell

I've put several miles on her so far and am loving it. This is an awesome, awesome bike.

 

[KilroyCD]

Very nice! A modern take of the classic British Roadster / Sportster. I really like the new version of the Dyno-hub (hub generator). The internal gearing of the Nexus 8 would have made a bike like yours a favorite of the late Sheldon Brown, who held the classic three-speed Sturmey Archers in very high regard. The fully enclosed chainguard is quite reminiscent of the old English Roasters / Sportsters as well. Is the chainguard an oil bath type like the Brits? Nice bike! :eusa_clap

 

[KilroyCD]

Here's a great little video showing quite a variety of prewar bikes. Unfortunately, except for the occasional close-up of a headbadge, not a single one is identified by the film maker. Nevertheless, it's a good bit of footage. Enjoy!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2adzsbzf5oU

 

[Luddite]

Very nice! A modern take of the classic British Roadster / Sportster. I really like the new version of the Dyno-hub (hub generator). The internal gearing of the Nexus 8 would have made a bike like yours a favorite of the late Sheldon Brown, who held the classic three-speed Sturmey Archers in very high regard. The fully enclosed chainguard is quite reminiscent of the old English Roasters / Sportsters as well. Is the chainguard an oil bath type like the Brits? Nice bike! :eusa_clap

I didn't realise Sheldon Brown had died until I read this thread. It's a great loss, he had such a good attitude and his advice is second to none. I wouldn't have been able to do half of the bicycle work I've done without his help - especially wheelbuilding which he managed to explain simply!

RIP Sheldon Brown

 

[Tango Yankee]

Here's the '38 Excelsior. In the words of an aviation friend of mine, "It'll buff right out." lol

Kilroy, that looks a lot like a bike my mother had when I was a kid, though I seem to recall the tubing being even more massive. I know, when you're a kid everything seems bigger! But the last time I rode it I was a teenager. The seat was slightly different, didn't have the spring coil extending in the front like that.

It had the same paint color and scheme, IIRC. Once you got that monster moving it could flatten anything in it's way. It was amazingly well balanced. I lived on a relatively wide street that, unlike today, didn't have cars lined up nose to tail it's entire length. I used to get it up to speed then hop off the back to see how far it could go. It would eventually veer off to the left or right and drift down to run into the curb, but that was due to the crown shape of the street rather than it's own imbalance.

By the way, kudos to you for this thread and all the information and assistance you've distributed so freely! There's been a lot of talk lately about what the Lounge is all about--well, people like you and this thread are what it's all about! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Regards,
Tom

 

[KilroyCD]

Kilroy, that looks a lot like a bike my mother had when I was a kid, though I seem to recall the tubing being even more massive. I know, when you're a kid everything seems bigger! But the last time I rode it I was a teenager. The seat was slightly different, didn't have the spring coil extending in the front like that.
It had the same paint color and scheme, IIRC. Once you got that monster moving it could flatten anything in it's way...

That's pretty typical, the old ballooners were not lightweights by any stretch of the imagination. Many easily exceed the 40lb mark. The dark blue and cream paint scheme was very popular, and many makers used that color combination. Having said that, it seems like I've seen more Schwinns with it than other makes. It's entirely possible your Mom's old bike was a Schwinn or related brand such as Excelsior, BF Goodrich, Packard or one of the many other Schwinn-built bikes.

By the way, kudos to you for this thread and all the information and assistance you've distributed so freely! There's been a lot of talk lately about what the Lounge is all about--well, people like you and this thread are what it's all about! :eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

Regards,
Tom

Tom, I greatly appreciate the kind words. Vintage bicycles are one of my passions and I love to talk about them. Although I've been into vintage bikes for some time now, I'm still learning about them as there is so much to learn about this hobby.
Cheers,
-Chris

 

[KilroyCD]

I didn't realise Sheldon Brown had died until I read this thread. It's a great loss, he had such a good attitude and his advice is second to none. I wouldn't have been able to do half of the bicycle work I've done without his help - especially wheelbuilding which he managed to explain simply!

RIP Sheldon Brown

Sheldon passed away on February 3, 2008. He is greatly missed by most of us in the bicycling fraternity. He was one of those who freely gave of himself, and was one of the most highly respected people in the bicycling community. Though now gone, he will never be forgotten by those who had the pleasure of meeting him, or even just getting a little on-line help from him. He was one of a kind.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article3469993.ece

Sheldon Brown 1944-2008

 

[KilroyCD]

Now I know where all the old bikes have gone...

Here's another vintage bike video. I thought my garage was loaded with bikes...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgkwsoKo02g

 

[KilroyCD]

I'm praying for nice weather Wednesday

If the weather is nice on Wednesday, I'll be attempting to get my "new" (it's a 2005 model) Whizzer running since reassembly. I'll also post photos of it, as I haven't taken any yet.

 

[KilroyCD]

Here's my Whizzer NE-5. I'm still working on getting it to run, as it was disassembled for shipping with nothing being tagged for reassembly. As a result, the wiring might not be quite right yet. I have the service manual now, so I'll get it fixed up soon.

 

[airgrabber666]

Here is my April 1963-built 26" Schwinn Fleet. Not a ballooner, but a middleweight. Fleets came with a tank, fender-mounted headlight, and rear package carrier. Needs tires so I am ordering up some 26x2x1.75" wide whites. I know these "middleweights" tip the scales at about 50 pounds...just how that compares to a "heavy" ballooner, I do not know.

 

[KilroyCD]

That's a nice middleweight. I hadn't seen that model before, it's pretty sharp. I especially like the tank design on that one.

 

[airgrabber666]

Thanks, Kilroy. It's my little springtime project. Figure a little bicycling would help me get in better shape, too. I had a stripped black Fleet back when I was a kid that was stolen off the rear patio. I love the lines and style of the old bikes! Here is the Fleet page from the 1963 dealer catalog:

 

[KilroyCD]

Here's the Whizzer again...

...Only it has changed a bit. I'm in the midst of giving the bike a more retro look (I call it the art of retrofication). It's not finished yet, but I've made a laundry list of changes so far.

 

[CaddyKid21]

I recently acquired a 1959 Schwinn Deluxe Tornado. Its a middleweight and it has the rat look to it. It was once red but has faded nicely to a nice dark orange-ish. It has pin-striping on the carrier, fenders and light. I will post some pics soon. I actually found out the day it was made too, April 4th 1959.