[Cosmoline]

I took the new '94 out for a spin. It's the very late model true Winchester production I found last weekend. This one:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b52/Gussick/lost2.jpg

This being a sunny day and my car being, well a POS, I opted to ride the Rat the 10 miles across town to Rabbit Creek. I secured the Winchester next to my CZ 452 ZKM in my old Dixie Gun Works rifle sock and strapped them to the back, like so:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b52/Gussick/rr3.jpg

The ammo got pretty heavy by the end of the journey, esp. with a steady headwind. I was ready to lighten the load. The Winchester performed amazingly well. Accuracy was a solid 2" group at fifty with standard 170 and slightly tighter with 150's. The leverevolution shot extremely well, and though I ran out before testing at 100 I'm pretty sure it was close to MOA. I also tried som experimental plinker loads with 10 grains of Unique, but those are still not working quite right. The groups were scattered.

The Winnie really shines when fired off hand, though. The annoying problem of brass landing (and staying) on my bald spot is solved and it flies clean over my shoulder. Once you get the rythm it's easy to waltz through 6+1 very quickly, and it's one of the most perfect rifles for firing off hand.

Truly a brilliant design. Too bad USRAC screwed it up, then dumped it. I REALLY REALLY hope someone starts making these according to the old patents. I don't care if they're called Winchesters or not. A rifle so near to perfection should not be allowed to slip away.

The CZ is a nearly perfect rimfire in its own right, though I've noticed the quality on those declining with the "A" prefix runs. The bolts are sometimes poorly fitted and accuracy not quite as good. But at least the rifle is still in production.

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

Funny---I'm more interested in hearing about your mode of transportation----I know I'm weird sometimes.

[Steve F]

I thought he was going to say it fell off the bike on the way to the range:what:

Good write up;)

[Terrierman]

Well well well. We have a little something in common. But mine is all new fangled and with all those gears and such foofaraw, and thus perhaps beyond reproach. Nevertheless, I can recognize a cool old bike when I see one, and that is indeed a cool old bike. Nice rifle too. Ever consider painting it camo? Hey wait a minute, that bike is not that old after all is it? But it's still cool...

[Cosmoline]

It's a cool NEW bike, actually. Those "old" hub gears are actually state of the art Shimano Nexus. What's old is new again.

I'm getting into utility bikes. I've been going without my car for almost three months now and I'm in much better shape, if sore. The bike is a modified Electra Rat Rod. I put Sun rims on the back to beef it up and went with the heaviest spokes I could lay hands on. The back rack remains a problem. It's simply not strong enough to take more than ten pounds and broke on the way home. Trying to find one that will actually bear a serious load is extremely difficult in this country. I'm ultimately going to have to make my own.

As gas prices go up I suspect more and more adults will start commuting and running small errands by bike. The savings are enormous. You can ditch your gym membership and stop paying for all the gas and assorted auto costs. The problem is 99% of bikes in the US are made for teens and youngsters out to either play at being Lance or do "xtreme" riding of one sort or another. Go into a bike shop asking about a utility bike and the youngster clerk is likely to stare vacantly at you, mouth agape. The steel frame Electra beach cruisers are about the closest thing currently available in the US.

[Oldnamvet]

A looong time ago, I used to strap my rifle or shotgun across my handlebars and go road hunting on the gravel back roads in Iowa. I could ride slow enough to get the gun off and into action almost before the bike stopped. Many rabbits and pheasants met their demise to that technique. They were smart to cars and would be off flying/running if a car stopped but the bike was silent and something different. Hunting/shooting from a bike in the country is a riot............and can be very effective.

[mattw]

Sorry to get slightly OT, but on the USRAC produced guns does it say "USRAC" or something on the gun? I've got a model '94 in .30-.30 and the only markings I can find are on the barrel and it says Winchester, nothing about USRAC. How can I tell if i've got a real winchester or a USRAC? anyone know where to find serial number dates for winchesters?

[Cosmoline]

Sorry to get slightly OT, but on the USRAC produced guns does it say "USRAC" or something on the gun? I've got a model '94 in .30-.30 and the only markings I can find are on the barrel and it says Winchester, nothing about USRAC. How can I tell if i've got a real winchester or a USRAC? anyone know where to find serial number dates for winchesters?

Actually I think you're getting ON topic :D

The Winchester/USRAC switchover happened from late 1981 to early 1982. Check your SN here:

http://armscollectors.com/sn/winlookup.php?file=win1894.dat

Generally speaking the true Winchesters will not have U.S. Repeating Arms written anywhere on them and will have the old half-cock hammer not the rebounding hammer. They also won't have the lawyer safety, though the early USRAC's didn't have those either.

Anyway, my point (to the extent I had one) was that it would be great to see a company do with the '94 what Puma did with the '92--make a tough-as-nails affordable clone with the original patents but without having to pay money for the use of the "Winchester" name.

Hey, Cosmo, you sure that isn't an illustration from a new version of one of Pat McManus' "Rancid Crabtree" SI stories?

Any resemblance I might have to a McManus character is purely a matter for legal action.

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

For the rack---have you looked at the REI---Campmor---and Bike Nashbar web sites??

[Khornet]

in the late 1970s I used to commute on an old Raleigh with the Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hub. Indestructible. When I lived in St. Louis I rode to the range with my Marlin Model 39 taken down and wapped in a gun sock just like your photo.

Tell me about the new hub. Everything old is, indeed, new again. I still have my old shop manuals for the SA 3-speed.

[Cosmoline]

Those old three speeds are collector's items, esp. now that nobody makes fitted steel frame bikes aside from a handful of high end custom shops such as Rivendell. There's a picture of me as a tiny tot riding in the basket of my mother's vintage three speed. But sadly the bike is long gone. The bicycle revolution of the 1970's died out with the return of cheap oil. Bikes became purely recreational and cars got cheaper and cheaper. It's gotten so only us old timers can even remember the old days when adult Americans without DUI convictions really did ride bikes. People think I'm insane for leaving the S-10 and starting to ride again, but I have a feeling I'm the first of many. The biggest repair cost on the Rat Rod was $125 for an entire new wheel. Compared with the $10,000+ in assorted repairs to the S-10 on top of the $17,000 price tag, that's not much. My BP is dropping like a rock and I'm getting back some of my once legendary strength (though I doubt I'll be tossing refrigerators again). Plus mothballing the car has magically gotten rid of the ex trouble and strife, who can no longer bum rides and favors off me :evil: It's like win win win.

[Rembrandt]

Nice rifle.....I thought only little old English Ladies and the Witch from the Wizard Of Oz had baskets on bicycles.

[pcf]

It's simply not strong enough to take more than ten pounds and broke on the way home. Trying to find one that will actually bear a serious load is extremely difficult in this country. I'm ultimately going to have to make my own.

Tubus racks
http://www.tubus.net/eng/produkte/hinterradtraeger/cargo.php

Pricey but well made and durable.

Dang I wish I could put guns on my bike (and not end up in jail) Me = green with envy.

[Gewehr98]

This is the same Cosmo that was berating the Winchester Model 94 not too long ago for "disassembling itself" with each racking of the lever?

Times, they change.


Now, about that Shimano 3-speed rear hub - when I worked for the old, Chicago-based Schwinn in the mid 1980s, I had a stash of those hubs new in the bag, because they were a gold-plated *itch (planetary gears and all) to rebuild. So if one came into the shop trashed we simply laced the old rim and spokes onto a new hub and sold them as such to avoid the excess labor charge. I had this bright idea to build a new Redline chrome-moly BMX bike using one of the "333" series rear hubs, and keep it fairly covert, only the small shifter on the handlebar, and the associated cable and axle bellcrank were the giveaway.

That bike was a kick in the pants, I had a medium-sized front chainring on it, and being geared so nicely it handled everything with nary a hiccup. My folks have video of me riding wheelies on it the length of our driveway, just like I do now on my suspension mountain bike. I outgrew it way too fast, but last I heard, my nephew still had it, and is saving it for his own son when he's old enough to ride it. I wonder if Shimano still makes those hubs and shifters, I have an idea for a certain fat-tired beach cruiser!

[American By Blood]

http://i5.tinypic.com/20jsg75.jpg

[Cosmoline]

It's an army of Cosmolines! Are those Dutchies?

that was berating the Winchester Model 94 not too long ago for "disassembling itself" with each racking of the lever?

I wasn't berating it, I was praising the design. It does indeed disassemble itself with each cycle--that was the brilliant way JMB managed to fit the larger size cartridge into a compact receiver. The whole bottom half drops out of the way. When you take a '94 apart you're really looking into the mind of a genius. Just remember to take it apart in sequence or you'll need to be a genius to get it back together!

The death of American bicycle manufacture, like the death of the great American office equipment makers, clothing makers, heavy equipment makers, etc. etc. are sad signs of the times. Much of my interest in old firearms, old manual typewriters, and classic bicycles comes from the fact that they were actually built here. Sadly, while Electra is a US company the frames, like 98% of them, are made overseas in Taiwan. Still, at least it's not Mexico or communist China.

[Nematocyst]

cos, dude, nice bike.

will read more about this new lever later.

right now, percussion calls.

nem

ps: how's the weather up there in a'laska?

[mattw]

is JMB worship idolitry? I think i'm going to hell.

[TimboKhan]

well, I am in horrible shape and have gotten quite fat since I left the Corps. Recently, I had something of a heart scare, and being only 34, that was enough for me! I have started eating less and better and I have been wanting a bike to ride on for the excercise, but try walking into a bike shop and asking the guy which bike is best for a 6'2, 400 pound man to ride. Its a little humiliating, though understandable when the kid looks at you, looks at the bikes, looks back at you and says "I think you might be too big for all of them". Damn kids....

[max popenker]

Cosmoline, how about some Chinese-style bike riding? :neener:

http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/585/393008qf1.th.jpg (http://img95.imageshack.us/my.php?image=393008qf1.jpg)

[Cosmoline]

It's Bicycle Action Shooting! I think I should form my own club.

but try walking into a bike shop and asking the guy which bike is best for a 6'2, 400 pound man to ride. Its a little humiliating, though understandable when the kid looks at you, looks at the bikes, looks back at you and says "I think you might be too big for all of them". Damn kids....


The punk attitude of most local bike shops is well known, and much discussed over on the bicycle commuting forum. Customer service for anyone over 25 without pierced ears or lips isn't their strong suit. I'd suggest something like the bike I'm riding now. Find your local Electra dealer. If you're riding it much you need to ditch the cheapo seat post (true of almost all bikes these days, sadly) for an alloy or Thompson. A double wide Sun rim has worked well for me in the back and the factory rim is fine for the front. For losing weight there's no substitute for sustained daily workouts that are variable enough to keep you from getting bored.

[dm1333]

I ride my Specialized Rockhopper back and forth to work and to the store. My rear rack came is a Blackburn and with panniers I can carry a lot of stuff. Just ditch the knobbies for some high pressure slicks or semi slicks. You might also try a cyclocross bike, they look like a cross between a road bike and a mountain bike. If any of you guys are interested there is a company here in California that builds utility bikes that have a pretty good cargo capacity, but I can't remember the name right now. Just to keep this on topic I grouse hunted in Washington and Oregon on my bike and here in California I hunt quail and use my bike to scout for turkey and deer. I had to go and look it up, just google Xtracycle. I've seen a few here in town and the owners love them. If the shop gives you attitude find another shop, if enough people do that the place will go under. And if you are bigger go to Bicyclings web site and check out their articles, there are plenty of bikes big enough to carry a 400 pound plus guy around. Riding back and forth to work, plus longer rides on the weekends, keeps me from going crazy and I laugh my butt off when I listen to SUV owners griping about expensive gas prices.

Don

[pcf]

To counteract Cosmo's retroness....newfangledness....It could work:uhoh:

[Cosmoline]

A wee bit uncomfortable, I suspect. But on the plus side you can cycle the action and fire with your thighs!

[Gewehr98]

When you take a '94 apart you're really looking into the mind of a genius. Just remember to take it apart in sequence or you'll need to be a genius to get it back together!

During their restorations, I've stripped my Remington Model 8 and 81 autorifles, as well as Remington Model 11 and Browning Auto 5 shotguns, down to the last screw and pin. Surprisingly enough, Mr. Browning designed them so well you can't assemble them the wrong way, each part fits in only one orientation. I can't wait to get my Model 95 in .405 Winchester to see if it's designed with the same attention to details.

BTW, Cosmo, there's a website for SASS shooters and Winchester levergun owners, detailing what's needed to slick up the action and trigger of newer Model 94 rifles and carbines. Some of the techniques are applicable for older versions, so I did some of the described work on my own 1975-vintage top eject Model 94, and it did indeed smooth up nicely.

http://www.time-slice.com/mohave.gambler/favorites/LeverGuns/Winchester94.htm

[cracked butt]

I don't think we lost anything as far as the loss of USRAC's bastardized 94s. I had one that was made before the crossbolt safety and rebounding hammer silliness and it simply wasn't a very well made rifle. The design was good, but the workmanship was poor. I would imagine if I had an example that was a few decades older, it would have been a keeper.

[DouglasW]

Cosmo. Great report. I'll second the recommendation to investigate xtracycle (http://xtracycle.com/sub.php) to improve the hauling capabilities of your bike. I haven't ridden one yet, but I see them around town and am pretty impressed with the design. On the two-wheel range vehicle subject...I did ride my motorcycle to the trap range last time. Two disassembled, cased shotguns and boxes of ammo strapped to the passenger seat. I decided it was too far to bicycle...and way too heavy a load on the way there. Wouldn't have been as bad on the return...after lightening the load by 100 shotshells. :D A Burley-type trailer could have been useful too.

Timbokhan: Bicycling is wonderful exercise and transportation. Your post made me think about an article I read in the Rivendell Reader (a niche bicycle rag) a while back about a bike designed especially for large riders (350# +, IIRC). Anyway, I had to google around a bit to find it. It was called the Bison, and the design is now being custom made by Co-Motion with the model name Mazama (http://www.co-motion.com/mazama.html). Pretty pricey, since they're custom-made, but very high quality too.

Other offerings for big riders (featuring thicker tubing, stronger wheels, lower step-over heights etc. ) are available from Trek, Kona (http://www.konaworld.com/shopping_cart/FrontEnd/Products/product_detail.aspx?productid=101&parentid=182), and worksman (http://www.worksman.com/rhcruisers.html). Lots of info/opinions here (http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-161947.html)and here (http://bmob-bwob.tripod.com/Stories.htm).

Good luck with your search.

[Cosmoline]

What do these outfits have against fenders, racks and baskets? I'll never understand it. It reminds me of how American hunting rifles these days are stripped of iron sights.

[DouglasW]

I agree with you, Cosmo. Spend a little time at Rivendell's site (http://www.rivbike.com/html/about.html), though. Where fenders, racks, and baskets (and especially lugged steel frames) rule :)

[pcf]

Timbokhan,
At your weight I wouldn't buy a new bike and I would be wary of bikes marketed towards heavier riders. At your weight your going to wear out the drive train and wheels, long before the frame. If you buy used bikes it will be cheaper to replace the bike when the drive train wears out or the wheels break, than make the repairs.

Fortunately the used market for mid level bikes is pretty soft, and after Floyd crosses the finish line in a couple minutes, the used Trek market is going to get softer. You should be able to find a good 5-6 year old Mountain (preferably with no suspension) or hybrid/communter/recreational bike for around $100-200 and should be able to get 6-8 months out of it.

Rivendell, incredible bikes but the 27-30 month wait is a deal killer.

[Terrierman]

Sheesh who would have thought the THR Rifle forum would turn into a bike forum? But hey it's all good brother, all good. Timbo, I'm 55, I've got the worst knees around, a frickin bad back, some excess weight meself ( 6'1", 260) and I was heading downhill until I bought a bicycle. I'm to the point that even WALKING for exercise is out of the question because it's so painful. I got an air-dyne first but that stationary workout is sheer drudgery and drudgery sucks. One day I borrowed youngest son's mountain bike and went for a real bike ride. The NEXT DAY I went into the bike shop and bought a Trek Navigator. Definitely not a fancy or terribly expensive ride by any means. But it's got a comfortable upright riding position and gets around in the hilly country I live in pretty good too. Fairly fat tires (semi-slick and with puncture guard) no fenders or racks. But I'm mainly riding for fun and fitness anyway, not real transportation as I live out in the sticks and it's too far for a bicycle as a realistic alternative for commuting to anywhere except to see more of the sticks. I've been riding it consistently for a bit over two months now. Ride four or five days a week, and get in something around 60 to 70 miles a week. Friday night middle son and I went for a 25 mile ride - for fun. Now to even consider an activity such as that would have been absolutely laughable three months ago. I'm in a LOT better shape now, and having a ball doing it. You will too, get thee to a bicycle shop and ask for the owner when the first kid acts even the least bit insulting. I guess I'm lucky. The first one I walked into has been great to deal with. Oh and Semper Fi.

[Duach Laidir]

This is my 1946 Model '94 in .30/30 a favorite rifle and one that my youngest son (12yrs) has put in the 'Not to be Sold' category.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/Flaith/Forum%201/DSC00936.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/Flaith/Forum%201/DSC00937.jpg

and a pre WW I bike and Lee- Enfield rifle (or Lee-Metford)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v174/Flaith/Forum%201/DSC00938.jpg

[Nematocyst]

Duach, nice pics. The bike is rad.

Speaking of bikes, would someone kindly remind me of the generic name (European origin) given to bikes that are not road/touring bikes, and not mountain bikes, but sort of a hybrid made for road/off-road (but not hiking trails). Their frames are heavier and they're made for carrying loads.

Burley makes a line of them, as does Rivendale, I think.

I'm just spacing the name.

[Cosmoline]

I call them utility bicycles. Not sure what they're called in the EU.

[Nematocyst]

I could go with that, too, Cos. That really describes what they're about.

But that's not the name I'm looking for...or at least how they're listed on the web.

They're made for heavier transport around country roads, a bit of offroad (e.g., a gravel road, not necessarily a mountain trail), but do well in town as well.

Darn, the name is just on the tip of my tongue... here, can anybody read it for me? :p

[dm1333]

Sort of a cyclocross on steroids, with fenders and racks and herky brakes. I own a mountain bike and a rode bike, both would be useless to me without fenders and racks. The extra weight just gives me more of a work out.

[Nematocyst]

DM1333, you nailed it: cyclocross was the word I was looking for.

Thanks.

Here's an article about the concept of cyclocross bikes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclo-cross_bicycle).

I also realized I was mistaken about the company that I had in mind. Not Burley but Surly (http://www.surlybikes.com/bikes.html). (PS: they might sell more bikes if they got a different, um, model for that page, or at least dress that one differently. :rolleyes: )

Their main model is called a "cross check" which they describe this way: "Think of the Cross-Check like an army jeep: tough as nails and used for everything."

Once I get out from under my current remodeling debt, I intend to upgrade to a Surly from my current Trek 520 road bike that I turned into sort of a hybrid with mountain bike bars. I like it, but there's a limit to the tire size I can get onto that frame. I want larger tires for dirt road and sand. (The better to carry a shotgun or deer rifle on.)

A new Surly built up by my local shop here will run me around $1000 and change, and they tell me I should be able to get at least half that for my Trek.

[dm1333]

American manufacturors are slowly coming around again and building good utilitarian bikes. It is hard to find a bike sold with good fenders and racks but it is easy to retrofit them after the fact. It surprises me that more people don't hunt off of a bike. In Washington a lot of the gated logging roads stayed locked even in deer, elk and bear seasons and those areas had little hunting pressure because no one wanted to get out and walk or ride. My shotgun has a neoprene sling that is very comfortable and makes it easy to ride with a 12 gauge over my shoulder. You can even carry a gun on the bars using a set of ATV gun racks.

As far as steel frames and cyclo bikes go, take a look at Fuji, Jamis and Bianchi, steel frames just refuse to go away, and for good reason. Maybe when upland bird opens I'll post a picture here of me combining some of my favorite pastimes.

p.s. Refuse to take crappy service at a bike shop. The two in my area have outstanding service, no attitude at all, and real respect for customers. Wish I could say the same about the local gun shops.

[Nematocyst]

Cosmoline, just kick us out and make us start a new bike thread if you want to. ;)
As far as steel frames and cyclo bikes go, take a look at Fuji, Jamis and Bianchi, steel frames just refuse to go away, and for good reason. DM, I'm looking at the Jamis (http://www.jamisbikes.com/usa/index.html) site. Can you help me understand how they market their cyclo cross bikes?

I see their offerings include road bikes, two genres of mountain bikes, cruisers, and in all categories some models are offered with steel frames. But I'm not finding anything that specifically says or implies "cyclocross".

A bit different thing on the Fujis: they list some "cross" bikes (http://www.fujibikes.com/2006/bikes.asp?id=137), but they all appear to have aluminum frames.

Am I missing something? Any recommendation?

[DouglasW]

dm1333: Please post that pic of your hunting bike rig when the time comes. I bet I'd raise a few eyebrows pedaling around Denver with a shotgun slung over my shoulder :rolleyes:

Nemo: Please don't confuse 'cross' or hybrid bikes with cyclocross bikes. Cyclocross is a niche of (mostly) hardcore crazies who love to race along muddy courses in the fall/winter. Especially popular in Europe. Think steeplechase with a bike. Cyclocross bikes look like road bikes to the uninitiated, except they usually have slightly wider, slightly knobbier tires and often sport bar-end shifters. Some are set up without front derailleurs, for simplicity. Some have braze-ons for racks and fenders (e.g. Surly Cross-check -- a great utility bike).

Cross bikes were originally mountain bikes with skinnier tires. A useful idea. My '94 Trek 750 is a good example -- good for commuting, rail-trails, bicycle camping, etc. The term has since...shifted...to describe lower-end general use bikes. Hybrids & comfort bikes are two other names I've heard used interchangeably. Features include upright riding position, flattish handlebars, slack geometry...and sadly oftentimes inferior-quality components.

[dm1333]

Wow,
You spend a year or two not cruising the bike maker web pages and all the bikes you like disappear. 3 years ago I lusted after two steel frame cyclocross bikes and now they're gone.

Don

[tube_ee]

The Jamis 'cross bike is the Nova, IIRC. Cyclocross evolved as a way for euro roadies to stay in shape in the winter. 1 hour races in nasty mud, with barricades you have to run over, on drop-bar bikes with 30-35mm knobby tires.

The American 'cross bike tends to have longer chainstays and more relaxed handling than the euro race bikes do. Also, rack and fender eyelets would not be found on a euro 'cross bike. In the States, they're more targeted as long-distance road bikes, with light touring and light off-road capaility. More all-rounder-ish. Some of the euro bikes don't even have water bottle mounts.

The Surlys are quite nice bikes, really, with good double-butted cromoly framesets and more tire clearance than the Jamis or Fuji, due to the outward bend in the chainstays on the CrossCheck. The brand is owned by QBP, so any bike shop can order one for you. QBP / Surly is also known for protecting their dealers form 'net competition, so you're unlikely to save money shopping online.

Of course, your Trek 520 is a full-loaded touring bike, so if you're heading out some forest service road into elk camp for a week, it may be the better choice, depending on the tire it'll take. A 700x35 or larger knobby should fit, but you might want to check. If tire clearance is the determining factor, check out the Surly Karate Monkey. There's a weight penalty, as that's a rigid-framed 29er MTB frame, but they're cool bikes, and they'll fit any 700c tire made, even the 2.1" WTB Nanoraptors and such.

--Shannon

[Tokugawa]

back to the rifle- cosmo, that 94 has beautifull piece of walnut on the fore end. Nice!

[TimboKhan]

thanks for the advice, boys! It looks as if when student loan time rolls around, I will be buying a bike as opposed to a k-31, although I may by god do both. In the unlikely event that your interested, I have included a pic of me and some buddies on a pheasant hunt last January in Pierce, Colorado. I am pretty easy to pick out! http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=42732&stc=1&d=1153891297

[Nematocyst]

Cosmo, you've got yourself an interesting little thread going on here. I like the intertopic nature of it: guns & bikes. Yeehaa. Life is good.

DM, I know what you mean: dang corporations just keep stirring up the mix. Nothing remains the same. It's that constant change to make the buck, to keep up with the Jones, Inc.

Douglas & Tube-ee, good advice. I'll check out those 700x35 tires for the 520. In fact, I think someone said I could go as big as 39 mm for it. Hmmm. Maybe I don't need that Surly after all, and can save a few bucks.

Timbo, you and me are on the opposite end of the weight spectrum, bro. If the SHTF, I hope our camps are nearby and that we're on the same side. :rolleyes: Just look for a good heavy frame bike made for big guys, peddle a lot, and stay healthy.

[evan price]

Istill have out back somewhere a Schwinn full sized 26" I rode in high school everywhere, complete with Sturmey-Archer Three speed hub. That old bike was a tank and I rode it everywhere including a lot of off road type trails. Wonder if its worth saving now? Built in 70's or so I recall, maybe older. With the pinched front fender, if that helps age it. I recall going out to shoot with my .22 single-shot strapped across the handlebars and the ammo in a fanny pack strapped to the seat springs.

Ahh memories.

[Nematocyst]

{Once again, this thread turns back towards bike talk.}

A while back, in post 36, I wrote this:

Douglas & Tube-ee, good advice. I'll check out those 700x35 tires for the 520. In fact, I think someone said I could go as big as 39 mm for it. Hmmm. Maybe I don't need that Surly after all, and can save a few bucks.As it turns out, the tires on my Trek 520 were 700 X 37.

Today, I replaced them with 700 X 47's. (Kenda Guardians; $30 for a pair.) Cleaned up the chain & sprockets and about an hour ago, took 'er out for a spin in the half moon light.

Wow! What a major difference in the ride. Although I can tell there's a tad bit more effort for the same speed, the smoothness of the ride and - more importantly - the stability is vastly improved. It feels like my long lost Stumpjumper (that was stolen).

Tomorrow, I'm going to take it out to some dirt roads and try it out.

Very impressed. Should be able to carry my shotgun or a rifle up a forest service road now on this bike during hunting season to look for squirrels.

I also spoke to several people in bike shops here in town who assured me that this bike rivals the Surly I'd been lusting after.

Ah, I'm a happy biker.

Nem