Bike Spotting: Pointer Classica Typical Dutch Bike

If I were back in the Netherlands I wouldn’t have given it a second glance: a sturdy city bike locked up outside an apartment building with a heavy chain. But it was chained to a lamp post in Menlo Park, California, not Amsterdam, so I had to stop and investigate. I’ve never seen the brand before and I can’t guess its vintage, but I was pretty sure it was Dutch even before an internet search. How so? The evidence is in the tell-tale details.

Strip away a few accessories and this typical Dutch bike could pass for an American bike from my childhood.

The rack and folding wire basket could be American, but the dress guard and stretched elastic cord are Dutch.

You’ll never find a full chain case and wheel lock on an American bike.

The three-speed thumb shifter and swept back handlebars remind me of a bike I got in middle school.

I’m pretty sure there are drum brakes inside this Sturmey Archer hub.

My old bike never had a light with tire-driven dynamo generator.

The generator also powers a rear light. Not bad for a bike that’s left outside.

Note: An internet search revealed very little about Pointer except that it’s a Dutch brand like Gazelle and Batavus. If you know more about Pointer bikes or what vintage this bike might be, please leave a comment!

Location: Linden Oaks neighborhood in Menlo Park, California, USA, near Stanford University.

 

A Closer Look: 1951? Världsmästarcykel Crescent

Hidden away in garages all over the world are beautiful bikes, barely used back in the day and never ridden today. Like my ex’s 1986 Pro Miyata that hung unused in my garage for years. Fortunately, many of these bikes find new lives in new homes with riders that cherish them. Like Erik, who I met one morning on Caltrain.

Erik’s bike caught my eye immediately with its classic lines and svelte steel tubing. It was his great-uncle’s bike from back in Sweden that he brought with him to San Francisco. Now set up for everyday use as a single speed with new handlebars, rear rack and fenders, I had to get a closer look.

Erik said this Världsmästarcykel Crescent was a 1951, but it doesn’t quite match the bike in that year’s catalog. Unlike the 1951, Erik’s bike’s fork and rear stays aren’t chrome and his has a nifty wheel lock that’s welded on. I searched the internet in vain for clues to its heritage and failed.

Can you help me solve this mystery? Is it likely to be before or after 1951? Did it originally have drop bars?

I love the racing touches: checkered flag and world champion stripes.

This frame is welded, not lugged. Is that a clue to its vintage?

I didn’t ask if the bell was original. I assume the bars are new.

I’ve never seen a tiny wheel lock like this one. The fenders are mounted where a rear brake once was.

There’s evidence that there was once a derailleur attached to the dropout.

Does the bottom bracket type give us any clues to the bike’s age?

 

Bike Spotting: Autoshifting GT AutoStream Cruiser

Some ordinary-looking bikes deserve a second glance, like this cruiser with AutoShift we saw on Caltrain.

We sat next to its owner, who fell in love with his first AutoShift bike on first ride. So when the cops repossessed it for being a stolen bike, he searched until he found a replacement. He plunked down a whopping $40 on it used, a huge discount over the original price of 4 payments of $99.95 each (a special TV offer!).

How could you not love a bike with an infomercial like this?

What’s this odd little device labeled AutoBike? A derailleur?

Here’s a closer look. The silver cap hides the flyweights.

Look, Ma! Seven speeds but no gear shifters!

Location: Bicycle car on the Caltrain commuter railway, Mountain View to San Mateo, California, USA

 

Bike Spotting: Handmade in Bamboo—by You?

The beauty and creative spirit of handmade bicycles draw thousands of bike geeks like me to the shows like the North American Handmade Bicycle Show in cities like Austin and Sacramento. But for some bike geeks, admiring the handcrafted work of others isn’t enough. They need to make one for themselves.

If you are one of these Makers, you should know that in one weekend you can build your own bicycle frame–out of bamboo. Like Brad did at the Bamboo Bike Studio in San Francisco last year. I met Brad on my evening commute on Caltrain where he gave me the quick run-down. In two days he built his single speed for about $800, which included everything: bamboo and resin for the frame plus a fork, drivetrain, handlebars and wheels.

I was impressed by Brad’s work. Being built in two days work by a novice, it’s not the finely-crafted precision machine of a Calfee or Boo Bicycles bike, but it looks sharp and feels solid. And most importantly, Brad’s handmade bamboo bike has served him well for over a year as a daily commuter to his job at the Tech Shop in San Jose, a place where Makers like him can build almost anything their minds can imagine.

Have you ever dreamed of making, or actually built, a bicycle? If not a bicycle, what would you make?

The bamboo tubing is joined by layers of resin that dries overnight.

The rear triangle has even more resin, especially around the bottom bracket.

All this Bradley Bicycles original needs is a head badge.

Location: Bicycle car on the Caltrain commuter railway, San Jose-Sunnyvale, California, USA

 

Bike Spotting: ElliptiGO Everywhere

A couple of hot Saturdays ago as I struggled to turn the pedals on the climb up Old La Honda Road, I heard a strange whirring sound behind me. I looked back and saw two men in matching t-shirts pumping away on matching machines. As they passed I thought: “What are those things?” and “Man, I’m really dragging today.”

Fortunately, they were still at the top when I arrived so I got a closer look. The ElliptiGO is what happens when exercise equipment escapes the gym and hits the open road. The riders said it gives then the intense workout of running without the impact on the knees. Given my struggle on the hill that day, I’m sticking with my bike.

If you want to try an ElliptiGO for yourself, Sports Basement in the Presidio in San Francisco rents them for $25 for three hours. And there are plenty of hills and a famous bridge nearby to challenge yourself.

Location: Top of Old La Honda Road, Woodside, California, USA

 

Bike Spotting: Whizzer Motorbike

It’s a bike! It’s a motorcycle! No, it’s a motorbike! This Whizzer motorbike caught my eye outside Walt’s Cycle in Sunnyvale. I was perplexed: the pedals and chain are clearly driving the rear wheel, as are the gas motor and belt. Is a motorbike pedal-assisted like a moped? Or are the pedals just used to start the motor?

An internet search revealed that Whizzer got its start in the late 1930s and had to petition Congress to continue production through World War II. Sales took off after the war, selling hundreds of thousands of motorbikes until they shut down operations in 1965. In 1998, the Whizzer brand was revived with reproductions like this one.

But I’m still perplexed about how they work. If you know, please enlighten me…

This Whizzer may be a reproduction less than 10 years old, but it could have fooled me.

The Whizzer has some surprising motorcycle features, like an odometer.

I’m guessing the pedals are used to start the engine.

Another motorcycle touch–left and right turn blinkers!

Location: Walt’s Cycles, Sunnyvale, California, USA

 

Fashion Friday: San José Joe and his Batavus

City managers understand the value of bicycling in creating a vibrant, economically growing city. When city managers ride their bikes to City Hall in professional dress, people take notice. And when the city managers and their bikes are as stylish as Joe Silva and his vintage Batavus, it’s a bicycle advocate’s dream come true.

Joe throws his briefcase over his shoulder and rides two miles to his job at City Hall in San José.

The full chain case protects Joe’s crisply creased trousers and wing tip shoes.

Wheel locks are perfect for securing the bike for quick stops.

Mounting the bell below the bar is much more ergonomic.

Look closely and you’ll see the sticker from the original bike shop (I think).

Made in Holland, not Taiwan. A reliable source says it was made in 1997.

About Fashion Friday: Inspired by a 2011 Bike to Work Day challenge sponsored by the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, this series highlights the broad range of “dress for the destination” bicycling fashions.

 

Bike Spotting: Schwinn Stingray Love Lives On

The year was 1963. The Beatles were mobilizing for the British Invasion, a youthful JFK fed American imaginations with dreams that launched us to the moon, and lowrider cars and chopper motorcycles prowled the streets with a certain irreverence for authority. And in 1963 Schwinn introduced the Stingray, the bike that captured the hearts of Baby Boomer and Gen-X boys and girls. By 1968 they made up 75% of U.S. bike sales.

Stingray love lives on with reproduction bikes, like this pair I saw on the new Stevens Creek Trail bike bridge. While I was admiring the bikes, the rider Pam recognized me–we worked together over 20 years ago. She and her hubby were riding 1999 Stingrays, much like ones they rode as kids. Nostalgia is a beautiful thing.

Ape hanger handlebars, banana seats and 20 inch wheels give the Stingray its iconic look

The wide, smooth rear tire is a nod to the drag racer cars of the era.

There were many imitators, but these Schwinn reproductions are the real deal.

Location: Stevens Creek Trail at Heatherstone Way, Mountain View, California, USA

 

Bike Spotting: Babboe Cargo Bike at the YMCA

The only thing sweeter than seeing a full bike rack outside our local gym is spotting a full-on Dutch cargo bike. I didn’t see the parent, but based on two small kids bikes parked next to it and the infant seat inside, I’m guessing there were three young children in this caravan. Impressive, at least here for in the states.

We first spotted Babboe cargo bikes in Amsterdam where moms were hauling their kinderen in bikes like these.

The cargo bike alone was impressive. Riding it with two other kids in tow is phenomenal.

Yes, that’s an infant seat in the bucket. I love the sunny colors on the Basil panniers and the helmets.

The bucket shows some wear. Did it once haul the two older kids?

Location: El Camino YMCA, Mountain View, California, USA