That's on my list also (a modern version). :)

Thanks very much, and thanks for watching, Joe! I had my doubts about just how ridable these bikes would be, but as long as you're willing to put in a little extra effort due to the extra weight and stay on top of the not-so-great braking situation, they make great riders.

I remember my brother getting one of those leather, hairnet helmets back in the 80's. He was the only person I knew at that time wearing a helmet! Yes, lots and lots and LOTS of spinning. :) Good cardio, I guess!

Hi James! Yes, it seems that the brakes and wheels are the main things that need to be addressed with these old bikes. The frames are made like tanks. :)

Thanks very much for the kind words, Matthew! Rich is seriously thinking of flipping the back wheel on the Claude Delange and turning it into a fixed gear. If he does it, it’ll make an interesting video. :)

@@bikestrikesrazors Tell him to start with an easy gear ratio. 42/18 or there abouts. A lower gear ratio makes it easier to control your speed and stop. You have to let your body get used to it. One of the benefits is FG trains your muscles eccentrically. That's something you don't get coasting. Used properly and a rider can get stronger and might be faster on a regular geared bike. Just a thought. Also as you gain experience if you ride and train in the same general area you'll figure out the ideal gear ratio for you. I'd recommend fitting a front brake until you learn to stop using your legs.

@@matthewsmith6486 Thanks very much for the information!

Indeed! I've seen some old film footage of the Raleigh factory in its heyday and it was an amazing industrial giant! I wish the "Mancunian Cycle company" was a little bigger. I've got one from the 40's and can't really find any info on the company except that it went out of business in 1958. :)

@@bikestrikesrazors could it have been absorbed by another company? Some of the small companies were , such as triumph bicycles were bought and absorbed by Raleigh. I used to have a 1981 triumph and noted that the badge also said " Nottingham, England" , same as Raleigh

Could be. The frame also looks much older than the badge and components, so I suspect it was a company that was buying older frames on the cheap and putting their badge on it. Just a guess. :)@@46FreddieMercury91

The man Joe got his rims from, Noah Stutzman, makes a wood rim with an aluminum insert. If you're looking for a cheap alternative, I've seen wheels sets when googling "Dutch bike wheels" that are very inexpensive and look like the painted older wheels. For the price, I'm assuming they're made in China.

Hey, JH! Oh yeah, those balloon tires really smooth out the ride! Rich's bike has the original hookless rims, so he can't inflate those tires past forty PSI, for a REALLY smooth ride. The way tires sizes are going on modern road bikes these days, I wouldn't be surprised to see riders on modern carbon fiber bikes riding tires like this, soon. :) I was torn about the helmet- Now that I trust the bike, I'm thinking next time I'll wear the flat cap (and goggles).

Hey, Mitcho! It is a great bike path! It’s the American River Bike Trail, also known as the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail. It runs 32 miles along the American River, from Downtown Sacramento to Folsom, California. It’s been there in one form or another since the 1800’s!

Hey, Evan! I just checked and was surprised to see that both cranks, one French and one British, both measures approximately 170mm. Must have already been some kind of standardization even back then. We're lucky here to have one really nice trail (American River Bike Trail) and some nice riding up in the foothills. Otherwise, down in the more populated areas, auto traffic has gotten pretty much out of control and the riding isn't so great.

@@bikestrikesrazors Down here the psychopathology of the drivers is at an all time high. Plus, our bike paths are like an endless Star Wars Cantina...HA. We soldier on...

@@evanking920 Yes, on the weekends, the bike paths here can be a bit much. Now there are so many people on E-bikes sailing at 30 mph, you have to be really careful.

Hey, Dan! The thirty miles wore me out pretty well, and I'm guessing that a century would definitely make me feel older than the bikes. But I won't know for sure until I try it! :)

@@bikestrikesrazors good luck 🍀 I think Rich is right, that building up to it is the best path forward.

@@Olyphoto7 Thanks, a few more longer rides will help make sure everything is OK (I'm still waiting for something to fall apart!) Ha!

We went sans helmet for the videos where we were only riding short distances, but with the brakes (or lack of) on these bikes, you can get into trouble pretty fast.

Hi Hurbert! We had the jerseys custom made to be reproductions of an early Sacramento Cycling club. The helmet is new in an old style. Its made by "Thousands". Thanks for watching!

@@bikestrikesrazors thanks and greetings from Poland!

Greetings from California! :)@@hubertr8285

Hi, Frank! One of the bikes in this video, my Hercules Speed King (the new looking, painted bike) does have wooden rims, which I had made by Noah Stutzman. The other bike that my brother is riding, the Claude Delange, has original old steel rims, although he suspects that this bike may have originally been sold with wood rims.

No! Those were the first thing to come off the bike. :) They look like they melted with age. :)

Hey, CFK! The Hercules is 46x16 and the Delange is 45x17. Thanks for watching!

Hey, Bruno! The blue bike (Hercules) has a coaster brake, so you pedal backwards to brake. The Claude Delange has more typical brakes that use hand levers. Thanks for watching!

Были моменты во время поездки, когда я падал под обрывы, но я думаю, что во время съемок мы всегда «сидели» на решетке. :) Большое спасибо за просмотр!