Monday, June 27, 2011

Bespoked


The cycling equivalent of bewitched. I spotted this Auto-Mini folding bicycle at a yard sale and I had to have it at $10. Of course it doesn't stop there. $124.30 including tax at Curbside Cycle for new gear and brake cables, brake blocks and general checkover. Rode it home in the rain. Thorough clean from stem to stern taking some hours. $4.55 for batteries for the front light and bell. On ride to Queen's Quay Ron spots that two new cables are fouling on the chain. We duck into Wheel Excitement where a helpful guy provides two cable ties gratis and shows us another Auto-Mini in for restoration. He also has a CCM MUSTANG Banana bike hanging in the rafters. Recommended.
Technical description: Kent Auto-Mini Junior folding bicycle, made in Austria circa 1970, chromoly steel frame brazed at joints, 44-tooth chainwheel, 18-tooth sprocket, Union diamond-block pedals (made in Germany), 3-speed Sturmey-Archer AW hub gears (made in England), 20" chromed-steel wheel rims with 28 spokes, Cordatic tyres from Hungary inflated to 40 psi, size 20 X 1,75 X 2 (approximate outer diameter X tyre height X tyre width in inches), Semperit inner tubes, Weinmann 1020-type side-pull front brake caliper, San Marco saddle (Italy) and matching saddlebag (not shown), Pletscher rat-trap type rack (made in Switzerland) and stand.

Photos by RLT and Ron Stockey (click on them).

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