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I think we might have some in the depths of the shed but won’t be able to check till tomorrow evening. Those springs regularly broke back in the day.

Replace was my only option.

The first week of June, I rode an elderly borrowed Birdy Blue between Strasbourg and Frankfurt, mostly beside a fairly flooded Rhine. A pair Ortliebs on the front rack were more than enough, given hotel stays. Out and back on Eurostar/ TGV and ICE. All good fun overall but I don’t particularly like the Birdy’s front end geometry. The 3x7 gears worked well enough, though the gentle route meant that the middle hub gear would have been sufficient.

I know several folk who can no longer lift a foot over a rear wheel or top tube but still enjoy riding. Some of them want to ride a performance bike, rather than a weighty town bike. This is just another example of a custom performance bike that meets their needs.

Campag seatpost please, if postage is an option.

Fuji did Terry-alike small front wheels for quite a few year, mostly 24” from memory.

That geometry has huge negative trail and huge bump steer. I can’t imagine a way to make riding that trike any sort of fun.

Moving lights/ reflectors increase visibility. Flashing lights do not but do reduce distance perception and arguably increase target fixation.

Var and Park had (have?) an agreement to ‘own label’ several tools within their own market strongholds.

Rule of thumb is thread engagement length should equal the thread diameter.

When testing exactly how tensile capacity increases with increased thread engagement, it turns out that 4 full turns of thread gives virtually 100% strength and anything further doesn’t increase tensile capacity. That is full turns of thread and the first turn is usually reduced height, so only partial engagement. That applies to both bolt and nut.

I would guess that you’ve only got a couple of turns actually engaging, given the integrated washer under the nut.

Maybe… What date in May?

Spoon brakes are generally pretty agricultural.

Yes, identical body but long arm. Limited to a 28t max cog from memory but could cope with a triple or wide range double.

Spoon brakes on pneumatic tyres works well enough. Front tyres last a long time, so extra wear from the brake isn’t a major drama. It was pretty common 130 years ago. Spoon brakes reflect the traffic levels and risk assessment approaches of the era.

Chromed rims work well in the dry but are useless in the wet. Al rims have much better performance in the wet.

No worries. Just pass it on when you see somebody who might need it.

Last century, it was the lightest rear mech ever made, though I don’t know if that is still true. The earlier undrilled Jubilee was lighter than the later drilled version. I raced with a Jubilee mech in the ‘80s (a little scuffed from crit racing).

I am the Dave with legs that gradually deflated through the day. Winter fitness and summer commuter gearing is not a good choice for a long ride with steep climbs - not at the end of the day anyway.

A fun day out overall.

Ian Hibell did some amazing rides

https://georgenaterry.com/

She was the framebuilder who popularised the concept of women-specific bicycle design. Her smaller bikes always used a small front wheel. Fuji was the first mass-market manufacturer with bikes properly designed for women.

If you are in the ‘wrong X-ray line’ for a big bag, the staff just usher you into the correct line. Nobody was fazed.

The shorter bag length on Eurostar is because Eurostar trains are narrower than TGVs. Longer bags would protrude into the corridor, restricting the exit in an emergency. Simple really.

Pre-C19, I regularly took my Moulton and my S&S Frezoni on Eurostar. Max dimension 85cm and bagged = no problems. London checked dimensions once or twice. Only one London X-ray machine was big enough to let them fit through.

Try to get on as early as possible or the luggage racks suitable for big bags get filled up with little bags.

No. The ballot is for others.

Tell your missus to take it easy on wet corners. I found the Hypers to be a bit slippy in the wet. Wish I had another set though.

I found 165mm cranks worked well on a dropbar Shopper and I am >180cm.

The Instagrammer is correct. On a tandem, I spend most of the time in the big ring, so tend to have the chainline slightly inboard of ideal. I would run the chainline as 50mm or a bit more but that would be difficult if you are using the inner two chainring positions.