JustinOldPhart

Fred did all sorts of things that were practical but were things that only he did. I think that, in that picture, there is a sew-up on the rear and a clincher on the front. His granny gear is good for 2mph at 1000rpm.

In later pictures I think there is a different RD on the bike, or at least the object is removed. I always thought, given that he rode everywhere and anywhere, that it was some sort of protective covering so that the mechanism would not get filled with dirt. The photo in the book is no clearer. There is another picture in the book, but it is smaller and even less clear.

Since I own a copy of the book that I could scan, I felt comfortable posting that picture with accreditation. There are photos on the Facebook site that you could look at. I don't feel comfortable reproducing them here, even with accreditation, as they are the property of the bike's current owner.