rccardr 

Lordy my, no. That’s FABU, the Fabulous Merckx, an 84 Pro SLX, the bike I’ve owned the longest.
There’s been some conjecture that it was originally a show bike.
Painted twice, re-chromed once. Was a birthday gift back in the day from Mrs.Doc.
Like slipping on an old pair of shoes- just fits properly.

thinktubes 

It’s stunning!

botty kayer

Yesterday felt like the last day of summer here in the UK, at 26c / 78 f in London it was also likely to be the highest temperature we'll see for the next 6 months, the nights are drawing in, the leaves are turning and we've got many wet and grey months ahead.

The rain dodging Italian bikes were therefore chomping at the bit to be taken out, so I arranged a pit stop today to return home for a bike change to give 2 of them a run out. I start off exploring a newly opened walkway/cycleway through the new developments where I live in Vauxhall towards the American embassy and along to Battersea Power Station. While most of the buildings are devoid of any aesthetic value, they have at least put in some green spaces, seating, and some water features and its a much more pleasant cycling route than going along the busy road along Nine Elms.



I then head eastward and as I'm up early before the crowds I get a deserted pics of the guns outside the Imperial War Museum.

Over a 100 years old now they could fire a 2000lb shell 16 miles, more history....

I then see this joker in Waterloo, the multi-colored clown outfit amazingly renders my super rowdy bike almost invisible, which is quite an achievement.

I then cycled along the old railway arches back home towards the newly sprouted Vauxhall developments.

It could be the last time the Somec sees sun for a while, so I snap a close up.

Its then home to swap the Somec for the Tommasini, grab a backpack with some food and beer and I'm off to Richmond park to spend the afternoon listening to the days Premier League football action on the radio. The park is looking pretty dry so the coming months of rain will make it green again.

Some thrilling late goals, including my team snatching victory from the jaws of defeat by scoring 2 goals in the last 2 minutes to win the game, causing whooping scenes of joy from me, happy days.

Heading the 10 miles back home with the setting sun on my back.

Rain is forecast for tomorrow and every day next week, it was nice knowing you summer, see you again next year. Its time to remember where I put my rain jacket, dig out the bike lights, and prepare for the harder miles of the year. The shiny Italians will be hiding at the back.

ExPatTyke

I've normally carry two tubes on regular rides up to 100km; on Audaxes I'll have three tubes plus a packet with instant patches. The state of the roads, especially the minor roads I prefer to use, in the UK makes this a sensible precaution, and I've normally got a spare to help another rider out if needed.

It's always nice to meet another vintage rider - old bikes do seem to be fewer than they used to be on club rides.

The Anghidi River is in Wales not England - the Welsh language is very much alive and is taught in most schools in Wales.

I rode the same route again yesterday, no problems at all apart from rain for most of the day. Leaving home at 5:30 in the morning meant I had the first couple of hours on almost traffic free roads, and saw the sunrise before the rain set in.


Leaving Weston first thing

BSA for this ride - still got to get the Motobecane repaired

Sunrise over the Somerset Levels at Puxton

View over the River Wye, with Tintern Abbey just visible through the rain

Tintern to Chepstow trail at the Tidenham Tunnel

1989Pre 

I was hoping you would say that this is the City's new and improved answer to the proliferation of e-bikes.

non-fixie 

I see that moustaches are hereditary.

Great pictures! Thank you for sharing them.

non-fixie 

One job I'd been putting off is getting a bike ready for a cycling trip to France with mrs non-fixie later this week. Running out of time I decided I'll take my Koga-Miyata test mule, and use the trip try out a pair of 30mm Grand Bois tires I'd bought a while back.

Alas, the plastic SKS Bluemels fenders that were on the bike previously were a bit too narrow, so I decided to mount a set of 45mm Honjos I had. Not a 10min job.

Anyway, I got them mounted, and subsequently a test ride through our local polder was in order while there was still daylight. The fender line is not quite perfect, and I noticed I'd mounted one of the tires the wrong way around, but otherwise the bike is good to go.



The way back home I chose was the 'cow poo path', a cycle path leading through the meadows:



And sure enough, the girls were there. They are inquisitive:



Hmmmm, eight cogs with 9-speed spacing ...



... and 11-speed Cow-pagnolo shifters. Neat!

SkinGriz

Great pics.
Beautiful cows.

botty kayer

I managed a quick 18 miles before the expected rains arrived today. First ride in most recent eBay buy, nice vintage cotton and wool blend jersey which was a bargain £13 including delivery.

Met a couple of girls in Waterloo, the girl on the right is ahead of the game, having already donned her raincoat.

Across town in Hoxton I find another cool new art work.

And on my way home I come across this which is part of the London Design Festival which started this weekend. Its called 'Open Work' by Turkish artist Melek Zeynep Bulut.


Ir was like a massive wind chime, with most of it free hanging, any movement set off an array of nice sounds. Steel is real... nice sounding, if this were carbon it would sound rubbish

thinktubes 

First thing that came to mind…

jamesdak 

After two days of hard, fast rides I decided to just go for a cruise today with the camera. Almost took the Team USA into the mountains but decided to take out the Krapf instead. Didn't worry about speed most of the ride but did decide at one point to open the Krapf up for a 1 mile segment I routinely ride. The 41 year old beauty surprised me with a PR over the segment, I was not expecting that since there was a mild headwind then. A cool beautiful morning out with fall colors starting in the mountains.

SurferRosa

northbend 

Ha! Yea. I shaved my mustache off just once in the 39 years I've been married.
Philip was a toddler at the time.
Seeing my bare face shocked him so much he cried and my wife wasn't happy I'd shaved it either and insisted I grow it back.
Any notion of a change in status quo is quickly squashed by she who must be obeyed..

Happy wife = happy life :-)

zukahn1 

Nice weather today mid 60's and sunny with a light breeze. Took a ride on the bike path and came back on the back roads with the Marin MTB. The aspens and bushes are starting to turn so some early fall color and some snow on the mountains. Will likely get snow in the next week or so here in the mountains so likely on of the last nice weather rides of the season.



I'm not ready for fall snow and aspens turning.

bironi

Saturday rest stop.

rccardr 

Same same here. Shaved mine off on my 21st birthday in ‘72 then went to meet my girlfriend/ now wife at the NY airport as she returned from her european summer choral concert trip. She had no idea who I was. Hasn’t been shaved off since. That was 51 years ago…

zukahn1 

Cool I rocked a full stan for a lot of the 80's and 90's gaud I it was army correct

darkmoon

Weekend rec ride, started again.


Mt. Fuji view point.
Hmmm, I could see the outline of the lower half when I took it, in the pic I can't see it.




Higanbana, which literally means equinox flower, spider lily.
They tell us the summer is going and the autumn is coming.
Higanbana is dangerous, its bulb is poisonous.




Mikan, mandarin orange.
They are big enough and will turn to orange.




Kuri, chestnuts.
They'll turn to chestnut.





Another poisonous plant, kyochikuto, Chinese oleander.
Every part, flowers, leaves, stems, roots, fruits, has a poison called oleandrin.
But flowers are beautiful

zukahn1 

Just a short ride on the bike trail with the SS the apsens have already turned in a couple places.

northbend 

Ride/Ferry to see the Bird King of Vashon Island this afternoon
Before the Bird King of Vashon by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr

Deal4Fuji

Youngest daughter Liz moved to Washington DC in July so this Ride DC charity ride was a good excuse for my wife & I to pay her a visit around a bike ride. They block off all streets of the 21 mile ride and there are over 8000 riders ! They do 3 different starting points, so surprisingly it didn't take long for the riders to thin out and we could enjoy the scenery.


we saw 3 Penny Farthings (or maybe just a Big Wheel bike since it's not old), but none were vintage



taking advantage of the photo ops



Finish line area & nearby National Mall





The only hicup was I forgot my sunglasses, loading up in a dark parking garage from the Yotel we stayed at a few miles from the start point in West Potomac Park. The commute to the ride added 3 miles and was surprisingly easy for downtown DC. I had to bring Liz a bike since she's a Pelotoner now and I have her bikes.

rccardr 

63 degrees and sunny- perfect weather for a ride in the woods on the Davidson.
Multiple bridges were involved.

pasoud

Great post as always. Guessing you're an Aston Villa supporter?

SJX426 

Vaca in Hilton Head Island this week. Too many picks. Dida 19 miler.
PXL_20230916_222041282 on Flickr
PXL_20230916_222116407 , on Flickr
PXL_20230916_160149173.ACTION_PAN-02.ORIGINAL on Flickr

RCMoeur 

It's cooled off into the chilly 90s in the Searing Desert, but more importantly the dew points have plummeted, so it's time to venture out again into the sunshine and get the 2023-24 peak riding season rolling.

This afternoon, I dusted off the Haro mountain bike (yes, a futile gesture) and hit the rocky trail to retrieve important packages. Boingy Green hadn't seen miles since spring, and creaked and complained a bit on some bumps, but overall behaved well.



And here are the items at the end of the... well, they are a rainbow of inexpensive grips off a not-so-slow boat from China that will see a variety of handlebars in the future. Festive!