Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/105 sec, ISO100 “Sophie on the Trail” Cedar Park, 2024
This evening, Sophie (my 1972 Peugeot bicycle) and I went for a ride on the local hike and bike trail. Despite the scorching heat, we managed to ride to the end of the trail and back without any issues. Compared to my Brompton, the Peugeot is not very comfortable, though it is much faster. When I was 12, I rode this bike on a YMCA trip from San Francisco to Torrance. I don’t remember it being uncomfortable. In fact, I barely remember how I felt on the bike, but I do recall having a lot of fun riding and camping with my friends.
Photo info: OLYMPUS E-PL9, 10mm, f/9, 1/250 sec, ISO200 “Sophie” Cedar Park, 2023
Today I went with Sophie, my 1972 Peugeot UJ-10 bicycle, for a ride on the local hike & bike trail. I mentioned previously that the bluebonnets were on their way out for the year, but to my surprise, they were blooming like crazy! So I guess we have a couple more weeks to enjoy them. :)
Ever since I got Piplup, my 2022 Brompton C Line bicycle, I haven’t shown Sophie or Rossa much love. But today reminded me how much fun the vintage French road bike is. What I like about it is the speed and quietness of it. The 27-inch Panaracer tires, at 95 psi, roll so smoothly and the quick acceleration is noticeable. Also, the freewheel emits a very subtle and precise clicking sound which is super elegant. Many of today’s mountain and gravel bikes that I see on the trail are super loud (and annoying in my opinion). I remember reading that two signs of inefficiency are heat and noise. Not sure if that is the case with modern bicycle cassettes, but I prefer the quiet rather than the loud buzzing.
Speaking of loudness, I have a Crane Suzu (bell) on Sophie. I had forgotten how loud and crisp it sounds! I guess I got used to the Brompton’s tiny (in size and sound) bell. The Crane Suzu is so loud that it can be a bit alarming to hear, so I make sure to ring way before I actually pass people. I like Crane a lot. The company is from Osaka (my wife’s hometown) so I feel some affinity towards them. I’m thinking about replacing the little Brompton bell with a small bell from Crane – another fun and beautiful upgrade to consider!
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/5300 sec, ISO32 “Sophie” Cedar Park, 2023
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/7300 sec, ISO32 “Sophie” Cedar Park, 2023
I went for a lunchtime bicycle ride with Sophie to the hike and bike trail. It wasn’t too crowded today, even though the schools are still out for break. One the one hand, it’s nice because there’s less weaving around families and dogs, but on the other hand, the e-bike riders tend to go as fast as they can. ☹️
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/8400 sec, ISO32 “Sophie” Cedar Park, 2023
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/2000 sec, ISO32 “Sophie” Cedar Park, 2022
I went out for a ride with Sophie today and noticed that I couldn’t shift into the granny gear. The shifting lever was at its limit, but it still wasn’t enough to get the chain onto the largest sprocket. When I inspected the cable later, I saw that the metal braids in the housing were coming out of the plastic. When I changed these cables last year, I didn’t think I needed to put the housing caps on, but I guess those are essential. So I trimmed the damaged housings and added end caps, then reassembled the shifting cable, and now it shifts normally through all the gears. Yay!
Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/120 sec, ISO50 “Cabling” Cedar Park, 2022
