I own one bike.
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| Philbert and I on a leisurely springtime walk. I have no choice, Philbert is too dilapidated to actually ride. Just in case there’s any confusion, I’m not Philbert. If I'm in the same shape as Philbert when I’m 52, just take me out to the back 40 and put me down… |
It’s an old Phillips 3 speed POS from the late 1950s or 60s, I’m not quite sure, but I’m thinking 1961. I picked it up on Craigslist for 30.00. The tires are shot, the fork is bent and the leather seat looks like a petrified feminine product. In other words, it’s completely unridable.
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| I know, I'm not quite sure how to sit on this either without seriously injuring myself. |
Meet Philbert, my lab rat. I’ve got a serious case of bromance.
Philbert is also a perfect example of one of the great technological masterpieces in the biking world. You see, Philbert is an archetypical European “light roadster” 3 speed internal geared hub (IGH) from the middle of the last century that are so appreciated for their stable handling, yet built to last for generations.
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| Philbert dreams of better days without tattoos, body piercings or ear gauges, sigh... OK, he really needs to stop watching "Call the Midwife" |
Seriously. This rusty pile of tubes, if given sporadic maintenance from day 1 (and major crashes are avoided) can easily outlive me if I live a good long life, which by the way, I plan on doing.
The Sturmey Archer hub dates to August 1961, but the headtube badge states Birmingham instead of Nottingham. This is significant since Raleigh purchased Phillips in 1960. Could it be the frame was produced before the takeover in 1960 and not built until 1961? Was the original wheel replaced in 1961? Maybe Phillips had a huge supply of headbadges and Raleigh decided to use them? Oh, the mystery; the drama!! Where’s Miss Marple when you need her?
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| Sturmey Archer AW IGH 3 speed. Vintage: August 1961 |
My favorite question led to this blog: Why?
My favorite question led to this blog: Why?
Why would companies make reliable transportation that an individual only needs to purchase once in their adult lifetimes? Planned obsolescence? I don’t think it was in their vocabulary.
Here’s another question for you:
How do current city bikes compare with the classic light roadster? I honestly don’t know, but that’s what I’m going to find out. And what a better way to understand this genre of bicycles than to own one.
OK, now to the question you’ve been pondering: Why this particular bike? Darn good question! But I’ll leave that for another time.
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