Tuesday, August 17, 2010

just bikes: classy raleigh

A few weekends ago I rolled up to lock my bike outside a store and discovered this beauty already parked there.



A vintage Raleigh in green. Classic Raleighs seem to come in such elegant colours! Modern manufacturers, please take note. Lime green should be left in the 80s.

The Brooks saddle (and I'm very tempted to put a sprung version similar to this one on my shock-less, at-the-complete-mercy-of-potholes bicycle) looked new.



Much to my delight, as I returned from shopping to unlock and leave, her owner turned up! You know how people and their dogs/partners/cars seem to "match"? I could say the same for this bicycle and her owner. Classy (but not 'vintage'-- probably late 20s/early 30s) and --ahem -- probably British. Apparently the bicycle had been in mint condition 2 years ago when she had aquired it, including with a skirt guard, but regular use (regular use? a good sign!) had left it less than pristine. To my eyes, that hardly mattered: this was one seriously good looking bike.

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