Pigeon across amber fields

Flying Pigeon PA-02

The Pigeon's new cotters arrived, although I was able to use the original cotter with a little more hammering, assisted with a new nylon lock nut that seems to hold quite fast.
Like the Raleigh DL-1s, the Flying Pigeon has 'loose' seatstays that are joined to the rear dropouts and then are secured to the seat-tube top/cluster with the seatpost binding bolt. One of the problems I had with the build was an inability to really secure the seat. It would always sink in or twist, no matter how tight I got the seatpost binding bolt.  Eventually I stripped its threads.   I took it down and looked at it... the bolt had an anti-rotation shoulder.. and one would suspect the rack adjustments and the seat-stays to have appropriate notches to accommodate the shoulder. (The seatpost lug flanges had the notches)  But nope, inexplicably none of these had notches for the shoulder. Indeed the shoulder had been gouging the rack about considerably as I attempted to tighten it down.

Pigeon of the Proletariat

This was solved by tossing the rack. I was kind of dour on it anyways. Yes, tossing the rack, and more importantly getting an unshouldered 8mm bolt from the hardware store, along with some better nuts and washers for replacing various existing bits. It is funny, how much a single quality fastener can improve something. I barely had to tighten it on the new seatpost, and everything held was held fast like iron. The  B.72 Brooks that I had leftover from trialing various saddles, clamps and seatposts on Zwartehond replaces the somewhat oversprung stock seat.  (Which just goes to show, a quality saddle such as a Brooks is a good thing to have an extra of) With everything tightened up, I decided to take Feige for a sunset ride.

I have many things to be thankful for, one of them is the sudden explosion in my area of bicycle trails. Just in the past 4 months a new rail-to-trail has been constructed and opened, a portion of the route which I can now take, that reduces by 3 or 4 minutes my work-commute, and gets me off the exceedingly bicycle unfriendly streets and into nature.  When completed the total new trail, will allow me to bicycle from my small bedroom community town, down to the city proper, faster than by using a car.  As it stands, the trail meanders through a wooded floodplain of one of the major creeks, crushed limestone pathing with gentle rolling rises, before ending for lack of additional construction by a larger river.   I bicycled through the evening air to the end of the trail, took photos, then leaned back on the bike, watching the sun set and turn the long prairie grasses green to gold, and the clouds purple, orange and blue-white.

the spread of the heavens reflected round in a bell

Every bicycle ride is a journey, although the wheels stop for awhile, they will soon roll again, forward. I have found something extremely spiritual about bicycling, in that bicycles are always of a good nature. They are the amongst the best machines we as humans, as a race have ever created. You do not cheat on a bicycle, it takes you as far as the energy you put into it. You're not borrowing petrol or electricity, it merely re-expresses your energy through a series of cleverly arranged wheels. And so we all roll.

Introspection aside, the Pigeon isn't a perfect bicycle, but for me, I find it a great bicycle.

When the sun touched the horizon, I set off for home, back through the now blue-shadowed woods. I lifted my foot and hit the release for the dynamo-light, letting it press against the tyre with a 'Whzzt!-rrrr' and it started producing a warm illumination, casting over the cool white of the limestone trail. Along up a ways I passed a gentleman walking with his young daughter who was cavorting in childish delight at a magic summer's eve.  He was carrying a pheasant feather.  I doubtlessly looked like an apparition from the 1920s in my clothing, and with the pigeon clanking, whirring and bobbling along. We greeted each other.  I rode through the little valleys and crested the small hills of the all but deserted park.

I can't help but like the Feige. I feel very perched upon it. Very little of the bike comes into my field of view when I'm riding it.  The single speed is set quite high, making for, slow starts, but it cruises nicely. You need to build up some speed for hills, but I find that I can 'drop' forward well and start putting some power down. The B.72 with its only very minimal suspension doubtless helps me feel the bike.  The rod brakes work, not outstanding, but not bad either.  Stay at a reasonable speed, and they'll suffice.  It is less 'twitchy' in the steering than my Felt, or the huge Azor/Workcycles Kruisframe.   It is very likeable, and has me curious about other English style bicycles- all of which are sadly non-existant out here on the prairie.   I'll keep riding about on it though, just ordered a zimbale 7 litre bag for it.