Boston Area Roadsters: a Place to Call Our Own

An announcement for those in the Boston area who own vintage Roadsters and other lovely 3-speed creatures: A few of us are getting together and starting a club of sorts. Well, more like an appreciation and preservation society: We envision a project that will enable people to learn about their Roadsters - including how to work on them and either restore them to their all-original glory or convert them to reliable modern commuters.

[somervillain's 1986 Union Unitas]

We are also interested in photo-documenting as many vintage Roadsters that exist in the Boston area as we can, with the aim of eventually putting together an archive of the sorts of things people have done to these bicycles. Boston really is a mecca of vintage 3-speeds, and we would like to commemorate that.

[somervillain (right) with John Pyper of Open Bicycle]

We have been generously granted a "club space" for our pursuits at Open Bicycle, which is located in Union Square in Somerville, Mass. We can use this space to get together and work on our bicycles cooperatively, to organise workshops, or even just for "Show and Tell". Open's lounging area and workshop facilities make it an ideal meeting place, so a big Thank You to Open Bicycle for their support.

[my 1936 Raleigh Lady's Tourist, on display at Spoke Count]

So far, this project is in its early stages and 4 people are involved: myself, somervillain, Biking in Heels, and the Co-Habitant. I should add that somervillain is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to vintage 3-speeds, so the opportunity to receive his advice and help is quite exciting. Our plan for this club is very much open-format and will depend on the dynamic of the group. If you would like to take part, or be informed of our activities, please drop me a line at "filigreevelo-at-yahoo-dot-com" or post a comment here.

Individual Perspectives

It always interests me to know how a person arrives at their preference for a specific bicycle, especially people of different skill levels. Unlike me, the Co-Habitant is naturally athletic, handles a roadbike like it's nobody's business, and loves speed. And yet, he chose a sedate, stately roadster as his daily commuter - complete with such distinctly non-sporty features as full chaincase and dressguard.

To be honest, when we first bought the Pashleys I assumed that he was getting the Roadster mainly for my benefit - so that we'd have matching bikes. When we later got roadbikes, I expected him to gradually transition to riding his roadbike to work, and to only ride the Pashley when out with me. But nothing of the sort happened. He loves his Roadster and has been commuting on it faithfully for over a year now, snow days included. When I ask him why he prefers such an enormous and heavy bicycle to his faster and more agile roadbike, his answer is that the Pashley is "the most comfortable bike [he has] ever ridden." A straightforward enough reply that explains how two cyclists with different skill levels can ultimately choose similar bicycles for their practical, everyday needs.

The terms "commuter bike" and "practical bike" can mean completely different things to different cyclists. There is a school of thought out there positing that relaxed and upright bicycles are mainly for those who are inexperienced, afraid of car traffic, or lack physical stamina - and that as a rider grows more confident, they will naturally come to prefer a faster and sportier bike for commuting. But clearly that is not the case. A runner can still prefer walking as a means of getting around in their everyday life, and a bicycle racer can prefer commuting on a beach cruiser in flip-flops. It's really all about individual perspectives.

About a Year

Looking through the pictures I took of a recent ride along the cherry-blossoming Charles River, I realised that it has been just about a year since I began Lovely Bicycle. I say "about a year", because I am not entirely sure when exactly I started writing vs. publishing the entries. But apparently it was right around this time, as in my first documented bike-ride the blossoms were in bloom as well.



It is customary to conduct some sort of self-assessment when a project like this reaches its 1-year anniversary. But when I think about why I started this website, I feel suddenly inarticulate and a little confused - because honestly I do not have a good reason. I am not an activist and do not seek to promote "a cycling lifestyle". Life has worked out for me in such a way, that personally I have not driven a car since 2007, and I love to ride my bicycle(s) for both transportation and recreation. However, if you happen to own a dozen SUVs and enjoy driving them, that is fine with me. If you collect bicycles solely for the purpose of photographing them in your garden and never actually ride them, that is fine as well. And if you are a die-hard Foresterite vehicular cyclist who hates bike infrastructure and loves 6-lane roads with 40mph+ speed limits, that's wonderful too. You are all welcome, if you feel that you can relate to some aspect of this website.



Neither is the motive of this weblog a diary-style documentation of my life. Those who know me in person are aware that my posts here create an amusingly incomplete and warped presentation of my actual life and personality. And finally, neither was it ever my intent (not that I am in any danger of this) to gain commercial success or recognition for this website.



When I first started Lovely Bicycle, the intent was to review the options that were out there for bicycles that were both practical and aesthetically pleasing for people with lifestyles and tastes similar to mine. This was driven by my own frantic search for a "lovely bicycle" in Spring of . However, the weblog developed far beyond this premise and I am still no closer to explaining what motivates me to continue it - when frankly my life is quite hectic as it is and does not need extra projects.



I will be honest: This discrepancy of the blog getting larger and more time consuming (I now get over a dozen emails per week and it is becoming impossible to answer most of them) with my not having a good explanation for why I am doing this, has caused me some concern and I have considered discontinuing Lovely Bicycle on several occasions. An alternative option could be to start accepting selected sponsorships, and using any earnings from these to at least cut down on some of the consulting projects I do in order to stay financially afloat - thereby freeing up time to continue working on the blog. But I do not have a clear idea of how this could be done while still maintaining the home-made feel of this wesite.



In short, it remains to be determined in what direction Lovely Bicycle will meander next, if at all. But in the meantime, I can't seem to help continuing to take pictures of beautiful bicycles and writing all of this nonsense about them!



While taking the pictures shown in this post, I was approached by a couple who asked me whether their daughter could pose next to my bicycle for their home-made video of the girl reciting "Make Way for Ducklings" by Robert McCloskey. We moved the bicycle closer to the river, and the mother directed the daughter while the father videotaped. They did several takes of the recital and the child was adorable.



Of course I didn't have the heart to tell them that the "ducklings" in the river were in fact geese. Where better for me to share a story of such an encounter, than on Lovely Bicycle?...

Jemez Creek Rest Area

Tree & Houses

In this photo you can see the old juniper tree with a dirt road behind it and the houses in the housing development that is near it. It is such a shame to see this ancint piece of history being threatened by development. There is a dirt trail on this side of the tree where I found the tracks of motercycles and ATV's, and I saw lots of trash; mostly beer cans and bottles; in the area right around it, which I picked up. The tree is surviving but it doesn't look as healthy as it did 25 years ago when I first saw it. Every time I go by there I am afraid I will find that progress has destroyed this beautiful, and still living conifer.

One Question Answered

After one day at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, I've already found the answer to one question "left over" from my Switzer research!



As noted in the post Not One, Not Two, Not Three, but Four of Them! (about half way through the post) there was a question regarding which Jacob Switzer was the owner of 80 acres in the W ½ of the SW ¼ of R2 T12 S16 in Fairfield Township, Columbiana County, Ohio.



The answer came in a deed record (volume 64 page 397 of FHL film 926962) in which Isaac Switzer and Christiana his wife, Benjamin Switzer and Lidia Ann his wife, Levi Switzer and Hannah his wife, Peter Keck and Delia Ann his wife, James Crooks and Eliza his wife, Anna Switzer and Sophia Switzer of the county of Columbiana sold the parcel “containing 72 acres of land owned and lately occupied by Jacob Switzer deceased” to Christian Kiser for $3420 on April 6, 1860.



So now we know that this land belonged to Switzer Family Number 4 :: Jacob G. and Catharina and not to “my” Jacob. In addition, it confirms the names of his heirs and provides the names of the spouses of the married children, which would be nice for anyone researching this particular family!

A day in York: Roaming around town and discovering a special church with box pews

Without a doubt, I have seen so many churches, perhaps in the hundreds already in my lifetime, maybe more, that somehow I have come to the breaking point of enough is enough (I now can relate to the Dutchman). I have made a pact with myself that I will only check out a church if it is special or it has something unique to offer. Now this church, the Holy Trinity Church Goodramgate, I came across while I was roaming the pretty streets of York. I thought she was one of a kind.

This is Stonegate, a busy shopping lane.

I was just done walking the York ruin walls and I am now heading back to the centre. I still have time to wander off a bit before I take a quick lunch break. Not really hungry yet but I was looking forward later in the afternoon to some traditional English scones with clotted cream and jam, and of course tea. While walking on the street I saw an out of sight wrought-iron gate with a signboard in front that says:

‘A rare seventeenth-century survival, box pews like these were once common in Anglican churches. Each family would sit together, renting a pew annually.

The high sides of the pews limited drafts in unheated churches and provided privacy, but also forced the occupants to focus on the content of the sermon.

The widespread removal of the box pews during the nineteenth-century makes them an unusual sight today. Holy Trinity Goodramgate is now the only church in York with box pews.’

Hmm, this is interesting. I need to see these box pews. What do they look like? Curious, I entered the garden and walked into the church and look what I found:

I do not think I have been to a church with box pews. These are indeed a rare find. It is very special to see them being preserved for the sake of history and posterity. I made sure to give a donation before leaving the small church.

Here are some random fotos of York I shot while roaming around:

Fotos above were taken on Goodramgate, Micklegate, Stonegate, Colliergate and Barley Hall.

Next: Not hungry yet so what's for lunch?