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I tend to like things that most people would call old. We and most people who understand prefer the term vintage. Another way to put it is stuff made much better than today’s crap. My wagon is more than 50 years old and my newest bike is at least 15 years old. Now this love makes it difficult , at times to find parts and /or accessories to go along with these classic items.

Such has been the case in my hunt to find a seat to carry my daughter on my vintage cruiser, which is actually older than my wagon. I came close to finding a new child seat but that would have meant removing the lay back seat post that took me two years to find. not only that it is the only thing that allows my petite 6′ 3″ frame to ride it comfortably.

Well today ebay came through once again. Looky here:

Going to get it blasted, powder coated and maybe a little red & white roll and pleat to match the Colson.
I will of course also add a 3 to 5 point harness to keep the Peach in her fancy seat.

We all know I love me some bikes. I have a trike that I’m finishing up so that I can take the munchkin around the island with her car seat in the basket. I have anotheKustom trike in the works as well about 8 others. Originally I was trying to find a flatbed industrial bike like the Dutch, Chinese and many other countries use, so that trips to the beach, grocery shopping etc could be done via pedal power. Most of these are hard to find, prohibitively expensive or require doing a conversion like xtra cycles clever option.

Well just yesterday my wife introduced me to Madsen Cycles. Not sure how I missed them. Wicked awesome cargo bikes that appear to rival Workman cycles. I can’t wait to get my hand on one of these. And maybe convert it to a trike.

Most of us started out with having a tricycle as our first bike. You hear the word and it instantly
conjures up images of small children ungracefully propelling themselves forward under their own power on a tiny 3 wheel contraption. For most it is the first step towards riding a big kids bike. The progression from three wheels, to four wheels (ie training wheels) and eventually to riding a two wheel bicycle under our own power and equilibrium.

At some point many of us trade in our self propelled two wheeled wonders for horse powered vehicles of the two or four wheeled variety. Bicycles then become more of a recreational item for most. For some bicycles get under our skin, and while we may stray from time to time we always return.

While in high school I used to participate in the local road races, raced BMX as a kid, had a Schwinn varsity which I modified to do my paper route and raced mountain bikes as I grew older. I was for a time a bike messenger in San Francisco and rode a fixed gear, which is now the must have bike for all alternative types of any age. There is truly a bike for everyone ranging from beach cruisers, kustom lowrider stingrays and krates to the 8 foot high jousting bikes at the local bicycle circus.

I tend to love bikes that are different, one offs or kustomized. Or old, Italian, English or vintage. I just love bikes. My latest obsession is with Tricycles or to use the “adult” word trikes. Turns out that trike road bikes have been around for over 80 years. The model below is from 1928! Just look at the craftsmanship.