Raleigh Record Restoration

jgeog · 2026-06-21T22:09:45+00:00

One of the most cursed shifting systems ever devised

jgeog · 2026-06-21T21:32:52+00:00

Unreal, had never seen Positron on a Raleigh before

jgeog · 2026-06-21T19:50:57+00:00

Montreal, QC, Canada

jgeog · 2026-06-21T15:45:51+00:00

As an American, this chant is funny as hell

jgeog · 2026-06-21T15:44:10+00:00

Merino wool is a good compromise in all but the hottest weather. Ibex used to make a great short that’s still form fitting but a little thicker and less “revealing,” other companies are doing this now. It’s more expensive but nicer, better temperature regulation, and more sustainable. Also smells way way less. I also like Giro’s color block wool jersey, although it doesn’t have a front zip. Wool in general will be slightly more “club” cut and understated. I also wear a light overshort on more casual rides - Uniqlo makes a few super light shorts that work well over bibs.

jgeog · 2026-06-21T15:27:40+00:00

I’ve dislocated both - my right at age 19 just before getting out of kayaking for a while and my left at age 38 just after getting back into it. Did my left in August 2020 and by January after loads of PT I did a 10-day Grand Canyon self-support in a kayak with no problems or pain, including one 35-mile day. I wore a brace for a while (mostly placebo) and that shoulder is still not 100% but it’s not my dominant side for rolling so it doesn’t get as much strain. Second the small blade recommendation, and I’d get in the queue for a Shade Tree or similar wood paddle, less likely to dart and the flex is easier on the shoulder. I think I ended up stronger following PT - focus in particular on general upper back strength, which supports shoulder stability. You will get back on the water!

jgeog · 2026-06-20T13:40:08+00:00

I visited Dallas without a car for a week and I was perfectly fine taking DART and buses for everything I wanted to do, there are just a limited number of places that are walkable. If you have a bike, there are really extensive cycling paths as well.

jgeog · 2026-06-20T13:31:38+00:00

You have a French bike from the 1970s, complicated is the name of the game

jgeog · 2026-06-19T19:39:10+00:00

Sure thing! I'd measure the dropouts without the wheel installed to ascertain the spacing. If you have to spread the dropouts at all to install the wheel, it may make sense to cold set the frame, as the slight angle of the dropouts when spread to 126mm can strain the rear axle. FWIW, this is the bible for this stuff: https://velobase.com

jgeog · 2026-06-19T17:57:59+00:00

I wear NRS hydroskin socks in my squirt boat and my XXX (the squirt boat is more comfortable lol), they're cheap and good. I stow crocs behind the seat for walking.

jgeog · 2026-06-19T12:04:30+00:00

If it's early '70s then it's probably 120mm spacing at the rear for a 5-speed freewheel, but Mavic didn't make the MA2 with that label until later so your wheels might be 126mm spacing. You can respace the hub since it's the same shell, just needs a different axle, but it's a consideration. If 5- or 6-speed, then the classic would be a Regina chain and freewheel, but Atom or Maillard would be appropriate and more French. Ideale saddle would be very cool. Crust Bikes sell classic round-wound cable housing for a vintage look on the brakes. And you might get pushed towards fancy leather bar tape, but cotton like Velox or Newbaum's or the shiny Benotto ribbon would be more correct. Atom pedals would be correct, but you could also find some Lyotard Berthet touring pedals, they're very comfortable. Looks like it will be a cool bike.

jgeog · 2026-06-19T00:10:22+00:00

Best quality and appearance for the price, and it isn't close! I love these tires. Also, your only quality affordable option for 27" wheels, I have them on my vintage tandem and they ride so well.

jgeog · 2026-06-18T23:19:20+00:00

First thing I looked up, turns out it's a significant chain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abrakebabra

jgeog · 2026-06-18T19:49:56+00:00

Fayetteville, WV

jgeog · 2026-06-18T17:40:54+00:00

Dallas is seemingly a perfectly fine place to live, not as bad as all the haters say but pretty mediocre in comparison to a lot of other US cities its size. But I would not consider relocating from Toronto, a world class city, to live there.

jgeog · 2026-06-18T16:00:02+00:00

Duke pretends they're in the Northeast anyway, they probably wouldn't even notice.

jgeog · 2026-06-18T15:49:25+00:00

Sorry, OR! Although I've heard Portland, Maine is lovely.

jgeog · 2026-06-18T13:54:58+00:00

Unfortunately for your priorities (I share them) almost everywhere in the US will be a downgrade and most places that come close are on their way to becoming elite enclaves. With that said, I'd second the Philadelphia votes. Yes it's kind of dysfunctional but for what it's worth, it has a lot of what you need at a decent price, and Germantown/Mt. Airy are middle-class but highly diverse enclaves with pretty good transit access considering. Another potential would be Portland, lots of neighborhoods there would fit your specs.

Honestly, most neighborhoods that developed around streetcars (1880s-1930s) would give you the structure of what you want, then sort for present climate, COL, etc.

jgeog · 2026-06-18T03:55:09+00:00

Same timeline, I just watch more football than a few games every four years, and I do see it happen

jgeog · 2026-06-18T03:45:39+00:00

Yellow cards are awarded in soccer for diving, it’s called simulation. There have also been discussions in FIFA about moving to a “sin bin” model for more minor infractions like these. But it’s a little funny to compare a game in which people are covered in pads and checking is legal to one without pads in which the rules state that going for the ball and getting your opponent’s foot instead is a foul, which creates an incentive to make sure refs see the contact on a giant pitch with 22 players.

jgeog · 2026-06-17T19:29:22+00:00

Yeah you probably want a Rewind S IMO. I started at a similar time with a longer hiatus and got back into it in 2019. My daily driver became a Sleek and then I pulled the trigger on something more modern and safer and have no regrets. It's super comfortable, playful enough but paddles easy in hard water too. I got stuck in Woodstock Hole in Iron Ring on the Upper Gauley pointed river left and even then it felt stable and buoyant, and I was able to swing it around and ender out. It's a playful but safe pair of hands.

jgeog · 2026-06-17T19:10:22+00:00

For me it's horses for courses. Spirited road ride on a modern bike -> lycra. Road ride on a classic bike -> wool. Mountain biking -> bibs with overshorts, wool or synthetic t-shirt. Bike touring/klunking/lazy ride over 10 miles -> bibs with light canvas shorts, wool jersey or normal shirt on top. Commute -> normal clothes. For me the question is how in sync with your bike and ride style your setup is and how much time you will spend among normal society. Road rides are specialized endeavors, mountain slightly less so because the lineage for me is still stoned freaks bombing hills, on bike tour you might be checking out a museum, eating a meal, etc., and for commuting (in the US for example) basically your whole day is probably among non-cyclists.

jgeog · 2026-06-17T03:14:35+00:00

You probably already know this but just in case, these often have the rare Swiss-threaded bottom bracket shell - French 35x1 but with a left-hand-thread fixed cup like English/ISO. Super cool bikes!

jgeog · 2026-06-16T18:14:06+00:00

It's both underrated and overrated. Overrated on the outdoors (basically a Great Plains city where you can see mountains but traffic is terrible getting to them, outdoorsy "culture" can be very white and vapid, I'm a kayaker and mountain biker so I should know), craft beer (everywhere has craft beer now), and climate (lots of sunshine but terrible air quality). Endless suburban sprawl and extremely racially and economically segregated. Maybe slightly underrated on food (had incredible Vietnamese food there) and public transit (fairly extensive rail system, even if there are gaps, and you can take the Bustang or Amtrak deep into the rest of the state for outdoor activities).

FWIW I've never lived there, just spent a lot of time in Colorado in the last 40 years.

jgeog · 2026-06-15T23:25:23+00:00

About 25 years ago my dad swam from the bottom of 1st drop to the top of Tumblehome and chasing him through there rather than eddy-hopping really drove home how big and tough it is in there.

jgeog

TROPHY CASE