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Squeaky

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There is no bad weather,
just insufficient tarps over your cargo.

Mid-range city bike for everyday use in any weather. Thick tyres laugh at cobblestones, reflectors and lights take care of visibility in traffic, all delicate mechanisms (brakes, shifting, dynamo) are hidden in the hubs, and the handlebars can accomodate thick mittens if needed. The bike is not intended for long tours (doesn't excel in gears or aerodynamics), but can handle them and whatever it loses in speed, makes up in comfort.

Grandpa's old Stadion Roadster forms the base of this tank. I don't dare to guess its actual age; the only thing I know for sure is he had bought it from at least second hand (already without the original rod-actuated rim brakes) and used to carry his son (now over fifty years old) in a child seat on this bike. The frame has one top tube more than usual, but all dimensions and threads conform to today's standards, so it was no problem to replace the badly worn bottom bracket and chainring, switch the singlespeed rear hub for a three-speed and a wacky front hub for a drum brake dynohub. The only parts that required some improvisation were rear rack and mudguard stays (both taken from another wreck). The frame has no braze-ons for them and they don't fit over the axle ends, so I had to run screws through the seatstays. Not good for strength, so I fitted just a small basket that can't hold anything dangerously heavy, and made up for the required cargo capacity by another basket at the front.

The tyres are rather unusual 28×1.75" (47-622 mm), but I don't want anything slimmer, and nothing thicker fits the forks. I used cheap Rubena Flash tyres on my previous bike, which roll and grip very well (even in wet and cold, although rougher treads would be better in snow). Their only disadvantage is mediocre durability and poor puncture protection. I tried to equip Squeaky with a Schwalbe Marathon on the rear wheel. It's made of harder rubber and is thicker an heavier than Rubena, so it should last longer and not get punctured often - both has proven true so far. But it also grips worse and has narrower profile, so it slips in the wet and plays funny tricks on tram rails. I kept Rubena at the front, grip is more important there and wear is negligible.

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