For as long as I have worked at the Old Spokes Home, I have wanted a Raleigh Tourist. To me, the Tourist was the quintessential “gentle(wo)man’s bike.” With their rod brakes, 3 speed hub and upright geometry, the bike lends itself to riding in the city as well as going out for a nice leisurely Sunday country. Over the past few years I have seen the black beauties come and go with a tinge of regret, “Oh well, maybe next time.”
After years of deliberation I finally realized that, although its a killer classic, maybe the Tourist wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, hence the hesitation. The aesthetic yes, the limitations no. I wanted a bike that could be my around town ride, my dirt road ripper, my winter bike and my long distance mileage missile. A tall order for one bike... a beast of many burdens, if you will.
I set my sights on early mountain bike, as they generally make a great platform for a city conversion. “Why?” you ask; well the early school of thought in mountain bike geometry was long and lax. The head tube and seat tube are laid back, which, when coupled with a fork that has a lot of rake proves to be a long bike. A second notable feature is that these post-klunking off road machines generally have horizontal or semi-horizontal drop outs, that means no need for a chain tensioner if your running an internally geared hub. Lastly, these bikes generally came equipped with all of the eyelets necessary for mounting racks and fenders. It’s almost as if the mountain bike builders of old wanted to give credence to the old English steeds.
After waiting patiently the day finally came, I happened across a Univega Alpina Sport, dark gray. Hallelujah! Of course, I wasted no time to get this baby built up. I treated the frame and fork tubing with “framesaver” and touched up any chips on the frame, since I new I wanted this bike for the long haul. I then decided on what was important to me. I wanted a Tourist throwback that could handle it all! I wanted fenders, rack(s), internal gearing, integrated lighting and and some swept-back bars. I built up a Shimano Alfine wheelset, opting for the 8-speed hub in the rear paired with a dynamo in the front. For a headlight, I strung up the Schmidt Edelux which is incredibly luminous. I installed a pair of Planet Bike fenders and a classic Blackburn alloy rack. For brakes, I ran a strong, reliable set of Deore LX cantilevers. For handlebars, I went with some very basic Dimension swept back riser bars to leave me with that gentlemanly feel. The icing on the cake was an integrated lock that bolts onto the seatstays, allowing me to lock the rear wheel in place. (Trust me, this lock is sweet but only really useful for a quick coffee stop.)
It was love at first ride! Since building the bike up about a month ago, we have ridden over 200 miles together. I was the only one out of our Thanksgiving ride crew that had no shifting problems even as we plunged through a foot of snow down in central Vermont. Giddyup! The Alpina Sport has already earned my respect and admiration, along with a new name. Ladies and Gents, I introduce you to Edmund. He has multiple personality disorder, Edmund waits patiently corralled outside the grocery store while I load up the panniers and “Fast Eddy” is there for me when I want to go crush some class four roads and blast through snow banks. Its a harmonious Jekyll and Hyde relationship.
What was then is NOW.
Feel free to come by and take Edmund out for a spin or Fast Eddy for a quick scorch. The thing to remember with this Tourist tribute is versatility. A bike like Edmund is tough to come by; a true go anywhere, do anything mileage missile. Drop by and let’s talk about the possibilities for YOU!
-Patches
