Big Sexy Kansas

Sunflower is the State Flower of Kansas.

Last week I drove cross-country across New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma--and then up to Kansas to see Little Egypt and Rico. It took three long days as I brought Callie along. I made a quick stop in Tulsa at the old Homestead, and then on my way to Lawrence.

On the Road--Kansas, USA.

I brought Rico's set of drums from Tucson, some of his recording equipment, clothes for school--and I brought Little Egypt's bike as they live less than a mile from campus and work. I brought my 1984 Raleigh Marathon, or "Big Sexy" so I can put some miles in past the farms and little town of Kansas.

Callie as navigator.

Callie is 14 years old and seems to enjoy the trip. She did well and sleeps mostly. There was just enough room for all the stuff I brought and then Callie and I packed in tight--my 2004 Hyundai Elantra 5-speed did very well! I'm quite pleased with its performance--we made it, and I'm sure we'll make it back to Tucson.

I'll try to write more as time permits!

Cheers! Bruce

Hey Big Sexy!

Hey, Big Sexy!

I have taken Big Sexy off the consignment list at Pima Street Bikes, here in Tucson--and decided I wanted to keep the bike after all. I had some inquiries to buy it, but interested parties wanted me to give it away, and pay shipping, etc, etc. So rather than let this bike sit in the bike shop for sale, I decided to put Big Sexy back on the road!



John and Kathy on the tandem. The fields and ranches of Marana and Avra Valley in the background.

We met up at John's house for a 5:30 a.m. start to this Sunday Morning Ride! Eric wants to ride and start early. We want to beat the 100 degree weather forecast for Tucson, and Eric wants to take it easy as he's not ridden much the last few weeks.

We stop at the Marana Municipal Airport for a quick breakfast.

Eric leads the way on this 40 mile flat course out to the One Lane Bridge in Avra Valley

Avra Valley is not much of a town. It's pretty remote. There were some other little towns out here but most of the populations died out in the 1918 Flu Epidemic. We'll let those people rest in peace and just go out to the Bridge and then turn around.

Home Sweet Home, mes amis...

Where will the road lead us to this fine morning?


Ranch lands and rugged hills.

One Lane Bridge.

We find a shady spot to take a rest for a few minutes before we head back.

I'm riding Big Sexy, which is a 1984 Raleigh Marathon. The steel frame size is 27 inches, or 69 cm--the biggest frame size Raleigh made, according to Phil at the bike shop. We've been taking it easy for the trip out, and Big Sexy is holding up well. What can I say? This bike is huge and I feel like I'm sitting up on a horse.


Eric and John. We're taking a small rest before the sprint up Twin Peaks Road.

Kathy and Yours.

The sun's coming out and there's a bit of a headwind--a hint of green in the fields.

Big Sexy Sprint to the top of the Twin Peaks Road!


We made it--the one and only climb. And just in time--it's getting pretty hot and the morning is at full speed.

Cheers! Bruce

Raleigh Marathon Bike for Sale

I’ve decided to sell the Raleigh Marathon, circa 1984—too many bikes are packed in the garage at home. I don’t have the time, the money—or the heart, to make this big old bike into a single speed. After Phil over-hauled everything, it was like a brand new ride.

Restored.

Right out of the barn where I found it.

I’ve only used it for rides down to the café on the weekend—and to go to church on Sunday (just playing!) I’ve taken it on the road for a couple 80 and 90 mile rides and its been sweet.

Phil,owner of Pima Street Bicycle will let me keep it at the shop for a few months until a buyer arrives. The thing about this bike is that it’s a 69 cm frame. It is Enormous, huge, gigantic—even a bit too big for me to ride. My hope is that some one out there will find this bike and it will be the steel machine they’ve been dreaming of.

I recently paid a small fortune to have that Schwinn Twin I brought back from Tulsa made ready to ride. That old tandem takes up a lot of room in the garage, Gentle Reader, I must say!

Finally, I’ve no emotional attachment to this bike. It’s a good bike and if it was all I had, then I’d be happy—but my hope is that the right man or woman will find this old Raleigh and put in the miles it was made for.

Cheers! Bruce

Raleigh “Marathon” Bike, Part 2

1984 Raleigh Marathon--right out of the Old Barn on Glenn

Last year I bought this bike for $50.00 at the Old Barn on Glenn from some character that runs a junk/bike shop out of his house. The area is not very affluent, and a lot of people I see riding around this part of Tucson probably got their bike from the Barn—if they didn’t steal it from the campus of UofA. Here’s the link to that post…

My Gentler Reader, you go into any bike shop and you see that bikes are expensive—even in Target or Walmart bikes are not that cheap. So if people can only afford $50.00 for a bike as their only means of transportation, then the Barn is a good place and I do not disrespect that arrangement.


Complete over-haul. I added clips and saddle. The tires are new of course, and I believe the chain is still the original. Wheels are in perfect condition, and the frame has no dings nor is it bend or cracked.

So my beautiful Raleigh probably logged more miles in that barn than on the road—as Phil at Pima Street Bikes would say—and now I am happy to report that I’ve been out riding and making some adjustments to this 69 cm lugged steel framed machine after finally getting it to the bike shop for a complete overhaul.

My thoughts were to strip the bike down and make it into a single speed fixed gear bike. That seems to be all the rage right now. But my friend John pointed out that I'd really have no place to ride it. It would probably sit un-used once more. Best to keep the bike as-is and have fun.

Raleigh "Marathon" Bike

Back in early August I rolled into the Glenn Ave. Junk Man's Barn--and just as predicted--I found a diamond in the rough. Among several hundred other bikes and other junk, this bike was in a pile of of old Huffys, Sears girls bikes, and knock-off mtn bikes.


This Raleigh "Marathon" probably dates from between 1984 to 1986. From What I can tell its either been taken very good care of, or hardly ridden. Saddly, its looks like its been sitting in that old dude's barn for well over 10 years. The striking thing about this bike is that the frame is quite large. My guess would be at least 67 centemeters--only very tall, big fellows much like myself can ride a large frame like this--and being all steel--these large frame bikes are soft riding and have a certain feel on the road that I can't describe; sturdy, secure, powerful might be a few words that come to mind.


This emblem is the Raleigh Heron and although it reads, "Cycle Company of America" it is not made in the United States. From some blogs and discussion lists on the web, its most certainly not made in England either--but Japan, or possibly even Taiwan. From what I read, Japanese-made frames, like my 1977 Raleigh Super Grand Prix, are supposedly of superior quality. If this bike (the frame) I aquired for a mere $50.00 is Japanese made, then I am in luck--Taiwanese are said to be hit or miss. On a bike discussion list, someone said they bought a bike like this in 1984 for $350.00, which he said was quite a bit of money at the time.


The large ring here looks a little worn but the frame has almost no scratches--and no cracks, so its not been crashed or smashed by the other bikes while stored in the barn. Anyway, I have a good feeling about this bike and since its not made in England (I've now found from my research on the web that Nottingham-made Raleigh frames are very desireable) I'm not opposed to converting it into a single speed/fixed gear bike. This means stripping it down to frame and wheels. I believe when done it will be a work of art.


All this will go, however when Phil looked this bike over briefly at Pima Street Bikes (I dragged it into the shop right before they were closing on a Friday late afternoon) He noticed the wheels were made by a Belguim company. Since he builds wheels, they may be the only thing of value on this bike as far as he's concerned.


"Sport Touring Geometry, 12 Speed 39-100" Not sure exactly what they're boasting about here exactly--so if you know, get word to me.

Owt