Wednesday, August 4, 2021

Clergy Bike 6.0: Papa Francesco

About the same time President Biden gifted PM Johnson with the "Boris Bike" I found an old Miyata City Runner on Craigslist for $75.  I picked the bike up and rode it for two weeks without making any changes.  After two weeks I took the Boris Bike as my inspiration and turned it into Clergy Bike: Papa Francesco.

Over the years I have tried to make all my bikes into Clergy Bikes, but either they have had structural issues making them unsafe to ride or they were not the right fit. 

History (skip ahead if you desire). Version 1.0 was an old Miyata with a bent frame, I bent it back but it was never "right."  Version 2.0, my Breezer Citizen with an internal 3speed hub I bought in New Orleans - outfitted with winter tires (the winter riding was hard on this bike - tore it up, but I kept it anyway).  Version 3.0 was an old Univega Alpina but the front fork was ovalized, it lasted a season.  Version 4.0 was a Fuji touring bike, which I dearly loved, but it was a size too small.  Version 5.0 (or 2.5?) was the Breezer Citizen with a 7speed internal hub, but the bottom bracket was cracked.  As you can read, not the best of luck with these bikes.  Luckily, they were either free, really cheap and scrapped for parts, or as in the case of the Fuji I gave it to one of my kids.  When I found a Miyata City Runner on craigslist for $75 I jumped at it.  

Here is the Boris Bike:



Here is Clergy Bike 6.0: Papa Francesco:





My picture was taken in the alley and not the railroad tracks.  Why?  Have you ever ridden a bike on rail road tracks?  I have; it's extremely uncomfortable AND the railroad police will come after you - they caught me one time. 

I took the Boris Bike and tried to make it more utilitarian (front basket, fenders, bike lock, dutch style handlebars, front wheel stabilizer, and the widest seat I could find).  I love the wide range of gears (Microsoft Acolyte), the upright riding style, and the feel of the bike overall.  I'm not riding to win races, I'm riding in a Dutch-style manner "fast-walking."  

I have yet to find a picture of Pope Francis riding a bike, but I imagine this is the kind of bike he would ride around Rome (if given the chance) to the local chocolate shop...



1 comment:

  1. Thanks for sharing this valuable information for Zero Gravity Massage Chair Australia . I have gone through your blogs and got meaningful information.

    ReplyDelete