The Flying Pigeon Project

Introducing "Revolutionary Saddlebags"

Having removed the ultra-utilitarian front basket from my bike to make room for a light, I was in a bit of a bind. I mean, my bike IS my car, so I have to at least be able to haul some goods too and from the store. Sure I can use the rat-trap package rack on the back of the bike, and often do, but what I really needed was saddle bags.

The postmen and the other delivery agencies often use saddlebags, but these are of colossal proportions. I was looking for something of a more modest dimension.

Then I recalled spying these hand bags at a tourist area shopping center. They are modeled after People's Liberation Army courier bags. They were about the right size, so maybe I could put two of them together and make a pannier set?

Yes, indeed! After discussing with a local seamstress and having her measure the package rack, it was determined that there was enough nylon in the shoulder straps to join them together. There was also enough to form a velcro strap which can bind the bags to the package rack post to keep them from swinging into the spokes.

Originally, being hand bags means that there are lots of neat little compartments, and the top zip shut. There is a front compartment just under the large Red Star flap which looks good for storing papers. There are side pockets on either side and a little zip pouch in the main compartment which will become my tool pouch.

Additionally there is another "secret" zip envelope on the back of the bag. In this one I have put some cardboard to give the bags a little more rigidity.

But how do they look? Mighty fine, I think. Here they are on my Pigeon, parked in front of my favorite "La Mien in a Plastic Bag Noodle Joint". Basically, there are three straps which run under the rat trap on the package rack. The back of the bags are tied to the package rack down posts by velcro strips. My bike is a 26", but I have thrown them over a 28" bike and they fit just as well if not better.

If anyone is interested in having a set of "Revolutionary Saddlebags" made, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Guest Roadster

Recently at the Panjiayuan old bike meeting, there have been several older, unusual roadsters showing up. While they are brake rod roadsters of the Philips variety, they are not Chinese or Indian and not British or German. Not even French. Certainly not Dutch.

The construction tends toward the heavy side. Yes, heavy even compared to Chinese bikes. And the fenders have a strange pyramidal profile. That's strange enough, but perhaps the most intriguing feature is the rocket shaped chainguard. Certainly a bit of 1950's styling can be seen there, but it's no give away as to where the bikes are from.

So who makes these bikes and from which country do they hail? Generally, they are all decades old and very used, but apparently well loved, and have all the original parts except for the paint, which has mostly been rubbed off.

Don't know?

How about some hints? 

1. The brand is still in business and makes some of the finest bicycles on earth. 

2. They been doing so for 110 years.

3. Look at the chainwheel. The company logo is repeated 3 times. It's not the current logo, of course.

4. The logo is also on the rear fender.

Still can't make it out? How about a close up:

Fuji!  Indeed, when most people think of the Japanese make, I doubt they consider that they once made humble, practical, and extremely durable brake-rod roadsters.

Flying Pigeons: Singapore Customs

As an inexpensive bike by western standards the Flying Pigeon and other Asian roadsters make an excellent base for customization. Thomas Yang of Singapore demonstrates what can be done with a little imagination, a selection of choice parts and a healthy dose of good taste.

I'll let Thomas describe the customization process:

Firstly, we are a bunch of designers who love customizing bikes. How did we start the modification?
1. We bought them in bulk.
2. Then the bikes were sent for re-spraying in the colors we liked.
3. We ordered many parts online but some were also bought locally.
4. The crank, for example is a Sugino Crank. Freewheel hub. Not fixed gear.
5. The whole process took about 1 month.

Additionally, the cream colored bike pictured has Velocity White rims, Dimension Grips and a "Charge" saddle. 

Thomas makes it sound easy, right? So get cracking on your own custom! Fantastic job, Thomas!

You can see more of Thomas's two-wheeled creations, as well as his excellent photography, at his blog, Blinkbikes.

Upgrades

I thought' I'd share some pics of recent upgrades with you. First, My bike as it was purchased: Black, with black wire basket, which is pretty much a standard China issue bike. At this point I had already added two bells and some "Luxury" pedals.

 

And as it is now:

 

So what is different about it? First off, there is the seat. I swapped the original black mattress seat with a red "OK" brand tensioned leather seat. 

Then there is the lock. Heavy duty Chinese circle lock. Very convenient. 

The wire basket had to go. This was replaced with fork truss braces that I had to go all the way to Tianjin to get. While 28" truss braces are common as water in Beijing, for some reason 26" truss braces cannot be found. I also added a headlight. The keen observer will notice that at the time of the picture I had not yet mounted the dynamo for said head light. You'll also notice that one of the cap nuts for the truss braces is not yet installed.

One of the bells from the top picture was damaged in in tip over, so I replaced it with a nice brass number.

 

 

Finally, at a nearby dealer I found this nice NOS part. A chrome chaincase trim. I love the way it compliments the black paint.