My real craving this Fall is for a classic 3 speed English Bicycle. Pashley makes a decent replica. i just bought the Brooks saddle for my 45 year old Humber. Still runs beautifully. I have the wicker basket from Portugal with the new leather straps. Can't afford the great repaint of the frame yet. But I will soon be able to ride the bike to the news stand and the grocery store. Humber bikes are top drawer.

That`s a really rich red, eh, Alex!


I do love some of the old-school colours of their lambswool knitwear...


j.

^ DEFINATELY!


j.

Have quite a few cravings at the moment, some lvy, most not:

*  custom Navy blazer with brass buttons (something to wear regularly and forever)
*  custom bone pants (later in year)
*  green shell cordovan Vass F last oxford medallion shoos
*  Alden shell longwing in whisky
*  Vass budapester in brown shell or even better, Russian Calf leather (i'll ask Ms Vass if she can do it later in year)
*  navy plain-toe blucher by Vass on P2 last in boxcalf.
*  custom belts (made by a mate)
*  gold tie by Bvlgari (always wanted one by that maker)
*  a black English captoe (might just get a C&J and save my money).

l want other stuff, but these things have been really itching at me.

Last edited by The_Shooman (2009-07-30 02:28:27)

Yes, some nice cardigans and nice woolen knits would be good too. Shawl collar cardigans in a cable-knit pattern appeal to me too. They are very hard to find over here.

^   

I had a shawl collar jumper in primary school. My mum knitted it for me. Mums used to do that.

Would not want a similar item now that I am grown up.

Coolidge: I guess the enchantment with the English bicycle is a Northeast USA phenomenon. I would have thought we would get some English input here, but I suppose all of the kids that write in are too young to remember an English bicycle industry. I think it was located around Northampton (the same place all the shoes come from). In the mid 60s no one had a ten speed. every kid aspired to a Raleigh or some similar ultra cool bike, from the land of the two seater sports cars.
     I find few things more irritating in modern life than all of these idiots on bicycles who dress up and pretend they are competing in the Tour de France, black shorts, silly helmets and all. We kids biked to school on 3 speeds in street clothes, the books on a proper metal rack.
     Don't tell me all progress is good. Now adays the bike industry has been taken over by idiots who produce extremely uncomfortable machines that no sane person over 30 would want  You want to be Green? Get a nice comfortable english bike that is stylish and enjoyable to ride. The good news is that they were so well built that a 50 year old one will likely be mechanically sound and cosmetically restorable. You can ignore the bits of rust. The chrome cleans up with steel or bronze wool. All the moving parts need is some motor oil. The saddles and bags are still manufactured by an English company with the melifluous name of "Brooks".

Last edited by tmc22 (2009-07-31 20:13:50)

i had a craving for a vintage hiking boot (the ones with the laces right down to the toes ) but didn't fancy the £175 for the Fracap japanese ones ... anyway i got a pair of Root 58 boots in a army store for £35 woohooo