I don't know if you're going to be doing mountain/gravel stuff, but I favor the old "roadster" bicycle (rod brakes & all.) They aren't fast or agile but they handle well enough for town and are built to be ridden off the road as well.
They're fun to customize. I'm backdating a 1966 model to have the specs of a 1940s one as they were commonly ridden in England during WWII. They are very interesting machines and built to work well for all sizes of people.
Whitworth wrenches, Fibrax brakes, spare parts, and 28x1.5" tires are going to be a hassle to get. But they are great to ride.
Cycling outfit: literally my regular clothes, and an overcoat & gloves if it's cold out because you will get very cold on a bicycle.
Tools to carry:
- wrench
- lighting equipment (batteries, if your bicycle like mine is missing its generator)
- tire pump on frame
- pocket knife & screwdriver
- patch kit & tire cement
- spare inner tube if you don't have cement
- Front & rear lighting; white light in front & red on rear.
My bicycle is a Raleigh DL-1 and it's a perpetual pain to keep running, mainly as the prior owner abused it to the point that I am doing more of a salvage operation than a fix-up. (How do you bend an axle? And who leaves a discontinued Brooks B67 saddle in the rain in Boston?) They built them from about 1913 to 1985, I think, and they still make a "Tourist De Luxe" in Holland that's similar. They last for decades with proper care; many 1940s-1950s models are still going strong. This is probably because they weigh about 45 pounds apiece and do not use aluminum or cast iron. It's all drawn steel.
Riding at night--Do not make eye contact with the crackhead in front of CVS when your headlamp battery goes out. Doing so will allow him to steal a portion of your soul. He'll probably sell it and buy more crack.
At night the headlamps are not very good. There is a small wobbly spot of light in front of you and your best hope is to slow up for curves as the lenses on the old battery lanterns aren't that good. However, you will be seen with one. The rear lanterns are actually a lot better, serving as a diffuser and not to see by unless you join the Parthian archer 1910s bike cavalry.
Stopping: If the rims aren't true, you won't stop. You'll make a ton of noise and grind up your brakes but the machine will not stop. So you want to have the rims trued up to make good wheels, then you can ride.
Shifting: You only have three speeds. The drivers behind you in autos will not like any of them, so pull to the shoulder of the road whilst going up a hill and don't forget to smile & wave.
Handlebars: You can change the grips out to the "Old English" grips sold by RBR in California. These are molded from antique "Brittania" grips from the '20s or so. They are rather chunky but they do improve the ride quality. There are no cute grips available for a DL-1.
Fenders: These flapping, clanking, pressed tin atrocities you will want to pull off. They are there for a reason, though; they keep your bicycle dry, keep you dry, and keep people from stealing your bike.
Chainguard: these are sometimes found with an enclosed chaincase. It's a bother to work on but it looks nice & keeps the chain clean. They also are noisy.
Pedals: I'm using the Raleigh rubber-block pedals & they don't even have reflectors added, which is why I added lighting. They grip well as I ride with my regular boots on and don't want to have cycling shoes--and if something happens I want to be able to bail out. It's already tall.
Lighting: I have an Elite dry cell lantern on the front & a NOS Raleigh Rampar tail light. These are not optimal. I'll probably be putting a modern LED in the one up front. But I could not find a light that would fit on the lamp irons other than Elite lanterns (a tin box w a lens) or a vintage kerosene lamp.
These are super adaptable and I suppose you could throw a modern shifter in one; however, I ride mine because it's simple transportation as well as a piece of cycling history. They also look really cool for bicycles.
That said they're remarkably well made. This is mine before I started the upgrades; it looks better now but this is the way that they were originally imported to the USA during the '60s and '70s.
