Blip bikes

I had a very nice break in the middle of my day today to dash across town on my bike, then spend time looking at old bikes before dashing back to work. Courtesy of Witchpics who kindly organised a visit to the historic bike collection belonging to the National Museums of Scotland for keen blippers.

There was a profusion of marvellous velocipedes. I was seriously struggling trying to decide what to blip. There were penny farthings, some excellent old trikes with huge wheels that you sat between. Some folding army bikes from the 1940s that were designed to be dropped out of planes. Several Flying Scots - a legendary bike still to be seen herding round the surrounding area of Glasgow in the 90's when I was a student there.

My almost blip was this brake as it quite caught my eye. If there is any doubt, check out the beatific smile on my face in Witchpics photo! It is operated from a handlebar lever which looks very much like a brake lever today. The lever is connected to a complicated Heath Robinsonesque arrangement which in turn applies this brass shoe to the tyre, stopping you. Apparently!

In the end I went for these lovely wooden wheels which look very beautiful but very uncomfortable. I think I prefer to have the odd puncture now and then than to ride on these!