Is it me?

[GrumpyGit]

As mentioned elsewhere I've recently taken delivery of a Gazelle Toer Populair.



It's an absolutely majestic beast, once it's rolling you make stately progress and the riding position is especially relaxed which is very beneficial if you're a decrepit old fossil with a bad back like mine.

One thing I have found though is that low speed maneuvering is more difficult than my other bikes, could this be because the machine weighs nearly as much as a small planet or have I just grown lazy by riding aluminium bikes with relatively sporty frame geometry.

As an aside I am amused by the irony (considering the events of 5th September 1944 and Dutch football fans wearing "I want my bike back" T-shirts to a game in Germany) That my iconic Dutch bike is protected by German made locks!

[rmurphy195]

I'm sure I learnt to ride on one of these in the 50's These days I'm not sure how many bike shops know how to service those brakes though!

[Tiberius]

These days I'm not sure how many bike shops know how to service those brakes though!

I'm GUESSING that, your fingers pull this...that pulls that....that in turn pulls that....and then that pushes that.....They look like the sort of brakes that were fitted to mopeds 400 years ago....and I'm also GUESSING that NASA will not be required to fix 'em.....

.....if your LBS can't work them out then I hope they are turned into a quid shop.....

OP....That is one great bike. I love it on every level....Enjoy Sir......

[hercule]

The brakes are probably fine - I have drums on my recumbent trike, although there are probably being in 20" wheels. I'm curious about the rod linkages though - is that for verisimilitude, or is there any benefit in having solid connectors? I would have thought that the various pivots and linkages must all be points for wear and the development of play.

Very impressive machine though! Maybe the difficulty in low speed steering relates to the trail of the front forks? Dutch bikes typically have very laid back head angles with lots of rake in the forks. I suspect you just need to adjust to a different feedback from the bike.

[GrumpyGit]

I'm sure I learnt to ride on one of these in the 50's These days I'm not sure how many bike shops know how to service those brakes though!

It was probably a Raleigh Superbe back then, I had one years ago, it was the memory of that which led to my latest aquisition

According to the manual the Shimano roller brakes need a squirt of grease every two years!

[GrumpyGit]

The brakes are probably fine - I have drums on my recumbent trike, although there are probably being in 20" wheels. I'm curious about the rod linkages though - is that for verisimilitude, or is there any benefit in having solid connectors? I would have thought that the various pivots and linkages must all be points for wear and the development of play.

Very impressive machine though! Maybe the difficulty in low speed steering relates to the trail of the front forks? Dutch bikes typically have very laid back head angles with lots of rake in the forks. I suspect you just need to adjust to a different feedback from the bike.

I suspect you are right about the fork trail and it's effect on the handling, this beast was built for laid-back cruising, not negotiating slaloms.

The photo is of an earlier model, my roller brakes are operated by a fairly standard cable.

[Trail Beater]

The only irony I see is it's name.
Gazelle ?
Really ?

[GrumpyGit]

The only irony I see is it's name.
Gazelle ?
Really ?

The historical roots of the company name come from the Raleigh Gazelle from the early 20th century.http://raleighbikedealer.com/1930s-raleigh-bikes/ The modern Gazelle Bicycle Company was originally a subsidiary of Raleigh which imported their bicycles into The Netherlands and to Dutch colonies.

As to the irony of the locks, during WW2 German soldiers stole many bicycles from the Dutch people. Hence the football suporters chant 'Ik wil mijn fiets terug'. which means 'I want my bike back'.

[pwa]

I've not built up any enthusiasm for buying a bike like that, but if I already had one in the garage I would keep it and use it. It looks good and so long as you don't live in a very hilly place it seems like a very civilised way of getting around. A couple of years ago there was a bloke doing lengthy Audax rides on a Pashley that looked a bit like that. On the flat and on gentle climbs he could keep it going surprisingly quickly.

[Trail Beater]

The only irony I see is it's name.
Gazelle ?
Really ?

The historical roots of the company name come from the Raleigh Gazelle from the early 20th century.http://raleighbikedealer.com/1930s-raleigh-bikes/ The modern Gazelle Bicycle Company was originally a subsidiary of Raleigh which imported their bicycles into The Netherlands and to Dutch colonies.

As to the irony of the locks, during WW2 German soldiers stole many bicycles from the Dutch people. Hence the football suporters chant 'Ik wil mijn fiets terug'. which means 'I want my bike back'.

I'm just kidding you my friend .
Looks a nice solid piece of kit.
If the Dutch had bikes like that back then,I would be chanting Ik wil mijn fiets terug as well

[Brucey]

I'm sure I learnt to ride on one of these in the 50's These days I'm not sure how many bike shops know how to service those brakes though!

According to the manual the Shimano roller brakes need a squirt of grease every two years!

eh? if as pictured you have SA hub brakes (usually with 'Gazelle' branding), bone dry inside.... don't grease those!

FWIW the rod linkages do tend to wear and they characteristically 'bleed rusty stains' if they are allowed to run dry and then used in the weather. A highly unusual feature often found on such bikes is that one of the brake levers works one brake, but the other brake lever can work both brakes at the same time. To get this to work right takes some careful adjustment. If the linkages are allowed to run slack they rattle over every bump and can wear even faster than normal.

I have a Gazelle 'Impala' model which uses the same hubs (90mm drums, 3speed rear) but cable-operated, with the same stainless steel rims, DT stainless steel spokes, but SRAM rotary shifter for the gears, a more robust (ABS) chaincase, and a fair selection of stainless steel parts (bars, stem, seat post, many fastenings). It is a (slightly!) lighter bike that is less liable to rattle. Quite pleasant to ride, once you get over the weight of the thing.

cheers

[rmurphy195]

The brakes are probably fine - I have drums on my recumbent trike, although there are probably being in 20" wheels. I'm curious about the rod linkages though - is that for verisimilitude, or is there any benefit in having solid connectors? I would have thought that the various pivots and linkages must all be points for wear and the development of play.

Very impressive machine though! Maybe the difficulty in low speed steering relates to the trail of the front forks? Dutch bikes typically have very laid back head angles with lots of rake in the forks. I suspect you just need to adjust to a different feedback from the bike.

Oops - on closer look I can see they are drums,not the old-fashioned rod operated rim brakes

[GrumpyGit]

I'm sure I learnt to ride on one of these in the 50's These days I'm not sure how many bike shops know how to service those brakes though!

According to the manual the Shimano roller brakes need a squirt of grease every two years!

eh? if as pictured you have SA hub brakes (usually with 'Gazelle' branding), bone dry inside.... don't grease those!

FWIW the rod linkages do tend to wear and they characteristically 'bleed rusty stains' if they are allowed to run dry and then used in the weather. A highly unusual feature often found on such bikes is that one of the brake levers works one brake, but the other brake lever can work both brakes at the same time. To get this to work right takes some careful adjustment. If the linkages are allowed to run slack they rattle over every bump and can wear even faster than normal.

I have a Gazelle 'Impala' model which uses the same hubs (90mm drums, 3speed rear) but cable-operated, with the same stainless steel rims, DT stainless steel spokes, but SRAM rotary shifter for the gears, a more robust (ABS) chaincase, and a fair selection of stainless steel parts (bars, stem, seat post, many fastenings). It is a (slightly!) lighter bike that is less liable to rattle. Quite pleasant to ride, once you get over the weight of the thing.

cheers

OK, I've changed the photo for a more accurate one

The brakes are definitely cable operated Shimano roller brakes, and very effective they are too!

[kylecycler]

It's a beauty - very elegant - I like these old Dutch-style bikes, although I've never ridden one.

It's not you, though - as hercule pointed out, the frame has very slack angles, maybe around 65 degrees, and even with a lot of rake on the fork the trail will still be high so you'll get wheel flop, especially at low speeds. Actually I think the head angle makes more of a difference than trail in that respect. Still, I'm sure you'll get used to it - millions of Dutch cyclists can't be wrong!

I'd never heard of the Dutch football chant, but I found a link that tells the full story - it was serious...
https://plus.google.com/102845813365307 ... KKq1FWv1a8
Evidently in 1942 the Germans requisitioned or confiscated most Dutch bicycles as a way of demobilising and subjugating the population, so I get the irony about the German locks. I don't think many of us would ever forgive anyone who took our bikes away.

Incidentally, I was looking for panniers last week and found these on Amazon. They're called 'modern' but have a slightly old-fashioned look about them - classic and understated - they get excellent reviews and seem to be a quality product. I figure they would look splendid on your Gazelle!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beluko-Modern- ... op?ie=UTF8

[Trail Beater]

It's a beauty - very elegant - I like these old Dutch-style bikes, although I've never ridden one.

It's not you, though - as hercule pointed out, the frame has very slack angles, maybe around 65 degrees, and even with a lot of rake on the fork the trail will still be high so you'll get wheel flop, especially at low speeds. Actually I think the head angle makes more of a difference than trail in that respect. Still, I'm sure you'll get used to it - millions of Dutch cyclists can't be wrong!

I'd never heard of the Dutch football chant, but I found a link that tells the full story - it was serious...
https://plus.google.com/102845813365307 ... KKq1FWv1a8
Evidently in 1942 the Germans requisitioned or confiscated most Dutch bicycles as a way of demobilising and subjugating the population, so I get the irony about the German locks. I don't think many of us would ever forgive anyone who took our bikes away.

Incidentally, I was looking for panniers last week and found these on Amazon. They're called 'modern' but have a slightly old-fashioned look about them - classic and understated - they get excellent reviews and seem to be a quality product. I figure they would look splendid on your Gazelle!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beluko-Modern- ... op?ie=UTF8

Those are very smart.
Amazon are not renowned for being competitive pricewise,but 17 sheets aint bad for them