Wheels on the way (Comments: 0)

I’m now securely in “Old Guy” mode, ready to brag about the longevity of my beautiful old steed, the Miyata 618 tourer, circa 1988. Roger Levy at Freewheelers is getting hold of some fine replacement wheels that soon will grace the Miyata – and get me ready for a planned tour through NE Pennsylvania and Downstate NY (i.e. big hill country). The wheels now on the bike are 20 and 23 years old, respectively, and they’ve experienced too many ruts, potholes and cobblestones to recall, and without a broken spoke or rim, but not without a repairable dent or two. Still, I don’t feel confident enough that they’d hold up for another long, remote ride, so I’m shelling out for some nice lighter-weight newbies: 36-hole Alex rims with Quando hubs, etc. But actually, though all wheels are mortal, 20 years is only early middle age for a decent bike. It’s easy to forget, especially as one is bombarded with ads for the latest and greatest techno development (or more often, marketing ploy), just how good the touring bikes of the 1980s were – and remain. I’ve test-ridden some really fancy uprights and recumbents of recent vintage, but none is more pleasant and efficient than the ole 618, all things considered (especially real-world pavement conditions). It pays to stick with a good thing. But hey, if anybody wants to donate a Surly or Cannondale or Trek or Fuji or Rivendell tourer, etc., to yours truly, I won’t bar the door. One can’t have too many examples of this design, probably the best all-round bike configuration of our era.

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