To all my cotters: have a happy, fun filled and safe Holiday season. Best wishes from the OTSG.

Found on Flickr

As most OTSG regulars (or as I prefer, “cotters”) know, the OTSG has had a rough couple months.  Nothing serious really, just a lot of downtime due to some memory usage spikes on our server that were knocking out the site for hours on end.  These spikes turned out to be our old friend “GoogleBot” trying to access some pages and then getting caught in an infinite  loop.  At any rate, this little headache caused several days of downtime. Working on the issue when time allowed, I wrote a holding page and photochopped a sweet little stick drawing of a proper OTS with all the bells and whistles.  That is when I was approached (via email) by submitter, commenter and all around swell guy, Kevin J.  Kevin told me he’d like my permission to use my little doodle to make an OTSG T-Shirt.  In exchange, I would get a sweet new T and the warm feeling of appreciation.

I’ve been meaning to write a Thank You post for quite some time, but due to wide assortment of circumstances I hadn’t gotten around to it.  But what better time than now, in this season of giving, to thank Kevin for his creative prowess and kindhearted generosity.

So, Thanks a mil’ Kevin! I love the shirt,  fits like a glove and the mugs have been promoted to my new favorite Saturday Morning Mugs.

When Kevin wasn’t busy layin’ down screens and being all creative-like, he’s hard at another OTS rescue mission. This is his latest benefactor. Officially, this IS the first Soma, but because of the thank you post above, I held it’s publication until I had a chance to do both. This Soma Cosmopolitan is also the bike gracing the mug on the right (as it should be fairly obvious it’s not the one on the left).

Here is an OFSB (old fifteen speed bike) for you consideration. I don’t think you have had one before. It is a Soma Cosmopolitan. I think it may be a first.
I found this at the local rescue mission for $10.00 several years back. I had forgotten all about it. I was rummaging in the basement for some parts when I came across it again. I have decided it will be perfect to keep at my office to go to lunch or run errands. It should clean up nicely.
Kevin J.
Scio, OH

UPDATE

Here is an update on the Soma Cosmopolitan (1979?) that I sent you photos of before. At the time, I was sure it was a fifteen speed, but after some disassembly exposed the creative embellishments of a previous owner, it turned out to be an old ten-speed. I guess my powers of observation are waning in my old age!

I needed a bike to keep in the office, something low budget and handy for urban use. This Soma fit the bill. I disassembled it completely and then cleaned it up piece by piece. The parts were original. The drive train is Shimano Altus with a Sugino cranks. Stopping is provided by Dia-compe, complete with anti-hipster suicide brake levers. I added the fenders and a first for me, a kickstand.

If there’s space, here’s a report of its maiden ride!

After finishing it I thought I would take it to our local bike trail for a test flight. I have heard it said that a good bike mechanic can assemble a high-end bike and get a great ride, but the great mechanic can re-work a cheap, beater bike so that it rides like a dream. Based on past experience, I was fully convinced that I was destined to experience a dream ride, so I explained this wisdom extensively to my wife. Being blissfully ignorant of all things bikey, she could do nothing but agree. I ignored the vague memories of someone’s Mother saying something about pride, and headed out for the trail.

All bragging aside, the maiden voyage for this bike was similar to that infamous one in April. 1912, except the iceberg struck right at the start. Beginning with the first pedal stroke, the seat starting sinking, slowly at first, seeming just a little bit off, but then the descent became more rapid as I picked up speed. Before I could say, ”lifeboat” I had a BOS, which should have enabled my six-foot frame to blend in nicely with the others on the trail, but for the unexpected wobbling of the bottom bracket. Suddenly, what had seemed perfection on the work stand became a bona fide disaster.

By this time my wife, with a cheerful, “everything OK, honey?” outpaced me. At that point I discovered that the phone call taken during the front derailleur assembly had an unforeseen consequence. The resulting instability, when added to the wobbling bottom bracket made me sound like an over-stimulated alarm system shrieking down the trail. But my wife was too far ahead to hear.

Three miles later I finally caught up to her. It would be the day she set a personal record. Innocent with surprise she asked, “Is something wrong with your bike?” As I tried to explain while maintaining control of my rapidly deteriorating system, my shoes would not release from the pedal, I lost my balance and not so gracefully kissed the concrete in front of my wife. I’m not sure if she fell for the part about practicing a new, more efficient dismount, but I’m sure her concern was real.

So if you see a few scratches on the paint, you’ll know they were earned honestly! I’ll have all the bugs worked out next time…
Kevin J
Scio, Ohio

Thanks and Thanks Kevin

I’m pleased to present our final (albeit belated) installment of the inaugural Cottered Crank Week. This OTSG First is a Soma Generation sent in by Art F in MD.

Hi Cameron ,
Art F here . Looks like you don’t have any pictures of a Soma 10 speed yet . I think this one was probably made in the 70s based on the cottered crank . I found it with a free sign a few blocks from my house when it didn’t sell at a yuard sale . silly people – don’t they realize that a bike with rusty wheels, frozen cables , dry rotted tires , peeling seat and rusty handlebars is a jewel in the rough. So I brought it home , gave it some wheels from the wheel pile , put on new tires and spray painted the crankset pie plate . My wife kept asking if the frame was rusted . “No, It’s a 2 tone paint job (gray and orange) origonal from the factory that just looks like rust” . I think it is about as good as a Schwinn Varsity from that era and probably weighs a few pounds less since it had a lugged frame. I sold it on craigslist DC for $125 but the guy who was planning to use it for 3 months found out it didn’t make sense riding 4 blocks to the train station so asked if he could sell it back after 1 month . I charged him $15 for the months use , replaced the seat and it’s going back on sale again.

Thanks again Art

Jeff V is no newcomer to the OTSG, but his latest offering certainly is.  This OTSG First is a German made Diskus Prolog. This bike is an interesting mix of contradictions. First the name, Prolog, seems like it would be a more “race inspired” model. Then the touring bars with downtube shifters. Then the front fender is chrome  and the rear is aluminum. Then the cottered crank with 700c wheels. Then the gorgeous sleek chrome fork and the ridiculously plush springer saddle.  All this makes for one sweet ride.

I think this may be an OTS first. It is a DISKUS Prolog 10 speed. I am the 2nd owner, This bike was purchased in Frankfurt, Germany in 1983 and brought to the US.. It has 700 rims (yes, I know, but being an imported foreigner, I hope OTS can look past this), and I’ve added wide 38C cream sidewall tires.

It has a wheel operated generator headlight and taillight. The front fork is brilliant chrome, as is the front fender, but the rear fender is aluminum. That’s how it came from the bike shop the original owner claims. Even the front and rear rims differ, with the front one having the spoke nipples recessed in the rim.

The spring suspension seat is very comfortable, as are the textured hand grips. The frame has welded on tabs for a pump along the top tube, and there is a bracket welded on the left side seat stay with words indicating it is a bracket for a lock. . The headbadge even displays a figure of a discus thrower (German spelling is Diskus). Note the “double duty” bolt for the handlebar which is used to clasp the handlebar from moving up and down. No, this is not up to Schwinn quality, but it’s not quite down to Huffy standards either. Jeff V

Thanks again Jeff

Another Cottered Queen comes our way today, this Concord Gran Fury is  courtesy of Bricknd the Amazing Shrinking Man in Ohio.

Make: Concord
Model: Gran Fury
Year: Maybe 80’s something? Maybe older?
Manufactured: Made In Japan
Color: Rusty/Orange color
Rims: 27” Araya Aluminum
Tires: 27 x 1 ¼ Bell (Not original)
Front Derailleur: Thunder Bird II (Shimano)
Rear Derailleur: Eagle II (Shimano)
Crank set: rusty 3 piece
Brakes: Center pull Tourney (Shimano)
Frame markings on the bottom of the crank area: S7 7 578

This OTS has spent most of its time upside down hanging from garage rafters. I bought this OTS back in ’94 from a friend of the family (The bike was at that time at lease 10 years old). The bike was then hanging from the garage rafters. The bike had been her daughter’s bike. The bike had been in a fender-bender in prior years, but I could see great potential. I had the rims trued and I bent back various other parts. I rode the bike for a while then hung it from my garage rafters shortly after with my other bikes. Through the years, I had been tempted to put this bike to the curb with others on several occasions so as it wouldn’t be such an eye sore in my garage.

This year, I needed to drop some weight (pushing 270). Not much scenery on an elliptical or treadmill, so I dropped down my OTS. I greased the bearings, took off the 27 x 1 1/8 tires and replaced them with 27 x 1 ¼, and was on my way. I lost 40+ pounds from Memorial Day to Labor Day riding 15 to 25 miles a day on this OTS. I also found my Schwinn Le Tour (Recently garbage picked, rebuilt, and submitted to OTS Gallery) while on my daily ride. Now this OTS is back hanging from my garage rafters once again while I continue my daily rides on the Le Tour. When snow starts to fall soon, I’ll drop another OTS down (Huffy with wider tires) to keep the great daily work-out rides going. Goal is 20+ more pounds to lose by spring…maybe then I’ll hang up the cargo shorts and get some of those biker outfits.

Thanks,
Bricknd
Haskins, Ohio.

Thanks Bricknd