"As found", the Proctor needed nothing other than a bit of lubrication, coupled with pressurizing the tires.  The bicycle was in perfect working order, pretty clean and the saddle position was so close to meeting my fit, that I did nothing to alter it.

When my wife and I returned to my mother's house, Mom was sleeping and I decided to have a much closer look at the Proctor.  Having no work stand at my mother's place in Calgary, I opted to hang the bike from a rafter in the garage, and implement any repairs there.

As mentioned, the bike was in perfect working order.  And why not?  After all, it was ridden and cared for by its previous owner, right up until the day he put it away.  And that day, as nearly as I can recall, was about a week previous.

I did, however, take the time to tweak this and that, accomplishing absolutely nothing but at least making myself feel a bit better by doing so.  I did learn that to not carefully inspect and prepare a newly found bicycle can be a mistake.  My early eighties Olmo Grand Prix taught me that one!

But, the bike checked out.  I installed the brand new set of clip-in pedals that the seller had included, along with the mentioned assortment of vintage road bicycle parts, and adjusted release tension to my liking.  Then I set out to test ride the Calgary found Proctor.

Test riding, a newly acquired used bicycle, can be dangerous, if you have not carefully ensured that it is safe to ride.  A too loose rear wheel skewer, will dump a rider quicker that you can think about it.  Not so fond memories of the Olmo tend to return with each new bicycle found.  Anyway...

I donned my riding shoes, let my wife know what I was up to and took off.  My intention was a slow cruise around the neighbourhood, and then back to Mom's.  As is often the case with test riding, it took longer to get around the neighbourhood than I expected it to, however;  I never allowed myself to get too far from home base.  A failed, this or that, would signal the need to walk and I am never filled with confidence, when test riding a vintage bicycle is the task at hand.  However...

The Proctor rode just great and I was thrilled that I was lucky enough to have found it.  I began, as is usually the case, to entertain thoughts of adding it to my collection of vintage bicycles.  However, I already had a Proctor and a Proctor-Townsend.

How could one possible justify keeping yet a third Proctor, no matter how nice it might be.  And with that in mind, I put the Proctor up for auction on Ebay.  Needless to say, this beautiful old bicycle sold and for a very decent dollar.

A week, or two, after the bicycle had been sold and shipped, the buyer sent me an email.  In it, he almost scolded me for under describing the bicycle.  Apparently, he though the Proctor was much nicer that I had said it was.  Good for him and I am so pleased that he is happy with the bicycle.  Perhaps I will run across another, one day.