RIDING THE SEKINE SHC 271

Simply put, I never did ride the Sekine SHC 271.  I only prepared the bicycle and most of the components for River, put everything in a box and shipped the whole works off to New York.  However, the project captured my fancy and I decided to build up a similar Sekine, this time a SHC 270 model, into a Single Speed for myself.

And my Single Speed was a true pleasure to ride.  Proving, once again, that a vintage road bicycle does not have to be top of the line, super rare or anything special to offer a wonderful ride.  And my Sekine Single Speed does just that - in California.

Before I put my Sekine Single Speed up for sale, I spent a bit of time riding it.  Though it was early Spring and pretty cold in Thunder Bay, I did want to experience what such a one gear mount had to offer.  And I was impressed.

The joy of a Single Speed bicycle is simplicity.  It goes, handles and stops!  There is nothing to detract from the focus of negotiating traffic in city riding.  The bicycle feels light and unusually responsive.  It is clean and uncluttered in appearance.  I can certainly understand why such bicycles are gaining interest in the world of vintage road bicycles.  I recently picked up yet another vintage Canadian made road bicycle that I have decided to add to my ever growing (out of control) collection.  The bicycle, a 1981 Peugeot Trophy is a perfect candidate for a Single Speed conversion.  And that is how I intend to build it up, when I get the time to do so.  You might want to have a go at building one of these incredibly practical bicycles for yourself.  It is really not all that difficult to do.