New Parts (or thanks, Mom and Dad!)

We have a running joke in our home that every time my parents give A a present it ends up costing us money--it isn't Grammy and Grampy's fault at all, if anything they're just too good at picking things A likes.

When she was little, they gave her a 6-week dance class--turns out she loved it and we ended up sending her to dance class for several more years.  Later she had swim lessons--yep, loved it, and so on, and so on.

So, when we were checking out the bike and the tires were flat enough to be falling off the wheels, Grammy and Grampy offered to get those wheels fixed (a little preemptive action on their part).

But, once I'd pushed them back on the rims and filled them with air, they looked to me like they might do ok for a while. 

But then I read Lovely Bicycle! Blog's review of her 3-speed Raleigh Sports and (in addition to feeling considerable envy) I also read this:

As a rule, you should always get new tires after purchasing a vintage bike with original tires....The reason for this, is that vintage tires have a tendency to explode after their second decade of life, even if they appear "fine". You don't want this to happen while you are cycling in traffic.

And, as much as I don't want this to happen when I'm cycling in traffic, I absolutely and totally don't what it to happen to A when she's cycling in traffic.

Ok, new tires it is.

Thanks, Mom and Dad! (and I bought some new tubes, too, since the rear one is leaky and it only made sense to me to take care of the other 38 year old tube while I already had the wheel and tire off).

And, since the break pad felt like stale bread and, even with pressure, slid across Formica like it was made of Teflon, Mom and Dad were kind enough to spring for 2 sets of those, too (one might almost get to think they like that girl):

Now to get the rest of the bike to a place where it's time to put all of this stuff on and go for a ride...but now, back to scrubbing chrome with wads of vinegar dipped foil.