Post by Mike B on Mar 16, 2009 2:50:34 GMT -4
Biking is a gas for Baggerly
By Laura Lane 331-4362 | lane@heraldt.com
March 14, 2009
I don’t know what kind of car Bloomington attorney Stu Baggerly drives, but I can tell you all about his vintage Schwinn Typhoon.
The 1960s-era bicycle, red on red, belonged to his Uncle Don. He had purchased the Schwinn to ride around in an attempt to lose weight. “He gave up on that pretty quick,” Baggerly said.
And the bike ended up stored in Uncle Don’s garage, first in Highland and finally, in Trafalgar.
That’s where his family found it when he died years ago after visiting his grandchildren’s prize-wining hogs at the Indiana State Fair.
Baggerly was surprised to learn that no survivors wanted to claim the bicycle. “None of his kids or grand kids wanted it and my aunt was going to get rid of it,” Baggerly said. “I thought it was a funky old bike and brought it to Bloomington about 10 years ago.”
But like Uncle Don, he didn’t ride it much. It sat in his garage, too, except for occasional jaunts to and from Indiana University football tailgate parties, where revelers would cruise around on the bike visiting other parties. (Stu: Is it a crime to bicycle under the influence?)
Stu Baggerly converted his 1960s Schwinn Typhoon to gas power for $150. Courtesy photo
More recently, thinking about saving gas money and also being kinder to the planet, Baggerly invested $150 in an EPA-certified 50cc engine and a one-liter gas tank to convert the pedal-powered bike into a gasoline-powered one. “I figured, ‘What the hey?’ and ordered one,” he said. “It showed up a few days later.”
The shipping was free.
He printed out the return form, just in case. “For $150, how good could it be?”
But the motor was sturdy, well-built and easy to install. The conversion kit he ordered from Zone 8 Cycling had everything he needed. He removed the parts from the box, got out his tools and a few hours later, voila; Baggerly had transformed Uncle Don’s exercise bike into a gas-powered machine. “There were even some parts left over when I was finished,” he said, confident he had not left off any vital components.
“It turned out really cool,” he said proudly. “It looks like some kind of World War I scout bike or something. It’s fun to ride.”
He claims to get more than 100 miles to a gallon of gas/oil mix. He is still on his first tank. “It meets California emission standards, so there’s no trail of smoke following you down the road or anything.”
The public defender has seen another motorized bicycle in town, actually passed it going down the road, but said it was manufactured that way, not retrofitted like his.
Baggerly can get the bike up to about 25 mph; Uncle Don had installed a speedometer on the bike years ago.
He explained how he engages the engine and transitions from pedal to gas power, likening the process to starting up an old Volkswagen he once owned.
“You sort of shove off and go about 10 feet, and pull the fuel valve and it just starts up, takes over. It’s just like coasting down a hill on a regular bicycle. You just leave your feet resting on the pedals.”
The lightweight motor, gas tank and muffler are streamlined and attached to the bike frame. He is waiting until payday to buy some saddlebag baskets to attach to the back for hauling items such as dog food, court files, maybe a briefcase. “I’m looking for a retro chrome light,” he said, for nighttime travel.
The Schwinn wasn’t the only item Baggerly inherited from his uncle. There were a few other heirlooms no one else wanted: a .22-caliber rifle he bought for $14 during World War II, a 15-horsepower Evinrude boat motor and a 60-pound brass locomotive bell.
But it was the bike that has become his prized possession. “Uncle Don was a gadget guy, so I think he would have liked this,” Baggerly said. “I sent a picture of it to my aunt and she was all choked up.”
Got a story to tell about a car or truck — or, given this week’s column, some other kind of vehicle? Call 812-331-4362, send an e-mail to lane@heraldt.com or a letter to My Favorite Ride, P.O. Box 909, Bloomington, IN 47402.
By Laura Lane 331-4362 | lane@heraldt.com
March 14, 2009
I don’t know what kind of car Bloomington attorney Stu Baggerly drives, but I can tell you all about his vintage Schwinn Typhoon.
The 1960s-era bicycle, red on red, belonged to his Uncle Don. He had purchased the Schwinn to ride around in an attempt to lose weight. “He gave up on that pretty quick,” Baggerly said.
And the bike ended up stored in Uncle Don’s garage, first in Highland and finally, in Trafalgar.
That’s where his family found it when he died years ago after visiting his grandchildren’s prize-wining hogs at the Indiana State Fair.
Baggerly was surprised to learn that no survivors wanted to claim the bicycle. “None of his kids or grand kids wanted it and my aunt was going to get rid of it,” Baggerly said. “I thought it was a funky old bike and brought it to Bloomington about 10 years ago.”
But like Uncle Don, he didn’t ride it much. It sat in his garage, too, except for occasional jaunts to and from Indiana University football tailgate parties, where revelers would cruise around on the bike visiting other parties. (Stu: Is it a crime to bicycle under the influence?)
Stu Baggerly converted his 1960s Schwinn Typhoon to gas power for $150. Courtesy photo
More recently, thinking about saving gas money and also being kinder to the planet, Baggerly invested $150 in an EPA-certified 50cc engine and a one-liter gas tank to convert the pedal-powered bike into a gasoline-powered one. “I figured, ‘What the hey?’ and ordered one,” he said. “It showed up a few days later.”
The shipping was free.
He printed out the return form, just in case. “For $150, how good could it be?”
But the motor was sturdy, well-built and easy to install. The conversion kit he ordered from Zone 8 Cycling had everything he needed. He removed the parts from the box, got out his tools and a few hours later, voila; Baggerly had transformed Uncle Don’s exercise bike into a gas-powered machine. “There were even some parts left over when I was finished,” he said, confident he had not left off any vital components.
“It turned out really cool,” he said proudly. “It looks like some kind of World War I scout bike or something. It’s fun to ride.”
He claims to get more than 100 miles to a gallon of gas/oil mix. He is still on his first tank. “It meets California emission standards, so there’s no trail of smoke following you down the road or anything.”
The public defender has seen another motorized bicycle in town, actually passed it going down the road, but said it was manufactured that way, not retrofitted like his.
Baggerly can get the bike up to about 25 mph; Uncle Don had installed a speedometer on the bike years ago.
He explained how he engages the engine and transitions from pedal to gas power, likening the process to starting up an old Volkswagen he once owned.
“You sort of shove off and go about 10 feet, and pull the fuel valve and it just starts up, takes over. It’s just like coasting down a hill on a regular bicycle. You just leave your feet resting on the pedals.”
The lightweight motor, gas tank and muffler are streamlined and attached to the bike frame. He is waiting until payday to buy some saddlebag baskets to attach to the back for hauling items such as dog food, court files, maybe a briefcase. “I’m looking for a retro chrome light,” he said, for nighttime travel.
The Schwinn wasn’t the only item Baggerly inherited from his uncle. There were a few other heirlooms no one else wanted: a .22-caliber rifle he bought for $14 during World War II, a 15-horsepower Evinrude boat motor and a 60-pound brass locomotive bell.
But it was the bike that has become his prized possession. “Uncle Don was a gadget guy, so I think he would have liked this,” Baggerly said. “I sent a picture of it to my aunt and she was all choked up.”
Got a story to tell about a car or truck — or, given this week’s column, some other kind of vehicle? Call 812-331-4362, send an e-mail to lane@heraldt.com or a letter to My Favorite Ride, P.O. Box 909, Bloomington, IN 47402.