I have to say I am impressed with the Mongoose. I still need to replace the FD, which appears to be a top pull (ignoring that bikepedia suggest otherwise) which I still need to replace. Hey, 7 gears is better than none. (Even if all 7 are lower than I am used to)
I moved the kickstand and rear rack from my road bike to the mongoose, and rode to Pizza Hut for lunch. (Lunch buffet, and I get my money's worth.) It wouldn't have been to bad calorie-wise if I got to ride around the bike path after, but as I was finishing my meal, I got a call to pick up my oldest from school.
Riding home, I was pushing speed on the bike as much as I had so far. It like to roll, and that is great, but then it began to shake about three blocks from Pizza Hut, and a good mile and a half away from home. I finally figured I would try something dumb, and reach back to the rack and pulled up on the bike lock. Fixed it. (Part of the lock had gotten into the rack far enough to rub the rear wheel.
Overall, a successful ride. Short term, I still need a water bottle cage on the bike. I have at least one spare one, but I am actually lacking the screws for it. The bike I scrapped during the build didn't even have the brazeons for a waterbottle, so that was no real help. They are cheap though, maybe next week I will hit a shop and get a few. Or just go to home depot and buy a few bags of them, it isn't like they are expensive.
I still miss the trigger shifters I had on the Schwinn, and I have seen reference that the Mongoose had them to begin with. I have seen some online for about $30, but that will have to wait until next year. That isn't really high on my list, as in it won't make the bike work when it wasn't before. (The FD is on the list, but not sure when I will get around to it.)
All things considered, I love the bike though. It feels nice and smooth, even though it doesn't have any suspension. It makes me miss my old Mongoose Transport, though that was a really heavy bike. Maybe next week I will see how it handles on the mountain bike trail in Troy. That should be fun. (Or cold. This is Ohio.)
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Saturday, October 18, 2014
How not to lock a bike
I don't know what the worst thing about the above picture is. I came out of the mall a few days ago and saw a Cannondale Quick CX (disc brakes, so not the cheapest model) with rack, bag, and smart phone holder, locked up. Or.. not.
Ok, sure, the letter locks are good for something. Maybe not locking up a $700 bike, but something I am sure. Perhaps to help keep your bike seat attached?
Beyond that, only the front of the bike had the flimsy looking chain lock on it. Since the front wheel is the easiest to remove for most thieves, and with a QR to boot, someone could just pop off the wheel, and put the frame into a truck. I mean, sure, the front wheel is locked to the rack, but the frame isn't. Oh, sorry, no, the chain only passes around the form arm, and the rack. It doesn't go though a single spoke or component. All a theif, or bored teenager, would have to do is open the QR, lift the frame up so the wheel comes out of the fork, watch as the chain falls to the ground, now only attached to the bike rack, and then put the wheel back on the fork. Not a single thing was secure on that bike. If I see the bike there again, I will see if I can find the owner and explain this to them, or at least leave a note in their bike bag.
Seriously, someone needs to teach that owner how to lock up a bike. Sure, a thief will steal a bike if they really want to no matter what precautions you take, but seriously, if your bike is expensive to the point where having it stolen would probably get reported to your homeowners/renters insurance, (depends on the deductible) then maybe you should at least try. Deter with a U-bolt, or a Kryptonite chain. Not a chain that doesn't look like a serious brand, and looks more like a toy than a tool.
(Note, I actually wrote this the same day, but set it to auto publish a few days later.)
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Test ride, working well
 |
| Leaning against the tree, because no kick stand. |
There were a few issues, minor mostly. I had to raise the seat up a few inches, and keeping my feet on the pedals correctly was a bit of a challenge. After a year of riding Fixed, not having toe cages or straps was a new challenge.
The other big issue, which got worse as I rode, was that the seat clamp was loose. Not the post, but the coupler for the seat to the seat post. This made for an interesting ride at points. There was a point where I found the seat to be the most comfortable seat I had ever ridden on. (Much to my surprise, since the seat wasn't always that nice on the road bike.) Sadly, as the clamp was loose, the seat would rotate up and down based on my weight distribution at that time. In effect, it would quickly go from super comfortable and worth the money I shouldn't have spent a few years ago to attempting a prostate exam. That was not fun. At all.
When the seat did behave though, the bike did quite well. Shifting could be a little nicer, but still very good. I expect that might be more the older free-wheel than anything. It cornered well, and with tires about twice as wide (I swear they look wider than that) it easily took any bumps I hit. (Unfortunately, those bumps messed with the seat position)
A more minor issue was that I felt like I was just wasting power. I needed a higher cadence than I am used to, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. In many ways, it is expected from a Mountain bike. Looking at the top gear ratio and tire diameter, and comparing it to my fixie, I am getting about 15% less distance per pedal rotation. Factor in the wider tires and increase drag they present... On the plus side, being used to moving the fixie from a stop meant that keeping the top gear (of 2-7) was still easier to start from than I am used to.
Even so, the ride wasn't that bad for speed considering the route I used, getting used to the bike, and the seat issue. Part of the power issue might just be from using straight platform pedals. I have spare toe cages that I might be able to adapt. I will also move the rack from the KHS, and I think the kick stand, next week.
I tightened the seat when I got home, but I won't be taking a second ride until probably Monday or Tuesday. With the Marathon coming this weekend, I won't be doing anything else major in the way of exercise for a while.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Day 7 - "Done"
The build in almost done. The FD is the wrong one, but that will be a cheap fix later. For now, the bike is ready to be ridden. I did spend a little more than I had hoped, but I will get my moneys worth from the bike, I have no doubts.
Tomorrow, I will give it a whirl. With the front dérailleur stuck on the middle gear, it won't be fast, but it should be fine. I don't know the tooth count yet, I haven't counted, but I expect it to be around a 32~34 ring, a bit slower than my Fixie's 44. I do still have access to all 7 gears on the free-wheel, so it will still perform.
I sat on the saddle today, balancing in the doorway to the living room. It is much easier to balance on 26x1.95 tires than it is to balance on 700x25 tires. The top tube is about an inch or two lower than the Royce Union bike I used to have, and the fit feels almost perfect. I will add climbing bars eventually. I swear it seems like the kind of thing I should already have laying around the house somewhere.
Still, everything left is largely fine tuning. I might wait a while to fix the FD, and I am happy with the outcome of my first self built bike.
Pics and such after the first ride.
Tomorrow, I will give it a whirl. With the front dérailleur stuck on the middle gear, it won't be fast, but it should be fine. I don't know the tooth count yet, I haven't counted, but I expect it to be around a 32~34 ring, a bit slower than my Fixie's 44. I do still have access to all 7 gears on the free-wheel, so it will still perform.
I sat on the saddle today, balancing in the doorway to the living room. It is much easier to balance on 26x1.95 tires than it is to balance on 700x25 tires. The top tube is about an inch or two lower than the Royce Union bike I used to have, and the fit feels almost perfect. I will add climbing bars eventually. I swear it seems like the kind of thing I should already have laying around the house somewhere.
Still, everything left is largely fine tuning. I might wait a while to fix the FD, and I am happy with the outcome of my first self built bike.
Pics and such after the first ride.
Souls?
I personally believe that bikes have souls. Not quite like a person, but a soul all the same. The soul of a bike rest in the frame, and remains there until the frame truly dies.
I think I first really saw this in an old Huffy Howler that I had back years ago, bought in '03 after my father died. The bike had a lot of issues, and would never cooperate with me. It left a foul taste in my mouth towards Huffy, though that is a bit unfair. Going from a $600 Mongoose from a bike shop to a $100 bike from K-mart is a rough thing.
My next bike was a Royce Union, R400 I think. I can't remember off hand the designation of the frame. I got this frame in 2006 I think, and I called the number on the frame for the maker, and got Airborne Cycles. (Odd note, I know the former owner of Airborne, which is now owned by Huffy.)
This bike was big, heavy, and strong. It had a front suspension on it, but the LBS didn't have the tools to adjust it. The problem for me was that the frame felt too tall for me. I pulled the kid's in the bike trailer with it for a while, and it also played a part in the great domino bike spree of 2011. (That year, I loaned it to my FIL, who realized the difference in a Next (Kent?) bike and a Bike Shop bike. He then went out and bought a Giant. My MIL was borrowing my wife's Murray that I had fixed up a bit, and it was great, but it spurred her into getting a Schwinn from Performance. My wife had ridden on my Schwinn once, and bought a Cannondale two days later. Somewhere in all this, I bought a new road bike.)
The RU bike was stoic and proud. That bike felt like it would take on any challenge, and I sold it for near what I paid for it a few years later. I hope the new owner appreciates it as much as I did.
After the RU, I bought a 2007 Schwinn Voyageur. It was a previous year model, from Smittys. (Aka, the bike shop I am banned from. One day, I plan to sit down with Chris, the one I don't like, and hash things out.) This bike was great, I completed a metric century on it, and it was the bike I used the first year I did the Tour de Donut. Right before the Donut, I had 700x25 tires put onto it, blue ones. It clashed a little with the frame, but I dubbed it "Smurf Killer", and rode it. I did have the tires sink into sand during the race once, at a rest stop. I found that amusing.
Smurf Killer was a good bike though, but it didn't have the heart to push speeds all that much. It was a hybrid, and a good bike, but as I progressed in cycling, it no longer met my needs. I sold it a few years ago, and it sold quickly. A family drove about an hour just to pick it up. Their daughter had the exact same model, but it had gotten stolen while she was in college. She loved her bike, and getting the same model/color/year was something the excited them. I do hope she enjoyed the upgraded trigger shifters. I think the bike would have liked the commuter life better than racing and touring.
Next I purchased a used (of course) 1974 Schwinn Varsity. One thing I noticed quickly was this bike demanded speed. It did slow at times, but in its heart, it wanted to race. Sadly, it was much too old, and heavy, to make to any races, but I did have it up to 28 MPH at one point. (I only got the Voyageur up to 32.5 MPH) The bike is old, and a lot of the components are stock. I actually went to ride it a few weeks ago, but I need to replace the front tube, which I don't have at the moment. Still, for an old, and probably bomb proof, bike, it can hold its own.
Shortly after getting the Varsity, I actually had the spare money to purchase the KHS. (2011, Flite 223) This bike it kind of solemn. Sometimes it wants to go, and it will keep going, but it has some quirks too. Somehow, this bike has no name. (Granted, the Varsity doesn't officially have a name either, but is usually referred to as a variety of green things.) It has done decently, for me, at some races, but it always feels like it needs tinkering with. It has been the most finicky bike I have ever owned. Is some ways, it is like a B-list actress that acts like an A-list Diva. Also, there is something weird about the chain stay, the wheels have had to have nuts added to prevent chain rub. Even a mech from Performance said something was weird with it, but he couldn't figure out what. This bike will likely leave my stable next year.
Glowie, my Purefix Fixie, likes to do whatever. It was tense for the first month, where it did try to kill me. (This is unfair, riding a fixie is not the same as a multi gear road bike. Cornering, in particular, was a skill I had to relearn.) After that, it became the primary bike for me to ride this year. I have more miles on it than I do my other bikes for this year so far, and I have used it for 4 time trials. I still use the KHS for tours, partly because anything over 20 miles is a bit rough for me still on a fixed gear. There was no way I would do the Double Donut on that bike. It is a nice, simple, and clean bike. I love that bike. I just need to check the tires, and out the door I go. Simple.
This leads me to the Mongoose. I haven't been able to ride it yet, obviously, but I felt it's soul when it was just a frame hanging on the wall. It wasn't dead, it was almost dormant, loosing hope. Building it, I feel it coming back to life. Even with some parts better and some worse than when it was stock, it wants to go. I envision this becoming my around town bike when I need to get things. The rack from the KHS will be moved to this bike once it is on the road. Upgrades will come to it, and I think that I will have this bike for a long time. Even if I get a full suspension mountain bike for racing, it won't take this bike's place.
The poor Next. It was suffering, it had seen rough times. The headset, BB, just not doing well. I felt bad stripping it, but I know that even the parts I don't use on the Mongoose will still go on to other bikes, and make life better for others. I do not pray often, but I did pray for the soul of the Next, that it may come back in the next life as something better, more proud. Maybe like a Kestrel, or a Harley.
I think that deep down, souls are the real difference between bikes. You can walk down the aisles of Wal-mart, or Target, and there are a lot of bikes screaming out in pain. Fancy paint covering a tortured soul. Some of them suffering, wishing to be better bikes. Some know that they will be bought, and abused, left to rust on some porch until they are thrown in the trash. (Bikes in bike shops rarely scream out like that, aside from 'trade ins' perhaps.)
And some bikes in the big box stores seem content. Some of them look like great bikes, and may serve well for a long time. Especially if they get rebuilt by someone with the time and money to do it right. Sadly, most of those people would just end up buying a bike from a bike shop in most cases.
There is something to be said for the bikes in the Co-op. Some of them are near the end, some of the ones that are donated are in such poor shape that there is nothing worth removing from them. Those will have their suffering end soon enough. Others, however, are mostly full of hope. Some may never work the way they did when new, but they all know that they will go to someone who needs them. Their primary existence is that they will make someone happy. They get fixed up, and serve a purpose. Sure, some may still end up getting rusted, but they still seem to enjoy their new lease on life.
The Mongoose had a disadvantage. It had hung on the wall for a few years, just a frameset. There are a few other framesets there, and they don't have as much hope. Few are going to pick out a frame set, and build it up. The Mongoose got lucky, and it knows it. I saw that the bike was from the Brunswick days, and that it was not the modern Discount Store line that you see now. Too many would have ignored it for that alone. It will be a great bike, and I can't wait to ride it.
I think I first really saw this in an old Huffy Howler that I had back years ago, bought in '03 after my father died. The bike had a lot of issues, and would never cooperate with me. It left a foul taste in my mouth towards Huffy, though that is a bit unfair. Going from a $600 Mongoose from a bike shop to a $100 bike from K-mart is a rough thing.
My next bike was a Royce Union, R400 I think. I can't remember off hand the designation of the frame. I got this frame in 2006 I think, and I called the number on the frame for the maker, and got Airborne Cycles. (Odd note, I know the former owner of Airborne, which is now owned by Huffy.)
This bike was big, heavy, and strong. It had a front suspension on it, but the LBS didn't have the tools to adjust it. The problem for me was that the frame felt too tall for me. I pulled the kid's in the bike trailer with it for a while, and it also played a part in the great domino bike spree of 2011. (That year, I loaned it to my FIL, who realized the difference in a Next (Kent?) bike and a Bike Shop bike. He then went out and bought a Giant. My MIL was borrowing my wife's Murray that I had fixed up a bit, and it was great, but it spurred her into getting a Schwinn from Performance. My wife had ridden on my Schwinn once, and bought a Cannondale two days later. Somewhere in all this, I bought a new road bike.)
The RU bike was stoic and proud. That bike felt like it would take on any challenge, and I sold it for near what I paid for it a few years later. I hope the new owner appreciates it as much as I did.
After the RU, I bought a 2007 Schwinn Voyageur. It was a previous year model, from Smittys. (Aka, the bike shop I am banned from. One day, I plan to sit down with Chris, the one I don't like, and hash things out.) This bike was great, I completed a metric century on it, and it was the bike I used the first year I did the Tour de Donut. Right before the Donut, I had 700x25 tires put onto it, blue ones. It clashed a little with the frame, but I dubbed it "Smurf Killer", and rode it. I did have the tires sink into sand during the race once, at a rest stop. I found that amusing.
Smurf Killer was a good bike though, but it didn't have the heart to push speeds all that much. It was a hybrid, and a good bike, but as I progressed in cycling, it no longer met my needs. I sold it a few years ago, and it sold quickly. A family drove about an hour just to pick it up. Their daughter had the exact same model, but it had gotten stolen while she was in college. She loved her bike, and getting the same model/color/year was something the excited them. I do hope she enjoyed the upgraded trigger shifters. I think the bike would have liked the commuter life better than racing and touring.
Next I purchased a used (of course) 1974 Schwinn Varsity. One thing I noticed quickly was this bike demanded speed. It did slow at times, but in its heart, it wanted to race. Sadly, it was much too old, and heavy, to make to any races, but I did have it up to 28 MPH at one point. (I only got the Voyageur up to 32.5 MPH) The bike is old, and a lot of the components are stock. I actually went to ride it a few weeks ago, but I need to replace the front tube, which I don't have at the moment. Still, for an old, and probably bomb proof, bike, it can hold its own.
Shortly after getting the Varsity, I actually had the spare money to purchase the KHS. (2011, Flite 223) This bike it kind of solemn. Sometimes it wants to go, and it will keep going, but it has some quirks too. Somehow, this bike has no name. (Granted, the Varsity doesn't officially have a name either, but is usually referred to as a variety of green things.) It has done decently, for me, at some races, but it always feels like it needs tinkering with. It has been the most finicky bike I have ever owned. Is some ways, it is like a B-list actress that acts like an A-list Diva. Also, there is something weird about the chain stay, the wheels have had to have nuts added to prevent chain rub. Even a mech from Performance said something was weird with it, but he couldn't figure out what. This bike will likely leave my stable next year.
Glowie, my Purefix Fixie, likes to do whatever. It was tense for the first month, where it did try to kill me. (This is unfair, riding a fixie is not the same as a multi gear road bike. Cornering, in particular, was a skill I had to relearn.) After that, it became the primary bike for me to ride this year. I have more miles on it than I do my other bikes for this year so far, and I have used it for 4 time trials. I still use the KHS for tours, partly because anything over 20 miles is a bit rough for me still on a fixed gear. There was no way I would do the Double Donut on that bike. It is a nice, simple, and clean bike. I love that bike. I just need to check the tires, and out the door I go. Simple.
This leads me to the Mongoose. I haven't been able to ride it yet, obviously, but I felt it's soul when it was just a frame hanging on the wall. It wasn't dead, it was almost dormant, loosing hope. Building it, I feel it coming back to life. Even with some parts better and some worse than when it was stock, it wants to go. I envision this becoming my around town bike when I need to get things. The rack from the KHS will be moved to this bike once it is on the road. Upgrades will come to it, and I think that I will have this bike for a long time. Even if I get a full suspension mountain bike for racing, it won't take this bike's place.
The poor Next. It was suffering, it had seen rough times. The headset, BB, just not doing well. I felt bad stripping it, but I know that even the parts I don't use on the Mongoose will still go on to other bikes, and make life better for others. I do not pray often, but I did pray for the soul of the Next, that it may come back in the next life as something better, more proud. Maybe like a Kestrel, or a Harley.
I think that deep down, souls are the real difference between bikes. You can walk down the aisles of Wal-mart, or Target, and there are a lot of bikes screaming out in pain. Fancy paint covering a tortured soul. Some of them suffering, wishing to be better bikes. Some know that they will be bought, and abused, left to rust on some porch until they are thrown in the trash. (Bikes in bike shops rarely scream out like that, aside from 'trade ins' perhaps.)
And some bikes in the big box stores seem content. Some of them look like great bikes, and may serve well for a long time. Especially if they get rebuilt by someone with the time and money to do it right. Sadly, most of those people would just end up buying a bike from a bike shop in most cases.
There is something to be said for the bikes in the Co-op. Some of them are near the end, some of the ones that are donated are in such poor shape that there is nothing worth removing from them. Those will have their suffering end soon enough. Others, however, are mostly full of hope. Some may never work the way they did when new, but they all know that they will go to someone who needs them. Their primary existence is that they will make someone happy. They get fixed up, and serve a purpose. Sure, some may still end up getting rusted, but they still seem to enjoy their new lease on life.
The Mongoose had a disadvantage. It had hung on the wall for a few years, just a frameset. There are a few other framesets there, and they don't have as much hope. Few are going to pick out a frame set, and build it up. The Mongoose got lucky, and it knows it. I saw that the bike was from the Brunswick days, and that it was not the modern Discount Store line that you see now. Too many would have ignored it for that alone. It will be a great bike, and I can't wait to ride it.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Day 5, 6. Almost complete
The Mongoose is now a bike. Lacking a few parts, but not many.
Monday I stuck the shifters and brakes on, which really didn't count for much.
Today, when I went to make my car payment, I stopped by Carty's and looked at parts. He had a 'nearly scrap' Next bike. $25 bucks, and I stripped it for what I could use. I got a FD that probably won't work, but it does have the right clamp size. The RD is the wrong type, though correct speed. I might be able to trade it at the Co-op though. I also got the triple crankset, aluminium pedals, seat post, etc. The handlebars were decent, but the screws were stripped, so the frame and fork went to the salvage yard. I got a buck sixty for that. That helped offset the cost for crank bolts, since the Next had a weird BB that used nuts. Neither the headset nor BB were worth removing, so I ignored them.
I also got 2 additional wheels, with air-holding tubes, and the rear was in better shape than the QR one I already had. The front wasn't as good, so I have a QR in front and bolt in the back. Still, spare wheels are good.
I am donating off the AL pedals, because I don't care for them. (Yes, I preferred the plastic ones I already had.) I am also donating the Next's seatpost and seat, as well as the brake levers. I am also donating the front grip shifter. The rear was destroyed and not worth repairing, if that was even an option.
I did get the front brake working, with a little helpful advice from the LBS. I never thought about using the QR to adjust the way the wheel was centred, unscrew one side a few rotations, and then tighten the other side. Simple, yet not obvious to me. The rear brake will be easy, but I need shifter housing to use it, same for the FD.
This leaves the bike at a point where I need a direct mount RD, chain, and housing. Really, it is almost done. If I can get the RD from the Co-op, I might be able to ride the bike next week.
Monday I stuck the shifters and brakes on, which really didn't count for much.
Today, when I went to make my car payment, I stopped by Carty's and looked at parts. He had a 'nearly scrap' Next bike. $25 bucks, and I stripped it for what I could use. I got a FD that probably won't work, but it does have the right clamp size. The RD is the wrong type, though correct speed. I might be able to trade it at the Co-op though. I also got the triple crankset, aluminium pedals, seat post, etc. The handlebars were decent, but the screws were stripped, so the frame and fork went to the salvage yard. I got a buck sixty for that. That helped offset the cost for crank bolts, since the Next had a weird BB that used nuts. Neither the headset nor BB were worth removing, so I ignored them.
I also got 2 additional wheels, with air-holding tubes, and the rear was in better shape than the QR one I already had. The front wasn't as good, so I have a QR in front and bolt in the back. Still, spare wheels are good.
I am donating off the AL pedals, because I don't care for them. (Yes, I preferred the plastic ones I already had.) I am also donating the Next's seatpost and seat, as well as the brake levers. I am also donating the front grip shifter. The rear was destroyed and not worth repairing, if that was even an option.
I did get the front brake working, with a little helpful advice from the LBS. I never thought about using the QR to adjust the way the wheel was centred, unscrew one side a few rotations, and then tighten the other side. Simple, yet not obvious to me. The rear brake will be easy, but I need shifter housing to use it, same for the FD.
This leaves the bike at a point where I need a direct mount RD, chain, and housing. Really, it is almost done. If I can get the RD from the Co-op, I might be able to ride the bike next week.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Day 4, a leap forward
It looks like a bike!
I volunteered for 4 hours at the co-op today, and picked up a few more parts. For a whopping $15 bucks, I got a wheelset with 26/1.95 tires and a 7 speed freewheel. (I think it is a freewheel, I didn't care to check. It is a 7 speed. That is what matters.) The rear needs truing badly, but it should work for now. (Long run, maybe I will upgrade, but I don't see that being a short term thing. I like that they are QR wheels.)
I also got a handlebar, so that is on their now. I might still swap out the seatpost, it is a little high, but that is negligible. I hope to get the brakes, gripshifters, and grips on tomorrow, and then the cockpit will be done. (Sans cables)
This leaves the build almost done, with me still needing a triple crankset, chain, front and rear V-brakes (or linear pull), front and rear dérailleur, cables and housing, and a chain. I could probably use a kickstand too. I do have the waterbottle cages, but I am lacking the bolts for those, not that those are costly. I can take the one I have to Home Depot and get a few for under a buck.
I might just be able to have it done by the end of the month, though progress will take a backseat for a week or two. But today, it looks like a bike.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Day 3, some progress
I did make some progress today, and the bike is beginning to take shape. I went to the LBS (short hours due to be a Saturday during band season) and rummaged around in the back of the shop trying various seatpost and stems, finding ones that would fit.
I ended up needing a 26 mm seatpost, and I got a chrome (or was it cromaly?) seatpost, and the stem installed. There is a little gap at the top of the headset where I assume there used to be a gasket at one point. As long as I do well with maintenance, it shouldn't be a problem.
I have the stem and seatpost as low as I can, I will need wheels before I will be able to adjust the height. Next though, I need to find the brakes and a handlebar. The latter should be easy, ditto for the brakes.
I plan on doing 4 hours volunteering at the non-profit tomorrow, but with the Marathon next weekend, I will have to skip a week.
(In case you are wondering, yes, I put a seat on. I am not counting it for the moment, and plan on swapping it back out soon. I am planning on likely making this my day to day bike, and trading up my KHS. This saddle is the Selle Italia one that cost me well over $100 a few years ago when I had a little more money. I put the OEM back onto the KHS for now.) I might put the original Varsity saddle back and put the replacement onto this one. That may be a better overall match.
I did find a single spot where the headset binds. It just so happens to be in a spot where the wheel would have to be turned 180 degrees. As such, it shouldn't be an immediate problem.
I ended up needing a 26 mm seatpost, and I got a chrome (or was it cromaly?) seatpost, and the stem installed. There is a little gap at the top of the headset where I assume there used to be a gasket at one point. As long as I do well with maintenance, it shouldn't be a problem.
I have the stem and seatpost as low as I can, I will need wheels before I will be able to adjust the height. Next though, I need to find the brakes and a handlebar. The latter should be easy, ditto for the brakes.
I plan on doing 4 hours volunteering at the non-profit tomorrow, but with the Marathon next weekend, I will have to skip a week.
(In case you are wondering, yes, I put a seat on. I am not counting it for the moment, and plan on swapping it back out soon. I am planning on likely making this my day to day bike, and trading up my KHS. This saddle is the Selle Italia one that cost me well over $100 a few years ago when I had a little more money. I put the OEM back onto the KHS for now.) I might put the original Varsity saddle back and put the replacement onto this one. That may be a better overall match.
I did find a single spot where the headset binds. It just so happens to be in a spot where the wheel would have to be turned 180 degrees. As such, it shouldn't be an immediate problem.
Friday, October 10, 2014
Build part 2, no progress to report
I didn't really expect any major progress today to begin with, so there is that. I stopped by the LBS to look about a stem, but didn't end up getting one. (Decent prices, I might go back and get the stem after the Marathon next weekend.)
A strange thing to me is that the SRAM shifters that were on my Voyageur were paired with a Shimano free-wheel originally. On the plus, I at least know that getting a Shimano style 7-spd wheel and free-wheel will work well in the final build. I will probably split out the wheels over a few weeks, cheaper piece-meal than as a wheelset, for whatever reason. The rear dérailleur won't be to expensive, though I should get a seat post. (And a seat.) The wheels are the only really expensive thing on the list, but they are not really a big challenge at the moment.
I did pull the seatpost and seat from an old Free Spirit I had in the basement. It was too small for the bike though. I thought it needed a 25.4mm post, which should be easy enough. Nope, the Purefix seatpost was too small. A quick online search shows I need a 26.2mm post. That may be a little harder to find, but far from impossible. I will probably just have to take it into the bike shop and try a bunch to be sure.
I found my spare pedals (since my main bikes have been swapped to cage pedals) so I added those to the parts bin for this build.
Of course, this is something I want to do. I might actually have the bike set up better than when it was new. Now, to be fair, Bluebook for the bike in the original configuration 'like-new' is only $67. I will probably spend that on the wheels. I might (doubt it) pull it out for under $100, but even if I pay $134 by the time it is done, I still think I will be well off. Of course, part of it is enjoying the journey.
A strange thing to me is that the SRAM shifters that were on my Voyageur were paired with a Shimano free-wheel originally. On the plus, I at least know that getting a Shimano style 7-spd wheel and free-wheel will work well in the final build. I will probably split out the wheels over a few weeks, cheaper piece-meal than as a wheelset, for whatever reason. The rear dérailleur won't be to expensive, though I should get a seat post. (And a seat.) The wheels are the only really expensive thing on the list, but they are not really a big challenge at the moment.
I did pull the seatpost and seat from an old Free Spirit I had in the basement. It was too small for the bike though. I thought it needed a 25.4mm post, which should be easy enough. Nope, the Purefix seatpost was too small. A quick online search shows I need a 26.2mm post. That may be a little harder to find, but far from impossible. I will probably just have to take it into the bike shop and try a bunch to be sure.
I found my spare pedals (since my main bikes have been swapped to cage pedals) so I added those to the parts bin for this build.
Of course, this is something I want to do. I might actually have the bike set up better than when it was new. Now, to be fair, Bluebook for the bike in the original configuration 'like-new' is only $67. I will probably spend that on the wheels. I might (doubt it) pull it out for under $100, but even if I pay $134 by the time it is done, I still think I will be well off. Of course, part of it is enjoying the journey.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
New Project
I went to a quasi-local NFP yesterday to look into doing volunteer work. I figure, if nothing else, at least it can go on my resume as something good. The "store" is a bike shop that is entirely run by volunteers, and is only open a total of 7 hours a week. They repair and sell bikes, and have them at little to no cost for kids, and reasonable amounts for adults.
I helped with a few things, and also got a 'new' bike frame. (They actually gave it to me, largly because it was probably never going to get built there and sold, and had been hanging there for a few years...)
So, now I have a new project for myself this winter.
This is a 1998 Mongoose (Brunswick, NOT Pacific) Maneuver CX. As a whole, new bike, it had an MSRP of $260. Not expensive, but this was a Bike Shop model, not a Big Box bike. It did come with the headset, fork, a BB, and the QR for the seat post. That's it. The bike shop that donated it stripped the poor thing down to near nothing.
For my first day working on it, I pulled the fork off and re-greased the headset bearings. They seem to be ok, and I don't think they will need replaced for a while still. The BB is something I am going to need another tool to remove, a spanner of some sort I believe. Regardless, the BB will be replaced with a sealed cartridge style.
I couldn't find my good adjustable wrench, but I found out that the giant wrench I bought for dealing with BB's was the same size as the top lock nut for the headset. (Well, the wrench is imperial, not metric, but it worked.) I think the wrench set me back a whopping 15 bucks a few years ago, but it was worth it. Yeah, those are my largest channel lock type pliers that I have next to it. It is not a small wrench.
One concern going into the build was shifters. This morning, after sleeping on that problem, I remembered that I still had this:
This happens to be the OEM parts from my 200x Schwinn Voyageur that I got rid of a few years back. I had the shifters and brakes changed over to trigger shifters, but kept the original parts. Since the Schwinn was a Hybrid, the shifters and brakes should work for this build, and since the Mongoose was originally a 21 speed, the shifters are basically similar to the original. (Possibly better, as they are 10 years newer.) I will still need to get a new wheelset, cassette/freewheel, crankset (likely JIS) with BB, and dérailleurs, but the drive train has a start.
Aside from the tool for getting the old BB off,
I am a dumbass sometimes. I was playing a youtube video to find out what the tool I needed was, so I could order it. The video then says, then you get to the lockring, and you can use a lockring removal tool or... I have a fixie. I have a fixie that I have changed the rear gear on. I have a freaking lockring tool. It is the same freaking size, also. Found the tool from the fixie shelf, and 30 seconds later, I have it off. The BB is out and... what the.....???
The bottom bracket.... was wearing a rubber? Ok.......
Actually, the bearings don't look all that bad. Sure, I could put 20 bucks into a new BB, but I think I will just regrease and put it back in. It actually looks pretty good, all things considered. Sweet.
(Yeah, I could have probably just edited the entire blog, as I did keep walking over to the bike and tinkering with it as I typed this, instead of just using thestrike-through option, but I like to show how my mind works sometimes. )
For today though, decent progress on the bike. I think my next goal/subgoal will be to get a quill stem, bars, and new shift cables. This shouldn't be to expensive, the cables will have to be new, but they are cheap. (I guess I could get housing as well, that isn't too expensive either though.)
Day 1, total spent: Zero.
I wonder just how cheap I can keep this build.
I helped with a few things, and also got a 'new' bike frame. (They actually gave it to me, largly because it was probably never going to get built there and sold, and had been hanging there for a few years...)
So, now I have a new project for myself this winter.
This is a 1998 Mongoose (Brunswick, NOT Pacific) Maneuver CX. As a whole, new bike, it had an MSRP of $260. Not expensive, but this was a Bike Shop model, not a Big Box bike. It did come with the headset, fork, a BB, and the QR for the seat post. That's it. The bike shop that donated it stripped the poor thing down to near nothing.
For my first day working on it, I pulled the fork off and re-greased the headset bearings. They seem to be ok, and I don't think they will need replaced for a while still. The BB is something I am going to need another tool to remove, a spanner of some sort I believe. Regardless, the BB will be replaced with a sealed cartridge style.
One concern going into the build was shifters. This morning, after sleeping on that problem, I remembered that I still had this:
I am a dumbass sometimes. I was playing a youtube video to find out what the tool I needed was, so I could order it. The video then says, then you get to the lockring, and you can use a lockring removal tool or... I have a fixie. I have a fixie that I have changed the rear gear on. I have a freaking lockring tool. It is the same freaking size, also. Found the tool from the fixie shelf, and 30 seconds later, I have it off. The BB is out and... what the.....???
The bottom bracket.... was wearing a rubber? Ok.......
Actually, the bearings don't look all that bad. Sure, I could put 20 bucks into a new BB, but I think I will just regrease and put it back in. It actually looks pretty good, all things considered. Sweet.
(Yeah, I could have probably just edited the entire blog, as I did keep walking over to the bike and tinkering with it as I typed this, instead of just using the
For today though, decent progress on the bike. I think my next goal/subgoal will be to get a quill stem, bars, and new shift cables. This shouldn't be to expensive, the cables will have to be new, but they are cheap. (I guess I could get housing as well, that isn't too expensive either though.)
Day 1, total spent: Zero.
I wonder just how cheap I can keep this build.
Catch up
I havn't updated the blog since just after the 3rd time trial of the TT series, for a few reasons. I missed the 4th time trial because I had my car broken into during a training run in early August, and didn't get my car back until after the race. (My car has the bike carrier, plus the space to put the bike without taking it all apart.) Having to replace my DL, as well as all the locks to the house, get new credit and debit cards, etc, as well as the copay for the repairs to the car drained out our finances just in time for buying back to school stuff for the kids.
The Tour de Donut went well though, coming in at 78th out of 96 riders in my age group. I completed the course, which was just under 100 KM in 4:14:09.3, and got an adjusted time of 3:49:09.3 after eating 5 donuts. (5 was all I could down this year, my body wasn't happy with me.)
The Tour was done on my KHS bike, with the original tires on it again. After a series of random flats, I was riding and something felt off (about 2 weeks before the Donut) but I wasn't able to find it at first. I was a few miles from home, near the newly opened connector of bike path, so I could walk it home if I needed to. I got off, checked closely, and found a tire bulge. The new tires from last year were toasted, well, the rear anyways, so I replaced with my original tires. (Yeah, I keep everything. I really need to get rid of the bad parts though...) On the plus side, the tires (700cX26) are easier to install than the x25's were, and inflate an extra 25 psi.
In the last month, Glowie has gotten two rear flats while sitting on the enclosed porch. I havn't figured that one out yet, I didn't find any holes in the tube the first time, and didn't find anything in the tire or wheel to lead the way. I also have a flat on the front tire of the Schwinn Varsity. I think I have a spare tube for it, since it seems the valve is bad. Also, the bike pump doesn't want to work on Schrader valves anymore. I don't know if the hose can be replaced, but probably just as easy to replace the pump. I might just grab a Walmart one, since the bikes in the house that use it are not often used, and have lower pressure tires.
It is now the end of cycling season for me, since this is Ohio, and October doesn't always make things pleasant for outdoor rides. I do have the trainer, so that will help, but no more races until spring. I can't wait.
The Tour de Donut went well though, coming in at 78th out of 96 riders in my age group. I completed the course, which was just under 100 KM in 4:14:09.3, and got an adjusted time of 3:49:09.3 after eating 5 donuts. (5 was all I could down this year, my body wasn't happy with me.)
The Tour was done on my KHS bike, with the original tires on it again. After a series of random flats, I was riding and something felt off (about 2 weeks before the Donut) but I wasn't able to find it at first. I was a few miles from home, near the newly opened connector of bike path, so I could walk it home if I needed to. I got off, checked closely, and found a tire bulge. The new tires from last year were toasted, well, the rear anyways, so I replaced with my original tires. (Yeah, I keep everything. I really need to get rid of the bad parts though...) On the plus side, the tires (700cX26) are easier to install than the x25's were, and inflate an extra 25 psi.
In the last month, Glowie has gotten two rear flats while sitting on the enclosed porch. I havn't figured that one out yet, I didn't find any holes in the tube the first time, and didn't find anything in the tire or wheel to lead the way. I also have a flat on the front tire of the Schwinn Varsity. I think I have a spare tube for it, since it seems the valve is bad. Also, the bike pump doesn't want to work on Schrader valves anymore. I don't know if the hose can be replaced, but probably just as easy to replace the pump. I might just grab a Walmart one, since the bikes in the house that use it are not often used, and have lower pressure tires.
It is now the end of cycling season for me, since this is Ohio, and October doesn't always make things pleasant for outdoor rides. I do have the trainer, so that will help, but no more races until spring. I can't wait.
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