09jun2003

On the way home from work, I passed some folks bemoaning having to curbside their old Univega road bike and hoping someone would make off with it before trash time. So I confirmed, thanked them, and did.

I think it's going to become a fixed-gear. Here's where I found out most of what I know about those: Articles about Fixed Gear Cycling and Equipment by Sheldon "Spin" Brown.

19jan2004

No, it was written in the stars. The mixte Grand Prix I trashpix laxt Oxober ix the prototype fixie. Working title, "Mixte Prix Fixie" or "Bonnie Prince Charlie" or "Bite the Wax Tadpole" or "Mad Monk Rasputin" - or something kinda Doodle Doot Dootle. Three metric feet below zero.

Let it not be forgotten that MoxieMoron was the household's first fixed gear ride. For that matter, this is using the same 14t exercycle cog, though not the entire solid-rubber 16" wheel.

Probably will never get a real LH-lockringable fixie-hub wheel for it. Probably will dig up at least a bottom bracket cup RH lockring. Probably will flip and saw off the bars for bullhorns. Probably will get out it of the kitchen and try it out. Not clear. 14t sucks for me.

Tried to buy a real 3/32" 17t cog down the block, no help. So used the exercycle 14t 1/8" cog. Unacceptable heartbreak trying to link two short pieces of 1/8" chain, much lossage of link clips.

Can't get the freewheel off its wheel, had to use the Univega's instead =/

Will probably borrow an FR2 and try to rehab the uni into a ten-speed.

I have some road-bar foam-grip around somewhere, might dig that out.

It's kinda purty - Raleigh-coffee color with fancy lugwork. Completely inappropriate fixie base except for all the IX's.

20jan2004

Apropos of IX's, working title is now NINE.

(What this would REALLY look good done up as? is one of these Raleigh Chopper parodies. But I started in on that just now on an old blue Schwinn Suburban.)

08feb2004

Borrowed Broadway's FR2 and bench vise - they didn't even charge since it didn't take five minutes. I even tried to by a cog, but they only had up to 17t and I thought NAH...

There's some large number of 18t three-speed-type cogs in the basement, so I went looking through the coaster-brake wheels for a 18ish-tooth screw-on/lockring cog - ah, the 20" Romet (sic) has a lockring instead of a circlip. Got the LH lockring off w/hammer and punch. Trying for the RH cog, something internal(!) kept slipping. Liquid Wrench, even, nah. Thanks to Threespeed, who was in the mood we should take the coaster hub apart to get the thing off, and who has built a chain whip for 1/8"!

Lengthen chain tomorrow.

Bought some ATB bullhorns (not quite what I was expecting, but very nice) off craigslist from a sweetie guy from BC - he threw in a pair of toeclippable mtb pedals!

15jul2004

It's rideable, but I hate the saddle. Maybe that's why, though it doesn't look it, it feels like a really long reach to the handlebars.

Heh. Nine's new name is "Ix (which means boy who cannot sufficiently explain what a Hrung is, nor why it should choose to collapse on Betelgeuse Seven)" [HHGG].

(Read about photopage/pag-*?)