Passing Wind

Fighting the wind. Riding a bike. Facing reality.

Bike Project Updates

Here's what I've been up to:

ebaby - Tried the Easton wheels but I don't think the low spoke count is compatible with a rider that weighs ten times what the bike weighs. The new rear gears make peddling easier but I need to adjust the limit screws on the rear derailleur to get access to all the gears.

MiniB - still trying to get the rear rim trued. I may have to break down and buy a truing stand. The sledgehammer just isn't accurate enough.

Glam Puss - I found a seat post that fits. I also finally gave in and admitted that the crunchy tires needed replacing. I'm watching some auctions on eBay for some new rubber.

Rocky - All that's left to get is a rear wheel/tube/tire and cassette. I've started assembling what I have. A rat bike all the way. What could be cooler than a Brooks saddle held together with duct tape?

Rolling Thunder - I finally found some brake pads cheap enough to suit my penny pinching. It should be ready for Craigslist in a week or so.

Parts - I found a pair of 700c bike rims on the street a couple nights ago. One is totally mangled and crunched beyond usability, but the other is a Mavic MA3 in great condition. It looks like someone used bolt cutters to remove the hub so it has 32 stubby spoke ends held on by the rim tape alone. Fortunately I have a set of black DT spokes and a brand new in box Shimano hub. My first from scratch wheel. Oh boy!

eBaby Update

With the handling problems sorted out the eBaby is finally in running condition. I took it over to the bike track in Golden Gate Park for its first speed test. It went OK and despite a strong wind I did a 5K averaging 17.9 MPH. That's a full MPH faster than my best on the Lambo, which was done on a day with no wind.

There were a few issues. I'm still about twenty pounds or so away from being able to get in a more aerodynamic position without my knees hitting my gut on every stroke. I'm also several months or more away from having legs strong enough to use the higher gears. I only managed to get through the first 12 of the 18 available gears.

So between my big gut, weak legs and overworked heart it looks like my goal of doing a race or two in 2012 will have to wait till 2013.

Major Disappointment

I finally got around to going to the bike shop today and bought all the grease and lube and stuff to make my bike all running smooth and everything. Then when I got home there was the box holding my bar end shifters. This would, barring any other surprises, be the last parts I would need. No more excuses, time to finish the build. I tore into the box and unwrapped something else. It wasn't my shifters! It was some other shifter parts for a flat handle bar.

A quick look at eBay showed me that the guy I bought the shifters from had also sold what I had gotten in the mail to someone else. I can only assume that person has my shifters. A simple mistake and I'm sure the seller will make good, but still, major disappointment!

My first Bike Build - OOPS!

The aero bars don't fit. Well, to be accurate, the mounts are setup for a thinner handlebar. The handlebars I got bulge in the middle where the stem is mounted. I got these because they are what I got. I didn't really plan anything beyond making the numbers match and unfortunately the aero bars didn't have any numbers. Fortunately, it looks like all I need is some longer screws and perhaps some stiff plastic spacers. TO THE BIKE SHOP!

UPDATE

Well, the trip to the bike shop didn't help. Longer screws alone won't do it, so I either need to get thinner handlebars or a $50 dollar fit kit that will add three to four pounds. With my weight I don't think the thinner handlebars are a good idea. The fit kit looks really kludgey and I'm not sure that saving the aero bars is worth it. I did some research on the internet and think the best solution is to get a pair of bar end shifters. That will simplify things without too much additional cost. You can get new Shimano bar end shifters online for $56, so they should go for half that or so on eBay.

UPDATE 2

People who buy stuff on eBay are nuts. They are paying more for used bar end shifters than what new ones cost. Same model numbers and all. It makes no sense. I may have to buy new ones. Oh the shame.

Bike build - next phase

I have all the parts. I have all the tools. I've read all the instructions. Now all I have to do is put it all together. But now, at this new phase of the project, I hesitate. I doubt. Can I really do this? Who know, but I have to try.

I have developed this weird sense of responsibility for the bike. Not for the pile of parts it is now, but for the bike as whole that I am trying build. It has the potential to be a great bike. The parts are all good, capable of doing their jobs well. I am the weak link. Can I extract from these parts as good a bike as it deserves to be?

It's time to see.