Back to the 90s

The Tech Wild Thing is done! It's got better chainrings now, and I've gone over the drivetrain and tuned it up. It's a fast, light bike and will make a perfect commuter.

I decided to buy new chainrings for the Kona bike as the steel cranks I was using are bent and don't give much clearance between crank arm and frame. Also, the replacement rings cost about $30 after shipping, much better than the $80-90 it was going to cost for locally sourced (albeit high quality) parts.

Nunu Bibike

One of my longer-running projects is a 2000 Kona Nunu that I got for a song. The previous owner described it as "rode hard and put away wet" and he was very right.

It was basically a frame and wheels; everything else was broken or worn out. I finally hung a new old (repainted, heavy) steel crankset on it and it's now ready-ish.

I would have like to have got new chainwheels but that would add $100 to a $200 bike. I might still try to get a set of Alivio or entry-level Truvativ cranks, but if these ones work then we're good.

I also spent some quality time with Bici II, building up a new 7-speed solid axle rear wheel and swapping out the tiny SPDs for combo platform-SPD pedals. Now I can ride with boots, which will be nice for the cold weather.

Foul, and most Foreign

The Peugeot bike is ready for sale. It's not "done" but that would require many hours of work with the steel wool and touch-up paint, and even then it would not be worth much more money.

I got to use the rim un-denter a bunch of times on this bike; those old steel wheels could likely tell some tales (like "The Day I Fell Off a Truck" and "Why Did You Ride Over The Train Tracks So Fast")

This picture shows that in France, the bike would have been a PL 22, and I lack the necessary wardrobe to actually ride the thing.

Peugeot UE-08

Here is the Peugeot, well along the path to success.

Forgive the funny color, something's wrong with either the camera or iPhoto.

So far I have overhauled the rear axle (it was snapped!), replaced spokes on the rear wheel, tried to true it a little bit, and replaced one of the chainwheels on the Simplex rear derailleur.

I am going to "convert" it to drop bars (as the original brake levers, while quaint, are awful) - I have a spare set of Nitto bars and some nice Shimano levers from my Bianchi, so this will become a decent touring/commuting/city bike. It will be a 5-speed, with the front derailleur used just as a chain guide.

The return of... Bicycle Repair Man!

After a long hiatus I am back in the groove. Two days ago I got off my duff and finished rebuilding a 26" rear wheel, and yesterday I picked up a new old Peugeot city bike project.

The previous owner wanted it to be a fixie. Ha! It's not really a great hipster steed, the frame has lots of pits in the paint and the chrome is in rough shape. I'm going to give it a go with steel wool and WD-40 to see if it's still good. Might be a full resto, or I might just repair and sell "as is" for less.

Big Blue's Cousin

In a surprising coincidence, I snagged a freebie frame that appears to be identical to the large blue bike.

The brand name is "BUFFO", which unusual (to me) - Although it may have been custom made for this guy, although "branding his own bicycles" isn't on his long list of achievements.

Also, last week was the first bike swap meet for 2010, which was a cool event. Milenkovich puts it on, at the parking lot at Oak Bay Bikes, and it's a collection of the various backyard bikemen and weekend warriors.

I sold two bikes! That works for me.

Also - finished off the Rocky Mountain bike, after dropping $80 on final supplies (cables, pedals and drivetrain). It's still a little rough around the edges, it will take a few rides to get it dialed in.

I hastily built up two extra bikes for the swap meet, and had to redo them over the last few days. Now they are up on the block - the red Diamond Back (now with slicks and fenders) and a Triumph Laser, rebuilt and revived.

Photos of the RMB will be posted later...

The Arrival of Big Blue

The black Diamond Back did sell after all, although I had to swap the flat bar for risers. No biggie.

The red one is almost done now - I still have to replace the saddle and give it the final adjustments (cantilever brakes are miserable). I found a nice old Ritchey Mega Bite tire for the rear. A bit knobby for city use but very nice in the mud or gravel.

This bike also has odd 18-speed under bar STIs - with a single lever. I don't like them, they are hard to use and slow, but still seem to be pretty accurate.

Also picked up another freebie today - an absolutely gigantic frame. Not sure what's under that blue paint, but I suspect it might be an old Asama or Norco...?