Friday, May 28, 2004
Fixed my Bicycle
I rode by bike today for the first time in 2 years (or more). New crank arms, pedals, tires, seat, under-seat bag.
The biggest problem with it was the bend in the frame where the rear derailer attaches. I came home once about 2 or 3 years ago to find that someone had been using my bike and left it by the trampoline. When I picked it up and tried to ride it back to the garage, the chain wouldn't turn. When I looked closer, I could see that the little tab which the derailer connects to was bent about 90 deg. away from the frame... I took the derailer off then and straightened the frame, but the thread insert was damaged so I just Jerry-rigged it to get the derailer back on. I didn't trust it to stay on for any serious riding, so Matt and I decided to make it into a chainsaw powered bike - which required cutting the crank arm off of the front chain wheel.
We never did get the chainsaw attached, so my bike sat in the old house at the Grace's for a few years... The last time I was down there, I decided that I wanted to fix it up right so that I could ride it again. So I brought it with me to Minnesota, but didn't start looking for new parts until recently.
Now it's ready to ride and it works pretty well. I adjusted the derailers so that it shifts nicely with the new parts.
It needs a new paintjob though. And the rear wheel is a bit twisted, but usable.
Gotta go. I'm at the library and they want to close.
The biggest problem with it was the bend in the frame where the rear derailer attaches. I came home once about 2 or 3 years ago to find that someone had been using my bike and left it by the trampoline. When I picked it up and tried to ride it back to the garage, the chain wouldn't turn. When I looked closer, I could see that the little tab which the derailer connects to was bent about 90 deg. away from the frame... I took the derailer off then and straightened the frame, but the thread insert was damaged so I just Jerry-rigged it to get the derailer back on. I didn't trust it to stay on for any serious riding, so Matt and I decided to make it into a chainsaw powered bike - which required cutting the crank arm off of the front chain wheel.
We never did get the chainsaw attached, so my bike sat in the old house at the Grace's for a few years... The last time I was down there, I decided that I wanted to fix it up right so that I could ride it again. So I brought it with me to Minnesota, but didn't start looking for new parts until recently.
Now it's ready to ride and it works pretty well. I adjusted the derailers so that it shifts nicely with the new parts.
It needs a new paintjob though. And the rear wheel is a bit twisted, but usable.
Gotta go. I'm at the library and they want to close.
