Color Choices

Over the weekend I put the final coat of clear on the frame for my single speed project bike. As much as I tried to keep the fumes out of the house with a huge fan placed in front of the bulkhead doors, when I got upstairs my children looked to be a bit glossier than usual. Perhaps my efforts to blow the fumes outside were not as successful as I had hoped. At any rate, now the assembly begins and I need some input. My friend Gary has suggested a white seat, and white handlebar tape, and that is what I had in mind all along. I already have the white seat and handlebar tape so that theme fits in nicely with my budget as well!




Now, I have been planning on using a set of 700c wheels that I have at home for this bike, but closer inspection of the original 1980 something wheels on this bike show that they are 27's. Apparently, I may have some issues with the brakes if I try to use the newer 700c wheels? Who knew? So... this all leaves me with tires choices. Assuming that I can use the newer 700c wheels on this bike (and get the brakes to work), do I go with Orange and black tires which would match the paint? Or, do I go with solid white tires that would match the seat, bar tape and chain? I think that white tires look pretty rad on a bike of this type anyway!
Let me know what you think. Orange or White?

Click "Post a comment" below and let me know your opinion.

I'll be dropping the bike off at the shop pretty soon for final assembly. Cant wait to see how it rides!

Thanks.

PO

Photos of my Single Speed project

Einstein was a cyclist!

Not sure what it is I liked about this anatomy drawing. Just thought it was kind of cool I guess.

One of childhood heroes Stu Thomsen! As drawn by Bob Haro (another childhood hero)

"MAN SIZE"

Cycling quotes were the idea early on, which later evolved into adding weird clipart.

Muddy Commute

I'm really not a miserable person! I like to think of myself of quite positive. I kept repeating that as Roger and I slogged through the mud on our slick tire equipped commuter bikes getting colder, dirtier, and more exhausted and frustrated. The commute started out quite nicely. We left the office a little after 5, the weather was in the high 30's, and it was a nice clear evening. We thought that to change things up we would seek an alternate route home which I love to do. We set out down the Fairhaven bike path - a route we know well - and followed that down to Mattapoisett Neck road where the bike path ends until they continue the project. We crossed Route 6 and worked our way over to North St. and then into the Industrial Park in Mattapoisett. We knew that the bike path has been cut, but not paved, and can be a bit messy, but we took our chances. Less than halfway down the 2.5 mile stretch things turned bad. Deep puddles, mud, leaves, mud, mud, and more mud. DEEP mud! The tires on my commuter are 1.25 inch slicks with 80 pounds of air pressure. Not exactly the recommended setup for mud. It became similar to surfing on a popsicle stick. Nearly impossible to even keep the bike moving forward. I found myself working harder and harder as we went slower and slower. Most of my energy seemed to be eaten up just trying to keep myself from falling over into a dark wet smelly demise. I even started to bitch and moan at one point, but somehow found my center (my inner Brad if you will). By the end of the path, we were covered in mud, the bikes were trashed, and I was ready for a hot meal and a cold beer. The boys got a kick out seeing me all muddy and thought it was pretty cool. That was until I took my booties and shoes off. The booties smell somewhat like walking past a dumpster behind a Denny's Restaurant on a hot summer day. Not sure how I'm going to handle those, not to mention what it is in that mud that could smell that bad? Not sure I want to know really. I do know that I'm keeping my distance from that part of the bike path until it is paved, plumbed and dry! Now how to clean my bike? (click here to see the complete route)

Commuting

For about 5 or 6 years now, I have been commuting to work with 3 or 4 other guys from my company here in Massachusetts. It has always been a fair weather affair, but this year we have taken it to another level. Two of us anyway!
My buddy Roger and I both converted old mountain bikes into commuters. I took my 1993 Cannondale Delta V 2000, added some WTB Slickasaurus tires, an old NiteHawk headlight, a ToPeak Seat and Bag, and finished it off with a Princeton Tec Swerve Tail Light. The tail light was the most important part of the bike from my perspective as that is how people see you at night. I had a couple of tail lights kicking around the basement but once you see a really good tail light on a bicycle, you realize what a difference there is. The Swerve is BRIGHT! I did a lot of research on the web, read a lot of posts from bike commuters around the country, and it came down to either the Swerve or the Planet Bike Superflash. For me it came down to the fact that the swerve was easier for me to turn on and off with gloves on, but I found them both to be equally as bright.
So far, I have seriously enjoyed commuting in the cold and dark. Last week it was about 18 degrees when we left the house, and that was pretty darn cold! I had a wrap around my head but nothing on top of head besides my helmet and about 5 miles in I developed a nasty headache. I have since picked up a great Sport Hill running hat that fits great under the helmet and pulls down nicely over my ears. I wore it this morning and love it. Of course, it was only 30 degrees when we left this morning.
I am going to keep up commuting for as long as I can this season. I just hit 1200 miles on the bike this season and provided the roads are clear, I'll keep riding the bike to work once or twice a week. Dressed properly it's quite comfortable, and it's like a bonus workout!

Single Speed Project

This past summer when the cycling season was in full swing I got the idea in my head that I wanted to build a single speed. Not quite sure what possesed me, I just thought it would be a fun project. I first set down some ground rules such as - I had to find a donor bike for free, and I would spend as little money as possible, which I looked at as part of the challenge.
As luck would have it, I found a pristine late 80's Schwinn Le Tour in my mothers basement which I quickly brought home, stripped and repainted. (photos to come I promise)
Well, I have since gone completely off the deep end on the paint job which originally was inspired by the old Ford GT 40 race cars of the late 60's - that cool light blue, orange ad black combination. All of which I found in spray cans at Lowe's i might add!
I then ordered up some decal paper and went to town. That's where I am at the moment. I need to clear the frame and fork and then of course, put the thing back together. I have the best of intentions, and consider myself a decent mechanic, but I wont hesitate to drop off the complete project to my local bike shop should the whole thing venture outside my comfort zone. I know my limits!
I'll take some photos tonight and get those posted.

Back in The Saddle

It was about 30 degrees when I got on the bicycle this morning to commute to work. As I rode the roughly 12 miles that lead me to the office I got to thinking that I should get back to blogging about cycling and my love for the sport. I have been riding bicycles as long as I can remember and while I have been through every fad, phase and boom, cycling has always played an important role in my life. My kids are going to start racing BMX on Cape Cod this spring, and I am as excited as a kid on Christmas. I have many fond memories of the time spent on my BMX bike as a kid, and I hope will carry on to my kids as well.
So anyway, that's my inspiration. Stay tuned.