OH! But, if any of you are riding over the Mass Ave bridge towards MIT this morning, keep your eyes open on the MIT side. The entire bike lane has been strewn with Scrabble tiles. I saw the letters to make "wars" or "raw". Let me know if you see any words on your trip.
OK, on to interim project photos.
Here's the bike as of this morning.
I had the headset put on, but everything else I've done myself. I'm extra proud of this bike and look forward to finishing it.
Here's a view of what Dad will see. We'll probably add a light and I'm debating on one of those pretty Crane bells. I have black cork grips I will put on at the very end, when everything is adjusted.
Every time I really look at these bands of white on the seat tube I think I should change the gumwalls I already had to whitewall tires. Maybe next Christmas? These gumwalls have only about 20 miles on them.
That's a Wright leather saddle we had kicking around. In 1962 Wright and Brooks merged into something called the Raleigh Saddle Division (according to this PDF from Brooks).
The Zeus clamp-on double cable guide I got last night. It is SO CLOSE to closing! I just tried it on the bike before work, so we'll go back tonight with pliers and try to get the existing screw to close it. If not I think we can get another just a mm or two longer which will do the trick.
This guide is a knock-off of the Campagnolo ones, and I held it up to one on my International. It's not as nicely made but all the angles are the same so I think it will function just fine.
My dad is a life-long fan of Greek history (his name is Alexander) so we've now dubbed this bike "Zeus", but you have to say it like "Zooom!" since the bike will be so quick. So the bike's name is really "Zooos!"
The ladies at Bikes Not Bombs helped me dig through the used stem shifters to find a set which could take Dad's downtube shift levers. I kept the Arabesque-engraved downtube clamp in case he decides to make this a more aggressive bike as he progresses as a cyclist.
I like the sweep of these handlebars for Dad. I don't know which side the waterbottle is supposed to go on, since Dad is a lefty I put it on the left.
See Next Installment
12 comments:
Zeus is looking good!
I like Wright's saddles. They tend to be really comfortable and, if you find an unused one, quick to break in. Probably not as long-lived as the Brooks (they are more comfy due to a thinner leather, I think), but nice!
zeus is going to be one sweet bike!
You were looking for cable stops -- how about these?
http://www.rivbike.com/products/list/odds_and_ends#product=51-020
And I use beeswax on the threads of my cartridge bottom brackets.
Very nice! Are those handlebars vintage Porteur-style bars, or the newer ones from VO? I need a coffee cup holder on the handlebars like the waterbottle holder you installed on his!
On the bottle cage handlebar mount: how did you do it and/or where did you buy it? I have a bike I want to do a similar thing to.
Hi Filigree, None of the above, these are good ol' made in America Wald handlebars. I had bought them for mom's bike and discovered when they arrived that they're bigger than I thought and will be perfect for my dad. At $10 it was a gamble that paid off.
Adam, I don't remember who I bought the water bottle holder from, but it's a Sunlite I'm sure.
Filigree, I've been searching for a decent coffee cup holder for years. Why is it bikers are only supposed to suck water or sports drinks? Why can't we sip coffee (in my case, tea) and put the cup back in a nice, upright cup holder?
Hey, found a contender!
http://store.comcycle-usa.com/ProductInfo.aspx?id=4589611
(Sorry about the inelegant link: I'm html impaired.)
Zooos! is looking really good. Even though my heart belongs to Campy, that Shimano group is sweet!
Charlotte, I would put the bottle/cup holder on the right if your Dad is a lefty. I like to keep my dominant hand on the bars and use the left for drinking or snacking, but that's just me.
I have handlebar mount bottle holder like yours on my Raleigh 3-speed, and I cut the upper loop off with a hacksaw and filed the aluminum smooth. The water bottle is still secure, and it lets me put a coffee cup in it. It also looks better, and when it is empty, is safer with nothing sticking up.
Is there a brand on that stem clamp you found. I am attempting the same conversion.
Ryan, yes, they were also Shimano, which made the levers fit nicely.
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