2 New (or New to Me) Bicycles

So, last that I had posted the AWOL was ordered. It arrived the following week. This bike has been one of the most perfectly fitting bikes that I’ve ever owned!

  
It arrived in a huge box, due to the fact the wheels and fenders were already attached.

  
  
And then around the same time my uncle called and asked me if I wanted his old bike. Unfortunately, he can’t ride anymore. Well, I have been wanting a Bridgestone XO since…1992 and the first one I saw raced at the local mountain bike race. My uncle had a ’93 XO-3. After having my cousin in Indiana pick it up and then drop it off to the local shop my friend Kathy works at, my other uncle picked it back up to bring it with them on their visit down here to NC. It was dirty and dusty but in great shape.

  
I finally got it back into riding shape last night. Had to put some tires on it to get it rolling and lots of polishing. It rides great. The moustache style bars are strange but actually quite comfortable. I had to roll them a little for my comfort on the grip area. And the dummy brake levers on the front strangely feel very road bike like. I haven’t used the dummy levers toward the inside yet.

Strangely, the Avocet saddle wasn’t bad. But I think this may be the bike that I finally try a Brooks saddle on.

More later.

AWOL

Yesterday I ordered a new bike. 

Motion Makers Bike Shop

 

 

Well, the shop I had visited in my last post is now the shop that I work at. And I couldn’t be happier! I will post more as I go. 

Long Absence and a New State.

Well, we have hopped across the mountains from East Tennessee to Western North Carolina. Finally have the house around and mostly in order. At Least for this year.

Made a trip back to Tennessee to get the storage locker cleaned out last week. This included most of my bikes. So, now the rebuilding begins in the new storage shed.

  
I have the second story and that’s where I’m putting the bikes back together.

  
Until next time!

The Twenty Inchers Are Gone!

Since I last posted, months ago, I have been cleaning house…or rather the shed…of some of my rides. Both of the 20″ wheelers are gone. In their place, and after a couple more make their way to new homes, will be one of a couple of ideas….not sure which yet and so not ready to post about it either.

So say goodbye to…

 

The GT Ricochet Trials bike. It’s going to someone who had their yellow one stolen a few years back.

 

And the DK BMX race bike. It ended up going to a friend.

And I am happy both bikes will have good homes and will be used properly and taken well care of.

 

Mini Vacation

I spent the last week in a tiny cabin doing nothing but eating, reading, and sleeping!

This weekend was a Cannondale Roadie.

And again, loads of tacky grease in every bearing surface. You know I was in heaven!

Hey, look…snow!

Yeah, so East Tennessee got some more snow dumped on us the last two days. I managed to pick up a head cold, so I took it easy.

Here’s a picture of my co-worker Charlie’s bike. I gave him my Titec HBar for his MTB.

Last Week’s Rockhopper Build

Last week we received a small order of 2014 Specialized bikes for the shop. So, of course, I pulled out the new Rockhopper to build.

Just pulled out of the box.

All the packing finally off. Sometimes it seems like it takes almost as long to unpack the bike as to build it.

Wheels getting trued.

Sealed cone and cup hub bearings.

The headset has cartridge bearings.

Torque wrenches are a must.

Octalink bottom bracket.

Octalink crankset.

There’s that torque wrench again.

And here is the completed Rockhopper.

As you can tell, I like to pull apart bearing areas so the photos reflect that.

Jacked Up the Handlebar

In an effort to take some strain off my back and follow a principle in the Just Ride book, I have raised my handlebar. A lot.

Above is the before.

And the after.

A couple of years ago I had some terrible back spasms that rendered me immobile for at least an hour until I could move. Then it took about a week to recover and feel somewhat normal. I now can feel when it gets tired and is closer to spasming again, so I don’t push it.

I took the bike for a quick spin after work tonight. It’s a different feeling for sure!