Re: [OM] Bikes, (was: (OM) Computers)

[Chris Trask]

>
>>      Last year a couple of bike thieves jumped on a pair of expensive racing 
>> bikes at a Tour de Tempe 
>>festival and rode them off quickly through the crowd.  There are photos of 
>>them but they have yet to be 
>>apprehended, so they may be from elsewhere.  In the summer when I go cycling 
>>in the early morning hours 
>>I carry a weapon.
>
>I suppose that's one advantage I have--being tall. My bikes are set up
>with such high saddles that the thief probably wouldn't be able to
>peddle the thing without getting sodomized by the front of the saddle.
>

     Pretty much the same here.  My optimum frame size is 62mm, but I will 
entertain restoring older bikes (preferably French) from 59cm to 64cm.  I have 
quite a few of the 64cm size, which I enjoy riding as my eyes are almost 6" 
higher above ground than when standing and I can still get my feet properly on 
the ground when stopped.  My most recent one is an early 1980's Takara Grand 
Touring that I rescued immediately before it was going to be cannibalised for 
the wheels:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/12815571784/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/12815573894/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/12815573174/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/12815572494/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64004640@N03/12816088924/

       The rear hub turned out to be unusable, but I salvaged everything except 
the body and cones.  I found an identical hub as well as three matching front 
hubs at a cooperative bike repair shop in Tucson.  When I removed the tyre and 
inner tube from the rear wheel I found three layers of rim strips.  The first 
was most of a cloth one with yellow electrical tape filling the gap.  The other 
two were fibreglass reinforced packaging tape.  Reason for all that was that 
the spokes were 2mm too long and were poking out beyond the nipples.  It will 
be fully restored either today or tomorrow, depending on the arrival of a set 
of proper length spokes for the rear wheel.  I'll add a photo of the finished 
project when it's all done.
     

Chris the Moto(bécane)maniac
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