Big Smile Cycling
big_southern_jesse
Posts: 729
Came home today with a huge smile after a very fun ride.
It's all been a bit of a long frustrating wait since my bike died and whilst I wait for paperwork to get sorted at work for the Cycle Scheme.
In the meantime, I've been into the workshop, spotted the old spare bike for when friends visit. This was given to us by friends, and they had it from a sister, who gave it to them because it was so old. As far as I know, it's an old Raleigh steel frame, I'd guess late 80's/early 90's maybe.
I replaced the cranks with the lighter stuff from my broken bike, ground out the studs to remove the large chainring, bought a single speed conversion kit, and took the discs off the wheels before swapping them over with skinny tyres to fit in the frame. The bike predates QR skewers, so is essentially a slot dropout.
Suddenly it's incredibly light!
I've been riding it to and from work, but today was the first time I've gone off road with it. Riding a rigid frame over the flinty downhill was interesting, but not that different from my old bikes naff forks. It might even have climbed easier. Anyway, out to the tea rooms at the local NT house, hot chocolate and a slice shared a slice of cake. Then it absolutely pi$$ed it down, and had a hilarious ride home through the rain, sliding all over the place in the mud.
Just absolutely great to get back on at least a bike, if not the one I'm waiting for! Hope everyone else is having fun!
It's all been a bit of a long frustrating wait since my bike died and whilst I wait for paperwork to get sorted at work for the Cycle Scheme.
In the meantime, I've been into the workshop, spotted the old spare bike for when friends visit. This was given to us by friends, and they had it from a sister, who gave it to them because it was so old. As far as I know, it's an old Raleigh steel frame, I'd guess late 80's/early 90's maybe.
I replaced the cranks with the lighter stuff from my broken bike, ground out the studs to remove the large chainring, bought a single speed conversion kit, and took the discs off the wheels before swapping them over with skinny tyres to fit in the frame. The bike predates QR skewers, so is essentially a slot dropout.
Suddenly it's incredibly light!
I've been riding it to and from work, but today was the first time I've gone off road with it. Riding a rigid frame over the flinty downhill was interesting, but not that different from my old bikes naff forks. It might even have climbed easier. Anyway, out to the tea rooms at the local NT house, hot chocolate and a slice shared a slice of cake. Then it absolutely pi$$ed it down, and had a hilarious ride home through the rain, sliding all over the place in the mud.Just absolutely great to get back on at least a bike, if not the one I'm waiting for! Hope everyone else is having fun!
Proved by testing to be faster than a badger.
The world's ultimate marmite bike
The world's ultimate marmite bike
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Comments
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well well, im going fully rigid now, using the winter bike for ages and no suspesion kinda fell in love with the weight, control and power transfer, good times!
I know what you mean!0
