build a bike

I finally put the last of my pieces together, made some adjustments, and rode to work. My front wheel is off-center, so I might just take that to someone. Or maybe give it another go myself. I guess this is why people have other folks build wheels for them! :) At least the back one, the important one, is in good shape.

Anyway… I really enjoy my new bike. Here’s the specs:

Frameset: IRO Rob Roy 58cm (Green)
Headset: Cane Creek S-1
BB: Shimano
Crank: Sugino Single Speed 170mm
Chainring: Sugino Messenger 44T
Freewheel: Shimano 16T
Chain: SRAM PC-1
Wheels: Velocity Deep Vs laced to Surly hubs, with
a flip-flop hub on the rear in case I want to throw a fixed cog on the rear and try fixed-gear like all the hipster kiddies.
Tires: Continental Gator Skins, 700Cx25
Handlebars: Soma Sparrow 520mm
Brakes: Cheap-ass Tektro canti brakes with cheapass Tekto road levers
Pedals: MKS GR-9. I’ll probably replace these, as they feel too small and slippery for my Sasquatch-sized feet.
Saddle: Brooks B-17, of course. What they say is true. It really does feel like your ass is being cupped by the hands of God. :)

I have always loved biking, but lately i have been riding my bike everywhere in attempts to save a little money. it is so much more cheaper than having to pay for gas.

details and pics are here.

there’s this place called Right to Move that’s a volunteer-run bike shop thingy where you can use their tools to repair a bike you own, or buy parts from them to put on yourself.
i had picked out a frame to start working on in the beginning of april, but exam studying got in the way and i just got back to it this week. on monday i went back and got started. now the frame has wheels, pedals, a seat and handlebars. all i have to do is hook up the brake cables and derailleur (or “derailer” if you care to be a prick about it) and i’m all done.
the plan is to finish it tonight, so hopefully i’ll be riding it around starting this evening.

I got in on the bikeforums.net IRO Rob Roy frameset group buy, and just got my frame this month. Now I need to start collecting parts to piece it together. This is gonna be expensive. :-/

but oh well, it’s still fun and fast!

i want to ride a century in early/mid 2008.
and i really want to move to a city where i can ride my bike(s) everywhere.

i have bought two great road bikes (been cycling for almost two years now…i’m an addict). i’ve learned basic maintenance and tweaking for performance. now, i want to learn how to build one from scratch, starting with a frame set. nothing fancy like my pinarello, just a basic townie. can’t decide if i want a single speed or a 9 speed (or something along those lines).

I am sad that my bike will be left behind when I leave Europe. It is my third best friend in France. It is not pleasant to leave your third best friend anywhere, even if the place is culturally rich.

i might still want to do this one day, but currently i am really happy with the bike that i have and i don’t have the time/money to build a bike. i think that if i get a job i will consider doing this again, and i would like to attempt to build a fixed gear (the kind that can be changed to a single speed at my discretion).