Lights, camera, ACTION!

FINALLY!!!!

I finally got my dynamo hub all laced up with a 32 hole version of the OEM rim.

I thought I was never going to get the damn thing.  A week after my LBS finally got around to ordering the hub (two weeks after I asked them to), they ordered the rim, the whole time thinking they had the right spokes but when those finally came in (almost a month later) they realized that they weren't right and so ordered another set a week after the mistake.  Then the spokes were supposed to be in last week but they didn't come in.  Then the spokes were suppose to be in yesterday but not to be.  Today, almost a week later they finally came in.

TG I won't have to deal with that again until start building up a single speed wheel set for the Sakai.  Eventually I will also be ordering a Schmidt hub for the LHT and swap the Shimano to a commuter bike I plan to eventually build up.

Until then I am a very happy camper!

Favourite quote of the day

Long Haul Trucker Shakedown Ride - Bike Forums: ~ J.C. Koto

"So you've drank the LHT kool-aid. Be-very-ware! Next thing you know, you'll be 400 miles from home, and out a job..."

Light mounting (in anticipation for my coming dynamo hub)

I received a B & M Lumotec N Plus from Peter White in the mail yesterday and mounted it soon after. Hadn't realized it was already coming with a mount so had ordered a mount I thought would work with my canties. The included one wouldn't have worked anyhow and I even had to modify the added one. The problem was the crown was too short so I got out the Dremel and started cutting.

Light mount modification:

And here's the finished result:

NOW, I can't wait until my LBS finishes the front wheel I ordered weeks and weeks ago.  They already have the rim and Shimano dynamo hub but realized after they were delivered that they didn't have the right spokes.  So I've got to wait another week!

Her New Bars

Finally took pictures of Beth's new trekking bars that I built up for her.  Included are the original Shimano barend shifters attached to Paul Thumbies, rear cable guides for V-brakes, grips with the ends cut off to allow the trekking bars through, and a set of Avid Speed Dial SL linear brake levers (these are awesome).

The V-brake cable guides were a little tricky and I had to modify them a little so as to stick into the Thumbies snugly.  Other than that it went pretty smoothly and most importantly she loves the setup!

Rainy Days in Copenhagen (via Zakkaliciousness)

Beautiful pieces (visually, artistically and musically) Copenhagen Cycle Chic

Backpanniers backaches

Driving back to town from the ferry landing today, I saw these guys on the road. Four in all, one of which had medium sized panniers, backpack, and one of those green three or four burner Coleman stoves bungied to his rear rack... ouch!

They must have been going to Moran State Park, another fifteen minutes by car and up a long steep grade... even by car standards.

Clearly they didn't know what they were getting into, and all this on a day when the temperature index was almost 80 F. I can't imagine they had to much fun biking. Anyone call for a chiropractor?!

Sakai Steed

For all intensive purposes, the Sakai is DONE!

The paint job is crap but then I wasn't expecting it to look professional - maybe a little better than I got but not professional. Eventually I might have my friend Paul Evans powder coat it for me... when I have more money than I know what to do with that is.



The rear wheel is a little skewed (the freewheel wobbles ever so slightly) but for an old bike, it's very rideable. I also had some trouble with the chain and had to take a link out making the chain too short. I'll pickup another from my LBS tomorrow.



I wrapped the bars with cloth tape hiding the brake cables giving it a little bit of a modern look along with the Tektro levers that I swapped out for the linears on Beth's Surly. The original stem I had to hack off, then notch so I could grip the quill with a vise to get it out of the head tube. Luckily I found (and stole) another but shorter one from an old Schwinn I found in the basement.



I will probably ride it around like this for a while but was also thinking I might turn it into a fixie just for fun, not that I'm interested in fixies at all (way to many long steep hills around here) . It was definitely a good learning experience though and I'm now thinking about my next project... maybe a mid 80s Trek tourer (420, 520, 620 or 720) series.