davkatreb
06-24-2007, 09:34 PM
The 58 cm frame I had been riding fixed had grown too small for my aging body. I simply could not handle that much drop.
So I gave the frame and my old fixed wheelset to a buddy who had lost everything (bike included) in a particularly vicious divorce. Gave him my old singlespeed cruiser, too. Jeebus, I must have had like seven bikes. How many does a feller need?
Yes, I still have my road bike. And my Monocog. And that old singleated HooKoo. And I just got a Crosscheck, geared, thankyouverymuch. But I had no fixed gear, and so there was a huge hole in my life. Those of you who ride fixed will understand.
What to do? Well, overtime had lately been falling like rain, so I figured a couple of Saturdays would pay for a Steamroller frame. But that would be a bike like many others. Where's the fun in that? So I thought to build a fixie with an old 64 cm Schwinn Traveler frame. I have a fixed wheelset, cranks and bottom bracket. It would be an easy project, and the bike would hold me for awhile.
But it just didn't seem-well-right, I suppose.
In West Virginia there is a man who buys and sells old bicycles. My heart told me that if I went there, I would find that which I seek, and all would be well.
So today, I headed out in the Honda Element with my beloved wife, The Beautiful Miss Kathy and our dear and lovely daughter, Rotten Rebeccah. We drove down to this man's house.
We arrived, and I walked past all the three speeds and cruisers in the yard and up to his front door. I rang the doorbell.
Presently the man answered. I told him of my need, and we walked to the back yard, to all the Huffys and Murrays and Schwinns. (Oh my!)
No, no, and no; these would not do. Is there nothing else?
The man sized me up. "You're about a 33 inseam?"
"Spot on", I replied.
"I may have something in the basement."
Boy howdy, DID HE! We went down to the basement, and there amongst the Stingrays, the perfectly preserved cruisers and the Chicago Schwinns was a vintage 64 cm Raleigh Supercourse. Nervex lugs, 531 Reynolds and a Brooks saddle that alone was probably worth the $75 USD that I paid for the bike. SCORE!!!!!!
I think everything is gonna be a'right.
So I gave the frame and my old fixed wheelset to a buddy who had lost everything (bike included) in a particularly vicious divorce. Gave him my old singlespeed cruiser, too. Jeebus, I must have had like seven bikes. How many does a feller need?
Yes, I still have my road bike. And my Monocog. And that old singleated HooKoo. And I just got a Crosscheck, geared, thankyouverymuch. But I had no fixed gear, and so there was a huge hole in my life. Those of you who ride fixed will understand.
What to do? Well, overtime had lately been falling like rain, so I figured a couple of Saturdays would pay for a Steamroller frame. But that would be a bike like many others. Where's the fun in that? So I thought to build a fixie with an old 64 cm Schwinn Traveler frame. I have a fixed wheelset, cranks and bottom bracket. It would be an easy project, and the bike would hold me for awhile.
But it just didn't seem-well-right, I suppose.
In West Virginia there is a man who buys and sells old bicycles. My heart told me that if I went there, I would find that which I seek, and all would be well.
So today, I headed out in the Honda Element with my beloved wife, The Beautiful Miss Kathy and our dear and lovely daughter, Rotten Rebeccah. We drove down to this man's house.
We arrived, and I walked past all the three speeds and cruisers in the yard and up to his front door. I rang the doorbell.
Presently the man answered. I told him of my need, and we walked to the back yard, to all the Huffys and Murrays and Schwinns. (Oh my!)
No, no, and no; these would not do. Is there nothing else?
The man sized me up. "You're about a 33 inseam?"
"Spot on", I replied.
"I may have something in the basement."
Boy howdy, DID HE! We went down to the basement, and there amongst the Stingrays, the perfectly preserved cruisers and the Chicago Schwinns was a vintage 64 cm Raleigh Supercourse. Nervex lugs, 531 Reynolds and a Brooks saddle that alone was probably worth the $75 USD that I paid for the bike. SCORE!!!!!!
I think everything is gonna be a'right.