Build for Cubester's birthday

[Cubist]

Agreed. I'd make sure that he keeps a close eye on it and have it well insured because I can imagine it being a thief-magnet!

I've upgraded the household insurance, fitted two locking bolts to the garage door and forbidden him to take it anywhere near school!

 

[Cubist]

Well, here's the next update. I took a day off work last week to fit the cables to the gear mechs. I reckoned thaty it would be quite a complicated affair, with an amount of swearing to be done, but, a bit unnervingly, the front mech worked perfectly once I'd aligned it with the bashguard and adjusted it so it was perfectly parallel. I thought that I would pay for it with the rear mech, but following the instructions to the letter meant it took about half an hour of fitting and adjusting before it was shifting up and down the cassette faultlessly. All a bit too easy really!

Tyres are now on and look the part.

 

[punkypossum]

Nice!!!! Lucky Cubester!

 

[summerdays]

I've upgraded the household insurance, fitted two locking bolts to the garage door and forbidden him to take it anywhere near school!

What if he wants to cycle to school or round to a mates house ... is he going to have a bike that he can use to do those sort of things? It's a lovely bike - but not much fun if you can only go out with an armed guard. (Probably comes from living in the city where I know a friend's child had his bike taken from him by slightly older teenagers - though his mum went and challenged them and got it back - not that it was a nice bike). I think the bike is lovely though and that you must be a lovely Dad to build it for him .

 

[Cubist]

What if he wants to cycle to school or round to a mates house ... is he going to have a bike that he can use to do those sort of things? It's a lovely bike - but not much fun if you can only go out with an armed guard. (Probably comes from living in the city where I know a friend's child had his bike taken from him by slightly older teenagers - though his mum went and challenged them and got it back - not that it was a nice bike). I think the bike is lovely though and that you must be a lovely Dad to build it for him .

I guess we're lucky that we live in a quiet spot. I don't want to tempt fate, but he is well-known round here, and at 5'9" and a 14 stone second row forward for West Yorks U13 District RFU he would take a bit of robbing unless he strays out of our valley. He's also big enough to use either of my bikes!

I can't wait to see his face when I've finished it. It's kept under wraps, and although he's helped choose some of the finishing kit, he hasn't seen any of it as a build. He has specifically asked for it to be saved as a surprise for his birthday.

I wouldn't have entertained letting him spend this sort of money on a bike unless I believed he will get his money's worth out of it. On club nights he puts a lot of us adults to shame in terms of stamina and skill on the rough stuff. He completed the Holme Valley Challenge over 35 miles this year, so it won't lie about in the garage gathering dust.

 

[Cubist]

Rear brake sorted and on. Pair of Ebay bargains, now bled, rehosed, refurbished, cleaned, polished and banjo changed for straight connectors to fit oh-so-neatly into the innovative chainstay mounting. How well does that fit in there!

I reckoned it needed a pair of really trick flatties. These were grouptest winners in a recent review. I reckon they look pretty good.

Finally a bit of good old fashioned bike porn. Nursing a bt of a fatty, truth be told

 

[fixedfixer]

Great bike, I love the way you are building it in the front room on the fitted carpet. What am I doing wrong? Why do I have to build bikes in a cold shed?

 

[Cubist]

It's all about kidology. Set the bike stand up in the bedroom and got banished to the playroom.

 

[summerdays]

Its a bit like waiting for Christmas ourselves as you tease us with this build!!! When does it need to be completed by?

Does Cubester know how to log onto CycleChat?

 

[Cubist]

Its a bit like waiting for Christmas ourselves as you tease us with this build!!! When does it need to be completed by?

Does Cubester know how to log onto CycleChat?

He does, but the idea of keeping it under wraps was his, so it's a sort of self-imposed hiding thing.

I finished it toiday. I needed some shims for the brake mounts and they came today. I have therefore fitted the front brake, remote lever for the fork and the grips. That was the last task.

I couldn't take any pics of it today as I was charging the battery for the camera! His birthday is next Thursday, I'll do a couple of previews, then a comp;lete unveiling when we can see his reaction to it next week. Can't wait!

 

[Cubist]

Last bit of teasing.
Here's a view of the controls:

These wide enough do you think? Check the green grips!

Just a few more tweaks

 

[Cubist]

Ladeeeeeeeeeez and Gentlemen,

may I present Cubester's thirteenth birthday present,

It's cost him a mountain bike, a pool table, a BMX, birthday and Christmas money from close family and half his pocket money for the next four months, but he was determined to get it, so here it is, one 16 inch custom built hooligan hardtail,

Ragley mmmbop in Quick Lime:

 

[Cubist]

lternative view:

 

[longers]

Very, very green nice.

Good dadding should that be daddery?

Has he seen it much during the build?

 

[summerdays]

Looks nice ... he should be very happy with it ... will we get a report back from his first ride?