Widge
Baldy Go
Inspired (somewhat) by Tom Allen building a 'round the world bike' for £27.50..........I have just finished building my very own (ahem) bicycle up from a scrappy old skip-ready frame using just el-desperado cheap interwebz discount parts and the contents of my 'bits-box'.
The resulting franken-bike is now here in all its wondrousness........(YMMV!)
I hauled this once proud but bottom-dollar 'Dawes' ATB (?) from the back of a damp shed where it had lain rotting for 10+ years with a View to making it a winter 'learn-as-you-go' project and bring it back to life.
The frame was ok....a bit scuzzy...but the wheels had rotted away-spokes rusted and fallen out- all the exposed alloy parts where crusty white-cheesy gripshift 7speed/tourney/screw-on gearing and cabling rusted solid-saddle mouldy-and tyres turned to mush............you get the picture? (I wish now that I'd taken some when it was so forlorn, but couldn't bring myself to do it!)
I decided to see if I could re-invent it without spending silly money (ie...more than 100 smackers) and learn a bit of cycly repairmanship on the way.
In the event, I have spent just about £120 on new bits trawled from interwebz discount offers and added a few components from my trusty box of bits.
As a project it has turned out to be a great way to discover how bikes fit together. The only part I baulked at was replacing the chainset and BB. These are still the originals and are the only bits that aren't really 100%. (The chain rings are ghastly cheap/warped and can't help but rub in highest gear no matter how carefully I tweak the front mech.)
It is now all 8spd...new wheels/tyres....derailleurs,cables and shifters....stem.....bars...chain....cassette.....saddle and new brakes.
...........and I'm annoyingly rather proud to have (sort-of) made it myself from scratch.
I especially like the new monster-discount Tektro mt15 brake calipers (£4.99 a pair from the nice people at Planet_X!).....which are way nicer than the usual OEM v's that come with cheaper bikes -
It weighs a little over 12kg which is not too shabby compared to my monster FS mtb and spindly road-bike.
It has proven itself to make a great winter hack for these gahstly days and my hope is (with the addition of a rear rack/panniers) that it may cope with a bit of fair-weather distance touring?
Let me know what you think and/or whether I may be over ambitious for it? Criticism gladly accepted!
PS...It was Great Fun spannering it and I learned a lot by doing it all.
Best all
w
The resulting franken-bike is now here in all its wondrousness........(YMMV!)
I hauled this once proud but bottom-dollar 'Dawes' ATB (?) from the back of a damp shed where it had lain rotting for 10+ years with a View to making it a winter 'learn-as-you-go' project and bring it back to life.
The frame was ok....a bit scuzzy...but the wheels had rotted away-spokes rusted and fallen out- all the exposed alloy parts where crusty white-cheesy gripshift 7speed/tourney/screw-on gearing and cabling rusted solid-saddle mouldy-and tyres turned to mush............you get the picture? (I wish now that I'd taken some when it was so forlorn, but couldn't bring myself to do it!)
I decided to see if I could re-invent it without spending silly money (ie...more than 100 smackers) and learn a bit of cycly repairmanship on the way.
In the event, I have spent just about £120 on new bits trawled from interwebz discount offers and added a few components from my trusty box of bits.
As a project it has turned out to be a great way to discover how bikes fit together. The only part I baulked at was replacing the chainset and BB. These are still the originals and are the only bits that aren't really 100%. (The chain rings are ghastly cheap/warped and can't help but rub in highest gear no matter how carefully I tweak the front mech.)
It is now all 8spd...new wheels/tyres....derailleurs,cables and shifters....stem.....bars...chain....cassette.....saddle and new brakes.
...........and I'm annoyingly rather proud to have (sort-of) made it myself from scratch.
I especially like the new monster-discount Tektro mt15 brake calipers (£4.99 a pair from the nice people at Planet_X!).....which are way nicer than the usual OEM v's that come with cheaper bikes -
It weighs a little over 12kg which is not too shabby compared to my monster FS mtb and spindly road-bike.
It has proven itself to make a great winter hack for these gahstly days and my hope is (with the addition of a rear rack/panniers) that it may cope with a bit of fair-weather distance touring?
Let me know what you think and/or whether I may be over ambitious for it? Criticism gladly accepted!
PS...It was Great Fun spannering it and I learned a lot by doing it all.
Best all
w
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