Shuv's 2-wheeled antics *SLOG

[sevenfourate]

Added some Helicopter tape where the Gyro cables will rub:

Cleared a space in the man-cave:

…..which mainly involved moving the bin 😉

And swapped out fork decals / removed rear stay decals:

 

[sevenfourate]

……and with the majority of the bulky bits together: new paintwork was first polished. And then coated with the below. As any car detailers out there can imagine - with Graphene infused into it……it really is good stuff 👍

I then set about making up a pair of lower Gyro cables (What I needed not existing). My start point being the ever fabulous: Odyssey Linear Slic Kables…..

Now where are the frikkin tyres ? So I can start to finish this thing off…. ☹️

 

[sevenfourate]

New lower Gyro cables completed. Tyres arriving this evening. “Moving day” 😎👍

 

[sevenfourate]

Freestyle and era-related (1983-1989) magazines. And general Freestyle BMX book collection is starting to get there too.

Some of the history, knowledge etc in these is fascinating if you’re into it……

 

[sevenfourate]

So this was the basis for this ‘Tribute’ bike circa 1985:

And this Morning I’ve got to this point…..😍

 

[sevenfourate]

The thing is this bike-building ‘Artiste’ is colour blind as far as his mechanical palate goes. I definitely have no Grey. It’s either Black - or it’s White. And I have absolutely zero time for just making do…..

So: those wretched Black pinch bolts, and rancid mild steel Crank bolts swapped out for some Titanium and Stainless steel accordingly:

The (Highly rated Odyssey) Springfield Brake Calipers are also slightly strange. In that each half of the caliper gets installed onto the Boss on the forks / rear stays accordingly. And pivots via a Brass ‘shim’ in the caliper. But the bolt holding them on also adjusts tension effectively. And so can never really be fully tightened. This played with my standards enormously 🤣

So armed with de-greasing supplies and a new roll of PTFE tape:

….i took each bolt out. Cleaned up the bolt thread; and the female threaded boss. And applied 8 wraps of PTFE tape to each bolt:

Which meant each bolt could then be snugged-up to the perfect loose’ish tension - without fear of falling out or working looser 👌

**I then haphazardly slapped on a Custom made decal I had done onto the bars: without so much as measuring, lining up, marking out exactly where I wanted it or anything else 🙄

Just gotta machine up some axle washers at work Monday, get the cables on and we’re good !

 

[sevenfourate]

Yesterdays inaugural ride on my latest BMX build showed up two things:

1. It’s rides sublimely well 👌
2. I can’t handle the sound of the cables slapping on the bars…..

So: 3mm self-adhesive foam tape duly located in the ‘stores’. I set about marking up exactly where I wanted it to go for the rear brake / Gyro cables:

And followed up with then matching the front brake cable side:

And after a particulaly stone infested section yesterday. And the repeated noise of them impacting fresh Powdercoat: I then dug-out some clear, gloss, Helicopter protection tape from the reserves. And set about using a little 50mm, 40mm and 25mm widths in underside areas as required.

**YES: it’s a rider. And yes it will be ridden. But you can’t blame a man for looking after it. And you can’t have a person leave no stone unturned and be the most particular stickler ever when doing a build. And then suddenly lose that on completion. If you’re that way inclined……it’s NOT how it works !

Oh. And I may have bought a GT Baseball Cap. That matches. That was lucky 😂

 

[Gunk]

Not my thing, but love your obsessive attention to detail, it’s bordering on the unhealthy!

 

[ColinJ]

Not my thing, but love your obsessive attention to detail, it’s bordering on the unhealthy!

I was going to point out that the sticky pad for the front brake cable was ever so slightly out but then saw that it had been realigned!

 

[sevenfourate]

Not my thing, but love your obsessive attention to detail, it’s bordering on the unhealthy!

It’s an affliction. My Boss loves my attention to detail knowing nothing 2nd rate slips out the door. My Boss also hates my attention to detail knowing nothing second rate will slip out the door……🤣

 

[sevenfourate]

I was going to point out that the sticky pad for the front brake cable was ever so slightly out but then saw that it had been realigned!

Apologies. I noticed the appalling lining up efforts swiftly too. After cold-sweating for while, a quick lay down and a stern word with myself: I righted the ship and carried on in a proper manner……

 

[sevenfourate]

If i was ever going to get mistaken for Eddie Fiola 🙄 : I was gonna need some more Blue in my life. And on ‘his’ bike more to the point…..

So new pedals, seat-clamp, cable ends, bars ends and grip donuts were purchased and fitted. *Looks much more akin to the original vision now:

The basis of the tribute:

The reality:

And with that complete. The next build has started. I have no idea where I’m heading / what I’m building (Not 100% true - but essentially I’m not set on something specific as yet): I just know I had quite a few of my favourite “consumables” in the spares pile and looking for a better life. And I need a project……😉

 

[sevenfourate]

The trouble with ‘only’ having one bike for every day of the week: is there’s no spare.
Courtesy of a £500 bike [Eastern TrailDigger] being reduced to £229 delivered in the sales, I’ve today righted that wrong. And increased the fleet to 8 bikes. 4 x BMX’s and 4 ‘Road’ bikes. Nice and symmetrical I thought.

And with the money I’ve saved 🙄 I’ve already upgraded the weaker components. Comes with fulll 4130 CroMo F+F, sealed hubs and BB, Double-wall rims etc - so good core components.

Something to tinker with in the Xmas hols or rainy weekends leading upto. But if it’s not silly cold - hopefully I’ll be riding !

 

[sevenfourate]

Pi55ing down non stop” - is the actual Weather forecast here in the UK today 🙄

So I shall mostly be training to be Popeye ; by Polishing anything for the new build; that arrived today and is remotely shiny……

 

[sevenfourate]

Eastern Traildigger arrived today.

Dumped the stock stem, bars, grips, levers, pedals and seatpost right out the gate.

And started to build back up with Silver / Polished components; so you get the idea already…..

Mainly now waiting for Black seat and Chrome cranks to arrive.