2CB

2CB, 13 days ago

I have a donated 1970's era Fuji Dynamic 10 I have had for years, intending to make into a hybrid. I had gone so far as to remove the downtube-mounted shift levers and replace the handlebar with a straight bar with brake levers. So today I put on shifters, replaced brake cables, hooked up all but front brake. Tomorrow i'll make a cable sheath and finish brake, test ride, add to the 8 I have ready to deliver Tuesday.
The one I have is the ladies' model at left, same color.

2CB, 12 days ago

Here it is hybridized. VERY nice ride. Shifts smoothly & quietly. Range of the 10 speeds is fine. Low is low enough; high is high enough. Center pull brakes are great, easier to adjust than the cantilevers. I made them hair trigger. Just think about stopping and it does. The aftermarket luggage rack has "Switzerland" embossed. Bike may have come from Europe. 50 years have not hurt it a bit. Now it will help someone who needs it, is trying to get their life on track.

Front view, closeup of replacement handlebar, twist shifters, brake levers, replacement cable sheaths.
Side view. Light blue bike.

2CB, 11 days ago

And here it is with its new owner. He took it for a spin around the parking lot. Looked comfortable, said it was great, gave it a big thumbs up. Thanked me, shook hands a second time. I said good luck and left.
I know it is a rehab agency so I assume he is working on kicking a habit and moving on. Counselor felt a bike would help; so did he. I had the pleasure of being able to (i hope) play a part in that effort.
#bicycle

2CB, 20 days ago

@evelynefoerster

A puzzle that has long vexed me and many others. Now I can rest easy. They DIDN'T need help from alien beings!😄😄

2CB, 27 days ago

🧵2)
tackled them. Put twist shifters, brake handles, all new cable. Patched two tubes, replaced two blown out tubes. Replaced a tire & wheel. Built the wheel from scavenged parts. Deep sixed the extensions and pedals. I added pedals and kickstand to one, have to source for the other. Test rode both yesterday; one is 21, the other 18 speed. Both get to highest and lowest. In beween is best effort, since the 7 speed shifters I received a case of don't match⤵️

2CB, 27 days ago

🧵3)
either drivetrain exactly. I tell people to live with that. What I furnish is not for racing or long distance mountain cruising. It's mostly for going a few miles to a low paying job, or maybe a trip to the store. Photos are both bikes, one finished, the other before I started. The finished one was the real mudder. I plan to put a rear basket on the finished one and drop it off tomorrow. I used my last donated kickstand, the last⤵️

As-received Wheeler bicycle

2CB, 27 days ago

🧵4)
large-stem pedals, and will use the last rear basket today. If anyone feels inclined to chip in, I'm updating the wish list when I finish this thread. I spent the cash donations received at the bike clinic I worked two weeks ago on tires and short handgrips.

My Amazon wishlist:
https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/2WQM567JKIZJB/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_2AcHCbTJFJ52K

• finis

2CB, 27 days ago

I have a ton of 1/2" shaft pedals scavenged from scrapped bikes. I used my last two 9/16" drive ones on the first of these two bikes. I need a set for the second bike and a few pairs in inventory would help. I added to wish list.

2CB, 25 days ago

Some pedals are sold with adapters so they can wotk with either 1/2 inch or 9/16 inch crank holes. If anyone knows where to get those adapters searately, please tell me.

2CB, 1 month ago

After the bike clinic I went to a refugee family friend's house to fix her son's bike. It is a dual suspension Mongoose that I gave him. The handlebar clamp had gotten loose and the bar rotates and slides sideways. I have seen that a lot on low-budget big box store bikes. I took him a few tools & lube, fixed the handlebar and then showed him some basic maintenance/tuneup stuff: what barrel adjusters and the setscrews on derailleur and brakes are for. I think he was ⤵️

2CB, 1 month ago

(Cont)
dazzled at the improvements that can be made so simply using features that were right there all along!
Then enroute home I stopped at Prairie Path Cycles to see if they had any tradeins to donate. They had this one, which is perfect for my newest surrogate grandchild, mentioned earlier.
What a spectacular day.

Another view of same blue and white 21 speed girl's bike. Straight handlebars, trigger shifters

2CB, 1 month ago

Got an email that the clinic sponsor had forgotten to tell me these three were donated for me. I'll pick them up.

2CB, 1 month ago

@mekkaokereke
Terrible move on Jill's part. The worst part of it, to me, is I don't believe it was a conscious thought about color. Jill should be looking at herself and going holy crap! Did I really do that? As should all white folks who believe they don't have built-in racism. I have second- guessed myself many times thinking "crap! I know how that must have looked and I did not mean it that way at all - or did I?"

2CB, 1 month ago

@mekkaokereke
Angel is gonna be SOOO welcome here in Chicago! And Clark will be just down the road in Indiana, so they will go head to head a bunch.

2CB, 4 months ago

Dang it! I discovered I am out of the short handlebar grips. Ordered 2 pair but thought I'd add to wish list as a fairly low-cost item people who were inclined to help could send. None of them are available to sell via list since they are 3d party fulfillment items. $5 per bike won't kill me but it's annoying that what was a super convenient way to crowdsource got blown up by whatever triggered this policy change that they have been calling "temporary" for over a year.

2CB, 4 months ago

I waited for the handgrips. I put grips on first, then position shifter & brskr lever snugly against. So i deferred connecting & tuning the derailleurs. Did people's taxes all day yesterday. Today the shifters arrived & i got back to the Mongoose. Got all cables hooked up, was adjusting rear brake, found s broken spoke. No, 2 broken. No, 3! So i took wheel off, removed cassette, replaced spokes, trued wheel on my newish toy, put it on, added my label.
Some kid is getting a Mongoose!

2CB, 6 months ago

@edd @ascentale @ai6yr
I must have a helmet mirror.
No big deal on trails, just nice to have.
But on the shoulder of a busy road, especially when needing to cross over for a left turn, i find it essential. I will turn my head to look back once to confirm, but watching for a break in traffic while staying on edge of pavement every head turn is a risk of a swerve into traffic or ditch.

I've never had a bar end thst stayed put, and they cannot be manipulsted to scan like a slight nod will do.

2CB, 6 months ago

@Rome_and_stuff
Symbolic of what the past 200 years are doing to the entire planet