The black bike, as it is now. (Note hottie.)

I’m waiting as patiently as I can for my barcons to arrive. Once they do (I’m told, tomorrow!) I’ll be able to finish this bike and take it for a ride! Weather predition is 54° and sunny. I’ll take it! In the meantime, here are some more in-process photos.

Here’s the bike as it will appear in headlights. That’s Scotchlite tape. Amazing stuff.

… and here I am applying it. (It’s too bad you’ll have no memory of looking at this picture.)

That scar on my chin, by the way, is from a serious bike accident when I was 19. Always check your quick releases!

The drive train. If I could brush the derailleur, I would, but it’s just too complex a shape.

It is my sincere hope that tomorrow I’ll have completed pics to show!

OK, let’s see if I’m getting my blog fixed here with a project update.

I’ve been working on this bike for about a month since I found the frame. It came from the basement of Northampton Bikes and they sold it to me for a song, seeing that it was going to a good home. Now, I’ve wanted one of these frames since I was a teenager and I used to ride the MS150 bike ride (which looks to be a much larger event now than it was in 1988 or whatever.). So when I found this frame, I knew this was a golden opportunity. It’s a 1992 r900 with downtube shifters (so quaint!) and short but practical geometry.

I started buying parts for it when I got the frame. I’ve been getting used stuff and trawling Ebay for parts, but it’s still coming in pretty spendy. The project means a lot to me, though, so I’m willing to do what I need to do.

Now I’m going to try my newly upgraded blog’s gallery function. Let’s see if it works! Pics and details follow the fold.

First, a bike has wheels. I’m still learning how to do it. It’s a surprisingly weird thing.

The front wheel, spoked radially, and with a red stripe to make it go faster.

Here’s the frame, just back from Sevoian Cycles, where Jesse Sevoian powder coated it beautifully.

… so up in the work stand it goes!

That work stand cost me about $50 to build. A comparable one would have been some $200. It’s not perfect, but it holds the bike steady.

This is an Ultegra derailleur that I got on Ebay for $27.

I loved this crank arm so hard, I peed in my mouth a little when I saw it.

With the Biopace chain wheel (and ugly “aluminum” paint) it was $3 at Richmond Re-Cycles. If you’re in the Richmond, VA area and need bike stuff, go to them first. Ask for Evan. He rocks out with his cocks out. I took a Scotchbrite pad to it with some acetone and removed all the paint and crap. I wanted that brushy look, so that was perfect. I tried polishing a bit of it, but it was too, I dunno, mirrorish, I guess. I wanted something more machinish.

The bottom bracket, properly installed.

I’m pretty sure I should have gotten one with longer spindles, but I don’t know how to figure that out beforehand. Sheldon does (did?), but I don’t quite understand what he’s saying. If someone’s knowledge is around after they die, do they still know it?

Left crank in place. Yes, that crank bolt is very rusty. It still works.

Downtube cable mounts.

I had to Dremel down the concave surface on these mounts to fit the Campagnolo component to the Cannondale frame. Plus, the cable mounts were really ugly shiny nylon. So I went over them with the Scotchbrite pad and an exacto to de-ugly them. Then I did the bolts with the Scotchbrite and the adjuster barrels with a steel brush. They look much less trashy now. They make these same mounts out of aluminum, but I wouldn’t have been able to reshape them. I’m kinda surprised that Campagnolo made such a crud item. Anyway, they should work fine and they look good now.

Wheels on!

More on its way in part 2.

I’m going to be needing a name, by the way. My scheme so far has been “color animal” so, Grey Fox, Yellowjacket, Blackbird, Iron Monkey. I’m open to suggestions!

(cont. in phase 2)