A detailed Daily Driver update and plans

"Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan'" (otto-the-croatian) 01/03/2014 at 21:50 • Filed to: bicycle, dd, daily driver, bikes, bike, two wheels good, or, two wheels bad, but mostly, two wheels cheap

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This is as it is now.

Oh, and it's a bicycle because I'm a student and cars are for people with money and income and taxes and garages and jobs. So sorry if the title mislead you.

Since the last post, I've done some stuff:
Took it apart, cleaned it, sanded it down and repainted it darker blue with a spray can.
I was planning a blue frame with brown parts, but matte black parts came about, which I like how turned out. New pedals, bell, rear brake, brake cables, brake levers. The old rear brake moved to the front, because the old front one broke in a million pieces just as I was heading towards a busy intersection. I almost shit myself.
So I decided not to skimp on the brakes and got not the cheapest ones! I also had a guy install them, because this frame can only work with these old brakes, which I believe are what is called a cantilever system (?) and I keep messing up when setting them up myself. I'll get the hang of it eventually. Anyway ;
I've had an old shopping basket, which was plastic and awful, then I found this wooden one which looks decent when painted it darker, but it's not really sturdy. It bends and flexes. I'm looking for a nice looking wooden one. Maybe I'll make one myself even... Like this one.

Or this one

...Or this one...

I better stop. But if you !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! wonderful things happen.

Anyway, here's how it looked when I got it...

and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! I made about it.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Future plans:
Next will come new grips, which I'll buy if I find leather ones cheap, or I'll get some leather strips and wrap the existing ones. Hopefully that'll turn out good.
Further down the line I'd like to get a brooks dark brown seat, and the forementioned wooden crate. Then, since I study graphic design, I need to carry large format papers, which I usually roll up into a cylinder. And that can be tricky to transport on a bike. I'll try and make some sort of hinged paper holder, which will be on the front fork and can be lifted when not used... Something like this.

Genius, no?
Also, something I'm qute excited about is stealing !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , for a bycicle frame handle, which I'll make out of an old belt. For 1$, not 36$.

Also, I think vintage lights are in order, like something from a car from the 30's...

Those are cheap, but sadly in my local stores I've found ones that are only dynamo powered, not battery. Something similar goes for the rear.

So that's pretty much it, what do you think I should do? Any suggestion on how to do the planned stuff, or something new?
Keep in mind I'm doing all of this on a tight budget.

Thanks for reading this.

CCC (formerly CyclistCarCoexist) > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 01/03/2014 at 22:41

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For about 15 bucks, you can get lube and chain degreaser for your bike. I've done it on a 1980s mtn bike and my personal felt road bike. It makes all those squeaks go away. Clear those decades of grit and mud and rubbish and relube. It's like a rebuild for your bike. Or if you don't need to, make a rack on the forks for beer. And you better not put illest stickers on it. It's as sacrilegious as making a Ford Escort Cosworth a Donk or blowing up a Lamborghini LM002.

Bluecold > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 01/06/2014 at 04:21

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Get a chaincase. They rock for city use since they keep your chain and your trousers clean. Don't get a plastic one, they break easily, get a cloth one. It's probably possible to find a blue one on the internets.

Leather strips for grips are expensive because it is not easy to find a hide that's suitable to cut in long strips.

Your rear rack is too flimsy for even the lightest of loads, get a good one. They aren't expensive.

Dynamo powered lights are cool since the batteries never die. If you want to run your dynamo powered lights without a dynamo, just use any 6V source with the frame as ground.

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > Bluecold 01/06/2014 at 05:08

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Yes, thank you I didn't even think of a chaincase. Good thinking.

Bluecold > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 01/06/2014 at 11:48

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Most people don't seem to appreciate the humble chain case. Coincidentally, a lot of people seem to tout the advantages of the Gates belt drive. Which are exactly the same advantages a chain case has. Without any of the downsides. Ah well. It gives me more reason to feel smug.

Even better are oil-bath chain cases. It's like a oil sump through which the chain travels. Old Sunbeam bikes (1910's) had oil bath chain cases which also lubricated the rear hub. A lot of those bikes still have the original chain, 100 years on. Sunbeams were the tits.

http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/Museum/Transpo…

Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' > Bluecold 01/06/2014 at 21:28

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These are awesome. Why don't we use the oil-bath today, is it very expensive to make, or complex to maintain, what's the deal?

Bluecold > Otto-the-Croatian-'Whoops my Volvo is a sedan' 01/07/2014 at 05:16

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I honestly have no idea. As far as I can tell, they're great. But they are not compatible with derailleur gears. And I suspect it can get messy if you try to remove your rear wheel.