Chrome Molly

[Wildcat]

I just got another pair of handlebars and added them and tried to install a V brake on the front. It never would get adjusted just right, always rubbed or was too slack so it went back in the box. The rear drum is excellent so I really don't need a front brake. Raining steadily again, but I'll head out if there's a break. I also added new green vinyl to the bike box to match the workbench.

 

[Wildcat]

I finally took the bike out for as good ride. But by 9am it was already about 100 with the humidity so I walked it back up the mountain.

This shows what streets are unsafe to drive on when dry. All of them are risky when wet.

The bike did great on the uneven pavement with the new fork. The 3 speed cluster works well and it shifts fine even with the worn out cogs on the old suntour derailleur. The drum brake is good but I need to add a front brake.

I rode thru the subdivision near mine that is all flat and is kept clean. I tell the gate guard I'm looking to buy a house and lot and they let me in. They don't ask why I'm not driving a car if I can buy a house, must be a good looking bike! I might buy a place later.

On the way back I stopped to catch my breath while going up the hill. My subdivision built a row of buildings for commerce, so folks wouldn't be making sari-sari stores out of thier carports. Sari-sari stores are like mini 7-11's, and most neighborhoods have someone selling out of thier house, usually within a minute walk from your doorstep. Of 7 new shops, 5 are sari-sari, all selling the same things right next to each other. No one is making any money. The Ford's were the first to open a store. He was a mountain bike enthusiast when he moved here from New York, but after one trip up the mountain, no more. The sign says "Dirty Ice Cream". Here, that's a favorite and is called dirty because it's made in someone's kitchen and doesn't have to measure up to standards. You take your chances, but not me. I say I can't have sugar and avoid the dirty ice cream.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I really enjoy hearing how life is for you over there, Wildcat. Thanks for the details. As a Canadian who drives on roads covered in snow and black ice, I can't fathom how slippery those roads must be to have to shut them down regularly like that.

 

[Kevin B]

I finally took the bike out for as good ride. But by 9am it was already about 100 with the humidity so I walked it back up the mountain.
View attachment 280333


This shows what streets are unsafe to drive on when dry. All of them are risky when wet.
View attachment 280334

The bike did great on the uneven pavement with the new fork. The 3 speed cluster works well and it shifts fine even with the worn out cogs on the old suntour derailleur. The drum brake is good but I need to add a front brake.
View attachment 280335
I rode thru the subdivision near mine that is all flat and is kept clean. I tell the gate guard I'm looking to buy a house and lot and they let me in. They don't ask why I'm not driving a car if I can buy a house, must be a good looking bike! I might buy a place later.


View attachment 280337

On the way back I stopped to catch my breath while going up the hill. My subdivision built a row of buildings for commerce, so folks wouldn't be making sari-sari stores out of thier carports. Sari-sari stores are like mini 7-11's, and most neighborhoods have someone selling out of thier house, usually within a minute walk from your doorstep. Of 7 new shops, 5 are sari-sari, all selling the same things right next to each other. No one is making any money. The Ford's were the first to open a store. He was a mountain bike enthusiast when he moved here from New York, but after one trip up the mountain, no more. The sign says "Dirty Ice Cream". Here, that's a favorite and is called dirty because it's made in someone's kitchen and doesn't have to measure up to standards. You take your chances, but not me. I say I can't have sugar and avoid the dirty ice cream.

View attachment 280338

Lots of make shift garage businesses in Florida. They even caught an " undocumented person" doing dental work out of their garage in Naples, Fl.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Florida Man doing dental work outside the restrictions and regulations sounds like a fantastic idea...
For a Halloween costume! That's a nightmare and a half

 

[Wildcat]

Florida Man doing dental work outside the restrictions and regulations sounds like a fantastic idea...
For a Halloween costume! That's a nightmare and a half

Wouldn't you stop and ask why is the Dentist's office is in a garage?

I really enjoy hearing how life is for you over there, Wildcat. Thanks for the details. As a Canadian who drives on roads covered in snow and black ice, I can't fathom how slippery those roads must be to have to shut them down regularly like that.

Nope they stay open year round. The police will come if there's a crash, but usually they just slide straight down and miss houses. I have big concrete barriers at the front of the house. They can stop a truck.

 

[Kevin B]

Wouldn't you stop and ask why is the Dentist's office is in a garage?

Nope they stay open year round. The police will come if there's a crash, but usually they just slide straight down and miss houses. I have big concrete barriers at the front of the house. They can stop a truck.
View attachment 280372

It's under the table procedures done by undocumented people on undocumented people. I'll try to find the story. They had a dentist chair and everything. We have a big underground economy in this state. People go to garages for cosmetic surgery too.
Here is one example: https://www.mysuncoast.com/2019/02/...d-running-dental-practice-out-their-garage-2/

 

[Wildcat]

My shop is probably more sanitary than those places. That's where I went back to work on the v brake. I was doing all the adjustments right, it was the brake shoes that were the problem. They had too much curve for the rim. I used a good used set of shoes that matched the curve of the rim and now I've got excellent brakes.

 

[Wildcat]

For a warmup for the ORBO coming up. I've planned an upgrade for Chrome Molly. The 57mm rims I was going to use for the build off will now get used here, as I have something bigger in mind for the build off. I found some 26 x 2.40 tires for this. That's 61mm so the tires are just slightly wider than the rims. So it's going from 3 speeds to one speed coaster with a different set of wheels. I also found 3 inch tires but I would have had to use dropout extensions and I wanted to keep the weight reasonable.

 

[Wildcat]

The Rock Hawks arrived so I tried the rear on to check the clearance and it's just right. I added BMX bars and the front wheel is going in for truing this morning. I'm going to see if they have larger inner tubes too.

 

[Pondo]

Them's some beafy tires!

 

[Wildcat]

They are just what I was hoping for.
But the rear seatstays are a little too close for comfort and I can't get the cheap coaster hub to roll right and the dropouts aren't deep enough to give a good adjustment for the chain. So it's going to get redone in a different configuration. I'm going to have to relace the wheels and find different hubs to match. So it may as well wait a month for the offroad buld off.

 

[Wildcat]

I was going build this up differently for the build off, but my spokes showed up. I couldn't wait to lace up some wheels. So the upgrade will happen now, and my project bike still in the planning stage will be my build off entry.
The 2.4 tires didn't bead up to the 57mm rims like I thought they would, they fit 25mm - 35mm rims like a glove, so that's what I dug out and laced up. Disc brakes up front with drum in the rear with a super low first gear when I install the 36 tooth chainwheel. This will be chrome and black throughout also.

 

[Wildcat]

We took the wheels in for truing and the wife asked: "Do I need to buy anything from the bike shop?" That's when I would say life is good, but not out loud of course. I just said "Maybe."

As the wheels were getting finished I looked around for something to buy, just to be buying something from the bike shop. All I really could use was a rusty BMX handlebar. Then I spotted an old truing stand and asked how much. It wasn't one of the two old ones they use daily, it looked ancient. They gave me that look like "What the heck?" and laughed. So they called the owner and the wife got some bargaining time in. They love to haggle over here. He wanted 2800 pesos for it, and got talked down to 2000 pesos, which is about 38 US dollars. So it's in the shop now! It all works, but I'll still let them true all my wheels, to support the local economy. I'll clean it up to see numbers and names if any. I might put up a shelf to display it.

 

[Da Gas Man]

That is a nice cast iron truing stand. Had one like it once. Heavy beast but accurate.

 

[Wildcat]

Got the wheels on but need a new derailleur. Gears range from 25 to 60 GI.