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us56456712

us56456712

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The middle of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
I can’t build a bicycle in the fall/winter in 3 1/2 months. I have a klunker I’m going to build but I have to strip the frame of paint, weld on drum brake cable guides, weld on a derailleur hanger, build wheels, build a seat, fabricate truss rod mounts and paint it. It’s usually too cold to work so I can only work for a few minutes at a time. If its 40F and calm I can work for a few hours. It’s snowing with 30 mph winds right now so today I’m building a wheel for another bicycle inside. If there was more time I would enter but I could never finish. It usually takes me into the spring to finish a winter build. It’s not unusual for the gravel race, Hiawatha’s Revenge to have snow banks on Memorial Day weekend.
 
Once we move to the three contest format next year it'll only get shorter. All official RRB contests will be capped at 3 months with a 1 month break in between to replenish the mind, soul and parts stash
 
Captain Awesome said:
Once we move to the three contest format next year it'll only get shorter. All official RRB contests will be capped at 3 months with a 1 month break in between to replenish the mind, soul and parts stash
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I get that, almost everyone has better weather for bike wrenching. If I had a simple project then it would be feasible.
 
Hardest part of a winter build in Canada and probably where you are to (more north than me I'm pretty sure 🤣) is staying motivated once that snow hits you know your looking at that bike till April if your lucky
 
whatever and whenever your next BO entry is, I look forward to seeing it.
 
Bike from the Dead said:
Wait, 3 contest format? This is the first time I've heard of that. What's the story on that?
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Just like it sounds like. Three contests, 3 months each, with a one-month break in between

We are still trying to sort out the details behind exactly how it will be laid out but the only one for sure is the summer build off will remain the same with class 1 class 2 as all other years. It will just now run what we assume to be May June and July
 
Captain Awesome said:
Just like it sounds like. Three contests, 3 months each, with a one-month break in between

We are still trying to sort out the details behind exactly how it will be laid out but the only one for sure is the summer build off will remain the same with class 1 class 2 as all other years. It will just now run what we assume to be May June and July
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Huh. Okay. Curious how 3 months will work for a fair amount of builders here, as a good number of folks (myself included) struggle to finish their bikes in 4 months.

Is this something we're just trying out next year to see how it goes, or will this be a permanent change regardless of how it pans out?
 
Meanwhile I'm building 3 bikes for the build off and tandems at that. It is difficult to stay motivated when it's cold though and my hands don't work in the cold like they used to. I have had many bicycles I've built in the living room, bedroom, and even one I built in a van with a space heater. Unfortunately this year I am building 3 tandems and they don't exactly fit in the house so I'll have to tough it out in my storage unit.
 
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Bike from the Dead said:
Huh. Okay. Curious how 3 months will work for a fair amount of builders here, as a good number of folks (myself included) struggle to finish their bikes in 4 months.

Is this something we're just trying out next year to see how it goes, or will this be a permanent change regardless of how it pans out?
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It's been in discussion for quite a long time. As this is the way it used to be. It got revived during our ramp up to this current build

https://ratrodbikes.com/threads/the-next-build-off-plans-for-the-future.116440/page-11
You can see where the discussion kicks off with post 220
 
Captain Awesome said:
It's been in discussion for quite a long time. As this is the way it used to be. It got revived during our ramp up to this current build

https://ratrodbikes.com/threads/the-next-build-off-plans-for-the-future.116440/page-11
You can see where the discussion kicks off with post 220
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Gotcha. I haven't been actively checking out the other threads, so it's no surprise I missed the memo. I can understand how there's less activity on the forums during the downtime between Build Offs. The Build Offs are when some of the most exciting activity happens here. That said, I am still a bit concerned about having less time to work on bikes, as there's always other stuff going on in life that gets in the way of making progress on a bike project.
 
Bike from the Dead said:
Gotcha. I haven't been actively checking out the other threads, so it's no surprise I missed the memo. I can understand how there's less activity on the forums during the downtime between Build Offs. The Build Offs are when some of the most exciting activity happens here. That said, I am still a bit concerned about having less time to work on bikes, as there's always other stuff going on in life that gets in the way of making progress on a bike project.
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No reason to stop building and showing off your work. Build it for yourself. If it meets the deadline so be it and if not so be it. You still have a cool bike to show off. I still have some bikes that I build just for the joy of turning wrenches and I take a liking to that particular one. No contest, no competition, but the baddest bike on the block.
 
outskirtscustoms said:
No reason to stop building and showing off your work. Build it for yourself. If it meets the deadline so be it and if not so be it. You still have a cool bike to show off. I still have some bikes that I build just for the joy of turning wrenches and I take a liking to that particular one. No contest, no competition, but the baddest bike on the block.
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Yeah, exactly! I like working on bikes regardless of whether it's for a competition or not. It's just that when I build a bike for a competition, it's way more satisfying when I can meet the deadline.

There have been a couple times already where I failed to finish a bike on time, and it just crushed me. I may eventually get back to working on the bike, but I have to let that stupid wave of depression and burnout pass over first before I'm in a good enough mood to start turning wrenches again. Whenever I work on a bike without a deadline, all I've got to worry about is staying motivated on finishing it. With a deadline though, theres a certain level of anxiety that can make the end result either gratifying or soul-crushing depending on what happens. Having more time before the deadline helps reduce that anxiety as it provides a cushion for all that stuff that can get in the way of finishing a bike. I already feel like 4 months can go by way too fast; 3 months sounds like Neil deGrasse Tyson saying "nyoom."

That said, I'm getting ready to try something absolutely ridiculous (for me at least) by trying to throw a bike together in about 10 days or less using just what I have (with the exception of a cheap pack of chain from Walmart, if I don't have enough in stock.) So, maybe I could build a bike in 3 months, as long as I plan ahead well in advance.
 
I hear that. I'm trying to build 3 tandems at once and I'm working out of a storage unit...lol. this weekend is supposed to be nice out so gonna try to get everything off in one day then take it all home and clean it up and polish it then hopefully we get another bout of good weather so I can reassemble them. I didn't finish my build off bike and kinda just threw in the towel. Parts have gotten more expensive too but I've been lucky on that and bought a few parts bikes that have saved me literally hundreds of dollars. And finding just the right parts for the mini Twinn is driving me insane.
 

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