New Bike, Tool box, and Drill

Friday I had meetings at work but found a bike listed online before I left for work.  During a break from the meetings, I called about it.  It was still available and so I made an appointment to pick it up later that afternoon.  It is a barely used worksman folding bike.



I absolutely love it.  It's slightly bigger than the rangerette and has a removable basket up front and a rear rack (two features I love about it).  Oh, and it folds in half... See that square thing on the down-tube? that's a hinge.

Last week sometime (I don't remember the exact day) I ordered a tool box from sears.  Its a craftsman quiet glide chest and rolling cabinet.  I got it for 50% off and in an effort to help clean up the garage for when I get married.... I justified the purchase.  

Here is the box assembled and sitting in the garage.

Here is my box wrench drawer with the custom drawer liners that I cut out for it.

Hopefully I can keep it this organized.  That's the plan anyway.

I got cancelled from work today so on my way to pick up my tool box from sears, I stopped at a few yard sales and picked up this sweet drill.


Up next... 

1. The tandem gets re-assembled

2. The Ross gets tires, a rack, and ridden...

3. Someone buys the Open Road?  (please)

4. Engagement photos oct. 19 featuring the rangerette and the folding bike :)

I ordered tires for a few bikes today, as well as grips for the tandem. I got tire #2 for the tandem because they didn't have #3 in whitewall when I ordered and I'm inpatient.

The office starts tonight at 9 but I have a staff meeting tonight as well so hopefully I can drive home fast enough to get there by the time it starts.

I ordered a few bike baskets today too because the one we have on moni's bike is no good (though the bike shop we got it from will warranty it and replace it for free) I want to put a solid metal basket and bracket on the bike - plastic sucks.

I can't wait to have my new ross up and on the road

I got a new bike today, but this one I'm keeping.

Its a 3 speed.

From Bikes

Tires

Help me pick tires for the tandem!

We know we want white walls, since they are totally awesome, but tread pattern is something I have trouble with.  This thing will be bike path ridden, so what tread pattern looks most old school?  I mean old school as in 50's/60's not "old skool 1980's"

#1  

#2 

#3

Vote by placing a number in the comments, and next time I place a parts order, the tires with the most votes will get ordered.  I hope to finish up the tandem by the end of October and have it rideable (not including the new rear wheel build up, more on that later).

Florida

I came to florida yesterday to visit my parents for the weekend.  I got some cheap flights on allegiant air ($29 each way!).  Remember the bike I got that I sold to Beau? I found one down here on cl for $100  so i'm pretty happy about the deal that I got on it - and was able to pass on.  

While down here, I am also looking at a car that I am going to be making an offer on tomorrow.  Cross your fingers as I am going to offer less than half of what the guy is asking.  

Today I came across this sweet thing.

From Jonathan's Bike Blog

Pretty happy about it too.  Nikon n70 body, sigma 70-300 4-5.6 macro lens, kit lens (broken), Vivitar flash, mountain smith "tour" lumbar pack.  If you know anyone that needs a camera, email me I really want this camera to go to someone who needs it :)  (I'm selling it sans the bag)

Today I got a new bicycle.  Its an old open road. Spent some time adjusting the derailleurs so they work wonderfully now.  This thing still needs some work on the brakes, and the front wheel has a dent in it that needs to be worked out.  I pumped up the tires but needed to replace the rear tube... only a $3.27 expense.  Oh, did I mention that I got the bike for 1/2 off?  

Since I like doing things for as cheap as possible... and since the brakes are kinda bad (probably needing to be replaced) so the cheapest method for putting this on the road is probably to convert it to a fixed gear and eliminate the rear brake and putting a bmx brake on the front.  we'll see though, If someone wants to buy this and wants all that stuff functional then I'll make it work.  Oh yeah, its for sale - email me

New Bike!
So this morning at 5am I got put on call and in an effort not to waste the day I slept in until 8am. lol. I ate breakfast of special K, blueberrys and publix organic soy milk = yum. at 850 I headed over to SC to check out the bicycle scene, but the bike that had been there for like a month was now gone. Discouraged but not defeated, I called a few places around town and tracked down a place that had 1 bicycle for sale. I took a drive up to cleveland and found a sweet old yellow road bike. I was lucky in the fact that it was half off! The frame is a little bit too tall for me so I'll probably just end up fixing it up and selling it but I'll put up some pictures tonight. Right now its sitting in the back of the van as I got called into work on my way home...

I took the garbage bike (single speed) out for a ride yesterday... I rode about 16 miles and have concluded that while riding a single speed is fun, it definately has its limits. Probably no more long rides like that in its future. It is however a great bike for going around town on small <5 mile rides (visiting friends, going to the store/post office, etc.) Moni and I rode with Kaitlin (her cousin) down the riverpark greenway from the dam all the way downtown across the river to suck creek cycle to get Moni's bike adjusted - since she bought it there, they do the minor adjustments for free - now her brakes are tight again and she's a happy rider :-)

I love bikes! I think it's necessary to say that so that you don't think I'm crazy when you look at the next few photos.  Following are a few bikes that I have recently picked up (concurrent with the tandem) Hey, it takes time for paint to dry and I need something to do while that's going on.  

First up we have a 1970's AMF pacemaker 27 a sweet 10 speed road bike I picked up at a local thrift shop for $16.39 (after tax) that I have already sold to a friend who needs a bike for transportation.  the tires are in fine shape and all that this beauty needed was some air in the tubes.  I hope Beau loves this thing as much as I do.

I rode the AMF over to my friend Steve's house to show him my sweet find... He gave me this Free Spirit womens 10 speed that he had bought for parts.  I stripped the front derailleur, shift levers, cables, and fixed the rear derailleur so it rides on the second gear.  Now I have a "single speed coastie" meaning it is a single speed bike that still has a flywheel (so I can coast and not pedal constantly) In order to keep it low budget, for now I have left the rear cassette in place and am using the rear derailleur as my chain tensioner (since it no longer shifts), and it still has both cogs up front because it was a cheap bike to start with and I cannot remove the large one as the smaller is tack welded to it.  Who cares.  I have a 42-17 ratio single speed coastie for free and about 15 minutes labor.This sweet ride, my Texas Rangerette-1, another craigslist find.  This beautiful little girls bike is my new pride and joy.  $40 and a drive to atlanta and it was mine.  I brought it home, used steel wool to remove the rust from the handlebars, sissy bar, seat post, fenders, and wheels.  I replaced the grips, tubes and tires, got a sweet bell.  Next on my list is a longer sissy bar, install the seat I already have for it, and new pedals.  Any suggestions for more modifications?
My sweet dice tire caps
my bell :)

Bikes
Background:
I have always loved bicycles but until recently I only have owned one bike at a time. My fiancee Monika wanted a bike because she didn't have one out here in Tennessee, so for her birthday this year - all the way back in February - I told her to pick out a bicycle and I'd get it for her. She chose a sweet pearl green and white Electra coaster 7 (seen below) it has big swoopy fenders, balloon tires, nice wide handlebars, and you ride it in a very comfortable upright forward pedaling position. It has the look of a retro beach cruiser with the advantages of a 7 speed rear cassette with grip shift, V brakes, and a frame made of aluminum (very light weight for its size)

Now:
Since our engagement (May 31) we've been busy planning our wedding, carefully picking a location, our attendants, food, etc. Let me tell you, there is a lot that goes into planning a wedding. Anyway, when we were looking at various invitation designs and photos from other weddings, we saw the bicycle theme incorporated and loved it. Enter my craigslist find. Browsing cl the other day I found a single line listing "columbia twosome two person bicycle turquoise" no number, only the cl address to reply to. I replied. 2 hours later i got a response, called the woman back and drove up to signal mountain to check it out. When we got there all I could think to myself was "this bike has potential". I paid her the $75 she was asking and carefully put the tandem into the back of the van. Here it is partially disassembled, started sanding and very far from completion (moni's bike in the background)

We picked yellow as our primary wedding color so in my refinishing of the bike I decided along with Monika to paint the bike yellow. Searching the stores I was only able to come up with John Deere yellow. good choice. its a very happy shade. After MANY hours of 1. sanding 2. sandblasting 3. chemical strip 4. wire wheel 5. power sander, I had this beast down to bare metal. a huge accomplishment if I do say so myself. Two coats of primer sanded, two coats of color (awaiting wet sanding and clearcoat - the bike still has to dry) Here's the frame now *(headtube of fork not painted cause it doesn't need to be - you won't see it - it was the only part of the bike not rusted I might add)

More posts about this thing as more work gets done :) up next, new seats, grips, pedals, chains, fenders. I also have plans to make my own decals with my plotter :) maybe something about our wedding since I think it would be very cool to ride this thing away from our wedding... just a thought.