Official 2020 Quarantine Challenge
 

Ladies and Gents, in leu of another event that would get canceled due to the pandemic that we all are finding ourselves mired in, I present the 2020 Quarantine Challenge. There are three legs of this challenge to complete.



The first is the bike build. It is simple, build/finish a bike that can travel 50 miles of at least 2 terrains, road, gravel, and/or mtb trail. This bike may only be built with what items you have right now, today. No buying of any components, however trade is allowed either between between forum members, or within your community. This is meant to get a lingering project or two of your “waiting for that perfect ____” to complete. 4-ish weeks to complete the build, April 19th build deadline. COVID-19’s alleged infection period. PICTURES REQUIRED, Before, During, and After preferably. Obviously. C&V not a requirement, but in the forum certainly more enjoyed.



The ride challenge: 50 miles of mixed terrain. Your bike may end up as some sort of “do all”, utilitarian, gravely, fun bike. Seems like plenty of us have changed some sort of epic spring bike trip plan through this epidemic, so it is make your own adventure time with the bike. Create a course of terrain made up (pick 2 minimum) of road, gravel, and/or MTB trails. If you can do it right out of your door, great. If a trek out of the city is needed, so be it. Pictures of the ride wanted. May 17th deadline.



The spreading of the love challenge. So rather than spreading of the coronavirus (or Coronas as nlerner suggested), I propose we perform at least one epic deed of goodwill on your new steed. Choose that as you may, leave groceries or supplies on a neighbors doorstep, check on someone elderly in your neighborhood, donate blood, donate the bike to someone who needs it, anything to help your fellow man. Pictures, or at least a story write up needed. May 17th as well deadline.



If this pandemic continues beyond, we can add other challenges. If you need to split the 50 miles so be it as well. Likewise if you live somewhere where full lockdown is required, then we can adjust the challenge. Just trying to come up with something to bring us together, keep us busy, keep us happy, and healthy.



So to start, let us know you have joined the challenge, show a bike, frames, or components or whatever. You need something specific to finish the build, go ahead and ask. Good luck and good health.

My bike
 

So to start, I have an old lugged Trek 750 that I acquired during the Recession and never did squat with. Now's the time. No parts I know of at this moment I need but we will see, anyone know of a trick way to get the 4 prong freewheel off? I have plans of using as much Suntour on it that I can for now.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e0a20b4c40.jpg

How about picking up a 4-prong Suntour tool? Looks like the 2 prong but with 4.

I am going with my BMX 29r
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...42651d5538.jpg
A single speed coaster brake Shimano

I built this up yesterday and today, but its for a friend so I'm not going to ride it 50 miles, but I would love to!

Sturmey 5 speed from 1969,

https://i.postimg.cc/dQ9skVKV/8542-C...819-B9-DF6.jpg

I built my bike up last night while my wife and daughter watched House reruns. Foundation is a Jeunet frame from the 70s in battleship grey that I picked up from a forum member. One funky thing is that the original French fork had been replaced by an English-threaded one at some point. The steerer is kind of short on the replacement, but I had a short stack headset in the bin that works. I went for a 590mm/EA3 wheelset with Sun CR-18 rims and Panaracer Col-de-la-vie tires. Rear hub is an alloy shell Sturmey Archer AW and front is a Normandy. Crankset is Nervar 122bcd with 45t Stronglight ring. Campy 26.2 seatpost, rhm -recovered saddle, some sort of alloy bars and stem, Weinmann cp brakes (750 rear/610 front), Weinmann levers, shellacked cork grips, French bell from gugie , Carradice saddle bag and support. My shakedown ride was to a local grocery store, and last pic shows the bag fully loaded. Felt pretty good though I need to lower the saddle a smidge and fuss with the gearing. Next step is to explore some unpaved surfaces.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e3280c86e.jpeg
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Oh, almost forgot a pic of the random headbadge I stuck on it:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...31be8ed4_b.jpg[url=https://flic.kr/p/2iG9pfn]

Since I have an older bike that is completely torn down to bare frame/fork, what is the ruling on using this for the build challenge? I will take pictures of the frame/fork and and the area where they and all the components are, if that is necessary to show where I started. Then I can take pictures as the build progresses, take another couple when it is complete. Take pictures during the ride challenge. Is this a fair way to join in on the challenge? I do have to replace a couple of minor things, bearings and cables, but they are already on hand.

day 2
 

Having done this and donated the bikes (twice last year) to clear out some parts and space I found out this is going to be tougher than I thought. I discovered the only tires I have on hand are 700c so I first had to give up on the original 27 1/4 wheels and convert. As you can see I got that. But the other pic shows what is going to make for some tough riding on gravel roads. 23c Bontrager slicks!
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...52ff61c6f3.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f1354d3a9c.jpg

45/18 currently? Or?

Going to a 21 tooth would make it pretty nice for townie use! That would put it a bit lower than my high performance 3 speed townie, but it has 700x25 tires wheels on it which roll a bit easier, so going a bit lower for your bigger tires seems about right.

45/19, currently, which actually feels pretty good.

The ruling is that you definitely should use it. Everything you proposed sounds fantastic. The rule is having parts on hand. So if you have new stuff but it is already purchased from before the challenge, then use it. This challenge is inclusive.

How much clearance do you have? Do you have brakes in mind?

This looks so nice. How does it ride?

Lots of parts cleaning today. Repacked the bearings on the pedals too. Wheels, bb, headset, all have had grease repacking too. Coming along.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...fb7c1d2f37.jpg
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https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6e7ba93ec7.jpg

The 750 is a great frame

I'm In
 

I grabbed this 74 Grand Jubile before the sh€£ hit the fan. I broke it down, put the parts in a box, then rubbed and polished and waxed the frame. The project was suspended while I mulled over the wheel set/brakes/tire potions. Each option required a few dollars. Original 27 inch Weinmann-Normandy wheelset might need the galvanized spokes on the one wheel replaced plus maybe some nipples plus rim tape and tires. If I used a pair of bikeless 700c wheels, I would need to get a longer than original Weinmann 610 brake for the rear, but I had on hand good wheels, tape and tires. This last week, my bike money was reduced to zero and the project was suspended indefinitely. And then...mechanicmatt propsed this challenge.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f551390618.jpg
PO photo: The beginning.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...be10814aaf.jpg
Box of G.J. Bits and Pieces.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4f255e5cd3.jpg
Patina Preservation.

The Challenge: Parts on hand. Could I "complete" the G.J. Project without $? I think so.

There was Option 3: Bits and pieces of a pair of Mafac Racers that came off a terribly abused and abandoned Gitane Grand Sport were assembled into a rear brake for the Motobecane. The new brake just reached the 700c rim. I am off and running

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...2b3b3ee95f.jpg
There is often some useable brake block after a minute with a file.

Can I use a bike I finished at 10:20 on Thursday night?

day3
 

I had a set of Shimano 600 brakes that reached just fine. Since the Trek 614 was built as a triple crank touring bike the clearance is there for fenders and 35c tire could be used (if I only had them-:cry:).
Instead of actually PLANNING I decided to use a lot more of the self imposed lockdown time and do parts selection and fitting by the trial and error method. But the real side benefit came when it forced me to acknowledge that I would need a few minor things (like maybe a chain!) from a not quite abandoned aluminum lugged/carbon tubed Trek that I crashed hard two years ago in Indy and just can't bring myself to trust anymore. So with liquid fortified courage I stripped it down last night. No heart for an "after" pic,
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...330e0c2a51.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...be57b18187.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...25066cb1ca.jpg

day 3 update- the BB Bike
 

The carbon Trek was actually a wrecked/donated salvation army buy in Knoxville three years ago and was Campy Veloce equipped. So I was always a bit wary of unseen damage even though it was a great ride. It led to by EBay buy of a nice Giant AL/Carbon frame which I built to full Shimano Sora. So I have now changed everything on the BB Bike (bungled burgundy) at least twice. One of my secondary goals in now to get it
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...fefac4dc17.jpg
near enough complete to make a beer buy trip on it before running out!

My mega-bmx was just a bare frame and parts.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a7e498e994.jpg
Southpoint hybrid frame
No name 700c rims taken from another bike
72 302mm spokes in in the bin
Shimano CB-E100 coaster brake hub bought 2 years ago for something like this
Front hub scrounged from a spare wheel laying around, rebuild with a 10mm axle from the bike I scrounged the rims from and bearings I had on the bins.
Schwalbe Big Apple tires from and old gravel grind build
Misc tubes in the bin.
New headset bought same time as the hub
Zoom stem from a junked kids bike
Hot Chili downhill bars I had on my flat bar road bike
Cheapo rubber grips and bar end caps from new spare parts bin
Seat post clamp from the bin
Seat post and seat clamp from the kids bike the stem came from
Brooks cambium that has been on various other bikes
Brake arm clamp and bolt from the bin
7 speed chain new spare part bin
SR crank and 52t ring that has been on various other bikes
chainring bolts and had to cut them down from double size to single from the bin.
Deep purpley red spray paint for the stash.
Rides nice.

I'll allow it!

I think a lot of this challenge is cleaning and mending old parts.

I also think this gets people to create imperfect solutions that end up being long term. Like I'm using a flat bar stem that is steel so I knew it would bend and give in to the road bar diameter. Also the thumbshifters I have use steel clamps instead of cast metal so they will bend to my project needs as well.

Like this. I guess this last install was the last one. I was thinking beer can shim then remembered I have a 42 with life left in it. The 45 would be a drag on my planned gravel which is not flat.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7337d72053.jpg
Yikes.

Quarantine Challenge.
 

OK. Finished the bike Thursday. Sorry it's not C&V.
Rode it 52+ miles today, then gave blood today. The bike shop was limited to 5 people in the studio, but I’m taking home a Wahoo Snap to use until mine comes in.
I'll run InsideRide eMotion rollers and alternate with the Snap. The instructors are invaluable, keeping that carrot hanging out there, designing workouts that have no room for relaxing.

I can probably do it again before May 18, since I can give blood again on May 17.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3395aeabea.jpg
Let's just say that 1x11 has a learning curve.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...41752346d5.jpg

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