molleraj

Some photos from today's ride. Despite the shifting issues, I still managed an average of 14.6 mph and a highest speed of 28.6 mph.


MLK Jr Park in uptown Oxford, Ohio

Apartments that replaced the Princess theater

Who needs to buy expensive gas when you have a beater bike

Red bike in the yellow mustard flowers (fields on the ride home)

Andy_K 

From my trip to California for Eroica....



It's a good thing the cost of gas to pick parts up doesn't count against the budget. The free derailleur I picked up there would have consumed my budget for the next three years.

molleraj

Holy crap! I knew California gas prices were more than those here but didn't realize they were THAT much more expensive.

Smokinapankake

So, after doing nothing else to the Nishiki Prestige, I did an 8 mile loop to the Library:




then the park for a drink of water:



and looped back past my kids’ old elementary (they’re 16 and 18 now):



then returned home. Along the way I found $.79:



so that paid for the quarters’ worth of electricians tape I used to re wrap the bars. Mileage verified on Google maps since I don’t do strava and this bike doesn’t have a computer (yet).

Mileage total: 9
Money total: $75.25 - .79 = $74.46
Looks like I’m making money on this bike!

How in he!! do you guys ride drop bars for more than a few miles? Maybe I’ll unwrap them and add some cushioning in the form of old tubes…Lord knows I’ve got enough of those hanging around…. I kind of understand why hipsters like to convert these dumb old bikes over to flat bars.

On the other hand, the $ accountability aspect is discouraging me from running back to the collective and buying more parts I don’t really need, so I got that going for me…

Andy_K 

Honestly, I can't ride more than a few miles with flat bars before they start bothering my wrists. With drops, I use padded gloves and (usually) gel tape, so maybe that's the trick.

molleraj

Wow, that was $75?! Is it chromoly? Looks amazing. Sweet rides I am sure.

Smokinapankake

Well, It was $100 at the collective, but they threw in a $25 gift card to Lucky Slice Pizza because its bike month, so I'm calling it $75. In this market, $100 is a good deal, so I couldn't refuse. Yes, it is Chromoly, Tange 2. I spent the vast majority of my riding "career" (over 30 years) on mountain bikes or hybrids with flat bars, so drops are a new animal for me. I'll probably swap these out for northroads or some such when the challenge is over.

jdawginsc 

I use padded gloves for road, flat bars, lawn-mower bars, power/hand tools (not bike) and to eat an egg sandwich in the morning. Otherwise, my hands to my elbows and my upper back are numb.

For the record, I do not use my padded gloves for any other activities...

Mr. 66

The mondia Still inbuild mode, I went to adjust the saddle and determined that the 24.6 campy seatpost is incorrect for the Mondia. This was due to the pinched lobes on the seatlug. I searched and found a 26.6 steel post and a 26.8 alloy. The 26.6 fit the tube well without having to pry open the lobes. The 26.8 has not been attempted.

The next detail was the shifters and derailleurs. The Campy shifters have walked or moved multiple times are mounted very low and are tilted. I'm sure they are fine, but with the Cyclone mini group I've decided to replace them with the band clamp set of matching Suntour. Out with the campy on with the Cyclone, sort of.

Inspection of the derailleurs did not pan out well. The rear derailleur look great, but looks can be deceiving. The cage appears to have bend and twist, no doubt was a victim of spoke munch. In checking I mounted a GT-vLuxe that all showed me it was the rd and not the hanger that was bent. The front derailleur, operational is worn thin, and sharpe, they is even a shard hanging low on the outer cage.

Thats a big tag on the clunker budget, fortunately in my scrapping ways I found Cyclone(s) in the bin o'crap. The front with a cable stop, and a rear as well.

The Mondia now only needs gear cables for completion.

Mr. 66

The Gitane TdF, digging deap into the storage I found some Simplex shifters from last summers acquisition of a PX-10, and a metal Simplex front derailleur, wrapped up with these parts were a TA Specialties bottom bracket missing the driveside cup (that cup went to last years PR-10L) and a Sedis chain of the correct time.

Since the post from the Mondia is 26.4 is right for green machine a campy post now home on the Gitane.

Now the most important piece to the French puzzle is to find a NDS bb cup that will be compatible with the TA crank.

I still have yet to soutce the freewheel, or respace and dish the wheel. I would prefer to find the freewheel.

Its soggy over here, I won't be doing my ride in the rain. I should have updated pictures this afternoon.

rustystrings61 

To quote the old Watergate Comedy Album, "Hey, you got your fetishes and I got mine ..."

Or as I said to my scandalized 15-year-old son when commenting on the phenomenon of "Furries," "If you're gonna have a fetish, make it an interesting one ..."

rustystrings61 

My Allegro takes a 26.6. My limited experience leads me to believe that Swiss builders used a lighter gauge of metric 531 than that used by Peugeot and Gitane, which both take 26.4.

PM me - I think I have a drive side French-thread Stronglight fixed cup in my parts stash at the storage unit, and I think the cabinet where it is located is relatively accessible. Since the spindle and adjustable cups are wrecked, it can go for the cost of postage ...

Smokinapankake

So another 10 miles on the Nishiki Prestige, only this time my daughter came along to keep me company. First stop was Barker Park:



Then over to Lomond View Nursery to say “Hey planty, what do you want to do today?” (Lego Movie reference):



and one more stop at Shady Lane park on Shorty’s Lane (should have named it shady lane or Shorty’s Park, I guess):



then back home to the smell of a fresh baked carrot cake my lovely wife was baking for her mother’s birthday (no pics of that, unfortunately).
Added a ratty water bottle cage from my box o parts; my local collective charges $1 for them so that's what I'll charge myself...

Mileage total: 19
Money total: $74.46 + $1 = $75.46

A few observations:

Road bikes are very efficient, even ratty old ones. I ride this loop regularly on my commuter hybrid, a 700c wheeled Trek 7300, and I didn’t feel like I worked anywhere near as hard on the Nishiki as I regularly do on the 7300. I’ve not spent many miles on a drop bar road bike, and am quite surprised at how fast this feels! Maybe I’ve been wrong about skinny tired roadies all this time?

The BB needs attention. It is just loose enough to make noise when you drop the front wheel from an inch or so. This weekend…

The seat clamp seems to be loosening up, causing the seat to rock a little. Have to look into that.

The drop bars weren’t as painful today. Good thing I still have 40 more miles to get accustomed to it…

Down tube shifters… what a trip!

Ultimately, I am enjoying the experience the clunker challenge is providing, and that’s the most important part, right?

molleraj

^Agreed about road bike efficiency Smokinapankake ! I am shocked how fast and easy this old road bike feels, even though it's hi-ten!

Speaking of which, I managed 15.2 miles last night to the podunk little town of Darrtown, Ohio at a record average speed thus far of 15.8 mph! This brings me to 39 miles so far (9.15 + 14.85 + 15.2) out of 100. On the way I saw lots of nice views (Four Mile Creek, Darrtown Cemetery, and so on). Enjoy the photos!


Canoe/kayak launch. Beautiful view behind. I think some guys were swimming in the creek well in the distance.

Another view from the boat launch.

View in the opposite direction, towards the bridge

Darrtown Cemetery

Four Mile Creek at Ohio 73

Cool barn in Darrtown


St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Darrtown, Ohio

Capri Cordova in front of St. Matthew Lutheran Church

molleraj

Ooooh! Is that the Boyds MARC stop? I am close to Metropolitan Grove! :-)

DonkeyShow

Yep. One day I'll take it to dickerson and bike back home!

Smokinapankake

So another 12.2 miles on the Nishiki today. My route took me to the Amphitheater at Barker Park:



then up to the Pioneer Trailhead of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail:




then up the hill to Bates Elementary:




down the hill to Weber High School where my son will graduate on the 23rd this month (Yay!)



then back home.

Mileage total: 19 + 12.2 = 31.2
Money total: $75.46

Getting there!

Mr. 66

The Mondia is complete, handlebar setup is funky but not hats how I got. The seatube is much happier with the 26.6 pillar with a viscount saddle. The saddle set came off off something Japanese, Fuji maybe I don't remember cost free. I estimate that my new derailleurs, shifters and pedals about $25. So here it's before the test ride $130 invested. Ah shucky ducky, lol

The final weight 24 lbs 8 oz

molleraj

Yesterday I made my longest ride yet (23.2 miles, with a stop in Indiana)! I got some nice views of Irving Materials (imi) concrete, Indiana, and the Oxford airport. Once, after watching a documentary about the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, I humorously told my parents I would make a pilgrimage to Indiana. Now I have done it.

Anyway. 62 of 100 miles done. I also weighed the bike and it appears to be about 31 or 32 pounds, so quite hefty. The derailleurs still shift nicely. Next time, Hueston Woods and College Corner!



Irving Materials, Inc. (imi) concrete tower. This is northwest of Oxford, Ohio

Trucks at imi

Another shot of imi

Indiana, enough said

Another view of Indiana

Looking towards Ohio. Note the lack of a dashed line on the road. That's how you know you are in Indiana.

Hangar at Miami University Airport (OXD)

Miami University Airport main building

Entrance to Oxford Miami University Airport

Mr. 66

Well as time flowed I was not able to get out for the test ride until today. The broke out, I oiled the chain on the Mondia. Check fit again, I had to adjust the bars I needed to rotate them up for accessibility on the tops.

I got out to the street pushed off, it felt good, it felt balanced. With the tall stubby technomic it felt twitchy. With the weight at 24-8oz it was much stiffer than I thought it would be. Nice stable, I did feel over the top of the bb or very forward due to the steep seattube angle, and pushed back at the same time with the stem. Odd, I got used to the high bars fast but the stubby reach has got to go.

The Mafac with Koolstop black performed well, the brake levers are a long reach. I don't think I was able to get my ring and pinky into action. The new Cyclone was everything they were supposed to be. The rear fantastic switches effortlessly, fast across the span of five. The front shifts the triple ok, I did have to to tighten the friction shifter. Both the front and rear need a lot of attention for trim. The rear derailleur has more chatter that's there no it should, it could be tweaked, it works great for being 45 years old, lol.

Not a big trip just a spin to the lbs, or two. Off to Bikeworks in search of a French bb for the Gitane TdF. I was unsuccessful, I did run into fine friends which certainly makes up for the shortfall. Ah well, I leave with a couple of parts in hand. Next I headed over to the Bikery, success!(maybe) a French bb non drive side cup. I'm hoping that TA Specialties will be compatible, I'll check that latter. More success, I found a 107 cartridge bb for another build.

In completing my loop I rode the Mondia 19 miles. Here's the bike at the Bikery

Mr. 66

My other project the Gitane has taken some steps forward. If the cup that I bought today is thin enough for my TA Specialties I will have all of he parts sourced. I'm going with white cables, they look great against the green. The Simplex is all in place and is just waiting for the driveside bb cup to be removed. I found a better stepdown ferrule, straddles, the new seatpost is installed. Much work this one absorbs. Here are some shots of the Gypsy.





This cable stop is gonna get something Rube Goldberg

rustystrings61 

I know, a week has gone by - but life gets crazy sometimes!

I took advantage of the Sunday morning pause and traveled roads I normally avoid. Forty years ago these were all good roads to ride, one of them was actually on South Carolina’s designated cycling routes - but that was before the industrial parks and the aggressive promotion of lakeside luxury homes.

Champagne Charlie rode beautifully today, especially after I stopped to raise the saddle one more centimeter. When shifting, you’d never know the chain was once nearly rusted solid, and it’s always odd to look down and see how rusted the front derailleur is. There were some long fast descents that felt smooth and controllable, the 25 mm tires were just large enough to make the bumpier passages okay, and this bike rides no-hands flawlessly.

I rolled out of the apartment complex and hooked left on Deadfall Road, up past the luxurious homes along the golf course-centric developments. I remembered George Singleton’s book that included a mischief-maker burying empty 55-gallon drums in the area with little holes in the bottom, so that decades later they would be discovered and trigger a toxic dump panic and a fast devaluation of said luxury dwellings.




I put George’s class-war humor to the side and enjoyed a sunny day on its way to being hot and climbed the rest of the way to cross U.S. 25 and head for Dixie Drive. From there I headed for scenic downtown Hodges, pausing to admire the Forestry Commission’s new sign -



- and the enjoying the series of relatively flat long straightaways that make Dixie a local cycling favorite. I rolled on to Hodges to take the obligatory photo - no Clunker Challenge is complete for me without a photo of my bike against the downtown facade - and then turned and headed out 246 for Cokesbury College.

This used to be a standard route when I cycled with the Lander College Cycling Club c.1982-83, but today it’s a heavily traveled road. But it was now 11 am and everyone is in church, so there was minimal traffic.

They appeared to be setting up an event - probably a wedding, as the historic, long-closed college is a preserved historic site, and the rent from events helps maintain it. I paused to take some photos of the main campus and the chapel before taking bumpy Asbury Road - with its slightly scary descent - over to 254.






Coming back into town I passed Park Seed company, which like Cokesbury pre-dates the Civil War, and considered and rejected getting a photo of the Cokesbury Motel, a contender for scariest looking motel in the South. I turned left onto Deadfall and retraced my steps home. It’s a lot more fun to descend Deadfall Road than to climb it!

I wound up with 16.8 miles, or 27 km, so my total now is 44.3 km. Still pondering raiding the storage unit for better front wheel cones, and maybe splurging on some black bar tape …

molleraj

Just got another 10.2 miles in, getting me up to 72 miles or so (9.15 + 14.84 + 15.15 + 23.24 + 10.26 = 72.64). This time an electric power-themed (Butler Rural Electric Cooperative) ride down back roads to McGonigle, Ohio, plus a visit to the Union Methodist Episcopal church. The derailleurs are still shifting nicely.


BREC substation

BREC headquarters

BREC Community Room

Union ME Church in McGonigle

Another view of the church

BREC solar panels on the way back

Sign for BREC solar power station

Oldsledz

After a 20 mile ride on my Raleigh Super Course I am at 119 km. I paid 50.00 for the bike it didn't have any front brake pads so I used a set from a old frame I had sitting around they are old and hard I will say they are worth a dollar and another dollar for a used bottle cage, so I have 52.00 into the bike. I like the bike and will keep it, it will need tires and new brake pads soon and is missing one spoke in the back wheel.

darnet

Really old French bike blues:

I’ve been remiss in posting, but I have ridden the Green Mirage a total of 4 times for 41.2 kilometers, all of which were actually shakedown rides. Recall that on the inaugural ride the rear derailleur got stuck once and was balky always, and the steering was hard left. After that ride, I noticed the rim was not centered in the fork. I reversed the wheel, yikes, it was still off-center, on the same side. Uh-oh. With the same wheel mounted in another fork it was centered nicely. Sick of the whole thing, (but not too surprised given the bikes history) I decided to switch out the fork rather than fiddle with it. I’ll have to add a few $$. Upon removal, measured on a flat surface the Mirage fork was about ½” bent.

My replacement fork came from an old Takara (27” wheels); the Takara was my “office park road bike” about 10 years ago, bought from a co-worker for $30. I liked that the front fork had forged dropouts, so I held on to it. It was a taller frame so steerer tube is taller (good for me). I hacksawed an aluminum pipe into a sleeve to cover the extra height, because 1) didn’t like the extra threads showing and 2) otherwise the lock nut would bottom on the top of the steerer tube. I had to sandpaper the Mirage’s handlebar stem so it would fit into the Takara fork. But I later was reminded that solving one problem sometimes leads to another.

new stem shifters and taller front fork with spacer

As far as the shifting problems, I looked at the rear derailleur, and the shift cable had frayed on the end entering the derailleur, causing binding, so I removed, trimmed, and reinstalled.

Second time out the steering was great, this might be the best hands-free rider in my fleet. However, the shifting was still cranky, kept wanting to jump to other gears.

Third trip was on a hilly route, the shifting was worse, and the chain kept slipping on the freewheel. Found three problems (one of which goes back to the front fork).

1) Both pulleys on the derailleur were binding badly. I love how the huret derailleur comes apart, and that goes all the way to the pulleys, even to the tiny bearing balls. Cleaned them up, reassembled and good to go. Put the derailleur back on.


2) Went on Thingiverse and found a design for a chain stretch tool, which I printed. Measured the chain and it was stretched. Need to supply a different chain.



3) Last but not least, I’ve never before ridden a bike with stem shifters, but I finally realized that the stem shifter cables were too tight, from being higher on the tall steerer/handlebar stem. So much so that turning the handlebar in effect was pulling on the derailleur cables. Now I have to replace the cables to make longer. But I have no more of the old Huret-style cables. I have plenty of the normal shift cables, and some old stem shifters, so they got swapped out. Not Huret, but stem shifters still, not an upgrade but a few more bucks.

Fourth ride, almost there, some annoyances remain. Bike steers fine, shifts okay except it tends to go straight from the largest (5th) cog to the middle (3rd) cog of the 5-cog rear cluster. I have to really finesse it to get it on the 4th. Also, get a knock, one-per-crank revolution, drive side I think. I’m thinking it’s the bottom bracket shaft where I blended the bearing surface. I will also check the cotters, since I’ve ridden it a few miles since assembly.

Next post I'll be ready to do the cost round-up.