The Joy of Building up a Winter Bike on the Cheap.....
So like many cyclists, I have a box of bits lying around, which contains a mass of old parts, and things that just sit there needlessly.
So when I came across an old frame, I took the opportunity to build myself a winter hack. I was walking home one day and came across a building site with a skip, in the skip was an old Cannondale frame, and a set of worn out wheels. The wheels were absolutely trashed, but they had a set of tyres and inner tubes in them, so they came home as well.
This would form the centre of my new hack. The next day at work I talked to my boss about my new plan. He told me about a set of wheels that were badly scratched and had been thrown out the back of the shop. If I could find them after work they where mine. Result.
Forks were easy, When picking up my dad's bent wheel I chatted to the owner of that bike shop about my little project. He smiled and said he had a set of forks about to be thrown out. If I bought a headset from him the forks came with them! I was getting closer bit by bit.
I took what I had and put it together, but I still needed some important pieces. Searching though my parts bin, I came across a set of old bars. 41cm! but they would do. I also had a 14cm stem, a set of pedals, a set of bottle cages and a set of derailleurs.
I put together everything I had, before looking at my current race bike for the final pieces of my jigsaw. I took my crank set from my road bike, as well as the saddle before buying the rest of the pieces through the shop I work at. Now armed with a Seat Post, Bottom Bracket, Shifters, Cables, Bar tape, and a set of Mudguards. I set to work finishing off the bike. Once done, my boss offered to check it over to make sure the bike was safe. I was certain in taking up his offer!
Stickers became a notable feature that started after a night out with some mates that ended up back at mine. Once I started, any stickers I came across got added. I now have no space left to add any more stickers. Bike purists turn their heads away!
The full bike is a thing of strange beauty. It also means I have cheap bike I'm happy to throw around and have some fun on. So far I've pulled more off road skids on this bike than I ever did on any other road bike.
