Yesterday was a great day for bicycle parts collection. Someone put 2 bicycles out by the road with a sign saying "free bikes" ... so I took them home. It seems that one of them just needs some air in the tires ... and a rider. Then later in the day I was passing by bulk garbage piles and saw a bicycle wheel. So I stopped and found 2 more bicycles that I put in the car and took home. Now the question is, do I just fix them up and give them away? Or strip them for parts? (cut up the frames, save the brakes & shifters, etc.)
I'll worry about that later. I have other activities to attend to today. Gotta go! :-)
Friday, June 22, 2012
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Mach3 - Change the Front Wheel
I changed the front wheel to a 24" one (had to cut the brakes assembly off to do this and patch the fork and grind things smooth again) ... and rode it around. Pretty nice. Then I changed it to a 26" wheel (the brake assembly was still off). It rides pretty good and is the same size as the rear wheel. Which means you can theoretically make it from just one donor bike.
sideview with the 26" wheel
Brakes removed
sideview of the front fork
Wheel clearance of front fork ...
too close for caliper brakes,
awkward even with "V" brakes
Another view of fork clearance
This view shows the roller for the return chain.
It keeps the chain from swinging back and forth and wreaking havoc. I had to drop it down a little so that the chain didn't rub the bottom of the frame when on the big gear in the back and the big gear in the front at the same time.