Dear List:
Something about building a bike seems to foster a contemplative state of mind. I always seem to reach new solutions to universal questions as I grease threads and thread cables into place. So, rather than let these priceless pearls dissapear into the floor drain along with the degreaser solution, here are some random musings. Comments welcome.
1. This job is a lot more fun when there's no time limit, and no boss looking over your shoulder nagging you about how many bikes you've got to build today before quitting time. In fact, working in the bike dungeon is about the only time I still smoke my pipes. Only here do I get enough uninterrupted quiet time to puff through a bowl. As we are building a French Follis frame, I decided to go international and smoke English tobacco (MacBaren's Navy Flake) in an Italian pipe (Savinelli Punto Oro). Unlike bicycle frames and fly rods, pipes haven't been ruined by new materials as nothing can replace briar wood. The frame is a new one to me, 531DB throughout, Campy long drops w/o eyelets so a pure racing frame. Bought from Tom Hayes thru eBay. I think this is the 3rd or 4th frame Tom has found for me. Keep up the good work, Tom!
2. The mystery of what happens in the bowels of the parts boxes will never be solved. How do you end up with 4 spare sets of curved rear brake washers, but have no front curved washers, and have to cannibalize some other front brake?
3. Now I know why I wasn't using this old roll of brake housing anymore! Put it on, squeeze the lever and feel the housings compress, as the brake lever sinks towards the handlebar. Why didn't I put a tag saying "spongy" on this roll of housing before? Oh well, leave it on for now, tighten the brake cables as much as possible, and wait, as I may be sending this baby in for paint before too long, and then I can put "good" housing on.
4. How do so many parts end up cannibalized? (I know, I know, I just did it myself in #2). The Dura Ace front brake's cable anchor bolt has been swapped out with a no-hole straight bolt that requires using a washer for a pinch fit to anchor the cable. I can see the cable jumping out from under the washer on a long, fast downhill---. No, no, throw the Dura Ace front brake back into the box, stick on a Weinmann Carrera. Thus, for some of us, goes the mysterious process of "expert parts selection". I'll have to come up with some elaborate justification of why the Carrera front brake is "better" than the Dura Ace.
5. Just how many nuts and bolts to grease are there on a bike? When I first got on this list, I was lucky if I remebered to grease the seat post and stem. Now, after so many horror stories of frozen this and broken that, I'm a greasing fool. Of course I'm still not perfect: I still hear Steve Willis at the Bike Stand, working on one of my machines, give me a pained, dissapointed "Tsk, tsk, Tom, there's no grease on (previously never thought of obscure tiny bike part)". Doesn't matter how many threads I grease, he still finds an ungreased one. Still I'm doing better. Chainring bolts? Of course. Brake lever mounting bolts? You betcha. Stem pinch bolt? Oh yeah. Brake cable housing clip screws? Come on, gimme a hard one! But can it go too far? This time I found myself carefully greasing the threads on the Velox handle bar plugs.
6. Speaking of brake cable clips, did we ever figure out why the screws are so short? As the Follis is french, of course the stock screws on the Shimano clips are too short to reach. Zip ties would work, but oh, you just can't do that on a thoroughbred. Drat, off to the hardware store for longer M3 screws. Of course I get em too long, and nothing snags your shorts better than over-long brake clip screws. Thank you, whoever invented the dremel tool and the cut off wheel.
7. It works much better if you put the brake levers on BEFORE you insert the Velox plugs.
8. BTW, thanks to whoever shared the trick of taping the brake lever straps to the bars before wrapping, allowing you to pull the levers and avoiding having to roll the brake hoods up for wrapping. This is the 3rd pair of old hoods I've saved this way, plus you can really get a smooth wrap with the brake lever body out of the way. Bless you.
9. This is really turning into a mutt build kit: Campy Tipo hubs laced to Weinmann concave rims, Crane GS rear mech, Suntour VX DT shift levers, Shimano Titleist front changer, Dura Ace brake levers and rear brake, the afore mentioned Weinmann front stopper, Nitto I beam stem and GB rando bars, Kalloy 26.6 post, Avocet saddle, beer can shim on the bars. I could have used a Pepsi can I had lying around, but who am I to argue with tradition? Upstairs for a Budweiser so I can have the necessary materials to do the job right. Remeber, no sacrifice is too great when it comes to doing a good job. I don't know if I could have mixed the parts up any more if I had tried. No theme to this build, although they are all good reliable parts, just want to get her on the road.
10. I'm finally breaking down and opening that virgin case of Tressoplast Blue cotton bar tape. Ohh, there's nothing better than wrapping with the old cotton tape. So thick, yet so stretchy, effortlessly laying down a flat, wrinkle free bar coating. Yeah, it's precious stuff, but any bike that wins Paris Roubaix deserves only the best ('55, under Jean Forestier).
11. Hmm, pipe's out, so the bike must be finished. Air in the tires, and off we go around the block. Oh yeah, she's a nice one. Thank you, Follis, thank you Tom Hayes, Steve Willis, Dale Brown and all you list members who made this day better for me.
Tom Adams, Shrewsbury NJ
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