Two Wheel Blogs

I got the call today…my waiting is over for the final addition. Now that the powder coat is finished baking, the final step of the project can begin…re-assembly…well not so fast.

First of all, I had to correct a few mistakes made at the paint shop. Had to chase the threads in the BB shell, grind away some really tough powder coat at the seat tube to allow the clamp to pass, reface the head tube, and remove the bottle cage bolts that were powder coated in place. No big deal really, but it did make for a long rebuild compared to the 10 or so minutes needed to strip this frame down in prep for modifications.

Let’s start with a brief listing of the modifications to the frame. First, I ground off the cable bosses (the ones on the top tube that held the housing ends and allowed that cable to run bare across my top tube). Bypassing these increased my rear brake modulation and cable life (no muck can get in the housing here anymore). Second, I ground off the rear hanger (who would want to ruin this bike with gears?). Finally, grind off all cable bosses and guides associated with shifter cables (no need for those).

With the few basic frame modifications out of the way, I needed to remove the head badge…luckily this was just glued in place and came off easily.

My monkey was apprehensive about spending time away from me, so I promised some snazzy upgrades when she returned. After receiving the pink Chris King SS disc wheels for Christmas--along with the spicy Gecko rotor, I knew that some upgrading was necessary anyway.

First order was some more pink. New pink brake cable housings and bar tape were easy basics, and the pink Chris King head set seemed obligatory…there just needed to be some little touch that would make her feel extra special. I found this lovely custom headset spacer anodized pink laser etched with geckos! I love Geckos.

Next, we need some semi-precious metal upgrades. The Moots seat post needed some new wedges (and Moots hooked me right up). The Eno cranks were pretty pimpy, but a titanium chain ring will add smack and longevity to the set. I also needed to match that chain ring up to a similar titanium cog in the back. This drive train ought to last a long time. The manufacturer states that he will re-finish the cog and ring annually for no additional charge…bonus!

When the powder coater called today, I could hardly wait to see how the color had turned out. Much to my surprise, he decided to not only blow on a very generous (thick) coat of snot-rocket green, but added an equally thick coat of clear. This paint is very deep looking and appears wet. It should be quite durable, and I don’t think it will be easy to scratch or chip (this is why I choose powder coat, and wanted it to be thick).

I have included this montage of photographs for those who want to see more of what I am talking about. This bike looks like candy for sure. Thanks for reading, and if you like what you see, you are welcome to ride it!

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