My Frankenbike
3 years, 4 months ago
Hayden recently gave me his old bike*, and I attempted to cycle it around Sydney. It’s was an old racing bike, with a very light frame, but also suicidally-placed gear levers and brakes. Combined with the foot-cages this bike made it impossible to cycle safely (IMHO).
Last Monday I visited the Nunnery free bike workshop (at the Redfern end of Newtown) and managed to carve off the old handlebars, replace them with straight maintain-bike ones, and move the brakes and gears. All for free: Fantastic! I’ve now got a very light bike, but with sensible controls. I’ve dubbed the bike “Mr Richard Ashcroft from the Verve”, as it’s all black, is very skinny, but has wide shoulders thanks to the straight bars. The bike now marches through the streets of Sydney a la Bittersweat Symphony, knocking old ladies and children over… maybe.
Needless to say, I was well chuffed.
Today, I managed to enthusiastically buy a bunch of cheap and heavy electronics from Reverse Garbage, with no transport other than Mr. Ashcroft. Necessity being the mother of invention; I managed to hook up the sweet trailer arrangement I’ve been wanting to make for years, all for less than $10!
* reports indicate it was a karma-swap for my old bike going missing while I was away.
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It’s all about the riding style. Those foot cages prevented boot slippage. The gears were perfectly positioned for the racing position. And the breaks were responsive and allowed for under the armpit safety checks.
That bike is basically unrideable, and deemed unsafe, for anyone who is accustomed to the quick paced riding style of the roader racer. You should be ashamed that you’ve bastardised a beautiful road-bike into yet another mountain bike menace.
Though I like the trailor!
Here’s the thing about under-the-armpit safety checks – it’s actually important for drivers to see you checking behind you, so that they can expect you to suddenly do something. In traffic situations it’s not always practical to indicate, but if you make obvious pre-manoeuvre motions, it’s nearly as good.
The trailer looks great Josh. Not too sure about riding any bike safely in Sydney traffic. The free bike workshop sounds amazing – what’s all that about?
The workshop is effectively a large open garden with piles of bike frames, tires, wheels, etc. laid out. Every Monday they put tarpaulins out, and allow people to come in and pick and choose from the parts. Tools are available, and lots of helpful and friendly bike-enthusiasts are floating around helping or working on their own projects.