 |
| Last version 2012 |
So here I am- merrily going about my days when it comes to pass that the weatherman says a big, nasty snow storm is coming, and hey! there is a week until Christmas? Whoa....hold on a minute.
One last, spirited, but too short, a ride on the "Orange Crush". In its final version for 2012. That's one of the things I really like about this bike. I can re-imagine it several different ways. It is going to change again for sure. Some things are going to come off. Some things will stay put, while yet other things need upgrading.
Yesterday morning was weird with this granular, "dandruff-like" precipitation on the ground and fog. A precursor to the big snow coming later today, I understand. Well, the BMC needed to be ridden one last time to end the year right. The tires and frame felt incredibly smooth, and when I checked them at work, it was no wonder why that was. 23psi or so in the rear? Wow. I don't think I'd ever run them that low before. And I was curb poppin' and not taking it easy at all.
 |
| I'm going to do something about this... |
The next thing is to upgrade some components. Brakes, fenders, and bottom bracket. Although I won't probably go year long with fenders, I will probably do something hammered and metallic. The STX brakes have done yeoman's service, but there are better cantis and lighter out there. The bike is worth it, so I will take a look at what is out there. The bottom bracket is toast. Well.....not totally toast, but it is getting gritchy. (That's a word that describes a bearing's smoothness, or lack thereof, by the way.) I will turn to Chris King for a suitable, anodized, replacement.
There may be other changes, but I am not at liberty to speak of a few of them. I will be keeping the Retroshifters on board though. These things are dead reliable and I like the simplicity which should prove to be durable in the long haul. My brifters have already shown signs of degradation, and if I had subjected them to the brutal dust we had this year, the wear would have accelerated. The Retroshifters should outlast a brifter by a long shot despite the severe conditions I've abused them in.
More on the end of the year stuff coming in the final daze of 2012 here. Stay tuned.....
Note: The Guitar Ted Show has been scheduled for Thursday evening at 7:30pm. We'll be talking more about Trans Iowa. Tune in or plan to call with your questions and comments.
3 comments:
If you had replaced your small repair kit with one of those Caradice waxed cotton bags, I'd swear you were getting ready for one of the Cedar Valley Rando events. :) Love that bike.
@Steve Fuller: Thank you! You know- the rando looks of this bike were not lost on me, and I am surprised no one has brought that up before.
It demonstrates the versatility of the BMC design though. Put that big caboose of a bag on, throw a generator hub wheel on, and this is right in there with those other rando rigs. Strip it all off and its back to an old school CX bike. Or single speed it, whatever.
The curved fork definitely helps with the looks. You don't see a lot of bikes with curved forks these days.
Post a Comment