You know it's summer--or close to it--in this part of the world by the fulsome, verdant foliage:
Those trees stand next to the Veterans' Memorial in Greenwich, Connecticut. Yes, I took a ride there. Once the rain stopped, around ten o'clock yesterday morning, the sun appeared as if it were in the next frame of a film. And, while it brightened the day, it also turned the air soupy in short order.
Still, it was a good day for a ride. Arielle, my Mercian Audax, was ready for anything:
On the other hand, Marlee and Max were ready for only one thing:
I had a great time. I'm sure they did, too!
Some parents talk about their failures in raising their children. Of course, "failure" can be defined in any number of ways: Perhaps the child didn't follow the career path the parents wanted. Or he or she married the "wrong" person or didn't get married at all--or didn't have kids. Or end up with the lifestyle the parents envisioned.
I have to say, I am guilty on all counts. My career and lifestyle are nothing like what my parents--especially my father--wanted from and for me. And, yes, I married the "wrong" person--and never married again after that. But none of that is either of my parents' fault--really.
I will, however, admit there is one area in which I've failed miserably in the making of my parents. You see, I tried to turn both of them into cyclists--even to the point of giving them bicycles as gifts for some occasion or another. I don't think my mother ever rode hers (If I recall, it was sold when my parents moved from New Jersey to Florida.) and my father may have ridden a couple of times with me. Though his bike survived the move, it, too was eventually sold.
So...I can't say that my father (or mother) and I bonded over bike riding. For that matter, if I recall correctly, I didn't learn how to ride from either of them: I got those lessons from my grandfather (who died before I turned eight) and an uncle.
I failed, but I think my parents have forgiven me by now. A lot has been forgiven, or simply written off as vodka under the bridge, as Alexandr Revva might say.
(Why did I choose him? I confess: He's one of the few Russians whose name I can spell!)
Anyway, in the spirit of father-child relationships, I offer this, from one of my favorite comic-strip series:
Happy Father's Day!
My "winter" project is more or less complete.
Back in December, I found a 1981.5 Trek 412 at an estate sale. It was looking for a good home. I thought I'd finish it during my January recess from school and ride it during the winter.
Well, as with almost any project, not everything went exactly as planned. Some parts I'd intended to use didn't fit or work with other parts, and, well, I changed my mind about a couple of things along the way.
I finally got it into rideable (for my purposes, anyway) condition by Spring recess, in April. And, as I mentioned a few days ago, gearing wasn't quite to my liking--and the crankset (which had been sitting in my parts box for I-don't-know-how-long) stripped when I tried to remove it. So I had to "destroy it in order to save it", to paraphrase one of the more unfortunate commands of all time.
But now I think the only thing I might change is the bars--to drops. (Actually, I might make this bike "bi" and switch between drops and Porteurs as need, and whim, dictate!)
In putting the bike together, I didn't try to do an "original" or even a "period" restoration. Instead, I tried to rebuild the bike in the spirit of the original (Yes, I know, that's an extremely elastic term!) while suiting my needs and tastes as a rider. So, I decided not to refinish the frame (also, in part, because I didn't want to spend the time or expense) and when I didn't use parts that came with the bike, I installed components and accessories from within a few years of when the bike was made--or that at least don't look out of place on a bike of its time.
What that means is that the bike now consists of the following:
Frame and fork-- Trek 412, of Ishiwata 022 tubing.
Headset-- Stronglight A9 roller bearing (came with frame)
Wheels-- Rear: Specialized sealed bearing hub (made by Sansin) sealed bearing
Sun CR 18 Rim, 700C
36 DT spokes, 2.0 straight gauge, 3 cross
Front: Suzue sealed bearing hub
Sun CR 18 rim, 700 C
36 Wheelsmith spokes, 2.0 straight gauge, 3 cross
Continental Gatorskin Hardshell tires, 700 X 32
Crankset-- Shimano A 124 triple (1986 model), triple
46/42/28 rings
Derailleurs-- Rear: SunTour VxS with sealed pulleys
Front: SunTour Spirt (top-normal)
Shifters: SunTour PD-M (racheted)
Freewheel-- SunTour Winner Pro five-speed, 13-26
Chain-- SRAM PC-830
Pedals-- MKS GR-10 Platform (like Lyotard Berthet)
MKS "Basket" toe clips
Generic leather toe straps
Brakes-- Weinmann Carrera (first version)
with Mathauser "Kool Stop" pads
Tektro 4.1 inverse levers
Handlebar-- Velo Orange Porteur
Stem-- Specialized 9mm, made in Japan (Nitto?)
Seat post-- SR Laprade alloy (came with frame)
Saddle-- Brooks B17
Fenders-- Velo Orange Hammered, 45mm, with flap from RuthWorks SF
Rear Rack-- Blackburn Expedition stainless steel
Front Rack-- Nitto M18.
Bottle Cages-- Twofish
Pump-- Zefal Competition, converted
I plan to put a decaleur made by Mark Guglielmana on the stem. I've been using it on Vera (my Mercian mixte) and like it a lot. The reason I want to shift it to the Trek is that there isn't enough room under the headset nut for a decaleur (or anything besides a headset spacer). The Stronglight A9 that came with this bike isn't the original: Apparently, the original (probably Japanese) had a smaller stack height. Moving the decaleur will allow me to use my RuthWorks Randonneur bag on this bike.
Rebuilding this bike has been an interesting--and so far worthwhile--experience!
