Mechanic Matt

A few bikes that I have sold or am selling over the past few months...

2010-05-16T11:41:00.001-07:00

Click to be taken to photo sets, some are still for sale. I thought that they look pretty nice:

For Sale $45 OBO

For Sale $165 OBO

Sold

Sold

Sold

For Sale $275

More to come, I have to clean out the garage...

1984 Trek 500 Ratrod

2010-01-24T15:18:00.000-08:00

Well I finished the Trek 500 I have been working on and thought I would share some pictures. It took some cleaning, greasing, and repairing and the bike is as much done as I am going to make it. Maybe if I get time I will start taking off the reflective tape on the rims, or maybe not. I literally took all parts off, greased all bearings, removed all rust that I could, replaced the worn out parts, and put on new tires, tubes, brake pads, cables, housing, cork grip, and new to the bike chain and seat.

The ride is every bit what lugged steel should feel like, just real nice, long ride comfortable. Kind of cool ratrod, cafe racer styling. Frame has been serial confirmed to being built in May 1984 and built with Reynolds 501 tubing. Just a thicker version of Reynolds 531. Take a look at the pictures and feel free to get in touch with any questions. Bike will be up for sale in March and frame is a size 22" (57cm).

New Year, New Ideas...Shop Update

2010-01-03T17:25:00.000-08:00

So resolutions are abound this time of year and my biggest is that pending any real job offers, I am going to open a bike store in Mission. It is going to be a lot of work and truly the patronage from the public last year has convinced me to move ahead. I don't know where the shop will be located yet, but I am calling around to various open store spots for possible rental space.

That being said my hand has healed as well as it probably will, and I can go back to doing repairs. I have an old Schwinn in my garage for repairs, but do not know where I am going to find all the parts to make it work again. Other than that I have time to repair bikes again, but my garage and therefore my shop is ice cold so I can't promise anything with any speed. I have been over coming this with a little propane heater but a pair of Coleman canisters only last a day so I can go through a lot. So if there is any work anyone needs I am going to charge an extra $6 to pay for the canisters for the day. I hope that isn't an issue.

In preparation of the store, I have been purchasing and thoroughly overhauling bikes to resale in the store. This will hopefully help me afford my first few months rent until I can convince a bicycle company to allow me to be a retailer. I have five bikes right now, and would like to get closer to the 20 bike range but we will see. I thought as a teaser I would let you know what I have found, these will not be available until the store opens so be advised. Remember that all these bikes have been completely overhauled including repacking bearings, drivetrain tuning, brake repair, and truing wheels. (Pictures to come)

2001 Jamis Aurora touring bike in nearly new condition. Absolutely ready perfect shape for your first tour. The color is kind of a purplish-blue. Only change to it was a Terry brand anatomic seat, everything else is stock. Highlights include 36 spoke Ritchey Wheels (Hub and Rims, offset rear rim), SLR Brifters, cantilever brakes, and Reynolds 520 frame and fork. Stout and ready for the long road including all the little touring and fender mount eyelets needed. Size is a 53cm.

1997 Specialized Rockhopper cromoly steel mountain bike in nearly new condition. This bike come in a Ferarri Red color and is ready for offroading, rail-trailing, campus life, or as a commuter conversion. One of the last high end steel frames that Specialized made, included Ritchey dropouts, fender and touring tabs, and modern threadless headset. Highlights other than the frame include gripshift, Shimano/Ritchey wheels, super knobby Specialized Team Tires, Specialized Strongarm Crank (made by Sugino), and V-brakes. Just a great bike, size is 17in.

Late 80's / Early 90's Schwinn World Sport ladies (or low slung top tube) road bike in nearly new condition. Would be an excellent commuter or campus bike. Beautiful deep blue, lugged, 4130 steel frame. Highlights include new tires, Shimano SIS 14spd drivetrain with stem shifters, ergonomic bend handlebars, and quick release wheels. I haven't measured the frame size but it is small, meant for someone less the 5' 8" to ride.

1984 Vintage Trek 500 Road Bike that is currently being restored. I am in the middle of rebuilding this bike now and it is going to turn out great. It will be like owning a Rivendell Roadie or Bridgestone road bike, except this model was made in the USA in Waterloo, Wisconsin. Frame is in good shape, but definitely shows some surface rust in spots from its age, metallic silver paint job. Made of Reynolds 501 steel on a classic lugged frame. The Mallaird hub bearings / race and headset bearings / cups are in excellent shape and have been repacked with Paul's Waterproof Grease for long life. Rear hub is the infamous Heliomatic hub. Most of the bike will remain stock with exception of a new seat, tires, tubes, cables, housing, and maybe a chain. Just a really cool old Trek that upon finish of the restoration, I am going to send pictures to Vintage-Trek.com for permanent record. Size is a 22.5in (or 57cm). Click the first link for the original Trek catalog details.

Early to mid 80's Schwinn World Traveler ladies road bike that is up next for restoration. Grey in color from the Panasonic made frame Schwinn era. Frame is lugged 4130 steel. Everything is in good shape just needs a good cleaning. Bike would be at home as a commuter or campus bike. Size will be 19in (or 48cm).

Trading Bike Work for Printer Repair...

2010-01-03T17:14:00.000-08:00

I posted an ad on craigslist that I could use some help with anyone who knows a little something about computer printer repair. Specifically, I am will to trade bike repair like a full tune-up, wheels trued, etc for some help with my printer.

I have a Canon MF5750 that is currently stuck thinking that it has a paper jam. I have spoken with Canon customer service rep and worked through there approprate flow chart. All that conversation basically figured that one of the paper jam sensors is stuck "on", and to repair the machine the sensor would have to be cleaned, replaced, or bypassed. Electronics aren't my strong suit so any help, suggestions or what not would be greatly appreciated.

The Incredible Movements of Cycling Development...

2009-11-12T02:31:00.000-08:00

(Quick warning to those just looking for typical average joe bike person blog writing, this post is basically full bike nerdness do not be surprised if you don't understand.)

So back when I first was starting to care about bicycles fully, the year was roughly 1989 and 21 speeds or 3 x 7 gearing (depending on your bike schooling) was all the rage of the growing mountain biking scene, much like Ned Overend's mustache. Components were moving from freewheels to cassettes and freehubs and spacing on rear hubs went from centered to dished. Over the next five years, some of the greatest components from Suntour and Shimano came from that era including both companies thumbshifters, nearly every component of Suntour's XC Pro gruppo and Shimano's Deore XT gruppo, Shimano wide style cantilever brakes, WTB Greaseguard products (hubs and headsets), Ritchey headsets, Ritchey brake levers and headsets, Sugino compact cranks, and on were created. What has happened since has probably been the greatest diversification in bicycle components and frames in 20 years than whatever had been engineered in the however many years before it.

Natural progression of parts well progressed. Threaded headsets with largely adjustable quilled stems made way into lighter Aheadsets with largely unadjustable stems to dedicated adjustable theadless headset stems. 3 x 7 (21 spd) gearing went to 3 x 8 because we needed more gears to 3 x 9 because we needed more gears to, strangely enough, 2 x 10 (20 spd) and single speeds because we have too many gears. Mountain bike frames went from rigid steel to front suspended aluminum to fully suspended aluminum and carbon fiber to rigid steel with larger diameter wheels. Brakes went from fairly lightweight and effective "cable straddle" style cantilever brakes to crappy working "y-straddle" style cantilever brakes to effective and lightweight v-brakes to now heavy and moderately effective disc brakes (in cyclocross they went back to lightweight and effective "cable straddle" style cantilever brakes). SRAM which became successful by offering a shifting option (Gripshift) other than Shimano's Rapidfire, essentially equips bikes today with their version of Rapidfire.

It makes you wonder if all the hype of parts and frames and styles were truly advances in technology or if it was just really good marketing. I don't know the answer, I definately appreciate v-brakes but miss thumbshifters and can't help but wonder what other junk that will come next.

Latest on the Shop and the Hand...

2009-10-24T06:33:00.000-07:00

First off I am happy to say the shop is open again in my opinion. I have a backlog of bikes in my garage first, but if you stumble onto here and want some work done get in touch. I will post a new Craigslist ad in KC when the backlog is taken care of. So good times.

My hand is in good shape for a pretty knarly accident, just some good scaring. Also found out why I crashed. While repairing the bike I found that there was a bent middle ring on the crank. That is what caused the slip between the middle and large gears. It sort of pisses me off, other than that have a good cold early winter Kansas City.

- The Management

The Great Tri-tool versus Bi-tool Debate...

2009-10-07T08:26:00.000-07:00

(The following has been copied over from an old blog I started and abandoned a couple of years ago called Retrobike. I couldn't find my muse there as I have seem to found here. This article is the only thing worth keeping, as I hope to slowly reveal what tools are great in the world of bicycles. No, not all are labeled "Park". I would best describe this article as cute.)

In the history of bike mechanic arguments, never has an argument been so dividing as the great tri-tool versus bi-tool debate. Typically one of these two tools is most mechanics first real toy that they learn how to quickly put together a new disassembled bike. Depending on the teachings of their original bike sensei, the mechanic will choose their tool of which they will wield, protect, and defend for the rest of their lives. We should probably break down the great adversaries first before weighing their skills in combat.

The Y-shaped tri-tool comes in a variety of combinations but only one style is truly worth its value. Ignore the screwdriver tipped or 8-9-10mm socket tipped versions and engorge yourself with the pleasure 4-5-6mm hex headed tool. These three sizes are the most commonly used in the spec’ing of bolts for a bicycle and allow for a mechanic to quickly put together a bicycle without having to constantly stop, find the right size wrench, and continue working again. Many different bicycle tool manufacturers have produced a version of the tri-tool but the best comes from Lifu (pictured above). Most of the other brands like Park or Pedro’s use some sort of sawed off hex shape and shoved it into a metal or plastic sleeve, where as the Lifu version is forged out of chrome-vanadium steel into it’s needed shape and bent and welded together. The later seems to hold up better, the other brands have had a tendency to bend and shear off over time. Lifu can show up as Ice Toolz, Nashbar's generic tools, Avenir, etc. Because of its Y-shape this tool allows its user to more easily torque bolts down. This isn’t always an advantage as a lot of bolts and threads are made of aluminum and can easily strip.

The bi-tool firmly says “Meh” to the 4mm hex size and utilizes only the 5 and 6mm sizes. Shaped like an S, this crafty version allows good leverage due to its natural fitting in the palm. 4mm were never used quite that much anyways. I have found this product as a Lifu branded product as well as Summit. It is sometimes difficult to find at the local bike shop (Waldo Bikes has some in stock), but worth the effort if you find one.

Comparing these two titans is really more like comparing your two favorite beers. Each has its own certain tastes but both can leave you feeling drunk and happy. The tri-tool is exceptionally good at adjusting cantilever, side pull, and v-style (linear pull) brakes and especially brake pads, which need its high torquing capabilities to keep the pads in place. The tri-tool is also real good for road bike brake levers and bar-end shifters as well. Bi-tools are particularly good for seat posts, stems, derailleurs, and mtb brake levers. Both work well for testing out new bike adjustments, just stop loosen, adjust, and tighten over and over until you find just the right angles.

My suggestion, pick them both up, try them out, and pick your side of the divide today. Both typically sell for less than $5 each, so it should be affordable for everyone. Also, don't ask me which one I prefer, I have 4 of each in case the great bike tool Armageddon ever comes true.

Customer Feedback #1: Monica

2009-09-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

This is Monica.

Monica had me tune up her Specialized S-Works (and her husband's Stumpjumper). She was referred to me from another customer of mine. Her bike was bought used which seems to be fairly typical for my customers, and had been pieced together with quite an array of parts. Rolf front wheel, Mavic Askium in the back, and a mishmash of Shimano drivetrain components. Beautiful S-Works frame from before the carbon boom of the last 7 years. The Rolf wheel had to go however due to a broken spoke (my fault) and loose bearings (typical of these wheels). It was replaced with a nice Reliable Shimano 500 front wheel with all normal parts and spokes with it. Anyway, real nice ride for her triathlon aspirations.

Monica started doing Triathlons this year. Her first was supposed to be at Shawnee Mission Park, but it was rained out. Next chance she had was at Lonestar Lake (7/19) where she placed 15/70 in the women's short course (58/207 overall short course men and women).

The next race she let me know about was again at Longview Lake where halfway through her 12 mile bike ride, she slid and wrecked. From her email to me:

"I was in another tri on Aug19 at Longview Lake that I ended up totally wiping out on my bike about 1/2 way through the 12m bike course. I ended up w/severe road rash on my left hip, elbow, left fingers, and left wrist. Also got 1 stitch in my left wrist. I was out of training for 2w so I was a little rusty (and terrified once I got back on my bike on 9/12!) for my last race."

The pictures she sent me are from her most recent race on September 12th were she placed 42/302 overall (7/45 in her age division). Pretty tough person I would say, especially doing so well just under a month later from a nasty case of road rash.

I just wanted to wish her continued luck in the triathlons and showcase her success here.

If any other past customers want to share any stories please just send me an email and let me know how it is going.

Shop Update and Useful Bike Related Items Found on the Web

2009-09-08T12:13:00.001-07:00

First off I would like to say that I luckily didn't need a skin graft, but my right hand is still healing. Despite whatever I may have said, it will probably take 2-4 weeks before I can wrench bikes again. I can still give advice and I have been thinking of offering 2 hour sessions with any individual on bike repair instruction for $60 or so. I can cover whatever people want to learn, but I won't be able to really get dirty (I have to prevent infection). I should note that a two hour session won't make you an expert but it certainly can give you the knowledge tools to start. I am just throwing it out there if anyone is interested.

That being said I have been glued to the computer for a couple of weeks looking for parts and such for a touring bike that I have been thinking about building up. None of these items I have bought but rather, just think they are quite ingenious.

Bar none, the coolest item I have found on the web are Phil Wood's "Riv" hubs made for Rivendell Bikes. What makes them so cool is that they are high flanged and the rear hub is centered. First off the benefits of high flanges are that they create a stronger built wheel, due to shorter spoke length. New road hubs these days have a small flange radius and thus longer spokes which at times can cause for wheels to come out of true more easily. Also the rear hub is meant to only have a 7sp freewheel often found on older that 1990 or so bicycles. What it allows for however for the flanges to be centered on the hub, thus allowing for the need of only one spoke size and no dish needed in the rear wheel. Again this makes for a strong long lasting rear wheel that should not come out of true. The front and rear hubs share flange widths and flange radius' so a common spoke size can be had for all the spokes in the front and rear wheel. Thus the touring bike rider would only need to carry a single size spoke as back up for their tour instead of three. Very trick, very brilliant, very expensive. I hope that wasn't too bike nerdy.

Next, have you found an old french Peugeot that that you wanted to update to new parts, but have been told the bottom bracket is french threaded and a replacement is hard to find? Well VeloOrange stocks a well priced ($48) Grand Cru replacement bottom bracket that can allow for you to use a more modern crank.

Like to see some other brands that make bike tools besides Park or need some specific tool that no ones seems to stock? Head over to BikeToolsEtc.com for a vast selection of tools, odd ball replacement parts, and more lubes and grease for bikes than Napa. I have on several occasions spoken with the owner/customer service who is extremely knowledgeable and very willing to find and stock something that he may not have. Definitely worth a visit if you a tool nut.

Why the shop is down...

2009-08-31T19:34:00.000-07:00

(do not scroll down if you are squeamish, you have been warned)

click to make bigger...

So that is the picture this is the story. I drove down south to the Blue Valley spot of the Overland Park-Lenexa-Olathe Megatropolis area to an appointment I had made with a purveyor of a two year old Specialized Tricross Sport.

This is a bike that I thought was out of my price range when I was looking for a replacement of my old odd blue Raleigh titanium road bike. I consequently purchased a Jamis Aurora touring framing and have been slowly putting the parts together to put that bike together.

This guy had a good price on it, though it is well ridden and I wanted to go check it out. I thought maybe I buy it, maybe not. If I do I would only keep it until the Jamis is built up, blah, blah, blah. Nice guy, we talked a while and I asked if it was okay if I take it for a ride.

I hop on, ride up the block, shift through the gears, and think, it seems okay. I decide to shift down, stand up, and mash on the pedals. The rest is a flash, some how shifting up I dropped the chain. I was thrown into the front handlebars after I lost my balance, the front wheel and all turned to the right 90 degrees, and acted as the brake. I had enough time for two things: 1) Say the word, "F*ck!" and 2) Turn my head to the side so I wouldn't take the impact head on.

I flipped, smashed, grinded, and then saw the bike go over head. I remember thinking, "I'm okay I think," and "What a eff'ing nightmare." Which I said many times over the next 30 minutes. The bike owner came and checked me out, to his accord he cared about how bad I was, which was pretty bad at least bloody wise. Meanwhile I surveyed that I had messed up his bike.

He helped wash me off, spray on some disinfectant, and dab dry. We talked for too long, I saw that the bike wasn't as bad as I thought (bent bars and front wheel only), and I left to get cleaned up and go see a doctor.

Needless to say I am buying the bike and will get it all fixed up. I don't know if I will keep or sell it but either way it is costing me time and money. I don't feel like I made the right choice.

So be careful while riding, you could get hurt any time by a car, by yourself, or by accident. I don't know what would have prevented this other than me being more careful and not pushing a bike so hard. Ride safe...

Is it a stockbroker, is it a quantities surveyor, is it a church warden...

2009-08-31T12:43:00.000-07:00

No it's bicycle repairman.

no repair for awhile...

2009-08-28T22:46:00.000-07:00

sorry folks, hurt my righthand and left arm test riding a bike the thursday. i believe the young'ns would call it an epic fail. i am all scraped up and my hand may need some surgeon's care. it makes it hard to type, let alone work on bikes. so the shop is down for now.

truly sorry,
the management

An interstesting article on street mechanics...

2009-08-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

(clicky) For Busy Sidewalk Bike Mechanics, the Fix Is In (clicky)

How I typically do Tune-ups...

2009-08-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

For those of you that have stumbled upon this website and wonder how I typically do things, I would like to share how it typically works.

First off for a true complete tune-up I charge $35 and it typically takes me about two hours (yes, I am kind of slow), but I am thorough and typically do more than a shop can afford to do for that price. I start with your wheels, repack the bearings, clean rims, and true wheels. I then clean up brake pads (replace if needed), replace wheels, adjust brakes (replace brake cables if needed), and start in on the shifting. I always start with the rear derailleur, replace the cable if needed, lube moving joints, then adjust for proper shifting. Next is the front derailleur, replace cable if needed, lube moving joints, then adjust for proper shifting. Then I check the handlebar setup for anything out of place, realignment if needed, replace grip if needed, and move on. I then disassemble the headset and repack bearings and put everything back together, and tighten the headset. About here I remember that I haven't repacked the bottom bracket and do so if I feel it is needed.

I think I forgot to add that if I don't replace your cables, I always still lube the cable to improve shifting. The last thing I will do is ride your bike over and over around the block until everything is shifting and braking smoothly. My neighbor can tell you how silly I look when I am cruising around on a kid's cruiser or some huge bike.

If things go easy then I charge less than $35, never more than that unless you are wanting me to fix something that it very old or just in terrible shape. Those bikes typically take me much more time than two hours and I charge $50 for those.

Again, I typically do not make any money on parts I replace, so anything I am telling you that I think is replaceable is typically for your best interest. You can ask my previous customers, I will tell you what to look out for, what really needs to be replaced, and what is just fine.

Here is another thing, I don't mind if you want to go to a store instead for this or that, or if you want to find your specific tire, or you want to purchase something on craigslist, or if you don't use me for anything at all. I am doing this to simply build extra income for myself and build a customer base. I do have a pretty good knowledge of bikes, parts, and what works. What I don't know I will tell you, no b.s. If you want to know my strengths it would be all bikes from the late 90's and older and road bikes from any period. I have twice built a recumbent from nothing into a working bike for school projects, I have built fairings out of carbon fiber, machined hubs, and more.

Lastly timing, it typically takes me two days to get to your bike and finish repairs. I typically have only 4 working hours a day to work on bikes which only allows 2-4 bikes to get completed in the time period. Thus, if you drop your bike off and nothing is in front of it, I will probably have it done two days later. If there is 4 bikes in front, then maybe it will not be finished for 3 to 4 days. I am a quality over quantity guy. It should be said though, that if you need your bike done quickly for a race or triathlon, I will try and get your bike put ahead of the line. I can't always guarantee that though.

Again, any questions feel free to get in touch. My contact information is above.

The Garage is Now Open...Again...

2009-08-13T12:08:00.000-07:00

Well I am back from my 2 week sabatical and have returned for any repairs that you may have. I probably won't post my Craigslist ad until next week so I can catch up on a few things around the house. Namely, I want to get the garage better setup to handle more bicycles and want to get stuff ready for a garage sale that I want to have a week from this weekend.

But if you are a past customer or simply find me here from the world wide web get in touch and I will help.

Thanks,
The Management

P.S. to see what I was up to go here:

http://dunkinontheroad.blogspot.com/

Also if you haven't seen this already:

El Torreon

2009-07-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

Well the swap meet down at El Torreon wasn't half bad, I have been to two swap meets now this year and now firmly believe it is Kansas City's (and elswhere) garage mechanics selling to Kansas City's (and elswhere) garage mechanics. In the end does anyone get ahead? Either way I appreciate it, because it is a chance for me to get some fairly standard repair parts like brake calipers, grips, etc and stuff I need for my bike I am building up. I now have matching pairs of pedals to go on my mountain and future road bike which is cool.

The best find for me however is the infamous Mavic Aero Spoke Wrench and Aero Spoke Holder thingie. So now if you need help truing your bladed spoke wheel I can do it out of the house instead of sneaking over to the friendly local bike shop. Tools are sweet.

Also got back in touch with Jeff from Prairie Village and Jason from Shawnee, 2 bike resellers that are generally all around nice guys. I only have seen them when I was selling off the last of my parts collection and just really enjoy speaking with them. The roles were reveresed at this meet because I wasn't the seller, they were.

Favorite part though was one seller riding around on hot rodded kick scooter. Besides the ape-hanger bars and chrome parts, the funny part on the bike was a Pete Rose baseball card clipped on the fork to make the motorcycle noise. The owner said it was because that card was the loudest.

Wanted to remind people again that after Thursday I will be unavailable, check the schedule below for details.

Schedule from 7-2-2009 to 8-9-2009

2009-07-25T16:56:00.000-07:00

I am going to take the craigslist ad down tonight and if you haven't already brought a bike in or have contacted me previously for work, then I'm sorry I won't be taking any more bikes for the next two weeks. I will be busy after Thursday next week and probably only will be available via email after.

Feel free to get in touch however and I will see what I can do. See you at El Torreon tomorrow. Have a good two weeks.

Updated pricing on parts...

2009-07-22T18:03:00.000-07:00

Well I have bought so much stuff at the bike store that they had to order a new round of parts and pricing has gone up slightly on a few regular items. Cables are now $3.50 instead of $2.50, cheapie brake pads are now $4 a pair instead of $3. Also added my cost on housing per foot. Sorry welcome to the new economy.

In regards to my letter...

2009-07-21T20:16:00.000-07:00

I don't want people to get the wrong impression of me. I am a big supporter of local bike shops, all the parts that I get come from a store locally not online. I might point out that so far a lot of my customers have not come to me due to cost but due to rude/lack of customer service. I learned what I know from working in smaller bike stores that bike repairs were never denied except on the so called department store bikes. I don't know all the stores that these people went to, but some are really stretching when they call these bikes, 'throwaways,' they're just old and not necessarily high end. I am just here trying to get people on down the road, I don't lie, I don't sell something needlessly, but I will tell you my opinion. That is what people really want.

So if you have a good store, don't come to me, go to them. Chances are they will take care of you, but if you don't have a store you like, I can help. This is the best place to go for a new bike that will fit you correctly and comfortably. The internet is great but unless you know exactly what your size is, a bike store is really a great way to go.

Lastly, craigslist exist, recycle a bicycle is a good thing. Don't let anyone else out there convince you of otherwise, just know you may not find something that is a perfect fit. A lot of times you can get something just right as well, so don't be discouraged.

That's if for now.

Dear Large Bike Store,

2009-07-18T11:56:00.000-07:00

I would really just like to say that I truly appreciate your work ethic and diligence at making you repair customers so happy. I especially like how you tell them old Schwinn's are junk, low end Trek's are junk, and how anything pretty much not new and plus $600 is a throw away bicycle. They really appreciate it as well, so much so in fact that my garage is full of your satisfied customers. Please don't change anything, don't be respectful, don't learn how to repair something older than five years old, and please continue to believe that your brand is somehow better than another brand that is made in one of two plants overseas. Keep up the good work and have a nice day.

Regards,
Mechanic Matt

p.s. Waldo Bikes, River Market Cyclery, and Bike Stop please ignore...

Finishing up a round of bikes...

2009-07-17T05:23:00.000-07:00

A lot of bikes last week, hopefully another full weeks worth will occur this week. There has been so much that I haven't been able to get the Schwinn Traveler finished yet. Still that is all a good thing.

Added a new pricing option, the Overhaul ($50). This is for bikes that have been sitting awhile and need everything redone. I had to do it because these types of bikes take me over 3 hours to finish.

Mimi (my Trek 930) is sold

2009-07-14T21:50:00.000-07:00

Now there is just that Schwinn, a stationary bike, and a trainer left to sell. Sweet.

Schedule for the week...

2009-07-06T18:56:00.000-07:00

Unless you've gotten in touch with me already, it will be tough for me to get a lot of repairs done this week. I have time to show off the Trek, take care of the repairs I have, but outside of that I am going to be busy. Come next Monday the 13th I should be all ready to go again. Sorry for the inconvenience.

I am restoring a Ladies (or low step) Schwinn Traveler from the 80's (when Panasonic was building the frames) that is in awesome shape. Should have it for sale sometime next week as well. It is cleaning up well and doesn't look as if it was ever ridden hard or stored out in the elements. Nice, lugged 4130 Steel tubing on the frame as well.

If anyone needs anything get in touch, thanks...matt

Obligitory Pictures of the Shop

2009-06-30T22:17:00.000-07:00

Since everyone always posts the action photos of their spacious shop, here is mine. Notice that it is not spacious. I'm working on that (very slowly). Key item: anti-fatigue mat.

Side view of the work bench. Key item: Grandpa's refurbished vise.

My new old fan, keeps me cool enough to work. A couple of weeks ago though it just felt like an electric fan heater. Key item: my new old fan.

Waiting area for the patients.

Those two bins and that pile of tires are all the spare parts that I have. So no I probably don't have that rare Sturmey-Archer 28 hole hub laced to purple Velocity rims, but I do have an industrial size bottle of Aqua Net and I know what to use it for (Jeopardy answer: What is grips?). All of my repair parts will typically come from the local bike store and I only charge you what I am charged for them.

I just wanted to say thanks to all that have stopped by thus far, and if you do want to leave comments do so by clicking on the "comments" word at the end of any blog post.

For Sale: Mimi aka 18” Trek 930 Mountain Bike - $225 obo

2009-06-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

(Click for higher resolution pictures)

For sale: 18” Trek 930 Mountain Bike nicknamed Mimi due to its resemblance of the Drew Carey show character (tough, multi-colored, can handle any of your abuse). It would be perfect for offroad, commuting, college, or even 26” touring. This “Made in the USA” frame was from I believe 1993 which was last year Trek made lugged steel frames. Consequently, the frame is made of oversized True Temper Double Butted Cro-moly Steel Tubes, kind of an odd but super stout setup. Cro-moly steel GT Fork was recently put on and is in like new shape. The frame has normal signs of abuse (ie scratches) and is begging to be repainted.

Part specs are below, but I wanted to point out that most parts are in new or nearly new condition. Lots of NOS Bike (or Rivendell) preferred parts as well such as NOS Shimano Deore DX Rear Derailleur, Shimano Deore Thumbshifters, Brake Levers, and Rear Cantilever Brakes. Also, the tires are mismatched, but they are made for smooth usage on roads yet are knobby enough to use off road. Perfect for campus life.

If you are interested email me or call and leave a message at [9ine 1 3hree]- 9ine 0 4our -3hree 1 5ive 0 between 8am – 8pm. Lastly, the bike has had a complete tune up including wheels trued and bearings greased. Thanks for looking.

Bike Spec's:

Frame / Fork: Trek 930 18” frame with oversized True Temper Double Butted Cro-moly Steel Tubing / 1 1/8” Threadless Cro-moly Steel GT Fork
Headset / Stem / Handlebars: Tioga Alchemy 1 1/8” Threadlesss / Ritchey Logic Stem / Generic Aluminum Flat bar, wrapped Onza Bar-ends
Brake Levers / Calipers: Shimano Deore Levers / Shimano STX Fr and Shimano Deore Rear Cantilever Brakes
Shifters / Fr. Derailleur / Rr. Derailleur: Shimano Deore Thumbshifters / Shimano Altus A10 Fr. / Shimano Deore DX Rr.
Crank / Freehub / Chain: New Sugino Impel Crank / Generic Shimano 7spd 12-28 Cassette / New Chain
Fr. Wheel / Rr. Wheel: Shimano Exage 32h Hub, Trek SingleTrack Rim, Specialized CrossRoads II (26” x 1.95”) Tire / Shimano Acera-X 36h Hub, DT Spokes, 36h Specialized X26 (1.5” wide) Rim, Generic Kenda (26” x 1.95”) Tire < --- rear wheel is super stout.
Saddle / Seatpost / Pedals: Phat Specialized Saddle / Trek alloy Post / Trek Pedals
Also Included: Water Bottle Holders

If You Are In Search Of Used Bikes or Used Bike Parts...

2009-06-28T05:17:00.000-07:00

...I have a very limited selection. Any bikes that I may have I post here and on Kansas City's craigslist, otherwise I don't really have much. For a large selection and to talk to a very nice guy search for billy on KC's craigslist or call him at (9ine 1ne 3hree) 6ix 3hree 3hree - 9ine 4our 7even 0ero. That is who I am going to refer you to anyway if I don't have it.

For anyone drinking the Hateraid...

2009-06-28T04:39:00.001-07:00

Thanks for stealing my price setup, I think that is great that you have found the copy and paste feature on your computer.

Bianchi Frame and Raleigh Bike are sold

2009-06-16T14:37:00.001-07:00

I will have a Trek 930 mountain bike for sale after it is all cleaned up as well. Get in touch if you are in need a 18" of True Temper Lugged goodness.

55cm Bianchi Volpe Lugged Touring Frame - $100

2009-06-10T10:42:00.000-07:00

Clearing out all of the unneeded bikes and parts out of my collection and this was a touring frame that I was going to have sandblasted and repainted so that I could make a nice touring / cyclocross bike setup. The frame is from the mid 80's and was made in Japan. The frame material is Bianchi Superset Double-Butted Tange Cro-Moly tubing and is lugged for a super stout frame. The fork is also Tange Cro-Moly tubing. I know that the frame is a 55cm size (C to C, seat tube and 55cm top tube).

All of those cool touring rack eyelets are there including those bolt holes halfway up the fork, and eyelets for fenders as well. The frame has cantilever posts for brakes and can be retro-fitted for v-brakes. I have disassembled and regreased the stem and headset and also pulled every bolt off greased the threads and screwed everything back together. The seatpost comes off as well. Make no mistake, this frame has a lot of surface rust and will need to be sandblasted and repainted, it is a true project bike. I also attempted to get the crankset off (which I do think is possible) and marred up one of the crank bolt covers, so rather than mark everything up I just left the SR Sakae Crank on the bike. So what is included is the frame, fork, headset, stem, seatpost, saddle, crank, bottom bracket, and front derailleur.

This could be a great frame for a SS conversion due to the old style adjustable dropouts or could easily be remade for a cyclocross bike. If this doesn't sell in the next two weeks, I am going to go ahead and get the frame powder coated and repost, but it will be more than double the current price.

Bike For Sale: Raleigh SP1000 56cm Titanium Frame - $450

2009-06-01T12:33:00.001-07:00

Truly a rare bicycle with a lot of cooler goodies on it. It is an old team frame that came from the very last couple of years of the Raleigh Technium time in the early 90's (I think around 1993). I have ridden it only around 500 miles due to never getting comfortable on the bike. Near as I can tell the front triangle is bonded Reynolds 753 Titanium (also rare) while the rear is some sort of lightweight cro-moly steel (probably Reynolds 531). Try searching for it on the internet, it's like the unicorn of bicycles. You'll find the part spec's below, but I just wanted to include that this bike has a bunch of cool Rivendell - type parts like the old Avocet road pedals, Suntour adjustable downtube cable stops, Mavic Open 4 CD Rims laced to Shimano 105/Dura-Ace hubs, Shimano Bar-con Shifters among others. Frame paint is a very cool metalic blue-purple ever changing color thing.

Also, I am including the photographed Zefal x4 frame pump, an aluminum water bottle cage, and a spare set of Shimano 7sp downtube shifters. Would be a great bike to convert to a fixie or single speed because of the old adjustable rear wheel mounts and the rear hub using freehubs instead of cassette's. Lastly, the bike has had a complete tune up including wheels trued and bearings greased. Would consider a trade for a 53cm to 54cm Surly Crosscheck, Specialized Tri-Cross, or similarly spec'd and sized touring bike. Thanks for looking.

Extra pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30696350@N06/sets/72157618870684376/

Bike Spec's:

Frame/Fork: Raleigh Titanium SP1000 55.5cm frame with Reynolds 753 Titanium tubing / 1” threaded Reynolds 531 Fork
Headset/Stem/Handlebars: Tange 1” Threaded / SR Custom Quill 90mm Reach / Modolo Speedy Anatomic Bars 40cm wide, new black cork tape
Brake Levers / Calipers: Shimano RSX Levers / Shimano 105 Brakes
Shifters / Fr. Derailleur / Rr. Derailleur: Shimano 7sp Index Bar-Cons with Suntour Adj Downtube Cable Stops / Shimano 105 Fr. / Shimano Exage 400 EX Rr.
Crank / Freehub: Shimano Sante' Crank with newer Ultegra 53/39 Rings / Suntour New Winner 13-26 Freehub
Fr. Wheel / Rr. Wheel: Shimano 105 Hub, DT Spokes, Mavic 36h Open 4 CD Rim, Continental Sport 1000 (700c x 25c) Tire / Shimano Dura-Ace Hub, DT Spokes, Mavic 36h Open 4 CD Rim Continental Sport 1000 (700c x 25c) Tire
Saddle / Seatpost / Pedals: Selle Stratos / Kalloy Lightweight Alum Post / Classic Avocet Road Pedals with clips and straps
Also Included: Zefal x4 Frame Pump, Shimano 7sp downtube shifters, and Water Bottle Holder

Links to information on the bike, that I could find: http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?ItemID=43113&Type=bike

http://www.raleighbikes.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=257 (English version of the bike)

http://velospace.org/node/3010