Bike! (part2)

Once I got the basic sorted for a single speed, I found that reawakened my love for my old Dawes bike.  I've been riding single speed now for a couple of years with the occasional foray into fixed wheeling.  I've not yet found the courage to ride fixed wheel in London but may soon.

Through a combination of need, experimentation and occasional whimsy I've continued to modify and change my bike until it has reached it's current state.  I *think* that there are now only 3 parts (including the frame) of the original bike.  The other 2 parts are the saddle stem and the handlebar stem.  Everything else has been changed at some point.  Some things like the rear wheel, numerous times.

Here's some of the changes:

New handle bars.  I got a pair of bullhorn bars off of ebay for a good price.  I'd always ridden with bar end extensions before and really enjoyed the additional hand positions they afforded so thought I'd try bullhorns as a progression to this.  After 2 or 3 adjustments in height and angle I have to say I really like them.  They provide about 3 different riding positions that I use regularly for normal, fast and uphill cycling.

I added clips (no straps) to the pedals.  I have ridden clipless for a while using shimano cleats and I might go back to them one day.  The clipless shoes were particular good being stiffer than the ordinary trainers that I used and they dried out much quicker as well which is handy in the winter.  However, with the constant stopping and starting in London, I found myself permanently at the risk of embarrassing falls.  Indeed in the 6 months I where did use cleats I fell off twice (once at the traffic lights in front of a lot of work colleagues).  But, to be fair both falls were in the first couple of months so maybe I was getting better.  Combining a fixed wheel with clipless seems to me to be the height of cycle daring!

I finally got round (about 18 months after fitting the Omega rear wheel) to being able to justify to replace the front one with a matching equivalent.  The old front wheel had done a good many years service and was showing some serious wear on the rim.

I've upgraded both tyres to a much thinner road tyres (Continentals ...) which seems to add to general feeling of smoothness and quiet I get from the bike now.

The saddle is a real hard core razor blade of buttock clenching thinness.  It's a Selle Royale which I again got cheap as it was a test model.  Didn't seem to be anything wrong with it except that it had a big "TEST" sticker on it which has eventually worn away.  It *is* hard and it *is* thin, but I have to say that it is without a doubt the best and most durable saddle I've ever had.  It's outlasted all it's previous incumbents by many years.

Bottom Bracket and Front Forks.

My philosophy towards my bike choices (partly brought about by a reaction to the bells and whistles of the Kona) has become one of urban, gritty minimalism.   Nothing on the bike I don't need.  No mudguards, racks or gears etc.  The only thing I consider every year is the weighing of a minimalist philosophy against the inconvenience of a soggy bottom and back - I may put the mudguards back on.