Last week slipped away even faster than the summer is and I have been all wrapped up with personal crap since returning from the coast. It's so annoying that life exists beyond cycling.
I spent a couple of days camping trip on the shore of Lake Michigan.
I beat the rush of last minute escapee's from the city and enjoyed two perfect
(did I really experience that? Yes!!) days of cycling. After the past few weeks the temperature
felt like a cooling towel wrapped around me with little to no wind to fight.
The hazy sunshine muted the water. with wispy silhouettes of sails flying across the horizon.
A few leaves are beginning to turn and remind us the equinox will be upon us and the skies will clear to let the summer's heat escape. It was the last overnight ride of the year.
Now it's time to overhaul the Hunq. I'm stripping it down early because of an up coming event and while I do, I am changing a few things.
In a Bike Forums discussion I ran across a nifty way to clean up the wiring for my lights.
By using Shoe Goo to attach 1/8" shrink tubes to the frame, I was able to create
a series of discreet conduits to channel the wire smoothly from the dyno to the headlight.
Two of them under the top tube and one on the seat stay keeps the wiring under control
and,for the most part, out of sight.
Just a couple of turns around the brake cable housing at each end keeps it anchored and provides enough play that turning doesn't disrupt anything. If the conduits get knocked loose for some reason, the silicone glue will just peel off the tubing and new glue can be applied.
A sad thing happened on the trip. I lost one of the rubber covers for the the "stoker knobs" I had been using on the Bosco bars. After an extensive internet search, I concluded that Dia-Compe is no longer making them. The knobs are still available from Ben's Cycle in Milwaukee but I don't want the whole unit, just replacement covers. The covers are nowhere to be found and neither are listed on the Dia Compe website. No wrap or tape I used was comfortable so I decided to go without and re wrap the bars with the harlequin pattern I had tried.
This time I put a layer of tape under the final wrap to thicken it and provide a cushier feel.
I did a little better job on the diamond pattern although the backside is a bit embarrassing.
Who looks under the bike anyway?
After several coats of clear shellac I kinda like them. I hope they will stay reasonably clean and only require the shellac to be refreshed on an occasional basis. I think they may hold up well,
if not, I'll just wrap 'em in leather and forget it. Hopefully, I won't miss the stoker knobs too badly.
Of course the drivetrain got a thorough cleansing and I checked the bottom bracket shell and
re-greased it for the coming winter season. After freshening up the fenders with a coat of paint,
He got a bath and wax job.
re-greased it for the coming winter season. After freshening up the fenders with a coat of paint,
He got a bath and wax job.
The Hunq gets pissed if he's not dirty, so I gotta take him out for a ride now.
That's an ingenious method for hiding the dyno wiring. Well done. I really like the handlebar tape pattern too.
ReplyDeleteSomebody on the Bike Forums mentioned that once and it makes sense. The handlebar pattern is an interesting embellishment, I hope it's not hard to maintain, but the shellac coating seems to protect it well...at least at this early stage.
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