The winter has been long, hard and cruel to my bike building ambitions. The Trail-a-bike remains in a pieces in the garage. Had this been a milder winter like last year I probably could have been found in the garage some nights. Since that was not the case I no have to play catch up.
The plan is to finish stripping the trail frame via chemical means, paint it and then reassemble. Using new ball bearings should smooth out the ride and new grips will update the appearance. I should be able to use it this summer with my daughter and then sell it.
My Spalding road bike is going to get a through cleaning, perhaps a little paint on the underside of the bottom bracket and then it too will be sold. I will list at $125 and settle for $100.
The most immediate need is the mountain bike I just purchased. I was lucky enough to find a Specialized Hardrock at The Broken Spoke that not only fit me but was in good working order. However what I didn't know until I got it home was that the previous owner was a smoker and the bike was obviously stored inside with the human chimney. The seat had to go and the bike needs a good washing with soap and another with vinegar. New grips and replacing the grip shifters with triggers is a must.
Quite a few projects (I haven't even mentioned cleaning off my work bench!) but nothing is impossible.
