Not so long summer is slowly over. This weekend we did a little tour but it may well be the last for this season. It sounds sad but at the same time I'm thrilled because I can dive back into the Shovel project.
What have I done during the summer to advance it? Lots and lots of thinking but not saving money for the parts - shame on me. I wanted to go surfing and to Norway so there went my money. Though it was the plan from the day one since I promised to my wife that the project will not take ALL our money, while it probably will take the most. Building a bike is not that cheap, not in Finland anyway because with the price of the useless frame and the few boxes of parts I could have bought a car that would still run. Didn't need the car did I? But that is my excuse for some things pending - priorities.
Anyway, I said I've been thinking. And the thing I've been thinking about is what kind of bike I want to go for in bit more details. It is soon time for the first decisions which will be about the wheels. I will need to re-use the hubs from the old wheels and what I need to buy are the hoops and spokes. Smart move would be to leave assembling of the wheels to the professionals but similarly it would be way smarter to just to buy a damn bike than trying to make one. So you bet I will be trying myself.
Why are the wheels the first thing to decide and why is it so important? It is because deciding the size of the wheels and putting them as far apart as I intend to (determining the wheelbase) will dictate how the frame needs to be built. So there we go, get the wheels or at least make up your mind. Draw the frame, calculate the right angles, buy big pile of beer and as friends to make a frame jig. Then starts cutting the frame in parts and welding it into new shape.
I'm telling these things as if you would know nothing about bikes. I don't intend to write this to anyone with experience -- what sense that would make for anyone with knowhow to read this. Except for the entertainment of seeing a newbie struggle and learn. If you that's your reason, I'm totally fine with it.
I mentioned some mysterious angles and I'll dive into them in the next post.
What have I done during the summer to advance it? Lots and lots of thinking but not saving money for the parts - shame on me. I wanted to go surfing and to Norway so there went my money. Though it was the plan from the day one since I promised to my wife that the project will not take ALL our money, while it probably will take the most. Building a bike is not that cheap, not in Finland anyway because with the price of the useless frame and the few boxes of parts I could have bought a car that would still run. Didn't need the car did I? But that is my excuse for some things pending - priorities.
Anyway, I said I've been thinking. And the thing I've been thinking about is what kind of bike I want to go for in bit more details. It is soon time for the first decisions which will be about the wheels. I will need to re-use the hubs from the old wheels and what I need to buy are the hoops and spokes. Smart move would be to leave assembling of the wheels to the professionals but similarly it would be way smarter to just to buy a damn bike than trying to make one. So you bet I will be trying myself.
Why are the wheels the first thing to decide and why is it so important? It is because deciding the size of the wheels and putting them as far apart as I intend to (determining the wheelbase) will dictate how the frame needs to be built. So there we go, get the wheels or at least make up your mind. Draw the frame, calculate the right angles, buy big pile of beer and as friends to make a frame jig. Then starts cutting the frame in parts and welding it into new shape.
I'm telling these things as if you would know nothing about bikes. I don't intend to write this to anyone with experience -- what sense that would make for anyone with knowhow to read this. Except for the entertainment of seeing a newbie struggle and learn. If you that's your reason, I'm totally fine with it.
I mentioned some mysterious angles and I'll dive into them in the next post.
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