December 15th, 2004
KURTZ:The horror, the horror
Saturday is spent with a Black & Decker workmate™ a freewheel remover, a large spanner, a quick release and a large helping of brute force and ignorance removing a rather nice 19 tooth White Industries Eno freewheel from an original Hope singlespeed hub. In theory 20 minutes later Uncle Tufty would be back in action. “I only need to find and fit a 32 tooth chainring, chain, pedals, and brakes”, I confidently announce at 3 o’clock. At 5 o’clock as darkness falls I have everything except a rear brake. The plan to fit 92 DX cantis all round goes out the window with the lack of front cable hanger. With the gradual ascendancy of disks to the fleet is there a rear brake cable in the house? Is there heck.
I gingerly ride round the darkened streets, afraid even to ride up kerbs!
Later that night at the Singletrack Xmas bash in deepest darkest Todmorden I discuss this with Piersb. Does having 12 bikes between two of us constitute decadence? Not as much as having a single spare Eno freewheel apparently.
Piersb and Shaggy commence competitive one-upmanship of fixie singlespeed riding.
I keep quiet about my fear of riding up kerbs.
I plan Sundays ride via a local bike shop and purchased a rear brake cable. Well, even Piersb admitted that something was needed on long technical descents and who am I to argue with the power of one?
Bish bash bosh and 10 minutes later I realise just how poor brakes used to be. I play around with the link cable so it just clears a nice period Racing Porcupine when the brakes are off and get enough power to lock the rear wheel - just.
I gingerly ride up a kerb, then put it away. I don’t want to hurt myself before this evenings excellent Sideways Xmas do.
Currently planning to fit lights, commuting gubbins etc and use as winter hack. Leave outside work unlocked. Pick thieving scallies off car-park floor when the inevitable happens.
![[Valid RSS]](http://32sixteen.com/wp-content/themes/three_column/images/valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed")
del.icio.us