Biking Hiking with Kids

My Road Bike Built Up From The Frame Up

I dusted off my old road bike and took it out for a ride yesterday … what fun! I have forgotten how nimble my 12-speed is. I’d built up the bike myself in the late 80’s after my all Campy Bottocchia was stolen by knife point. I got the steel frame, wheel set and some parts as new from Performance Bicycle. Other parts I took off from a Windsor road bike that I was riding at the time.

The bike rides great. I have used it a few times in the last 10 years. It’s just gotten to dangerous to ride on the roads in NJ  – even in organized rides.
I put on a flatbar last year. But the stem is too long and I am not riding upright enough to be comfortable. I have to think about whether or not to spend money on a shorter stem.

I used to lead trips for AYH in New York using this bike. I rode centuries and long distances on weekends. I also served a few times as a marshal in the 5 Boro Bike Tour (Now called the TD Bank Five Boro Bike Tour). That was great fun! Everyone should try it at least once – especially if you live in New York.

The thought of entering Cat 4 races crossed my mind couple of times. But I know I wasn’t going to be able to be good enough to stay away from the back of the pack, where most of the accidents take place … so that was the end of that silly thinking.

Here is what the bike is built with:

19” Performance Campione Columbus steel frame and fork
Shimano 600 crankset (52/42?) and front derailleur
Sun Tour rear derailleur and side pull caliper brakes
SR pedals, seat post and stem
Performance Nova EX/K tires (cracking from age)
Mavic MA40 wheel set with Performance sealed hubs
6-speed sprocket (can’t remember what they are)

Some other bikes:

2001 Kona Fire Mountain Aluminum Frame MTB – I purchased the complete bike from an individual on eBay a few years ago. The bike was in very good used condition. Every component that came with the bike have now been swapped out.  My wife rides this bike.

2000 Jamis Exile Steel Frame MTB – This  have been my everyday mountain bike for the past year. I purchased the steel frame and some part from an individual on eBay.  When I got it, I discovered that the seat post was jammed into the frame and the seat tube just below the front derailleur clip had rusted though.

2001 Marin Palisades Trail Aluminum Frame MTB – Got the incomplete bike on eBay and built it up with components that I have in the garage and new used parts from eBay.

2004(?) Fetish Cycles Discipline Aluminum Frame MTB – I got the frame on eBay and built up the bike with extra parts I had taken off from other bikes.

1999 Trek Single Track Steel Frame MTB – My older son’s mountain bike. Except for the swapping out the grip shifters for rapid shifters, brakes, and tires, the bike is still pretty much equipped the way I got it from eBay.

2003 Specialized Hotrock Aluminum Frame 24″ Wheel MTB – My youngest son’s mountain bike. It’s a small frame and with 24″ wheels, but the bike still seems too big for him.