Sense of Completion.
Thursday the Cannondale SystemSix was disassembled. Parts were removed, cleaned (somewhat), and boxed for future projects. What remained was the frameset I bought last spring at the Arctic Bike Club swap after selling my 'cross bike.
I wasn't looking for a project, but I had a wad of cash burning a hole in my pocket and it was pretty. I'm not exactly an evolved man. Besides, the Storck was nothing but frustration at the time and I was tired of beating up my race bikes on the early-season roads. I built it, rode it, raced it, wrecked it, repaired it, and loaned it out. It was never my favorite bike, but then again Cannondales have never made my lady parts tingle. As I understand it, symptoms like that should be referred to my physician, but that's beside the point. As much as I tried, as many as I've ridden, I never really warmed up to the brand. Solid, well-made bikes, for sure, but not my cup of tea.
I started bolting on the parts I removed from Pete's old bike, most of them tracing their lineage back to one of my old bikes. The wheels, durable 32-spoke, box section rims, were my old commuters. The handlebars were from my old BMC Road Racer. I always liked the looks of that bike. The derailleurs were from a short-lived 'cross build. The crankset was originally on one of my Ridleys. The brakes from the parts bin and a project once contemplated but never fulfilled. As I built it, I realized that none of the parts were left from Pete's DBR. All of them had been replaced or upgraded over the years. For the last few years, we've been slowly building Pete a new bike. The frameset was just the last piece. Pete had the Cannondale on layaway.
Since Pete won't have me as his personal Julien DeVriese (Google him) when he moves down to Arizona, I replaced most of the consumables on the bike and threw all of the old parts and 9 speed junk I had laying around so he can keep it rolling for the next couple years. From what I've heard, they're a bunch of heathens down in the Lower 48. Best to go prepared.
Finishing up a bike always gives me a sense of accomplishment. No matter how much I'm behind in the rest of my life, ham-fistedly assembling a bike to the point where it's only partially dangerous lets me mark the day down as a success.
I completed something. In today's world, that's no small feat.
I wasn't looking for a project, but I had a wad of cash burning a hole in my pocket and it was pretty. I'm not exactly an evolved man. Besides, the Storck was nothing but frustration at the time and I was tired of beating up my race bikes on the early-season roads. I built it, rode it, raced it, wrecked it, repaired it, and loaned it out. It was never my favorite bike, but then again Cannondales have never made my lady parts tingle. As I understand it, symptoms like that should be referred to my physician, but that's beside the point. As much as I tried, as many as I've ridden, I never really warmed up to the brand. Solid, well-made bikes, for sure, but not my cup of tea.
I started bolting on the parts I removed from Pete's old bike, most of them tracing their lineage back to one of my old bikes. The wheels, durable 32-spoke, box section rims, were my old commuters. The handlebars were from my old BMC Road Racer. I always liked the looks of that bike. The derailleurs were from a short-lived 'cross build. The crankset was originally on one of my Ridleys. The brakes from the parts bin and a project once contemplated but never fulfilled. As I built it, I realized that none of the parts were left from Pete's DBR. All of them had been replaced or upgraded over the years. For the last few years, we've been slowly building Pete a new bike. The frameset was just the last piece. Pete had the Cannondale on layaway.
Since Pete won't have me as his personal Julien DeVriese (Google him) when he moves down to Arizona, I replaced most of the consumables on the bike and threw all of the old parts and 9 speed junk I had laying around so he can keep it rolling for the next couple years. From what I've heard, they're a bunch of heathens down in the Lower 48. Best to go prepared.
Finishing up a bike always gives me a sense of accomplishment. No matter how much I'm behind in the rest of my life, ham-fistedly assembling a bike to the point where it's only partially dangerous lets me mark the day down as a success.
I completed something. In today's world, that's no small feat.
Comments
Post a Comment