Thursday, 24 May 2012

Shopping lists and left hand cranks

The bike moves - but is not really safe to use yet. After a quick visit to a few local bike shops I have managed to get hold of a new rear cassette and spacer so the gears and cogs will match.

I have also bought and replaced all the cables on the bike after snapping the front and rear brake cables on my first test ride.

The main problem is getting hold of a left hand crank. I have got a few strange looks when asking for 'just the left side'. I have considered swapping out the whole front drive train with one from another old bike that was sharing garage space with mine - but have found that nothing is compatible due to the very small front cog set on the bike compounded by the bottom bracket mounted front mech.

To use the kit from the donor bike would mean swapping out - the front cogs, front mech, bottom bracket, cranks and pedals. I would also have to change the shifters to match the new kit, the brake levers on my bike are a one piece, so they would have to swapped too -  and for good measure the rear derailleur would also have to be swapped to match the new shifters. After closer inspection I have also noticed that the front mech on my bike is top loading - and the donor bike is bottom. There are no set cable routes on the bottom of my bike - so buying a new front mech is going to be easier than trying to fit these. 


I would gain a few extra gears for all this trauma - but I think on balance I would prefer to have a few more strange looks from bike shops a find a compatible crank! 



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