Sunday, May 03, 2009

Compulsive Wrenching?

Today I figured I would jump on the task of transferring the multi-gear setup from the cellist's old Cross Check to her new Traveler's Check. It should be simple, and it mostly is, but these things always seem to spawn complications.

A second work stand would come in very handy. Because the frames are functionally identical, if I could have both of them on a stand I could swing from one to the other almost as fast as I could turn.

I'm not sure the downtube shifter bosses on the newer frame are an improvement. The old split stops permit you to slip the housing out for easy cable cleaning. How many people are really going to install downtube shifters? Still, I support the retro rider. If someone might want downtube shifters, they'll need a place to put them.

Somehow in any of these projects I find myself pushing on into the night, greasy and faintly queasy, pushing to get the bike or bikes functional as quickly as possible. It will all be good when it's finished, but in the meantime the patient is all cut open on life support.

Heck with it. I need to knock off for tonight and put in a big day tomorrow.

3 comments:

RANTWICK said...

You know, you weren't too compulsive there, if you did indeed quit for the night. I've got a bad feeling, though, that perhaps you didn't. That's just a guess, based on what happens to me once I am mid-build.

ChipSeal said...

How hard could it be to just cash the traveler's check?

cafiend said...

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