Well the black bike is about back on the boulevard. The overhaul is 95 percent complete; I would just like to do something to tidy up the cabling up front.
I took it out for a very short spin today but had trouble with the next rack. I think that has been corrected now. It rode very well until the rack tumbled off, sending the battery-laden rear back crashing to the ground behind it. Tore up a zipper and a strap, unfortunately. . . something else to potentially replace.
After I got the right length spokes---180mm for my 2006 vintage 406 model Crystalyte wheelhub---the wheel turned out to be not as bad as I expected it to be. It was a bit tedious, but I think I have got the thing trued up pretty well, just by tightening up spokes where the wheel was rubbing against the brakes. I don't think the rim is perfectly round any more, though.
The whole spoke replacement thing was a good experience. I think I understand wheels better now, and feel that much more affinity with the cog and chain set. The black spokes look nice contrasted with the giant silver wheel hub. Hopefully they will last. At 14 gauge, they are finer than not just the ones that came with the hub, but the spokes on my rear wheel too.
The new tires also look great. They are huge! Some big baloony type from Schwalbe (Big Apple). They look like motorcycle tires. I have them at full pressure, 60 psi, to lessen rolling resistance. Like I said, the bike rode really well today. The reflective stripes on the tires look snazzy with the bike's black and silver theme.
I feel a certain sense of accomplishment. I'm not sure exactly what to do with the loose cables up front, the Office Max approach or the AutoZone approach. Probably the latter would be better for wear and tear and weather issues. I'm not sure exactly what to get, at least just a sleeve to protect the main cable, and maybe some Velcro ties. If I had more skills I would get some kind of weatherproof project box to house the computer.
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