A friend that has been featured in this blog took up cycling earlier this year. Following the natural evolution of things, she expressed an interest in Cyclocross. I would have loved to build her a top flight racing machine, but due to budget constraints, we had to opt for a frankenbike single speed. In the end, I am pretty pleased with the resulting machine. Expect to see it making the rounds at the Seattle Cyclocross events soon.
This is an environmentally friendly bike. That is my story and I am sticking to it. One could say that I selected some used parts that were gathering dust, but that would be perhaps a bit of an over-simplification. I would prefer to say we used some pre-owned components, or better yet; I used some parts that had successfully completed their break in period.
The frame, fork, headset and bars are new. The pedals, front brake, and seatpost are also making their debut on this bike. The frame and fork came in basic black which I considered to be a blank canvas awaiting completion. I obliged with some pink paint and decals.
The bike is race ready. The rear tire is a 30mm with aggressive tread so it can cut through the mud and grab, but the narrow width will give it lower rolling resistance for the fast sections. A wider front will allow better traction and perhaps some float when needed. The gearing is ideal and the new owner should be able to go as fast as she dares in this and slow down when she needs to.
The frame lacks a rear brake cable stop which I addressed rather deftly.
Check back for some shots of the bike in action..
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