Having converted my commute bike into (what I think is) a very nice cross race bike, I have a terrible problem that I am not able to just ride it around and take it places the way I used to with the Genesis for worrying about it. Not that I have necessarily let this stop me getting around on the bike, but I do find myself anxious to get back to it or getting overly protective over it when taking it places.
This is not healthy. The thing is, I am perfectly happy to give it stick for its intended purpose, but somehow I feel that if it is going to gain scars, they'd better be in competition, or at very least training. Not from some inconsiderate toss on the train dumping his heavy MTB on it. Hence Project Pig.
A while back I picked up a late 90's GT Palomar mountain bike on eBay. It wasn't the best spec, and certainly the frame wasn't a paragon of all that old steel frames could be, but it was in good working order and would be a good basis for me to try a few things out in terms of renovation and refinishing. Since then I have discovered that the seat post has galvanically welded itself inside the frame, and the best efforts of Byran and I have amounted to little else other than a trashed seat post stub stuck in the frame. This is particularly annoying because, other than a bent crank, the GT is in surprisingly good mechanical condition.
The solution was simple - a new frame. But it had to be cheap as the budget had been blown on the crosser. 15 quid sees me as the proud new owner of a ratty (but I believe solid) GT Tequesta frame (to be collected this weekend), and another 25 gets me two new tyres for the commute. I have a set of new gear cables in stock. I may need new brake cables, and the chain is questionable, though I will try to re-use it.
My goal is initially to get it on the road for 50 pounds. If I like it, I might make it a bit special further down the line. Watch this space.
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