On sunday i spent 9 hours whipping my single speed road bike back into shape. Phwew!

This hubba bubba delight got:
-a new chain
-a new cockpit
-a new chainring
-a new cog
-2 new tires
-new pedal system

And, predictably, nothing worked out easily and it took numerous mcgeyver-esque workarounds and needle-in-the-haystack style sifting through the parts bin to make it work. Most annoyingly, had to break the chain 4 times to get chain tension just right.

And after all that, took 'er out for a spin at 9 pm--and the drivetrain slipped. Back to the drawing board, and two days later she's singing an aria when we hit the road while my hands ache from clutching tools for 9 hours straight.

Cockpit overhaul

Swapped out a cracking S-works carbon bar with these Ritchey classic bend aluminum bars and stem. . .which meant readjusting brakes and brake levers which annoyingly require loosening brake cables to access fixing bolt (dumb idea, Cane Creek, why not put fixing bolt access on side like STI levers?). And then every adjustment of lever position required again loosenng brake cables. Repeat 10 times until you achieve ideal position and have arthritis from clutching micro tools. . .

Baby got 700x25 Back

This is one of the slowest feeling tires i own, but after the bontrager carbon post i'd been using on this rig had its adjustment bolt fuse to the saddle rails somehow resulting in an inabilty to remove or adjust the seat, had to get some cushion for my pedal pushin somehow!

1FG

Had to set up new cleats, a painstaking process that you just have to get right. Used Crank Bros Quattro's. Surprisingly smooth although i wonder how they'll work once the pontoons inevitably wear down and the shoe/pedal interface gets sloppy. . .so far i absolutely love them.