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So I'm Updating This Blog Again

This lovely machine is a Schwinn Suburban, and not mine--Google image search delivered this nice example. But I do have one just like it in the attic, which I retrieved from my father in-law's shed, which he scored in a lawnmower trade or some other shenanigans. Mine's a lot rougher than this beauty, and it might, might make it into the garage for a teardown, repack and polish to bring it back to its original emerald awesomeness.

Here's a catalog page for a later version--note the front freewheel setup. 

Old tanks like the Suburban score hipster cred these days, but I just like the fillet-brazed look of the things. They aren't actually brazed though--those tubes are joined via Schwinn's "Electro-Forge" process (read about it here). It's extremely unsexy stuff compared to Columbus tubes, fancy lugs, and the like--Schwinn didn't even use seamless tubing, and instead rolled the tubes from flat stock. But as an example of American industry and a clever mass-production system, I appreciate it.

Another Project: Performance Single-Speed Build-Up

My wife slipped a Performance Gift Card into my stocking, and I just cashed it in for one of these: an Ascent Single-Speed frame. I couldn't resist--it was already discounted to just $90, plus another 15% off for a weekend promo, and since I had it shipped to my local Performance store, shipping was free--I'm out just $75. I'll tackle it after I finish the Nashbar Touring Frame.

I ordered a 56cm, which is my usual size and should fit fine as far as top-tube-length goes, but the frame specs out a little tall-ish--note the head tube length, and the 605mm center-to-top measurement for the seat tube. It'll probably show a little less seatpost than I like, but no worries. At least the 'bars will be nice and high.

The Nashbar Touring Frame Build Is Finally Underway

I can't bear to put parts on a frame until the headset and fork are installed, so that's "square one" for the Nashbar Touring Frame (NTF from here on out). After a quick run to Hope Depot, I had everything I needed to make a quick-and-dirty headset press. There's all kinds of variations on the threaded-rod-and-washers theme, mine is about as simple as it gets. If you want to go deluxe, add brass reducers to center the cups. Otherwise, something like below is all you need.

As you can see, it's not brain surgery. You just thread everything together like below, hold the bottom nut while you tighten the top one, and the headset smooshes right in. Two tips: grease the headset cups and head tube (duh), and tighten slowly, checking the cups for straightness as you go. If a cup starts to tilt, tap the threaded rod toward the edge of the cup that needs to go in farther. I squeezed both cups in simultaneously, but it's best to install one and then the other. Follow my own advice? Nah.

Two minutes later, the headset is installed. If you're wondering, it's an inexpensive Necco unit from Porkchop BMX. Just $20, with a nice finish, aluminum compression ring (red anodized no less) sealed cartridge bearings, and a contact seal between the dust cover and top cup. Only downside: no silver option, but the gold looks pretty good with the NTF's dark metallic green paint. About that stem: it's just there to keep the fork from sliding out.

...and that's a wrap for today. Maybe more tomorrow? We'll see.

I Have a Nashbar Touring Frame

Yep, and it's been in my attic for about six months. But I finally got a fork (Nashbar again), a cheap headset, and thanks to a coupon, a set of "trekking" bars for next to nothing. They are ostensibly aluminum, but they feel like they're made of depleted plutonium. Hefty. The build begins this weekend. Not sure if I want to make my own headset press or just let the monkey at the shop squeeze it in there for me. Or maybe I'll break down and get the Pricepoint press.

Scattante SSR Single Speed Road Bike

I don't have this bike anymore. It was fun to build, but other than a blast around the neighborhood every couple of weeks, I just wasn't riding it. But, if you want a fast and fun track-style bike, the Scattante SSR frame and fork is a nice offering. Don't expect a low-buck F&F to result in a low-buck build, however. I built mine up with cheap-but-good parts from a variety of online sources, and still dropped about $700 bucks. Ouch.

The cheapest clipless pedals I could find. I actually never rode clipped in, I kept platforms on the bike to facilitate quick spins around the neighborhood.

SRAM Omnium crank, super nice. I got a great deal on it from a buddy who worked there, I would not have bought such a nice crank otherwise.

ACS Claws BMX freewheel. The Scattante frame had neat socket-style fork ends (not dropouts, as Sheldon Brown will tell you). Calibration marks and chain tensioning screws made it easy to set up the drivetrain.  

These Weinman rims with Formula cartridge-bearing, high-flange hubs were $160 for the pair. I liked 'em.

Ah yes, there's the hub. Note the shallow sockets the axle nuts sit in, as a safety device. Even with nutted axles, I had to hassle with "lawyer lips!"

Tektro's most inexpensive brakes are the R530s, but they belie their low cost with a nice finish and smooth action. The pads need a fair ammount of bed-in time before they grab well, though--especially on the Weinman rims' machined sidewalls, which had fine grooves that further reduced grip.

This shot also shows the Performance chromoly fork's nicely sloping crown. The fork weighed a ton, as I recall. And, it's no longer available--or at least, not available now.

Tektro R200A levers go for under $30 bucks a pair. You can spend a lot more, but I don't think you can get a better functioning lever--unless you want your brake levers to also operate your derailers.

PricePoint bars and stem, $35 for both as a combo. Perfectly fine stuff.

Kalloy Uno radius-top, the best $20 seatpost you'll ever find. Get yours from Velo Orange and it won't have the logo--much nicer that way. The saddle is a Forte thing that came off my Scattante Roma flat-bar road bike.

And there you have it.

Schwinn Voyageur DONE(ish)

In addition to being the debut of my newly rebuilt Voyageur, these are also the first pics taken with my new (to me) Canon Rebel camera. I shot these full-auto, but I'm looking forward to really digging into the camera's features to take some creative photos.  

The crank is clear-anodized, so it didn't respond to polishing, but it cleaned up well enough. I soaked the chainrings in Simple Green to remove the greasy "gumline" from the old chain, and to my surprise the original Biopace decal stayed on. I wasn't worried about keeping it on there, but I figure it earned the right to stay after surving the long Simple Green soak. The chain is new, it's the cheapest 6-7-8 speed chain Nashbar had, and perfectly good. Grip Kings from Riv...more on those, and them,  later.

 

Original derailer, new Shimano 6-speed freewheel (not a cassette), new Jagwire housing. I have to crimp cable ends on there, I'll get the big bottle from Porkchop BMX. The derailer pulleys were really gummed up, a Simple Green soak took care of them. Since it's not a solvent, I didn't have to worry about harming the plastic or handling fumey/toxic/flammable stuff that I'd rather not dip my fingers into. So yeah, I like Simple Green.

 

Grip King pedals from Rivendell. Great pedals, and a great company. No clips, no cleats, no clicks. Just a big ol' platform, which is all you need. Read this.

Now, just because I eschew clip-in pedals, don't think me a "retro-grouch." I like indexing just fine, and the Voyageur's 6-speed downtube shifters are in SIS mode. That's Shimano Indexing System, which in 1987 was still a new thing. Mothers Mag Wheel polish brought back the shine.

Fresh Dia-Compe cable hangers and straddle wires, cheap but OK Dia Compe Gray Matter pads, and a polish job on the original cantilevers. Oh, and new Panaracer Pasela tires (not sure where I got 'em; I just Googled for a good photo and linked to where I found it). I forgot how fat 27 x 1 1/4 tires are, but boy is the ride cushy. And, the skinwalls look so much nicer against the polished rims than blackwalls do. Everything is blackwall these days.

 

You don't see headbadges anymore these days, especially ones that attach with tiny screws. This one reads "Schwinn Chicago," which means this is an American-made frame. If it said "Schwinn Quality," that would be Taiwan...which would also be fine.