Day Eight

     Today started out uneventful, I just finished cleaning the chain and loosening up the stuck links, and lubed up the chain. However, just an hour ago, my friend showed me a cart he found in a park. It's a bit smaller than a full-sized cart, but I think that it makes it a bit more practical. Overall, it's 38 inches tall, and 32 inches long. The basket itself is 26 inches long, 12 inches deep, and 17 inches wide at the handle. It'll do just fine.
     Right now, I think that I'll keep the baby seat, because it's convenient in case I need to pick up infants, but more so that I can put food and stuff there and have it in easy access. However, it's time to knock off some plastic, attach the stem to the cart's handlebars, mount the brake levers and shifter, and then saw off the bottom of the basket, for improved clearance, and so that I can get more done before I get the forks, and avoid waiting.


[Right, the cart with a 26" Tire for size comparison.]

Day Five

     I cleaned the chain today, and got it back into working order, but this bike is having fewer and fewer redeeming qualities. The rear derailleur works fine, though I might have to adjust the limits, that's an easy task. I believe the front derailleur is in the same condition. However, the bottom bracket will take more work than previously anticipated, I'm hoping it'll just involve tightening the cranks to realign it, but it's shaping up not to be that simple. Additionally, the middle chainring is wrecked, and right now I'm trying to decide whether it would be worth ordering a new one. I might not, considering that there are parts that I'll won't be able to do without on this bike, and a chainring is not one of them. I will most likely just take the second ring off, adjust the chainline and derailleur, and cross my fingers. This all depends on the condition of the small chainring, if it's wrecked, it'll change my game plan.

Super rusty.













One segment cleaned, about eight to go.

Not factory clean, but it's a vast improvement. A wire brush and a bottle of Rock and Roll work wonders.

 Horrible crack. It's beginning to scare me how someone let their bike get in this shape, there appears to be something, that alone would be serious enough to have to get the bike repaired, wrong with every part group.

I have no idea how this bulge even happened.