Thank you, aflowercallednowhere for the bike computer! I haven't hooked it up yet, but I am admiring its analogue clock face intermixed with the blocky digital text fonts.
On Thursday I didn't exactly bike in. I drove to Stadium Village where I can park all day for free and I rode my folding bike to my East Bank office. It was really slick. Now I'm thinking about just storing the bike in the trunk. I did wear a surprisingly warm combination. Finding nothing especially clean in my room to wear, I pulled on some pantyhose that I had forgotten about. I put on the Columbia fleece pants over them. The ride was a cosy warm one. Granted I wasn't going really fast and I wasn't in the Midtown Greenwindtunnel, but I might try that combo again.
Ever since the ride on Wednesday night, I have been seriously thinking about converting my Ross Compact into a fixed gear. I was riding up Nicollet and my chain dropped down to the granny gear. Then I was trying to stop for a car who decided that we had a telepathic link because he proceeded to turn right into Quang's without a signal. The person in front of him was also turning and signalled so I was already slowing, but I had not yet come to a complete stop because I thought that I could slowly go until the car passed. I wasn't going that fast so it wasn't too dangerous, but I didn't stop with the help of my brakes. Backpedalling then would have been nice. My brakes were all gunked up with snow.
I believe that I just have to switch the bottom bracket and get rid of the extra gears. If anyone has any advice, I would really appreciated it. This Ross is from the seventies, has a fixed wheel in the rear and a BB that takes care of the freewheel function. I don't know if the gears are detachable from the rear hub, I sorta suspect they are not.
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There are a lot of e-mail listserves where you could post this peculiar conundrum of the front-freewheeled bike and get a knowledgable answer.
I am particularly thinking of the "Ibob" (Internet Bridgestone Owners Bunch) listserve. I subscribe to it and it has quite a few bike builders and some folder/stowaway bike builders that would know the specifics of how to do this.
Just Google "Ibob". Sign up for it and then you get posting clearance so you can ask away.
These people are all old-school bikers and mechanics and even the heads of quite a few custom bike companies and they know the exact specs of oddball/out of production/folding bikes, and are very helpful. They approach odd questions as challenges, and some of them are like encyclopedias when it comes to non-mainstream bikes.
Hope the computer has a nice 2nd life!
Further clarification on the Ibobs (Internet Bridgestone Owners Bunch):
You maybe know this, but Bridgestone was a retro-leaning bike company that carved an odd niche in the US market until the yen/dollar problem chased them out of this market. They refused to follow fashions and took a stand against a few industry giants that also contributed to their downfall.
They have attained legendary status because of the cult of personality that grew up aroung their designer Grant Petersen (now of Rivendell Bikes) and because in retrospect the old Bridgestones were built with a design philosophy that still enables them to command waaaay out of line prices on Ebay. A Bridgestone in perfect shape is worth as much now as it was then, and some models like the X-01 and MB-0 go for more than they cost new.
My first good bike was a Bridgestone, and it was the best bike I've ever had. The people on this list can help you with any bike problem, and a good question concerning something like converting an oddball bike like yours will probably touch off some heated and passionate debate!
Be careful about people turning right, in front of you... remember my bus accident!
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