Finished up the fender install on the Surly last night. I think I have about 3.5 hours into installing the fenders. Not that I couldn't have finished them sooner, but I wanted the installation performed properly, so I took the time to do it. Getting a longer bolt for the fork crown and spacers for the rear fenders took a bit of time (and an extra bike ride) as well. However, I'm happy with the results. The rear fender was definitely harder to get lined up since it covers more of the wheel, there were more attachments to deal with, and I had to think about how I wanted to deal with the rear fender stays and their interaction with the quick release and derailer. I ended up using the rack stays and eliminating all of my issues. In the spirit of the internet, I tracked down excellent installation instructions and photos from both the Velo Orange Blog and from SconnyBoy's blog.
Rode the bike into work this morning and I'm pleased with the results. The only noise I heard was when a rock was kicked up into the fender. We'll see how they hold up long term. If I run into issues with the bolts getting loose, I'll add a bit of loctite to the recipe. Speaking of commuting, for the first time ever, I rode into work with "normal" clothes. No lycra, no performance fabrics. Just jeans, a t-shirt, light coat, street shoes, gloves and a helmet with a hat underneath. It was definitely a different experience, and the weather was perfect for it this morning at 28F or so to start. I kept the jacket unzipped a bit, and rode at a fairly sedate pace. It was an interesting experience. I think I'll be doing more of that, or just changing shirts when I get to work . It's quicker, and a lot less hassle once I get to the office.
I'll likely spend tomorrow going over the Karate Monkey in preparation for the Sylvan Stampede this weekend in the Quad Cities. Looking at the forecast, it's going be wet through Saturday evening. Chances of the race happening don't look too good.
5 comments:
Steve, do you know anything about Ridges of Mad Co.? Is it still going down, or has it been put on hold? Just wanting to know. Later!
I emailed the organizer this morning to see if he had decided on an alternate date. The reply I received back was that due to the difficulty in scheduling the ride, he was not going to be hosting it. I'm going to be trying to get a metric or a full century in on the 20th. That's going to be my last shot for the month.
Nice job on the fender line. Are those VO fenders? They appear to be fluted aluminum?
RC,
Those are indeed the the Velo Orange Fluted Aluminum fenders. I still think they need a hit of simichrome, but I'd have to take them off to shine them up. Not sure I have the energy for that now. :)
How did Sylvan Island go? Did you make it down there for the race? The Surly is looking sweet btw...
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