State of the art, such as it is
The midlifecrisismobile seems to be getting moderately close to being dialed in, now that I’ve pulled the 650b wheels, stuffed in the old trek wheelset & 700c×25 tires, and lowered the handlebars just a little bit more (they’re now 2¾ths inch lower than the seat.)
The current component list consists of
- 58cm Soma Speedster frame/fork (used)
- Nitto B135 handlebars (new)
- Dimension 17° stem, anodized black for extra ugliness (LBS)
- Problem Solvers stem clamp (so I can adjust the handlebars without drama) (LBS)
- a couple of headset spacers (5mm, 10mm) (new)
- a Incredibell duet bell kitbashed onto a Incredibell headset bell mount (LBS)
- an el-cheapo aluminum seatpost(LBS)
- an el-cheapo SRAM 8-speed cassette (11/12/14/16/18/21/26/32) (REI)
- a Biopace 48-tooth chainring, bolted to a shiny! red Origin-8 crankset (ebay)
- a Shimano UN54 bottom bracket (LBS)
- el-cheapo SRAM mountain derailer (REI)
- el-cheapo 8-speed chain (LBS)
- some ancient friction shifter (ebay)
- Tektro R556 brakes (ebay), and
- Shimano brake levers (used)
- MKS pedals (used), cheapy Delta toeclips and straps (also used)
- Chris King headset (pure vanity, but also used)
- SKS P45 fenders (didn’t need to be adjusted when I pulled the 650B wheels and replaced them with 700c) with home-made mudflaps (new)
- Nitto F15 handlebar bag holder (new)
- the prototype#2 handlebar bag (which is not nearly as waterproof as I want it to be; prototype#3 is going to need to have the map case sealed)
- an old seatpost bag (with a plastic bag wedged in above it to keep the seat dry during the rain
- a couple of Dimension bottleholders (new)
- the essential Brooks Professional saddle (new)
- I’m not sure where the handlebar tape is from, but it’s tan. I’ve got another roll of it sitting around (and some hemp twine & shellac) in case I decide that I want to go for the full Riv look on my decidedly non-Riv bicycle
- I’ve got a bunch of lights; a Niterider MiNewt headlight, a couple of Trek-branded handlebar end taillights, and a Nashbar brakelight wired to the rear brake (LBS,LBS,new)
- and some shiny! red brake cable housing
The sad thing is that it fits better than my Trek; the extra inch fore and aft stretches the wheelbase out far enough so that a 700c×25 tire + fender can just barely fit without toe overlap, and the combination of the longer frame and stem pushes the handlebars out two comfortable inches, so I can more easily ride in the drops, even with the handlebars lower than they are on the Trek. I suppose I could always try to get a 1" threadless fork for the Trek (and rake it out to 60-70mm) and put a really long stem onto it to stretch the driver’s cab to to the size of the mlcm.