hogdepodge

As well as using my parents' presences to get some stuff done round the house (but mostly finishing off Edgar's room, in which they're sleeping so the presence of paint fumes is not so problematic) I was able to get an hour or so yesterday evening to replace a couple of rounded nipples on the wheel I built back in February (only having to kill one spoke to do so), switch the cassette over, find and install the rim tape I bought alongside a couple of replacement tyres and stick the whole thing on, redishing it slightly to centre it as the dropouts on the old frame/truing stand in the loft are very slightly out of alignment. At the time of taking the picture only the frame, BB, rear brake, stem, handlebar and seatpin remain from the original. The front wheel is twenty-odd years old, though will be replaced with the getting-knackered-but-more-aerodynamic original. Telling that front wheels from both bikes are still alive whilst I got through two on oldbike and am on my fourth for this one, though the third is still usable, though was only intended as a cheap spare until I could build one. I shall probably next build one for the front, hopefully getting luckier with the spoke length and not having to strain to get sufficient tension on slightly-too-long spokes. I shall have to hope I can find a different rim for the front in order to try and maintain the slightly cobbled-together look given my the mixed-age componentry which hopefully adds to the don't-bother-stealing-this effect of the drop bars and ripped seat.