Eighteen month snapshot — 3,836 Km
by Steve ~ August 27th, 2008. Filed under: Maintenance & Repairs.Just to freshen memories, including my own, here’s the current state of the Bike of Doom. It has been parked outside, locked to a bike stand in our yard most of the time, since March. Prior to that I kept it parked on our front porch.
It doesn’t look too bad after 3,800 Kilometers. It still rides fairly quietly, the gears still change, the wheels still turn, and the brakes work. There are a few rust spots where I’ve scraped up the frame, but nothing too bad.
The BOD has sat idle since late June as I started riding my Giant Boulder to work. See the spider that made its home in the frame? Nice spider. It’s gone now. Just like the Giant Boulder.
Here’s the dB2L odometer that has served me well. This $11 purchase is resilient, lasted through deep winter and temperatures of -45 C, rain, and being stored outside. It still works. Its mounting bracket wasn’t so lucky, however, and is now assisted by a generous helping of duct tape.
I wouldn’t go so far as to call this the “trusty” rear derailer, but it’s a rear derailer of sorts. It still changes the gears and seems to be holding up. I’m concerned that it’s actually the gunk and dirt that’s holding it all together at this point, so I’ve been avoiding cleaning it lest it fall apart.
As you can see, the front derailer isn’t any cleaner than the rear derailer, but like its more complex cousin, still seems to work.
There are some rusts spots in unexpected places, like the screws holding the bike together. When you store a bike out in the elements, that’s what happens. Even the Boulder was showing such signs, though not as many as the Bike of Doom. The is the shifter that fell apart last winter in the deep cold. Turns out it was only the plastic casing that broke. The insides, and the mounting bracket, are all metal, so it’s still serviceable. I have not replaced it, as you can see.
And that’s it, a quick photo gallery of the Bike of Doom in its current state, 18 months old, 3,800 Km under its wheels, and more to start piling up.
I’ll strive to do weekly updates on the bike’s care and feeding. Stay tuned.
Related posts:
Bike of Doom passes 250 Km. inspection
Bike of Doom warms to winter thaw - 3384 Km
End of the road for the Bike of Doom?
August 27th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
> It’s gone now. Just like the Giant Boulder.
?
BTH
August 28th, 2008 at 12:00 pm
BT… see previous post. My Giant Boulder was snatched from the back yard. Argh.
August 28th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I feel for you - I just had 2 chainsaws, a generator, a water pump and a toolbox (full of tools) stolen from my farm.
BTH
August 31st, 2008 at 1:33 am
Steve,
Let me start by saying I am sorry to hear about the Giant Boulder and the other bikes being stolen. I hope the spider went that went with the boulder turns out to be poisonous and takes out the thief.
I have made a link to bike of doom on my web site. I will be posting some photos of a single speed mtb I built as an experiment much like the bike of doom, soon. I will pass them on to you for your page.
I hope there bikes turn up. How are the police in Canada as regards bike theft? I know of a case where a cyclist kept the frame number written somewhere and passed it on to the police when his bike got stolen. He got a call so many hours later with a message that the police had found his bike and he had to pick it up.