Prairie Breaker update

 

I did a bit more playing around with the Shogun today, a quick wipe down although its going to need a real scrub, greasing the seat post and stem etc.

I took some brass wool to the bullmoose bars to clean them up a bit.

Under the grime I discovered a mostly Shimano drive train.

I have been spoiled by quick release wheels so when I went to load up the bike and discovered bolt on wheels front and back I had a moment of panic.  Fortunately I bought this car from my mom back in 2016 and my Dad always had a tub of road flares first aid and  misc tools one of which was a pair of pliers.   I carefully used them to loosen the front wheel nuts and I was in business.  Thanks Dad, still helping me out even though he passed away in 2012.

I got the bike in the stand and removed the rear fender and also realized the tires are mismatched and of different widths- 2.125 in back and 1.5 in front .

I would have preferred something wider and with a gum wall but 26" tires are rarer than hens teeth right now so I was happy to find some 26 x 1.5 at a price that would allow me to replace them and still ride the clunker challenge.

The reflector had lost its reflecty bit but I have one in the parts bin I can swap in.

I am a bit bummed the Shogun head badge decal isn't the cool Shogun helmet style but that is a minor gripe.

I am glad the tubing is Tange and not HiTen which should make the ride nicer and there a lots of cool details like the fork which I already mentioned, the seat stay caps and the fact its a lugged not TIG welded frame.

From bike forums I think the serial number means this is a frame built in October of 1985 for the 86 model year but I am awaiting some confirmation. 

I just had a contract end so while I wait on the next one I have a nice little project to keep me busy.

Ride.Smile.Repeat,

Shogun Prairie Breaker I

 

I have been actively looking for a Specialized RockHopper but haven't found one in the right size, price, components combination as yet.  Yesterday I did come across something that interested me, a Shogun Prairie breaker, of immediate interest was that it was my size and cheap at $50.  As I looked closer though more things appeared that drew my interest.

I had never had a Shogun pass through my hands before..

I am a sucker for a biplane fork,,,

Bullmoose bars, which I think are cool...

Thumbies!  and these are the desirealbe metal ones not cheap plastic.

So I went and picked it up this evening.  The plan for now is to clean it, perhaps service the bearings, leave it as is and ride it as clunker challenge bike #2,  This weekend I will get more info and find the serial # so I can narrow down the year but I think it may be an 85 or 86 at a guess.

Look at that stretched out stance! 

Ride. Smile. Repeat,

Warehouse sale

 

I figured I would try the warehouse sale this weekend.  When I went in the spring I was far enough back in line that by the time I got to the sale it was picked over.  This time I was fortunate to be there early enough to get in with the first group so I had choices.

At the top of my list was a finding a Specialized Rock Hopper. And I actually found two and a Stump Jumper, unfortunately they were all either too small, had a suspension fork or both.

I had seen a Trek 420 on the way in but was in Rock Hopper mode so I left it, when I realized the MTB wasn't going to happen I want back to where the 420 was, but now it was in the hands of a young lady.   Her friend then found a mountain bike she liked better so she handed off the 420 to me.

The first time I looked at the price I saw $45 for some reason, but I decided $75 was still a decent deal and I am happy to put $$ in the pockets of bike works.  Ironically it's the same price I paid for the 520 I just sold.  

It has a few issues, flat tires, out of level handle bars, a horrible comfort saddle and the worst offender a ding in the top tube.   No deal breakers however and although I haven't done any close looking I am about 90% sure this a 1985 exactly the same size and color of the one I sold last fall.

Not exactly sure what I am going to do with this bike, I have a friend looking for a dedicated trainer bike but I think this is a hair small for him.   I am leaning towards some basic maintenance and clean up and then seeing if I can sell it for a profit and if I get no takers it will be my fall/winter tear down project.

Ride.Smile.Repeat

Know when to fold'em...

I think that as important as it is to be persistent and think outside the box it is equally important to know when to walk away.  

I took the front wheel for the Giant to my LBS for a spoke replacement after I discovered a broken spoke while trying to true the wheel, what they found was that the rim was cracked.  That in itself wasn't a deal breaker but with the mounting issues for this bike I resolved that unless I could first solve the shifting I would not spend any more $$ on this bike including no replacement front wheel without the shifting working first.

 Well I did the WD-40 treatment to the shifters and I did get them to sorta kinda shift up to 5 of 8 gears but it wasn't great so I decided for this bike it was on to plan B - a part out.

Without too much fuss I got the bike mostly apart and doing some back of the napkin calculations I think I can just about break-even as Campy parts tend to be desirable.  I have already sold the rear wheel with 8 speed campy cassette.  The thing about Campy brifters is that unlike Shimano they can be rebuilt, you just need a watchmakers skill and patience, that is not me lol.  The LBS said it was about a $70 job and they could get most of the parts still for 8 speed.  I will let someone else do that.

A little more work got the cranks off, fortunately campy uses the same crank puller as I have in the tool box.

And for the BB I got to pull out a rarely used campy square taper tool I used to build up a frame with Campy 10 speed back in about 2010, that bike went to my friend Karen who still rides it.

So now I have some cleaning to do on the frame-set and parts so I can list and hopefully sell them and put this chapter behind me.

In other news the AQI was finally decent enough this morning that I could take the morning ride I have been delaying all week.  It was nice to get out on the Cresta GT something I hope to do more of if the wildfires get under control so the air quality can improve.

Ride. Know when to walk away. Smile. Repeat

Return of an old friend - Nishiki Cascade

 

Back in June of 2017 I was aimless browsing the CL bike ads, as I all too often do, and came across this 1984 Nishiki Cascade in the parts section for $11 because it was missing some parts and had a stuck seat post.   The seller thought someone might want it for the wheels but I was attracted to the bullmoose bars not knowing at the time that the metal Thumb shifters where just as cool if not cooler.   The seller was an old guy who fixed bikes in his garage and smoked cigars,  I was jealous!

About a month later I got access to a garage while house sitting and during the great bike blitz of 2017  I got the bike stripped down so I could try to address the stuck seat post.

Even if I failed on the seatpost I had a treasure trove of vintage MTB parts including the bull moose bars and thumbies.

Time, patience and lots of liquid wrench finally did the trick and freed the seat post so I had a bike I could actually build up.

By February of 2018, short of cash and with an apartment bursting with bikes and bike parts I sold the Nishiki Cascade as a project with new tires and most of the parts.   According to CL I asked for $50, I don't recall if I got that but I do recall the guy who bought it, looked very carefully through the box of parts noting what was there and not there.  I was happy to pass it along, pocket some $$ and I thought I had seen the last of that lovely biplane fork......

Recently the guy who I sold box of bits too commented on the blog that he had finished rebuilding the Cascade!  I asked if he wouldn't mind sending me pictures, which he kindly did and then was nice enough to allow me to post them.  I never see bikes or projects after they leave me so this was a real treat.

In addition to all the parts getting taken apart cleaned and reassembled the frame and fork got de rusted and repainted with new decals applied!  Per the builder; 

Rides real well...15 speed...Suntour Perfect 5:14-32, with 26-36-46 Tourney XT crank up front. Had to assemble all sorts of little missing parts (mostly for brakes), put in an enclosed BB, wheels are Araya with high flange hub in front, Pro Class with the holes in back. Both power shifters were completely taken apart, cleaned, lightly lubed, reassembled. Long seat post for wide range of riders. Forewent the bullmoose (honeymoon is over!), for stem and bars for wider range of adjust-ability while still retaining period aesthetics.

Frame was sanded and repainted, frame-savered inside.

So cool to see an old frame on the verge of going to the dump, get new life.  Awesome job by Stefan.

Ride.  Give old things new life. Smile. Repeat.

PS the bull moose bars went on a different build by the buyer.