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What bike did you ride today?

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Everything is better today;
same bike, regular route, 16 mile total.
 
I’m starting to think I’m a crappy bike aficionado. I stop at the same gas station a couple times a week and both times I noticed a clapped out late ‘90s Huffy Santa Fe with a flat tire, leaning against the fence by the dumpster. I asked the clerk and he said someone had left it there days earlier and I was welcome to take it or else it was going in the dumpster. Low end bike but the first new bike I ever bought myself in high school was a Cranbrook that I rode all through college. I was pissed when someone stole it off the balcony at my apartment. I later spotted that bike being ridden by a homeless guy at a gas station. I chewed him out for taking it but both he and the bike looked so pitiful I sent them off together. So, ironically, I find a similar crappy bike at a gas station.

Coaster brake anchor was gone, wrong size presta valve inner tube in the back wheel, no rim strips, rust on the fenders, crumbly foam hand grips.

Bearings in the Falcon coaster looked okay so I threw everything in the ultrasonic cleaner and replaced the loose ball bearings in the front hub. Replaced various missing screws, rim strips, rear inner tube, checked spoke tension and got the wheels as true as my micrometer will go, put some Thompson ball end handlebar grips and a $10 Walmart chain on it and took it for a ride before the sun came up. I’ve got about $35 in it but holy crap it rides nice. Fast, smooth, easy to handle.

I’ll clean up the chain guard and fenders and put them back on even though they’re rattling garbage- Why? I don’t know. Nothing about this project makes any sense. Guess I just want my high school bike back and also wanted to see if a Huffy Santa Fe could be rebuilt to run properly.

460380AB-CED0-4C42-8EEA-7D38314CF45A.jpeg
 
I’m starting to think I’m a crappy bike aficionado. I stop at the same gas station a couple times a week and both times I noticed a clapped out late ‘90s Huffy Santa Fe with a flat tire, leaning against the fence by the dumpster. I asked the clerk and he said someone had left it there days earlier and I was welcome to take it or else it was going in the dumpster. Low end bike but the first new bike I ever bought myself in high school was a Cranbrook that I rode all through college. I was pissed when someone stole it off the balcony at my apartment. I later spotted that bike being ridden by a homeless guy at a gas station. I chewed him out for taking it but both he and the bike looked so pitiful I sent them off together. So, ironically, I find a similar crappy bike at a gas station.

Coaster brake anchor was gone, wrong size presta valve inner tube in the back wheel, no rim strips, rust on the fenders, crumbly foam hand grips.

Bearings in the Falcon coaster looked okay so I threw everything in the ultrasonic cleaner and replaced the loose ball bearings in the front hub. Replaced various missing screws, rim strips, rear inner tube, checked spoke tension and got the wheels as true as my micrometer will go, put some Thompson ball end handlebar grips and a $10 Walmart chain on it and took it for a ride before the sun came up. I’ve got about $35 in it but holy crap it rides nice. Fast, smooth, easy to handle.

I’ll clean up the chain guard and fenders and put them back on even though they’re rattling garbage- Why? I don’t know. Nothing about this project makes any sense. Guess I just want my high school bike back and also wanted to see if a Huffy Santa Fe could be rebuilt to run properly.

View attachment 1696092
Better get a good lock next!
 
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