Monday, February 23, 2009

MUSICAL CRANKSETS

This weekend, between rainstorms, I was able to get some work done on the old Motobecane Mirage frame that I bought for 40 bucks on Craigslist a while back.  I stripped all the components and rebuilt the bottom bracket and the headset.  It's a nice bike, and I think it will make a fun single speed.  Unfortunately, the crankset, an old alloy "S" brand, has an integrated chainring/crank arm instead of a spider, with spacers and long bolts for the smaller rings.  The integrated ring is a 52 tooth, too big for a single speed (I prefer 44).  So, after a quick cleaning, I put it up on Craigslist for 20 bucks.  I figured some fixie purist with a love for oversize gear ratios would snap it up, and I was right; it took all of 7 minutes to sell.  Today, the Pyramid SS cranksets that I ordered finally arrived (I ordered 2), and I'm pretty stoked on how they look, especially for $21 each.  They're steel, so they add a bit of weight, but they're inexpensive and durable: perfect for economy rebuilds. Now all I need is a decent 700c rear wheel.

Here's the old crankset- vintage French "S" brand

And here's the new Pyramid 44 tooth, soon to be installed.

1 comment:

Morning Glory said...

Jon, I like your new blog. I really liked the old crankset you sold, kind of better than the new one.