CAP'N SHAF'S BLACK DIAMOND

My buddy Cap'n Shaf has been riding an early nineties Diamond Back mountain bike for a long time.  Too long, if you ask me.  So he let me have my way with it, and I rebuilt it as a single speed commuter.  I shot a new paint job, and threw on some sick Geex 26" road tires, terry drops with Cinelli tape, and a new chain.  I overhauled the ailing rear hub, spaced out the freewheel and left only the 15 tooth cog, creating a 38:15 gear ratio.  When i finished I only had one ball bearing left over: not too shabby.  Behold the Black Diamond!

Spaced out 15t SS Freewheel

Before:

OURY, MESA, ZOOM

I thought I'd put up some pics of the newest additions to the Black Plague.  I ditched the 2 pound goose neck stem in favor of a zero-degree Zoom with a removable face plate.  Although I love my Soma pursuit bars, they keep me pretty low and streamlined for around-town riding, so I decided to take advantage of the quick change potential of my new stem and get myself a set of risers.  I went down to the swapmeet this morning and scored brand new black Mesa risers for 3 bucks.  Well, actually $3.22, but the nice old guy at the booth said he'd cut me a deal- lucky me!  I cut them down to 19 3/4" with my trusty Bosch grinder.  I put on some red Oury grips that I got at Art's, and I think the whole setup looks pretty sick.  Now all I need is a straight fork and better balance and i can do bar spins.   

INTRODUCING... THE BLACK PLAGUE

Well, here she is- my newest fixie, the Black Plague. Azuki frame (circa 1980) rattle-canned and built with various components that are a mash-up of craigslist and careful bargain searching on the intarweb. I probably spent too much money (around $350), but hell, it was worth it. I got my first real ride in today and I am completely stoked on the large size of the frame and the power of the 44:15 drive train. I put a 16 tooth freewheel on the other side of the flip/flop hub so I can coast around if I want. Highlights include Soma bullhorns, MKS clips, and a weird goose-neck stem that half of me thinks is awesome and the other half of me wants to replace. Here's the evidence:

Black Plague

Converted FSA Triple Crankset 

MKS Clips with Alle Leather Straps

Before: Azuki "Rust", $23

CRANKSET MOD

A couple of weeks ago I decided that it was time to build a new bike.  So I sold my blue Huffy SS (see Single Speed Conversion post below) for $200 and ordered some components with the money.  While those were shipping I painted the Azuki frame (see previous post) that was sitting in my yard and hunted up a flip/flop wheelset.  The idea is to build a completely black fixed/SS bike with subtle red accents.  When i got my components in the mail a couple of days ago and started to convert the FSA crankset from 3 ring to SS, I realized that the factory had failed to grease the chain ring bolts and thus they were essentially welded into the nuts.  After some fruitless wrenching that only led to stripping the weak alloy hardware, I grabbed my trusty Ryobi and drilled out the bolts.  If done carefully, this works great.  I used a 3/8" steel bit, which was just slightly bigger than the inside diameter of the nut.  Once the 32 and 22 tooth rings were removed, I reattached the 44 tooth ring to the spider with some sweet red anodized bolts.  Here's some before and after...

FSA Dyna Drive Crankset (Original):

Modified:

PAINT JOB

Here's a new project I just started a few days ago.  It's an old Azuki frame that I've had laying around for a couple of months now.  I have experimented with several painting methods on my past few builds, and I think I've finally got it figured out.  This frame, though not yet clear coated thanks to some long overdue rain, is coming out pretty nice.  

Of course the best way to get the paint job you want is to get have the frame powder coated, but that can cost $100 or more.  So here's what I do, step by step:

1) First, I strip the frame of any components, including the bottom bracket, and thoroughly clean off any dirt and grease with a clean rag soaked in Rubbing Alcohol. 

2) Sand the frame with 180 or higher grit sandpaper (wear a dust mask since some old paint dust contains lead)  Sand enough to smooth out any dings and/or rusted spots.  Use GooGone to remove sticky residue from stickers or decals. Finish this step by cleaning dust and any remaining grime off the frame with Rubbing Alcohol. Remember: nothing ruins a new paint job faster than leaving grease on the frame.

3) Use painter's tape to mask off the headbadge. A good way to do this is to over-tape and then use a razor blade to trim the edges of the tape to conform to exact shape of the headbadge.

4) Find a well ventilated spot to paint in. Preferably this will be somewhere that you can hang the frame by the head tube or dropouts at a hight that makes it easy to spray all parts without having to re-position it.  I hang my frames from a bungee cord suspended between two nails about 6 1/2' high on either side of a wide door frame.

5) Start with a Primer coat.  I use Rustoleum Automobile Grade Primer.  Shoot a couple thin coats to start out with, about 3 minutes apart.  Don't lay it on thick... just get even coverage, making sure that you hit all parts of the frame.  Let the primer dry for around 24 hours.

6) Lightly sand your primer coat with 280 or higher grit sandpaper.  Clean the frame with Rubbing Alcohol and apply another coat of primer.  Let it dry for 24 hours.

7) Lightly sand with 280 grit sandpaper, clean, and apply your first color coat.  I use Rustoleum Enamel.  Enamel is dries harder and glossier than Acrylic spray paint, and is easier to apply. Start with a couple of thin coats, 3 or 4 minutes apart.  Recoat either within 1 hour or after 48 hours.  Remember, shoot your final coat top to bottom so that you avoid over-spraying onto areas of fresh paint (this causes 'orange peel' or dullness of color in affected areas.) 

8) Once your frame has a few good coats of color on it, give it a couple of light coats of Rustoleum Clear Coat Enamel to protect your color coat and to really gloss it out.  Let the clear coat dry for 24 hours before putting any components back on the frame.  This method won't stand up to a crash or systematic abuse, but if you're careful and protective of your bike (like you should be anyway) it will provide adequate rust protection, resist chipping and look bitchin' for quite a while. 

THAT WAS CLOSE!

The other day I was riding home from school on my fixed gear when I hit a rather large bump, which caused my right foot to twist in toward the frame.  All I felt was a quick tug, and when I looked down, the side of my shoe was cut clean in half, sliced between my chain and the chain ring. I guess I'm pretty lucky that it didn't get my skin; I've heard (and seen pictures) of guys who have lost fingers to the notoriously hungry fixie chain line.  Ouch.

MIDAS TOUCH TAKARA

Not too long ago my good friend Moog asked if I would build her a Single Speed with some attitude.  So I took this old Takara that I got on Craigslist and turned it into a Golden Goddess. 25 lbs and a 40:16 ratio for the slopes of Flagstaff where she's headed.   Total Cost: $125.  The second pic is what she looked like before.

AFTER: TOTAL COST $ 100