OT man powered trail rig back together (LONG)

From: conv442@earthlink.net
Date: Thu Apr 22 2010 - 12:27:05 EDT


Well the mountain bike that BBQ goers recall from 2 years ago being on the trails, and from last year not due to failed forks, has almost completely recovered from its latest shenanigans.

Forks were replaced over the winter and the bike has been used a couple times on trails down the Cape. Girlfriend follows me on her big white horse. Anyways tuesday my pimp calls while I'm at her house with the bike, and tells me I need to be in Rumford, ME to do some work. I figure rather than taking a 45 minute detour over to my little place on the Cape I'd bring the bike with me, no real concerns about it getting stolen locked to the back of the truck (ooh I guess that could be considered Dakota content). Well my go direct and save time was foiled by bridge work backing up traffic for about an hour wait to get off the Cape. And later as I'm speeding along I-95 in the dusk another car starts flashing at me and pointing madly. I look back and nearly $#!& myself....no bike on bike rack. I pull into the high speed breakdown lane, toss truck out of gear, set the e-brake and jump out. I got lucky the bungee on the front tire held and the bike had followed me down the highway at roughly 75mph for about ha
lf a mile. Toss bike in the bed and continue north. Get to Portsmouth, NH and stop for gas, take a closer look @ the bike left pedal destroyed, only half seat left, rear quick release torn up, and handlebars less than happy. But the frame looks ok and I figure it's all fixable.

Forgot to mention the Dakota was slowly rolling back even with the e-brake on. Left axle seal shot. So I finish up on ME and drive home, stopping at the bike shop in the next town over from Attleboro (the home that is a place for my stuff) because while I was trying to get the forks replaced I'd noticed that he had the pedals I prefer (Onza off road clipless - the company is long out of buisness)buy 2 sets of pedals and new saddle. By now I've also determined I'm going to need new cranks, but he didn't have any.

Head home and check to see if the parts store across the street has an axle seal and maybe a wheel bearing. Completely forgot that C-clip axles don't have press on bearing like bolted flange ones - aka Oldsmobiles, so I also checked with the shop that occupys the same building as the parts store if they could turn around the axel for me. Went back after I got it out and apologized for not needing them - don't want to piss off the good help in case I need some. Did the seal almost filled up the rear but ran out of gear oil. Finished that this morning, ran out for some cheap engine oil and changed the truck's blood. (oh wow more Dakota content...may have to change the subject....)

Then I fixed the bike, found an old chainringless crank in the pile of bike crap and swapped the rings over. Got it all done and discovered the front wheel needed a massage but a couple minutes with the 'ole Park truing stand had that right as rain. I'm going to have fun the first weekend in August.

Jim
2003 full time 2wd Dakota missing 2 pistons
1wd Klein mountain bike



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