Yesterday, I took Floria die Fleddermoose in for a minor bit of maintenance. Today, I got a phone call from the bike shop. While working on the bike, they noticed that there was a crack in the frame at the weld of the top tube and the seat tube. They stopped work and recommended extreme caution using the bike. When I got to the bike shop, Steve, the manager, asked if I had a receipt from when I bought the bike. I replied that it had been ten years or so since I bought it, and therefore I didn't have it. Also, I suspect that either La Cordée or DeVinci could plead normal wear and tear, and/or abnormal usage, viz. an XL-sized rider* on a L-sized bike using a long seat post to compensate. As well, I had been hearing creaking noises which I assumed were seat related for well over a year. Recently, I bought a new seat and seat post, both of which I firmly bolted into place. Possibly overly firmly.
Steve and I discussed various options including "new" bikes. One was a second-hand road bike that was a bit too small. The other was a new touring bike, complete with a Brooks saddle. In the latter case, the idea was that I would demote Leonardo to commuting status. I wasn't entirely convinced by either option. Also, many of the dynamic components of die Fleddermoose are very new, viz the wheels, brake shifters, tires, etc. I enquired if they could get me a new frame and conduct a parts transplant. However, it seems that these days, road bike frames are only equipped for disc brakes. After some discussion, I decided that the best short term option was to take die Fleddermoose home and use some of her parts to make Leonardo more commuter friendly for the time being.
It was a sunny day, so I set up the bike stand on the sidewalk in front of my condo. I removed the thumb bell, the wheels, the tires, the mudguards, forward reflector and the rear rack (complete with milk crate) from die Fleddermoose. I took off the tires and rear rack from Leonardo and installed the narrower tires, mudguard, rear rack, thumb bell and forward reflector from die Fleddermoose. This involved a certain amount of swearing and frustration.
In the midst of this, a guy from across the street came over and asked if I would be interested in doing a bike repair job for him. I refrained from insulting him. I did inform him that I was quite frankly an amateur, only fit for minor bits of maintenance. I recommended that if he had a serious need, that he patronise one of the local bike shops. He did not take offence at this, and offered to sell me an really old bike frame, dirt cheap. Given my situation, I said that I was interested. So he produced the frame. It was a small, rusted, ladies' bike frame. I took one look at it, and said "No, thank you." We chatted for a bit. He had the idea that he might put components on the frame to turn it into what he described as a "Frankenstein" bike. I have heard such an idea before, notably from my sister. In all honesty, I didn't get a very practical vibe from the guy, so I gently suggested that the frame was beyond re-use and that recycling was the realistic option.**
Then again, I can easily invest in a commuting bike. One thought is to go for a folding bike so I could take it on the Metro during rush hour. The more attractive idea is get a new frame and transplant the parts. Yet another idea is to do both. This plays into the "X+1" ideal number of bikes. I don't have to deal with "Y-1".
In writing this post, I double-checked when I had acquired Floria die Fleddermoose. This was done thanks to this blog post. It was a shade less than 10 years ago that I bought her. November 2009 to be precise. She served fewer years than the Castafiore. The shorter lifespan can probably be attributed to her aluminium construction.
* I make no apologies for being an XL-sized rider. That is due to my height (6'2") which is due to genetics. I also have the endorsement of Margo, which I quote: "Large nephews make good windbreaks."
** I later saw the frame put out for rubbish.
