Over-thinking and re-working... Now 4 rideable bikes, aren't.
#1
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Over-thinking and re-working... Now 4 rideable bikes, aren't.
I've done it again... I just finished building up a Ron Cooper frame recently purchased from ebayUK. I had my CV-19 challenge built and ready to put some miles on. I was organising the general stash, and came across a gold plated (brass) chain... "Well that belongs on the green/gold shimmer painted Aegis challenge bike"... "And the black stem, doesn't belong on the red Cooper... Swap with the Titan which has black Sugino rings and gen 1 Cyclone derailleurs... Off comes tape, brake levers, on 2 bikes and brakes on the Aegis cause I'm going gold, with anodized Universal CX, but wait, the levers are non-aero... The Aegis is '90s era. And now half off the Holdsworth, and I forgot the blue tape half-on the Holdsworth, was meant for either the Titan or the Cooper. God forbid I go out and ride a bike or something... I'm going to put my Cyclops mounted Kestrel outside, and at least be on a saddle pretending to ride...
Hello from NJ...
Hello from NJ...
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#2
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I've successfully restrained myself from turning one randonneur-ish bike into a porteur and turning a townie into a drop bar bike. So far.
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Oh man, I’ve been there!
I try to work on one at a time, but once in a while you end up looking at 3 or 4 perfectly rideable bikes and start THINKING!
I try to work on one at a time, but once in a while you end up looking at 3 or 4 perfectly rideable bikes and start THINKING!

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I've done it again... I just finished building up a Ron Cooper frame recently purchased from ebayUK. I had my CV-19 challenge built and ready to put some miles on. I was organising the general stash, and came across a gold plated (brass) chain... "Well that belongs on the green/gold shimmer painted Aegis challenge bike"... "And the black stem, doesn't belong on the red Cooper... Swap with the Titan which has black Sugino rings and gen 1 Cyclone derailleurs... Off comes tape, brake levers, on 2 bikes and brakes on the Aegis cause I'm going gold, with anodized Universal CX, but wait, the levers are non-aero... The Aegis is '90s era. And now half off the Holdsworth, and I forgot the blue tape half-on the Holdsworth, was meant for either the Titan or the Cooper. God forbid I go out and ride a bike or something... I'm going to put my Cyclops mounted Kestrel outside, and at least be on a saddle pretending to ride...
Hello from NJ...
Hello from NJ...

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Haha, I totally get it. I am about to break down my 26" '87 Fisher commuter that works great to build up a bike for the GF. That will leave me with 2 rideable bikes, but I am about to swap the gruoppo on one and I really need to drop of the other to get the hanger aligned. When does it stop!?

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I've done it again... I just finished building up a Ron Cooper frame recently purchased from ebayUK. I had my CV-19 challenge built and ready to put some miles on. I was organising the general stash, and came across a gold plated (brass) chain... "Well that belongs on the green/gold shimmer painted Aegis challenge bike"... "And the black stem, doesn't belong on the red Cooper... Swap with the Titan which has black Sugino rings and gen 1 Cyclone derailleurs... Off comes tape, brake levers, on 2 bikes and brakes on the Aegis cause I'm going gold, with anodized Universal CX, but wait, the levers are non-aero... The Aegis is '90s era. And now half off the Holdsworth, and I forgot the blue tape half-on the Holdsworth, was meant for either the Titan or the Cooper. God forbid I go out and ride a bike or something... I'm going to put my Cyclops mounted Kestrel outside, and at least be on a saddle pretending to ride...
Hello from NJ...
Hello from NJ...
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The solution is to have a loooong project list for the house and the motor vehicles. Bikes around here don't get messed with unless they absolutely need it, and maybe not even then.
#9
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Your thread title is funny because we've All been there.
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"In the grave, my boy, in the grave." (So quoth Mr. Natural.)
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#12
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And now I have to bring everything back inside...
Was a beautiful day here weatherwise.
Was a beautiful day here weatherwise.
#13
Over forty victim of Fate
That's because NONE of our bikes are ever 'done'... There is always that one more little tweak -- that leads to yet another tweak, that.... well... you know... QED- No bike is ever 'done'!
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'75 Fuji S-10S bought new, 52k+ miles and still going!
'84 Univega Gran Tourismo
'84 Univega Viva Sport
'86 Miyata 710
'90 Schwinn Woodlands
Unknown brand MTB of questionable lineage aka 'Mutt Trail Bike'
Plus or minus a few others from time-to-time
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I have always looked at my bikes as if they were Lego blocks or Erector sets. I'll build them up, take them apart and build something else. Winter is the worst, when I have a lot of time where the weather is too crappy to ride and the mind starts to wonder. Sometimes I don't even get a ride on a new configuration when I take it apart and do something different.
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I went through this pre-plague a few months ago. When I added a new bike to the mix, stuff got shifted between four other bikes. Mostly cockpits and cranksets. It's not a big deal unless you're buying new bar tape. Stuff adds up!
#16
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Completion only gives way to emotion or "the thrill of possibility" when I feel--via looking at it and via riding it--that a bike is a bit lost, or rather, has lost a sense of identity or theme. Of course it's my fault because I'm the one with the tools to do so, but it's usually the result of making other bikes their most ideal. I did that with my Prologue last week. Took very nice parts that gave it a great look, and put other nice parts that had a different look (and feel) and boom, re-found identity and back to its ideal form.
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I posted this picture in another forum thread recently showing how I have 4 really nice road bikes in the queue whose completion is stalled:

The Cannondale CAAD3 R1000 has been ridden by me for 1200 or so miles. I never finished the other 3 yet.

The Cannondale CAAD3 R1000 has been ridden by me for 1200 or so miles. I never finished the other 3 yet.
#19
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I've done it again... I just finished building up a Ron Cooper frame recently purchased from ebayUK. I had my CV-19 challenge built and ready to put some miles on. I was organising the general stash, and came across a gold plated (brass) chain... "Well that belongs on the green/gold shimmer painted Aegis challenge bike"... "And the black stem, doesn't belong on the red Cooper... Swap with the Titan which has black Sugino rings and gen 1 Cyclone derailleurs... Off comes tape, brake levers, on 2 bikes and brakes on the Aegis cause I'm going gold, with anodized Universal CX, but wait, the levers are non-aero... The Aegis is '90s era. And now half off the Holdsworth, and I forgot the blue tape half-on the Holdsworth, was meant for either the Titan or the Cooper. God forbid I go out and ride a bike or something... I'm going to put my Cyclops mounted Kestrel outside, and at least be on a saddle pretending to ride...
Hello from NJ...
Hello from NJ...
The 00 paint brush cost more than the paints!
Last edited by Road Fan; 04-08-20 at 04:38 AM.
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Clearly, the solution is more bikes.
Then you can be working on 4, 5, 6, and still have some that are rideable.
Then you can be working on 4, 5, 6, and still have some that are rideable.
I sold all but two, keeping my trusty Legnano GP. which is finished (to paint or not to paint is still a consideration, which has been ongoing for years,now)...

And my longest ever get it done vintage bike build, the Rabineick 120d which might not get done this year, either...

I am stuck, five hundred miles away from my lake cottage, dodging virus bullets. My guess is that I will be stuck here for quite a while. Lucky for me, I will be looking at a "minty" Concorde today, with a rear wheel that needs truing. Sorry, no pics - yet but have a wee look at my front yard, in Canada...

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"98% of the bikes I buy are projects".
"98% of the bikes I buy are projects".
#21
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For me, that is very not true. I used to have a collection of between six and ten vintage road bikes. They all took up time and the time they took up was, as often as not, riding time. Sooo.
I sold all but two, keeping my trusty Legnano GP. which is finished (to paint or not to paint is still a consideration, which has been ongoing for years,now)...
And my longest ever get it done vintage bike build, the Rabineick 120d which might not get done this year, either...
I am stuck, five hundred miles away from my lake cottage, dodging virus bullets. My guess is that I will be stuck here for quite a while. Lucky for me, I will be looking at a "minty" Concorde today, with a rear wheel that needs truing. Sorry, no pics - yet but have a wee look at my front yard, in Canada...
I sold all but two, keeping my trusty Legnano GP. which is finished (to paint or not to paint is still a consideration, which has been ongoing for years,now)...
And my longest ever get it done vintage bike build, the Rabineick 120d which might not get done this year, either...
I am stuck, five hundred miles away from my lake cottage, dodging virus bullets. My guess is that I will be stuck here for quite a while. Lucky for me, I will be looking at a "minty" Concorde today, with a rear wheel that needs truing. Sorry, no pics - yet but have a wee look at my front yard, in Canada...
Oh, no worries on that score. I have bikes to ride. and at present, the time....
It's intending to make a small change/part swap and it turning into a three-(in this case, four)-ring circus

and yeah... nice bikes and background.

#22
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A planned "little tweak" sometimes turns into a big mess of amputated bikes.
Mrs non-fixie liked the Snel I built for her a couple of months ago as her first drop bar bike ...

... but during a recent ride she mentioned it "felt a little heavy". So I decided to look into it, with the objective to lose some weight.
I managed to shave off 1.5 kgs, but ended up with having replaced everything but the bars, saddle and shifter cable stops. And two other bikes out of commission because of missing parts ...

She rode it yesterday and said "it still feels a bit heavy".
A hobby, you said?
Mrs non-fixie liked the Snel I built for her a couple of months ago as her first drop bar bike ...

... but during a recent ride she mentioned it "felt a little heavy". So I decided to look into it, with the objective to lose some weight.
I managed to shave off 1.5 kgs, but ended up with having replaced everything but the bars, saddle and shifter cable stops. And two other bikes out of commission because of missing parts ...

She rode it yesterday and said "it still feels a bit heavy".
A hobby, you said?