fks Splat's That (some Kuwaharas etc)

I saw the images on your insta. Amazing transformation. Such a good looking bike now. Took me a while to figure out what it was.

and this is it at the moment. Wanted to take some nice clean photos but March had other ideas

Future plans:

• brakes are going in the bin. Then the bin is going to be set on fire.
  
• maybe 1x.... but all my other bikes are 1x/ss so it's nice having an even s p r e a d of gears
  
• kona specced a 27.2mm seatpost shim from the factory?? I don't really trust it with bikepacking bags swinging off the seatpost, so I'll try and get it out and find a replacement post that fits (29.8/30.0ish apparently)
  
  
  
  

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Thanks! it's still unashamedly and unavoidably a lump.
But rolling on some 2.2" rubber suits it. Doesn't go, doesn't stop, just plods along.

Yeah, I once went touring with a friend riding a Kona Sutra and he complained about how heavy it was. He wasn't used to long days in the saddle though.
Yours looks very capable of anything now (besides racing maybe).

I've just accepted that I'm not fast and that I need to embrace the cush. Heavy, sure, but it's an out-and-out touring bike in it's bones.
Took it to the purbecks on saturday (hence the state of it) and I wouldn't say those extra kgs were day-ruining. It's noticable, yeah, but it's nice feeling like I can just point it at anything and it'll be alright.

Looks real good set up like this!!

10/10

momentum > speed

So, that Kuwahara. The silly one.

I got a bit annoyed with it. It was taking me about 10 mins to get out of my flat (while taking half the wall with it), not being able to squeeze through traffic ever, and just actually not being very usable day-to-day.

Changed some bits - bullmooses (twas ever thus) and mystery cute mudguards of unknown provenance. It's a tonne better to ride like this. Black seatpost is stressing me out, might have a little visit from Mister Caustic.

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Looks cool. Do those mudguards actually have any success in keeping anything clean though?!

I have to confess they are probably of limited functionality

Do those mudguards actually have any success in keeping anything clean though?!

The front one definitely helps spray from getting into your eyes. MTBs use them frequently.

wet bum still definitely on the cards

Many moons ago, I acquired this rather endearing RockHopper step-through.
In my haste to snaffle it from the seller for a measly sum, I deliberately and wilfully ignored that it'd been in his shed for 20 years and the likeliness of component stuckness associated with such a sedentary lifestyle.

Lo and behold, after a few days sweating and swearing and bleeding at it, I basically gave up for a while. Seatpost - very stuck (and lots of it inside). Stem - very stuck. DS crank arm - stripped thread trying to remove, stuck.

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However, not one to be permanently defeated but rather temporarily distracted, I had another go.

With special thanks to:

• caustic soda + exothermic reactions
  
• Big pipe wrench + scaffolding tube
  
• angle grinder
  
• plusgas
  
  

I managed to cut the crank arm off, dissolve some of the seatpost, wrestle the stem out, and jump on a big lever attached to a bb tool with such accuracy that it finally, mercifully moved a tiny bit.

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Now then - what to do with it?

Well, the BB threads need a clean up but don't look too bad. The original wheels are in decent shape, fork is fine. The paint isn't actually in too bad shape in general, but I've never painted a bike before so I think I'm going to have a go. This is what I'm aiming for I think:

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God, I'd love a Capri!
Interesting project too.

My uncle had that exact color Capri, epic memories that.
If I remember correctly they had no seatbelt (or just some strap) in the rear which would cause me to slide around on the poop beige backseat every time he took a corner. Which probably resulted in another shade of poop color being left behind.

elf n safety has killed all the fun

Out of interest, could anyone recommend a place to cut vinyl? Going to have a go at masking replacement decals, rather than doing transfers/stickers...

nice job with the caustic soda! I'm surprised that the paint survived, I managed to melt a lot of the paint off a frame when I used it.

Capri's are ace! I remember a mate of mine swapped a pair of those huge shitty Jamo speakers for one when we were youths back in the mid 90's.
no driving license, no fucks given. very silly.

tbh I was kinda hoping that it'd take some of the paint with it, to save me some work!

Loving these capri stories

Had a moment free so drew up some decals for vinyl cutting (thanks image trace)

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