DefTraps by Chaley

Ah fair.... Goes to check bolts on pizza rack...

This.

I'm hyper paranoid about mine. I run mine with straps too, just in case.

I've got some spare volie straps actually, so that's a great shout for carrying them around too.

I never had any issues with mine, the original bolts come with locknuts no?
But yes it doesn't hurt!

Yeah they are nylocks, but I had used them a few times (naughty Chaley) so it’s understandable. The nuts have been replaced now as I love my wife and don’t want to kill her. But belt and braces :D

Some more tyres arrived yesterday thanks to @PeteJChurchill (a nice person to do business with).
Teravail Sparwood 2.1 x 650b as Pete told me Teravail put some magic in them to get them to seat and pump up so easily. I popped the old Horizons off, scooped the sealant out with a spoon and plopped it in to the Sparwoods and with the track pump blew them up. And you know what they seated, blew up and stayed up overnight without a drama or a hint of spray/seepage.
So now the Midnight Special has big boy boots on. This morning I went for a quick ride down the local mudfest, sorry bridleway across the field and let’s just say I felt like Lee Majors in the Fall Guy truck. So much fun! It still rides just like a road bike, but with acres so “Cush” 10/10 would ride again.
(Even the mismatched colour way is punk rock)

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Very cool!!!

Hell yeah! Looking awesome. Loved following this build and now chuffed to have been able to contribute to it.

Cheers for the nice comments @Josh and @PeteJChurchill I really am loving this bike. Maybe it’s because Liz actually listened to me droning on about how much I liked the MS or that it suits my bulldozer style of riding. But it is so much run.

After losing the 34mm WTB byways to Liz’s new bike I put the 32x700c that came on her Sirrus on the Pest. 32mm my arse! They are tiny they’re closer to 28mm. Anyway I’ll have to buy myself some more byways for the Pest as they worked great.
We went for a morning ride today and it was beautiful out.

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Due to things, the Sequoia isn’t getting the alt bars now, but is going to just get some chubby road tyres instead.
In other news a white industries freewheel arrived today to go on the Kish. Which was nice, it’s a little bit more worn than I hoped, but it spins perfectly and seams to engage 100%. New sprockets are available and it was only £15 so I’m happy.

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That's worn way beyond "a little worn"!!

Very serviceable and replaceable though! Good choice

I was being generous, tbh I’m going to change it to a 19t anyway, but it would have been nice to give it a try beforehand.

And then this happened…
Mystery frame (50+ years old?)
Miche pista/open pro wheelset (15years/5miles old)
need to find out what it is, change lots of bits and maybe, just maybe get the 5 foot thick paint removed and have it painted.

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Lovely frame, gorgeous lugwork.

When I saw the pics on marketplace I couldn’t resist.

I’ve fitted a ‘new’ cog to the White Industries freewheel, £20 from evilbay and have fitted the whole shabang to the Kish. Ooh they sound money!

I pulled the fork on the mystery machine and the number is
51006 I think.
Onwards…

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I stripped the Mystery Machine today and greased everything up. Thought I’d weigh it as it was in bits, but not before I’d refitted the BB (d’ho!!) anyway.
Frame inc BB and headset cups - 2339g
Fork inc crown race - 845g
So it’s not exactly a lightweight, but not a boat anchor either.

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After a cup of coffee and a slice of cardamom cake I decided to put it back together.
I changed the bullhorns for track drops and the pedal to something a bit more in keeping. I also pumped up the 23c tyres to a very in keeping 110psi ;)
While it was on the stand Dave from next door took some pics and will ask around as to what it could be at the V-CC luncheon tomorrow. So I may find out what it is…
Oh here’s a picture of it as it sits now.
Need to rotate the bars a tad and find those clips and straps that are in that box somewhere or other.

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I’m having a shift around of the bike library and moved the FGSS into one place instead of being scattered asunder. That’s not true, there’s still one in the house, but I can live with that.

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Well the results are in on the Mystery Machine,
It’s got the correct geometry to be from 1951
The dropouts are correct as are the forks, the grease nipple on the bb and the lugs, but…
No one could say the manufacturer, all the usual British builder have been discounted because the seat stay cluster is ‘a bit unusual’
The next step is some more detailed pics and a letter to the editor of the V-CC club magazine to put the search to a wider audience.

Got any pictures of the cake?

It looks really similar in geometry and the lugs to my 1950s holdworth.

https://nkilgariff.com/HoldsCats/Cat1950/P4_CycloneFr.jpg

Thanks for the thought, but apparently it’s definitely not one of their seat clusters.