new bike! new bike.

last week i found a schwinn collegiate 5 speed next to a dumpster and other trash. both wheels were bent and tires flat and cracking. it was an obviously free (no way friends can tell me im stealing) bicycle.

it was kind of painted a little black and kind of a little orange, but mostly it was scraped up and rusty poop brown color (like my eyes).

the chain was hella rusty and all jammed up and the cables were old and rusting with pokey frayed edges. it had that gross foamy tubing on the handlebars that was all cut up and old.

the chain guard was all bent up, it would hit the crank when pedaling.

the front drop outs were funny (look at the further back one) they were very narrow and then opened up. my wheel axel wouldnt fit. i bought a metal file and filed it out so that it came straight forward (look at the closer one). this took longer than i expected. about 30 minutes on each fork end.

i ripped off most of the icky handlebar foam. i sanded the frame down. i primed part of one side of it and the chain guard, and painted the top of it hot pink. it was a very homely bicycle for 2 days. when it comes to brakes, i get a D or an F. corin came over and helped me adjust my brake and put in a new brake cable, in funny red cable housing. i changed the pedals. i also bought a hacksaw and took off the nubby parts of the cable stays, then filed them down. soon, i will get some dremel bits and dremel them down flat.

it had a nice decal of a bike saying schwinn hopkins and some other stuff.

here she is. the lighter parts are kind of the color of mint chocolate chip ice cream. i got some black handle bar tape.

i used contact paper to mask off the edges, but it didnt work that well. later this week i am going to clean up the edges with a teeny tiny brush and then varnish the not black parts because it is not shiny enough and it will chip really easily.

i have some funny plaid leather and i think i might make it a seat cover with that. im not sure what i want to do with the schwinn logo on the front. i have been being a hermit and working on projects. it got kind of messy for a little bit. i mopped tonight, my floor is so shiny!

i have been having fun with face masks. look at me, im ol'gregg! (if you dont know who that is, you should).