Winter doldrums

There's always a point when I'm between projects that I just can't seem to get myself motivated for anything. I've been working a bit on a couple of small kick bikes for the cute babies of various friends from college, but the project has been stalled while waiting for the wheels. As it turns out, no bike suppliers really deal much with tiny replacement wheels, I guess kids bikes are viewed as a piece and are somewhat disposable. I had to order some wheelchair front caster wheels as they actually come small enough to fit the tiny bikes.

Status report

I just got word back from the owner of Daruma MK 2 who has been riding his super commuter daily and reports it to be "Doing great, it's built like a brick shithouse" which I guess is a compliment given the noodlyness of MK 1. I did really like test riding that bike before sending it off. I guess I'm going to have to build myself one...

Aaron

Better shot

Finished at last, finished at last

IMG_0541, originally uploaded by aaroneritz.

Thank god almighty I'm done at last!

I finished the latest bike-- DC3 (DC meaning Daruma Cycles, and 3 meaning the 3rd one ever) and am quite pleased with the work. The frame turned out to be about three pounds even in weight, slightly lighter than the DC1 frame and it should be VASTLY stiffer with its two inch downtube and headtubes and carbon chainstays. I am also pretty pleased with the way that the hand painted bamboo groves look on the finished bike. They were pretty simple once I got the general technique down and switched to the little paintbrush. Now all that remains is to give it to the proper owner and hope that all goes well! I tried to make the bike as impervious to moisture as possible by giving it a double coat of automotive 2 part finish and putting some expanding foam inside the seat tube above the first joint. I'll post more pictures once I get the bike in some better lighting.