Ooooh - Shiny Red Bike!

   My sons Colin and Carrick have never been big on team sports, although they are hockey fans and played in local dek hockey leagues. However, they have both now outgrown the youth ranks and really need to find a consistent outlet for exercise. You would think the warmer months would be the more logical time to be outdoors, but as a family we’ve always been very active during the winter. No, I’m not counting the repeated sidewalk shovelfests we’ve had this January and February, but we played a lot of street or ice hockey and skied fairly regularly in the past (see pics below).

   Although Carrick tried baseball for a couple of seasons, large chunks of our summers were usually taken up by epic family trips. When the boys were home they would just disappear with their friends and play somewhere in the neighborhood. However, we’ve found computers to be a bad influence as they’ve gotten older, and try to stay on top of them about getting away from the screen. I struggled to find some interest or inspiration to get them off of their butts without having to constantly tell them to do so!

   The purchase of a new bicycle for my older son Colin was a big success, as he has told us about rides he takes during the school year around campus in Madison, New Jersey. When he comes home for the summer, he often disappears for long rides, and although he doesn’t ask me to accompany him, I balance my bit of disappointment with the fact that he is out enjoying cycling without any prodding from his “old man”. If the non-invite is simply a case of “embarrassing him with my presence”, a situation I’m sure most parents have heard about, I can smile to myself and think that it is the fact that I would be badly out-pacing him on my bike that would make him so uncomfortable!

   Carrick and I used to mountain bike fairly frequently, but it seems a lot of the local off-road trails have really deteriorated lately, some from overuse and poor maintenance, but also from weather issues that have left an abundance of downed trees everywhere. An added obstacle to this activity is simply having to pack up the bikes to go somewhere, when it would be so much easier if it was possible to just hop on and head off into the woods

   An idea hit me the other day that Carrick has always had hand-me-down bikes which were ridden pretty hard before he received them. I wondered if something new (or new-ISH) that really is his machine would excite him to ride more often. The fact that the old, heavy steel bicycle he was riding had been maxed out in all seat and stem adjustments in order to fit his long proportions, led me to think he probably could use a bike built to his body dimensions as well.

   During my regular eBay searches I found an excellent Giant bicycle frame that was a bit older model, but had been rarely used. Someone had stripped off all of the parts for sale, and had listed this beautiful red aluminum frame with carbon stays and fork, which also included the headset and a quality Easton stem. The best part about the deal was that the seller was only a fifteen minute drive away – potentially no shipping fees!

   For convenience the seller dropped off the bike his local bike shop on his way to work, and I made my way over there to check it out. The mechanic there whistled in approval when he showed me the frame, and it certainly met my approval as well. He put in a quick call to the seller, who was excited to hear that I liked the frame so much and would pay cash on site - he could now close the listing early and avoid eBay’s 10% fee on the final auction price.

   I’ve since put Carrick’s old repainted Schwinn on craigslist, and have been searching for parts to build up his new bike. I’m trying to keep it a bit of a secret until I get everything together. As the school year winds down, and we have less class work to take care of, I’d like to make the assembly a project we can work on together. I’m hoping not only that he will learn some things mechanically, but also that the “Hey, I built this” idea will make him take even more pride in his bicycle.

   Not a lot of news to report on my projects left in the shop, except that I dropped off the stem-stuck Pinarello with a local frame builder for some expert help. In the near future I am also expecting some pictures from my airbrushing friend of the Prince paint job. The search for a home for the Colnago also continues.